Raleigh: Alan Oakley

Alan Oakley is the man that gave Britain the iconic Raleigh Chopper bike. This 1980 profile finds him moving from drawing board to boardroom.

Alan Oakley of the Nottingham based Raleigh firm came up with the idea for the iconic Chopper, that revolutionary street bike for children that defined the 1970s, after a fact-finding tour of the USA. By 1980 Oakley was design director at TI Raleigh and ideally placed to guide us through the process of taking a wild idea and making it a reality.

Alan Oakley had a forty year career with Raleigh. His iconic Chopper was relaunched in a limited edition in 2004.