1994 Curtlo Mountaineer

Nice.

Wait, What? How Long Till New Fat Chance Bikes Are Chinese Plastic Garbage?

Made in the same shop in China as 21st century Ibis?  The over/under should probably be weeks not years.  If this unlikely thing gets off the ground at all, I can see a (very) small run of handmade USA steel bikes followed relatively quickly by some generic, overpriced Chinese suspension frames, and then that's that.  No Wicked Fat Chance, no Rear Olive Square, so what's the point?  Now if I could get a really nice steel hardtail, a modern version of a Yo Eddy, in team real wild cherry or some kind of actual fluorescent Grello paint, now that would be somethin'.  But in all likelihood this thing is going to go down like the Off-Road Toad abortion from a coupla years ago.

Of course, Rock Lobster is still in business.  Always has been.  Same as it ever was.

And Strong Frames.

Igleheart.

Curtlo.

Plenty of old-school, never left great builders out there.

And is gonna be Fat Chance Bicycles or Fat City Cycles in 2014?

darkstar carbon 29er

this fucking thing from justin spinelli is so not my usual bag but looking at it makes me wonder.  of course, it's not custom and it's asian; i have no idea how much it is, but i'm sure the exact same frame is available at a fraction of the price if you look around.  it's really neat, though.  very good looking and super sano.  probably comparable to the santa cruz and niner carbon hardtails.  i'd probably get a custom curtlo rigid ss 700c big wheel mountain bike, anyway.