Geoff Apps and Highpath

[Repack Rider]

The true English mountain bike pioneer was Geoff Apps. Because Geoff came from the "Rough Stuff Fellowship" tradition rather than the California downhill tradtion, and because 26" tyres were not common in England, he approached his design differently.

Something like this:

Bob McHardy sent me this photo of a MTB meet with the Highpath crowd, some time in the early '80s:

 

[stevet1]

very nice, thanks for sharing those.
Not sure about the QR handlebars though :?

 

[Agency_Scum]

That design looks really sound! ( though I think it may have been killed off with those " pith helmet " publicity shots )

 

[orange71]

I never knew we had our own tradition so early on...

 

[john]

Great scans.

Have vague memories of seeing these frames in old magazines. Never seen one 'out on the trails' though.

 

[Radar]

Article on Rough Stuff Fellowship in this month's Singletrack. Some snippets of history too.

Pith helmets - surely the ultimate retro helmet? Day glo zebra striped Etto - new fangled rubish, will never catch on.

Cue host of wtd. ads: Pith helmet

 

[terryhfs]

Wasn't there a company called Cleland in the UK as well? I think they called their bikes "Cross Country Bicycles" (before the current XC naming convention obviously) and they were aimed at farmers and hunting/shootng/fishing types.

Terry...

 

[tangent]

Highpath

There was a really good feature in MBUK once with HighPath engineering , Chris Bell (eggrings also I think) + the usual Brit builder Roberts & Llyod.

May try and dig out said article some time - all I can recall now was that he a strong advocate of drum brakes & hub gears...

 

[Stick Legs]

The aricle of which you speak is the 1992 summer special (with free mint sauce sox)

 

[terryhfs]

It looks like Cleland and Highpath are related. Geoff made bikes that he built himself, called Cleland - but Highpath manufactured his designs later on.

Terry.