Chopper creator dies at 85

The designer who created the revolutionary Chopper bicycle, which became a symbol of the 1970s, has died of cancer aged 85.

Alan Oakley, who drew the initial design for the Raleigh Chopper on the back of an envelope while flying back from the United States in 1967, died in Nottingham on Friday.

His wife Karen confirmed that her husband had died at their home in the Wollaton area of the city, nine months after being diagnosed with oesophageal cancer.

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Mr Oakley created the Chopper, famed for its laid-back style and car-like gear shifter, after a trip to the US to get to grips with the nation’s youth culture,

The Chopper was a huge success for Nottingham-based Raleigh in both Britain and the US, becoming a must-have bike for a generation of children.