Chris Bell, Egg Rings/Highpath Engineering: RIP

Not unexpected news, but I don't recall seeing this announced here at the time...

He was a quiet and modest self-taught engineer who was a key figure in many British cycling developments of the late 70s and 80s. I met him a couple of times around the place. His enthusiasm and eye for solutions was infectious.



From Cycling (CTC) magazine:

"Chris Bell 1950-2016
Died 5th August. Chris (Highpath Engineering) was well known across the cycling community, manufacturing his bespoke 'EGGrings', adapted cranks for disabled riders, and other specialist cycle component. His children's were used to success in four Olympics and by a number of round-the-world cyclists.
After being diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer in 2004, Chris cycle-toured (24,000km) all over Europe, raising awareness of prostate cancer and funds for cancer charities (£27,000)."

On the retro side, in addition to keeping many of us in weird chairing combinations, he made rings for Wrath-Sharman/Highpath and Apps/Cleland bikes along with Pace on their RC100 Bullseye cranks.

Just a couple of examples:




All the best,

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RIP Chris.

I asked him to re-drill and thread some XT M730 cranks and cut them from 175 to 153mm for my daughter last year. He gradually explained the process delays due to him being so unwell and told me of his epic charity ride but he duly delivered said cranks. What a wonderful chap and so helpful. Hope you are hammering it in the big ring in the sky.

sad news for british cycling, where are the self taught inventors these days?? RIP

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Top geezer! RIP

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Sad news, thank you for the write up, it's appreciated.

Chris Bell sadly missed. However Highpath Continues under Patrick McLoughlin.

sad news and someone i always thought was kept in the shadows, his talents were ace!!!

wont be another along like chris for a very long time

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RIP Chris- and fairplay what an awesome way to react to a cancer diagnosis.

Have been enamoured with EGG rings since they were featured in MTB Pro 25 odd years ago.

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I've run egg rings from the early 90s onward- from my Fat Ti through to my most modern road bike. I got hit by the bug after seeing Jamie Taplows cannondale with a solid egg ring in an early MBUK and remember thinking 'I've got to have me some of them'...

The rings themselves were only part of the Highpath experience, every time I contacted Chris he was a dream to talk to; exciting, excitable, engaging and interesting. He was an old school mechanic, bike nut and true gent.

When he told everyone he was ill his first thought was not to retreat and hide but to get out and do something positive, and then something else and something else.

If I can get to the end of my life and have done a fraction of the things Chris did and leave even a tiny amount of the legacy he's left then I'd be a happy man.

Some of my Chris Bell beauties:










He even designed my 94bcd Bullseye spider (just for the fun of the challenge, no charge!):