Fat Chance Rebirth in Progress

As mentioned in various bicycle media and alluded to by me a few months back, Chris Chance relaunching Fat Chance bikes. And that is a cool story. I've said it before, if any old school mountain bike company was worthy of relaunch, Fat Chance would be it. Even years after its demise, a rabid cult following still exists. Now to see if actually possible.

Interesting to note that Chris Chance is doing this via a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds. $116,000 requested to get Fat Chance afloat once again. With 18 days currently left, they've scored over $95,000 towards the goal. Amazing that amount accumulated with just 131 people signed on. Don't quote me on the numbers, they can change daily.

Some big bucks required to secure the first batch of new Yo Eddy frames. $2500 or $5000+ to be on the list, depending on the package. Seems crazy expensive for a steel frame, until you consider its not just about the frame, you're helping to bring back some cool mountain bike history and launch it into the modern age. For the not so well off, cheaper packages available for t-shirts and other goodies.

The modern Yo Eddy frame to feature 27.5 or 29er wheels, your choice. Trail oriented geometry, tapered head tube, 12x142 rear axle, and dropper post compatible. All in glorious steel and hopefully old school graphics. Exactly how spec'd it on their survey awhile back, along with a bunch of other folks I'm sure. Frames to be USA built and delivered this summer. Being the old school Fat fan, pushes all my correct buttons. Yes please.

Will I be scoring a frame myself? Fat chance, Bunky. Highly unlikely and not quite in the family budget. Maybe after the initial run and stock production goes into full swing, lowering the price. That be the dream anyway. I'll probably pony up for the $50 t-shirt and sticker pack anyway, to at least be part of it all.

I wish 'em all good luck and hope to see this be a successful venture.

Fat Chance is Back - Hello and Good Bye

The bicycle interwebs are a buzzin' with news that Fat Chance is back in action, Chris Chance at the helm.  How cool is that?  Fat Chance still fresh enough - and missed enough - that a launch of new bikes could be successful.  I'd hope so anyway.

Details are sketchy, with mention of Yo Eddy staging a comeback.  The new website features a polling option on what people want see in the returning model.  Vote early, vote often, operators are standing by.  Also appears to be proof the return currently in the early stages.

Me?  I'd vote for the steel hardtail with modern geometry to run a 140mm suspension fork and dropper post, 27.5 wheels, old school colors and graphics.  Bit of old school and new school combo.  Yes please.  Curious to see what develops in the next few months.  My guess is the niche batch of frames to start, manufactured by a higher end US builder.  Time will tell.

Ironically, after 20+ years of ownership, I just sold my Yo Eddy.  Bike was boxed and ready to ship to the new owner, while I read of the Fat Chance relaunch on Facebook.  Mixed feelings about that chain of events.  A deal is a deal however, PayPal account already sporting the transfer of dough.

Freshly washed before the official boxing ceremony.

To add the irony, my Yo Eddy then spotted on the new Fat Chance site, plucked from a Facebook post.  Super cool to see it there...

Bike sold to recoup funds used to supply son Ian with his new rig.  And that's okay.  I'd rather spent time riding with him, then hold on to some old bikes - even my Fat - as its been collecting dust for a few years.  I sold the bike via the FatCogs forum and hope the new owner in Maine is happy with it.  In any case, I also have my '86 Fat Chance that I've owned since new, so still officially in the cult.

As the old school Fat City fan, cool to see Chris Chance involved in the industry once again.  Who knows, maybe this was fate and I'll replace my vintage Yo Eddy with the new modern Yo Eddy.

That story would bring it all full circle with a cosmic spin of knobby tires...

1985 Fat Chance Trials - Second Spin Cycles

Found this great example of a '85 Fat Chance trials bike on the Second Spin Cycles site.  Pics courtesy of Second Spin Cycles.  I knew Fat City sold trials bikes during the '80s - with one of my early Fat catalogs listing a trials frame - but have never actually seen one.  Cool looking bike, especially that fork - sweet.

During the mountain bike formative years, observed trials was touted to be the next big thing, though that never occurred.  I was under the illusion of being sort of a trials rider back in the day and entered a few events on my '86 Fat Chance.  Great era and fun times.

Later, I picked up a used Ibis Trials Comp and then fully discovered trials rider I'm not.  If interested, prior babbling about observed trials and Ibis pics from a previous post - click here - for Internet transportation device.

Cool to see a Fat trails rig, even if only in photo form.  If you're into vintage mountain bikes, Second Spin Cycles is worth a visit.  Dude puts out some nice restorations.

Fat Chance Yo Eddy - Sweet Restore

Came across this super nice restored '93 Yo Eddy while cruising eBay, complete with NOS SunTour XC Pro build.  Sweet.  Bike shown at the recent NAHBS event to give folks a chance (Ha! Get it?) to gawk at some trick old school iron.

Apparently, this dude - Martin Kozaczek - is restoring mountain bikes from the golden era for resale.  And if this Fat Chance is any example of his work, impressive stuff.  Additional pics of this Fat on his blog.

Current bidding action on this restore is over $4000, higher then I would have predicted.  Yowza.  Call now, operators are standing by.

Team Fat Chance Yo Eddy - Peek from Beyond

Feast your eyes on this specimen of all things old school cool.  Yes, bike geek alert in full alarm.  Team Fat Chance Yo Eddy in all its steel frame and fork glory, courtesy of Fat City Cycles.  Please bow your heads.  Fat City Cycles.  R.I.P.

Suspension?  Nada.  Toe clips?  Check.  Top mount shifters?  Check.  Turbo saddle?  Check.  Fat ass tires?  Check.  Stare in awe at the green and black fade paint.  Marvel at the correct stance of the thing.  It just plain looks right.  One of the coolest mountain bikes ever made.  You know it.  I know it.  We all know it.  Well, at least now you know...

Okay, I'm biased.  I own one, now retired after many years of use.  I still enjoy just seeing it hang in the garage.  I occasionally buzz it around, still amazed how good it feels.  Some frames appear to contain magic in their tubes.  This is one of those bikes.  Trust me.

I pulled this image off the 'net.  Not sure of the original source, so apologize for not giving credit for the excellent photo of how things were.  We now return to our regular programing, already in progress.

IF Deluxe Redux - Yo Eddy Reborn?

While cruising the Independent Fabrications blog a few weeks back - yeah, my blogging action in slow motion lately (sorta like how I race) - came across a cool post that mentioned Chris Chance being spotted at the last NAHBS.  Considering Mr. Chance seemed to drop off the face of the bicycling planet after Fat City Cycles closed its hallowed doors, pretty cool to read he was spotted at a bike show.

Even cooler - after a Chris Chance conversation - IF decided to put out a bike celebrating a bit of yesteryear, combined with new school.  Steel hardtail and fork, 29er wheels and disk brakes.  To me, it says modern Yo Eddy, complete with vivid old school paint colors.  Very cool bike, as depicted by the photo I borrowed from the IF site.

If you know the Fat City story, also a bit of coming around full circle.  Independent Fabrications was started by Fat City Cycle employees during the closing era of Fat City.  Old history for crusty old mountain bikers and Fat fans, like me.  Another time and another era.

In any case, if you have a spare $6000 burning a hole in your pocket, one of these could be yours with a nice build kit.  That's currently way out of my bike budget, for now and probably forever, so I'll just enjoy from a safe distance and be glad it even exists.

Taiwanese Fat Chance?

Checking my Facebook posts this morning, came across this update from MOMBAT.  

MOMBAT?  That short for the Museum of Mountain Bike Art & Technology.  That's one museum I'd like to spent an afternoon visiting.  It's housed at First Flight Bikes in North Carolina, and if I ever find myself in that part of the country, will drop in for sure.

Back to the update.  Seems they're selling off a few of their vintage bike collection, and one caught my eye, being the Fat City fan.  Fat City Cycles super expert I'm not, but know a fair amount about the history and models - as well as owning a '86 Fat Chance and '91 Yo Eddy - from back in the day.

Fat City bikes were all hand made in the U.S.A.  First at their Somerville, MA location, then later via a joint venture with Serotta, in New York state.  That's what I thought anyway...

According to this ad, Fat City dabbled with frames made in Taiwan for the Canadian market. Out of the many Fat City related articles, catalogs, and other stories over the years - I've never heard of this.  True?  If so, doesn't surprise me since Fat City was growing at the time.  Interesting story anyway.

Picture of the '91 Taiwanese Fat Chance, courtesy of the MOMBAT site.  Click here for more views and details.

I can't confirm or deny the off-shore frames for Canada story, but found it kind of interesting and adds another piece to Fat City Cycles lore.  Would I buy this bike?  Probably not.  But for a collector, a possible cool bike to own, just for the history of it all.  If interested, it could be yours.  Act now.