Don't shoot me down in flames but.....

[fattiman]

I don't own a Fat Chance and have never lusted after one, but for me this thread kind of encompasses a whole section of retrobiking; where memories, backed by old magazines and a hint of rose tinted wrap arounds creates a certain aura around a brand that somehow makes it sacrosanct, where as in reality they were, and are, just bikes.

I absolutely agree, its all about what I lusted after in the magazines and drooled at in the shops, i.e top spec frames with, at the time, state of the art components like suspension forks!

 

[suburbanreuben]

I was always put off Fat Chance by the marketing, specifically the full page ads aimed at Yuppies (remember them?).
The pretty paint jobs and the target market did nothing for me, and nor did the ride of those I tried. In fact, rightly or wrongly I thought of them as Tossers' bikes. First impressions and all that...
It's a hard image to shake off.
(Klein too!)

 

[ringo]

I was always put off Fat Chance by the marketing, specifically the full page ads aimed at Yuppies (remember them?).
The pretty paint jobs and the target market did nothing for me, and nor did the ride of those I tried. In fact, rightly or wrongly I thought of them as Tossers' bikes. First impressions and all that...
It's a hard image to shake off.
(Klein too!)

Go Girl!

Never ridden a Fat Chance so cannot really comment. Also, they were off my radar back in the day - no red braces and Porsches up in Yorkshire! Looking at them now from the old ads and decals - they were trying quite hard on the marketing front weren't they...

 

[jonnyboy666]

I was always put off Fat Chance by the marketing, specifically the full page ads aimed at Yuppies (remember them?).
The pretty paint jobs and the target market did nothing for me, and nor did the ride of those I tried. In fact, rightly or wrongly I thought of them as Tossers' bikes. First impressions and all that...
It's a hard image to shake off.
(Klein too!)

on the other hand you could suggest that it was the fact that those people rode bikes brought them back to being human!

i do know what you mean though, i never saw a fat chance when i was younger, i remembered Dave hemmings bike but had long since forgotten the brand until i joined here a few years ago. personally i don't think they are specifically any better quality than anything else of the time, Ridevintage's post sort of confirms that. i do however think they were some of the most imaginative with paint and image and therefore became desirable. both my Fat's are somerville built so arguably i have the better quality versions but less 'fat' if that makes sense. either way the ones i have i really like the ride.

 

[My_Teenage_Self]

Colour matched Mag 21s FTW!

 

[jaypee]

Here's another factor: a Fat frame and fork is a much nicer thing to own than just the frame. A Fat fork in itself is a very special thing.

A sus fork from 1994, even a very nice one, is just a sus fork from 1994.

I think a lot of what get praised on here is based on what we'd all like to own.

Nothing at all wrong with a Fat with sus forks and if you have the Fat forks and wanna ride bouncy then no problem - your choice. But in terms of what will attract attention, its the full package: Fat frame and forks.

 

[fattiman]

Nothing at all wrong with a Fat with sus forks and if you have the Fat forks and wanna ride bouncy then no problem - your choice. But in terms of what will attract attention, its the full package: Fat frame and forks.

It doesn't attract me ..... But that's just my view

 

[unit3]

I like the look of some older fat's as much as some deKerf's Oranges, and some others but from when I got into MTB in the early/mid 90's it was all about suspension forks,slope top tubes and CNC parts, so the bikes I like have them fitted.

For a "thin" steel frame something like a Mag21 looks great, where as a Rock shox Judy looks great on a fat tube ally like a Zaskar etc, but put them the other way round and in my opinion it dosnt work.

Go with what floats ya boat and not what will make others happy

 

[fattiman]

The down tube on my yo eddy is EXACTLY the same circumference as the Judy XC fork fitted....I would say that's quite nice proportions

 

[clockworkgazz]

that is indeed true but on looks alone, the BOI fork is way better. I think the only other part that is as sexy is the Ti flite saddle- they are just so sexy IMHO (and both are very unforgiving too )