Is Chris getting back in the bike biz - 2014?

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fiatjeepdriver

New member
Crap this could make my next purchase very hard indeed. I have been talking with John Slawta about getting a carbon land shark mtb frame next year and I had planned on coping the geometry on my yo eddy. I guess it all depends on cost and availability.
 
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Stingercut

Active member
Chris has aged well, just like his brand. Glad he is sticking to handmade artistry. :D

Agree with the Doc, the Fat ethos transcended pure bicycle manufacture. That ethereal 'coolness factor' should be preserved and enhanced at all cost.

The element of Yo Eddy 'fun', Leni Fried cartoon graphics, subliminal messages on the frame, making them unique with their own personality. What's the betting the rest of the industry will sit up and take note and try to mass produce this quintessence ? Fat always moved the needle and will continue to do so I'm sure ;)
 
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Kaiser

New member
Shut-up-and-take-my-money.jpg



Amazing news!!!!
 
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zonq

Member
erh ma gerfffff!!!!

I haven't been this interested in a new bike in 20 years and I don't even know what it is yet. Hopefully a Fat bike. Of course it will be a Fat bike! :)

I'm so heppy i can't even
 
I-ROBOT

I-ROBOT

Active member
I-ROBOT said:
Interesting...nice looking web page. I wonder if Wendyll is finally out of the picture now???

On another completely different note, I read a nice little article about Firefly Bicycles in The Fabricator which I subscribe to online. If I get the chance (pun inserted), I will post a link when I get to the office tomorrow

I hope it works out for him, he deserved a much better ending. Hard to believe it will be 20 years in October than Fat City Somerville pulled up the tent stakes and crawled out to NY

I truly wish Chris all the best
Scott
Click to expand...


Correction - the article on Firefly is the Tube and Pipe Journal
http://www.tubeandpipejournal-digital.com/tubeandpipejournal/201409?sub_id=XaayOq6z2kWi#pg1

I wish I could just pull up stakes and head out to CA and knock on his door unannounced, much as I did in November 1986. At this point, I could only do it as a hobby. I have some great memories of Fat City and some not-so-great, and I love being able to stay in contact through this fun website. It blows me away at how much you all love the bikes that we sweated over, bled on, and gave every ounce of our energy to produce. It really is an honor. I hope this version of Fat City is successful beyond his wildest dreams
 
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Stingercut

Active member
I-ROBOT....surely like 309L stainless wire, blood letting is all part of the process of creating those perfect signature welds. Who would not pay handsomely to have a new Fat frame welded by your master hand again. Maybe its not just the Master Welder that needs to be certified :redface:
 
yo-Nate-y

yo-Nate-y

Moderator
Staff member
Handmade in the USA steel bikes with wheel size updates (650b, 29) and I am super stoked. Generic 2014 carbon farmed out overseas and I will be more than sad. I don't really see Fat doing what Ibis did as well as Ibis did it, I guess.

But we'll find out soon enough....
 
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zonq

Member
Crossing my fingers that Chris works out a nice 29" wheeled xc Yo Eddy, ...and then uses the same geometry for a fatbike with 197mm rear drops & a 150mm fork, w/clearance for 4" 45N Husker Du's, lets the larger frame sizes still enjoy a sloping TT, bumps up the seatpost dia to 31.6 to make it up, keeps the tubes round, the bends minimal, and utilizes the same clean dropout design from the Ti (but closed for through axles and scaled up on the non-drive side w/ IS disk mount eyelets for choice of rotor sizes). DT & fork Gussets...

call it the Boombalatty or something and get Mike P to continue his graphic work on it.

Hey, we can dream.

Really I just hope he sticks with an english BB, now capable of running 30mm BB's itself, and avoids the PF30/BB30 shell trap and all the many creaky adapters they require.
 
mainlyfats

mainlyfats

Member
yo-Nate-y said:
Handmade in the USA steel bikes with wheel size updates (650b, 29) and I am super stoked. Generic 2014 carbon farmed out overseas and I will be more than sad. I don't really see Fat doing what Ibis did as well as Ibis did it, I guess.

But we'll find out soon enough....
Click to expand...

I have a new carbon Ibis that I love, but never really thought much about the company - it just wasn't on my radar - back in the day. I really wanted to try a carbon bike (and didn't want to sink a ton into it).

Based on his Facebook message, I think Chris might be missing an important and on-point market in favour of trying to be a continuing part of the evolution of mtn bikes.

Light, rigid, steel, 29ers or 650bs, fender and rack mounts, non-suspension corrected with full SLX, LX, XT and MUSA gruppos - ultimate go anywhere, swap tires, do anything bike. Simple, no bull$hit workhorses that bike shops feel good about selling and people are proud to own. This is the Fat Chance I'd buy in a heartbeat. This is the company I'd do if I were him.

And after a couple of years, I'd probably do an ultralight steel, rigid, suspension corrected with XTR and MUSA gruppos.

That's it. I'd refer my cross customers to Rock Lobster or IF, my fat bike customers to one of the QBP companies and my road bike customers to Calfee or Parlee or IF.

5 sizes, 5 bikes, 2 frames, 2 forks. Niche. MUSA.
 
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zonq

Member
mainlyfats said:
Light, rigid, steel, 29ers or 650bs, fender and rack mounts, non-suspension corrected with full SLX, LX, XT and MUSA gruppos - ultimate go anywhere, swap tires, do anything bike. Simple, no bull$hit workhorses that bike shops feel good about selling and people are proud to own. This is the Fat Chance I'd buy in a heartbeat. This is the company I'd do if I were him.

And after a couple of years, I'd probably do an ultralight steel, rigid, suspension corrected with XTR and MUSA gruppos.

That's it. I'd refer my cross customers to Rock Lobster or IF, my fat bike customers to one of the QBP companies and my road bike customers to Calfee or Parlee or IF.
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hmmm

That sounds like capitalizing on the initial wave of interest by establishing Fat as a mid-range/touring/commuter brand, then after a couple years trying to undo the damage and work back up to a being premium MTB brand. ? FC is already in the enviable position of having established itself as a premium brand.

QBP sells heavy, cheap, chinese budget steel bikes to fill those niches too small for other builders to bother with. They've developed and grown the fatbike market well beyond their own scope though. If you look at where the money is being spent in steel hardtail and rigid MTB frames, it's Fatbikes. They are the ultimate go-anywhere/do-anything off-road play bikes, and the ultimate destination for rigid/hardtail mtb frames. Beyond that, people are buying FS bikes, where aluminum and asian composite reign. Currently, the fatbike market is widely split between marked-up disposable chinese imports and domestic full customs. A cleanly designed, no-nonsense, US-made, production Fat frame by established premium rigid & hardtail brand Fat Chance... with its bright colors and playful, fun imagery... it'd hit the sweet spot and be an irresistible no-brainer in the market.

But as much fun as it is to imagine, no matter what Chris does, I'm just glad he's back at it and will camp out overnight to get one.
 
mainlyfats

mainlyfats

Member
zonq said:
hmmm

That sounds like capitalizing on the initial wave of interest by establishing Fat as a mid-range/touring/commuter brand, then after a couple years trying to undo the damage and work back up to a being premium MTB brand. ?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't describe it that way, but I can see how one would.

The market I'd be capitalizing on is high-end, quality, non-racing production bikes. More Rivendell (but not...), less Santa Cruz.

The addition of a racing-ish frame would be to capitalize on the new brand's loyalty. Fat has been out so long, most consumers/sales floor folks probably won't remember it or will be hazy on what the brand is about.

I'm excited to see what he does too. Optimistic it'll be interesting. :beer:
 
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fat-tony

fat-tony

Moderator
Staff member
From the Facebook Fat Chance Bicycles page

"It has been a long time coming, but Fat Chance Bicycles is back. We have been in hibernation for a while, but the day has come for the rebirth of Fat.

Words can not express how much I appreciate the encouragement of Fat fans all over the world. You have been a huge influence and continue to be an inspiration to me. Thank you to each and everyone of you for keeping Fat alive.

My creative juices are flowing and I couldn’t be more excited about launching FAT 2.0. My plan is to pick up where we left off and build from what has been before taking Fat to new levels. My commitment to the legacy of the Fat brand is unwavering and I intend to continue with the Fat you love and expect.

So don’t say goodbye to your classic Yo Eddy or Wicked, just make room in your herd for a new and updated Fat!

I’m back,
Chris Chance"
 
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Stingercut

Active member
Amen to that ^^ :D

Hope he kicks off with some exciting retro style merchandise and clothing in a full range of sizes. Some of us are not as lithe as we once were but our wallets are bigger !

We need fresh creative madness, Mike P, Leni Fried et al type input. Bring the wacky fun and individualism back. Fat bikes should have an almost subliminal feel good vibe to them. It's not just a bike.

Agree with subtly evolving from where he left off and all the products MUST be premium quality and handmade in the US.
 
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