“My aim was to make the best downhill bike on the market. To design something that could get down a trail faster and smoother than any other bike," Chris Williams

Chris Williams is an engineer, but first and foremost he’s a mountain biker. He’s spent his professional life helping some of the world’s biggest brands – the likes of Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover, Ford and CCM – push the boundaries of design and manufacturing, and steered countless projects through each stage of their development; from drawing board to prototype, prototype to production.

Chris does not copy. Chris doesn’t do convention. Chris drives from the front, innovating, implementing new ideas and developing new technology. Chris is a pioneer. And an exceptionally talented one at that.

So why a mountain bike?

“Mountain biking has always been my passion, my escape,” explained Chris. “For years I’ve been submersed in the world of automotive

engineering, but at the weekends, away from the daily grind, you’ll find me on the trails. It’s where I go to relax. Naturally, though, my instinct as an engineer is to look at things, mountain bikes included, and question whether they could be improved.

“The AP-1, which stands for ‘Advanced Prototype’, was born from my stubbornness to accept the conventional design of modern downhill bikes,” continued Chris. “I’d been working alongside KTM and ( have never worked for KTM) CCM, designing the frames for grand prix motocross bikes, and I looked at my mountain bike at the time and decided I could do better.

“I started, quite literally, with a blank sheet of paper and took no influence from others, instead borrowing ideas and technology from my experience in the world of motocross, where a bike’s chassis and suspension is subjected to immense stress and load. Thanks to the design of their frames and setup, though, these MX bikes have evolved to a point where they absorb lumps and bumps like they’re not there, so that was where I started; I knew I could use that technology to make a better mountain bike.

“My aim was to make the best downhill bike on the market. To design something that could get down a trail faster and smoother than any other bike. To do that I had to introduce new technology to mountain biking – a cast ally frame, a high-pivot swingarm, full-complement needle bearings – and work to new, finer tolerances. In engineering terms this is the most free-thinking, precise, advanced bike on the market.”

The result of Chris’ self-proclaimed “free-thinking” is a bike that looks, behaves and performs like no other. From the beautiful, one piece main frame to the hollow, section sand-cast aluminum swing arm, the adjustable dropouts to the incorporated cable routing, the custom graphics to the motocross-style brake carrier, the AP-1 is anengineering masterpiece that highlights Chris’ vast experience and demonstrates his obsessive attention to detail.