Who is the U.K equivilent of FAT City Cycles?

[sinnerman]

And FWIW, this is not a slate on anyone who owns a Raleigh. (I own a couple myself). Its simply my opinion as I see it from 20 years in the trade.

 

[cherrybomb]

........They just weren't seen as Cool.

As a nation, we've never really done cool very well though have we? (obvious exception being popular music).

Maybe that's why there is no direct UK equivalent to FCC? I'm not of the opinion that this is a bad thing (quite the opposite actually)- just saying.

That and the fact that mountain bikes are seen as a US phenomenon so our manufacturers will always be playing catchup (even if some of them were doing it just as early as our colonial cousins).

We just do stuff differently.

Just as I don't think there could have been a Fat over here. Equally, I don't think there could have been a Pace over there. This is what makes the world great!

 

[NeilM]

Sadly I just don't see it. I mean it when I say I would love to be able to say RSP were sought after and desired in the same way here as Fat Chance in the U.S. but despite Raleighs best efforts (and they tried) it didn't even come close.

the Raleigh Only shops were dying on there Knees for so long, Sadly even as a foundation brand of UK cycling, the Old image is something that despite every attempt, they just couldn't it shake off.

This is the same to be said for Dawes in the MTB market and practically every other Old brand Name.

The Image was always the Problem. For the most part as much as it grieves me to say this.........They just weren't seen as Cool.

This is so true; in 94, when I was looking to build a really good mtb for myself, on a budget, I looked straight to America. If I had known what RSP could produce and the prices, I may well have gone there, but despite the Raleigh mtb Team winning left right and centre, I never so much as glanced their way, because... well it was Raleigh :facepalm:

 

[drcarlos]

Stirring the emotions to use the op's phrase is objective and varies from person to person but for me an RSP lightweight or dynatech stir the emotions just as much as a fat city, the recent full resto of the 1989 Appalachian is stunning. On the road side well RSP 753 bananas are right up there with the best IMO.
Maybe it has something to do with my sense of cool, I drove an MG maestro and Volvo 480 turbo among others as I found their designs off the wall cool even if as standard the performance wasn't wonderful.
As for quality both RSP lightweight and fat city were hand built steel built by craftsmen in different ways but iirc all Raleigh's had a 15 year frame guarantee which is a statement of quality to me.

Carl

 

[suburbanreuben]

Equally, I don't think there could have been a Pace over there. This is what makes the world great!

Doug Bradbury/Manitou, shirley?

 

[cherrybomb]

Don't think any of them conjure the same mad garden shed engineering as Pace.

Maybe I'm wrong

 

[cherrybomb]

Oh, and they all class as cool. I'd never use that word to describe Pace.

 

[daugs]

As a nation, we've never really done cool very well though have we? (obvious exception being popular music).............

not sure the guys at Aston Martin would agree, consistently rated as one of coolest brands, with UK being less than 1% of the worlds population I would say we have done quite well. In fact the quality of engineering in sheds should make us proud I think, look at the post war to 1960s sports car industry where 90% exported (had to be to get steel), personal favourite of mine was a guy who took Austin Atlantic mechanicals and made this (albeit this is a slightly later model)

its finding the niche between mass produced and market dominating which will never be really cool and so rare that limited brand awareness, to some people the key is design and engineering whereas others the aesthetics matters more, not sure everyone is agreed ?

as to the answer, who knows ?

 

[cherrybomb]

As a nation, we've never really done cool very well though have we? (obvious exception being popular music).............

not sure the guys at Aston Martin would agree, consistently rated as one of coolest brands,

See I wouldn't describe Aston as cool either there are far better superlatives out there.

………but that's not to say they wouldn't be number one on the list if I ever won the lottery- cos they would be.

Maybe we just interoperate cool to mean different things.

Oh, and I'm not bashing back yard engineering……..it's the best kind.

Over the years I've owned my fare share of old brit sports cars and they're alive like nothing else.

…but I wouldn't call them cool either, that just sells them short.

I've currently got an old CJ3B Jeep………now that's cool

 

[retrobate]

Don't think any of them conjure the same mad garden shed engineering as Pace.

Maybe I'm wrong

WTB/Cunningham?