Christopher G. “Chris” Hipp, a semi-professional bike rider and a technology visionary, died Tuesday, July 14, during a bike ride on Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park. Mr. Hipp, 47, was a Redwood City resident.
He apparently died of natural causes, although the exact cause of death is still undetermined, said his longtime partner, Lorraine Sneed. The results of an autopsy won’t be available for several weeks, said a spokeswoman with the Santa Clara County medical examiner’s office.
Menlo Park police said Mr. Hipp collapsed while riding his bicycle in the 2800 block of Sand Hill Road at around 6:45 a.m. Witnesses said he had joined up with a group ride, but fell behind and let them go on without him, said Ms. Sneed.
Mr. Hipp originated, designed and held several patents for the then-revolutionary concept of low power consumption, ultra-dense blade servers, according to his biography on his Web site www.Hippster.com. His start-up company, RLX Technologies, was acquired by Hewlett-Packard in 2005.
He was well-known in local cycling circles, and news of his death spread rapidly online. A Texas native, he rode with Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong in Dallas during the 1980s, said Ms. Sneed.
“Chris was one of the old guys when Lance was a teenager, and Chris delighted in egging him on,” Ms. Sneed said. “Lance was a youthful hothead, obviously gifted, and Chris loved going head-to-head with the young punk.”
Mr. Armstrong sent condolences via Twitter from France, where he is competing in the Tour de France.
Mr. Hipp had many friends of all ages, from many walks of life, she said.
“One of his gifts was in creating community, in business and in his personal life. He had amazing overlapping circles of friends,” Ms. Sneed said.
In lieu of services, a memorial bike ride was held July 19, followed by an open house at the Redwood City home Mr. Hipp shared with Ms. Sneed.
