Fat Chance Titanium, No. #099T3M

[IF52]

Rob, folded arms is Rob Mossman. Worked for Real (brake levers, chain rings) after leaving Fat, VP at Pearl Izumi now. He is who we always talked to when we ordered frames. IIRC he also managed the race team.

And I need to bug him again to try and get Pearl to do tall sizes

 

[RobTu]

OK - here's my best shot from left to right:
Josh (last name? in the Mavic hat) machinist, tool maker, engineering student
Mike Flanigan (kneeling) painter, founding member of IF, now owns ANT Bike and the coolest handlebar mustache in bicycling
Laurie Pinkham (immediate right of Josh) did some painting early on and then came on full time as production coordinator / supervisor
Ben (last name?) worked in finishing
dark hat turned backwards - not sure
Rob (last name? arms folded and big smile) sales - founder of Fat Cogs
Chris Chance (kneeling holding the bike) needs no introduction here
Frank (last name? black kid with glasses looking away) finishing - martial arts and great all-around athlete
Debbie Nadolney (dark shirt and scarf) shipping - a good friend - miss her a lot
Joe (last name?) blasting and painting
Sue Kirby (gray sweater and glasses looking away) welder - worked for IF at start-up - best female welder I've ever known
Rob (last name? partially obscured by Sue) machinist on the cover of "Live and Uncut"

behind behind Rob with the hat - sorry can't tell / don't remember
Wendy "Wendyll" Behrend (white shirt and headband) needs no introduction here either
Yours truly Scott Bengtson - chief welder November 1986 to October 1994 - kneeling in front of Wendyll holding the welding mask
Reggie Jackson (black guy peeking out behind WB) frame fitter and keeper of the serial number book - another good friend missed. Of all the people in this picture other than Chris and Wendyll, he was the longest tenured employee, then me.
Lloyd Graves - (two-tone hat and eyes closed) frame fitter, machinist originally worked at Schwinn in Mississippi, founding member of IF, now works at Seven Cycles
guy on the end in the striped sweatshirt - I forget his name - worked in sales

Some folks missing that I believe still worked there at the time of the photo shoot
Christie Lawyer - sales - I believe she was the only one other than Chris and Wendyll to go to NY after Somerville closed
Gary Mathis - finishing and design - he did a lot of development on the Shock-a-billy
Dave Blakeney - welder - founded Bomber Cycles - another good friend missed
Not sure if Mike P and Bob Fulk were still there or not when this was taken.

Enjoy
Scott

Awesome! Many thanks

Quick question: Was Tyler Evans there at any point during this time, or did he come on with the people who founded Independent Fabrication?

 

[I-ROBOT]

I don't recall anybody named Tyler Evans, probably an IF guy I guess. After Somerville closed, I got a job working for a biotech equipment company in Danvers, MA and lost touch with most of those folks for quite some time.
Scott

 

[DocChill]

Thanks to Scott!

...guy on the end in the striped sweatshirt - I forget his name - worked in sales...

Enjoy
Scott

Hi Scott,

wow, many thanks for your awesome informations! To complete this thread I like to show this video. The most of you will know it... but you also see again the quy on the end of the picture in the striped sweatshirt !

It must be a very special phase in your life to work together with all these people at Fat City Cycles !

Additional I like to show a nice shirt, which everybody of us should have:

Cheers,
Daniel


P. S. - Does anybody know if this is the only video about Fat City Cycles? Who has made that?

 

[chefmiguel]

It was a video series called Fat Tire Journal. They covered race results and would profile riders and companies.

 

[I-ROBOT]

Hi Scott,

wow, many thanks for your awesome informations! To complete this thread I like to show this video. The most of you will know it... but you also see again the quy on the end of the picture in the striped sweatshirt !

It must be a very special phase in your life to work together with all these people at Fat City Cycles !

Additional I like to show a nice shirt, which everybody of us should have:

Cheers,
Daniel


P. S. - Does anybody know if this is the only video about Fat City Cycles? Who has made that?

We were also the subject of a short segment done by a local Boston TV station Channel 5 WCVB-TV for their "Chronicle" series but I don't know if that footage is available anywhere since it would have been shot at least 20 years ago now.

And, yes, Daniel those 8 years were a very special time in my life. I never thought getting a welding degree and answering a little newspaper advertisement would have turned out the way it has!

I hope I get to visit Germany again sometime. I really enjoyed Dusseldorf the one time I was over to inspect some pipe being formed at a mill near there.
Regards
Scott

 

[RobTu]

I don't recall anybody named Tyler Evans, probably an IF guy I guess. After Somerville closed, I got a job working for a biotech equipment company in Danvers, MA and lost touch with most of those folks for quite some time.
Scott

Got it; thanks for the response.

 

[DocChill]

Düsseldorf ;-)

We were also the subject of a short segment done by a local Boston TV station Channel 5 WCVB-TV for their "Chronicle" series but I don't know if that footage is available anywhere since it would have been shot at least 20 years ago now.

And, yes, Daniel those 8 years were a very special time in my life. I never thought getting a welding degree and answering a little newspaper advertisement would have turned out the way it has!

I hope I get to visit Germany again sometime. I really enjoyed Dusseldorf the one time I was over to inspect some pipe being formed at a mill near there.

Regards
Scott

Hi Scott,

thanks for you reply - really cool, that you know Düsseldorf. It's not far from my hometown (only about 1 1/2 hours by car). If you get to visit Germany again, I'll invite you for a drink in Münster (because Münster is a "city of bicycles") !

Best regards,
Daniel

 

[DocChill]

...any small updates ;-))

Hello FAT-Fans,

in the meantime I did any small updates, which I won't hold back:

The Salsa Skewers are gone, black Ringlé Camtwists came! Additional I added the original Patent-Logo (special thanks to "YoKris"!) and...

...the famous "Yo-Eddy-skulls" to the fork!!!

Now it feels a bit more complete and ready for a ride !!! ...and I like to add, that I'm very happy with this bike!!!

Cheers,
Daniel

 

[Stingercut]

Good enough to eat

 

[DocChill]

...package from USA ;-)

Good enough to eat

Hi and many thanks ! Additional I recently got a package from USA:

At first a bit cool...

...but when the sun came out it's "pretty in pink" ! I really like these funstuff...

Best regards -
Daniel

 

[DocChill]

I really needed this... a bit crazy, but I like it!

Hi together,

as a crazy die hard "FATfan" I really needed this :

I'm very happy that I found them after all these years of searching !

Cheers,
Daniel

 

[I-ROBOT]

I still have my Frisbee but the bandages are long gone. Too cool!
Scott

 

[Stingercut]

New merchandise

I hear there is a new range of Fat Chance condoms in the pipeline...








Ok, il get my coat !

 

[DocChill]

Brandnew merchandise in the pipeline... ;-))

I hear there is a new range of Fat Chance condoms in the pipeline... ok, il get my coat!

...oh my god..., now the bar is lower than the sea-level... these crazy british !

@I-ROBOT: I think we all love the merchandise items so much, because they transfer the message, "Hey Guys, look what we've done for you!" The identification of the employees with the product must be extremely high!!! That's what I think, when I page through the classic brochures...

A nice weekend to everybody !

Cheers,
Daniel

 

[I-ROBOT]

I hear there is a new range of Fat Chance condoms in the pipeline...








Ok, il get my coat !

If you saw the photo of Chris at IHBA posted previously, then you will know why they will only be available in MAGNUM. (Don't ask me how I know)

 

[Stingercut]

Wadaya saying I-ROBOT ? That Chris was moonlighting as a porn star these last 20years and you were holding the camera for the money shot ? I know he was into healing the body but that's a rather 'loose' definition :hotdog:





Have you ever heard of FatBoy Slim ?

 

[Stingercut]

...oh my god..., now the bar is lower than the sea-level... these crazy british !

@I-ROBOT: I think we all love the merchandise items so much, because they transfer the message, "Hey Guys, look what we've done for you!" The identification of the employees with the product must be extremely high!!! That's what I think, when I page through the classic brochures...

A nice weekend to everybody !

Cheers,
Daniel

Judging by the amount of substance abuse and industrial accidents at Fat City...it's not surprising they had a branded commercial deal with Band-Aid !

 

[I-ROBOT]

Wadaya saying I-ROBOT ? That Chris was moonlighting as a porn star these last 20years and you were holding the camera for the money shot ? I know he was into healing the body but that's a rather 'loose' definition :hotdog:





Have you ever heard of FatBoy Slim ?

I would have if he asked!! No, you know how sometimes nature calls when you out on the trail. Well, I was dragging up the rear on a ride one day (as usual), only to catch up and realize that Chris was relieving himself not realizing that I hadn't caught up and I get to see him in his full glory! To make it even funnier, I had my boss's son do the same thing to me at Cotter Corp after I returned from a jobsite late on a Friday!

Enjoy
Scott

 

[Stingercut]

Ummm ok....and now...The Weather Report


:kissyface










I may never think of you the same way again I-ROBOT when I look at those signature welds retzel: