Fat Chance Kickstarter

[brocklanders023]

Re:

I'm sure we'll own have an opinion about how much the extras are worth but the frames are not $2500 or $5000, the package is. How much would proper Fat fans pay for those bits and to attend the exclusive shin dig?

 

[T'boo Ted]

^this, the money is more about the what it is worth to the individual, not how much it is actually worth in $$$$ value...

Why does everyone bang on about how is he going to make 250 frames in xxx days, he only has to make the number that actully sell in the kickstarter for the delivery day, he has as long as it takes for him to build the rest.

Look, I hope this all pans out and is a good thing... it might not, but it would be better if people waited to see how it panned out rather than slating it based on assumptions that have no real facts in them.

 

[shogun]

One thing's for sure, it's make or break because if it's not spot on, the ruse will be spotted quickly. I know from experience here that even if it's crap, those who shell out the big bucks will defend it to the death out of pride, but reality is if they want to sell frames into the future it's either going to have to come down in price a huge margin or be absolutely amazing. With the calibre of what is available -not least from the people who actually used to build Fats!- the second one is a big ask.

 

[hollister]

If Dali was knocking out sketches at a few bangs per we would all be on it.

Tell me what the difference is?

If Dali took a poll on pinkbike, subcontracted the drawing out to another artist, and asked you to pay 3 times the going rate, without seeing it first

But included some stickers and a tshirt

 

[mkozaczek]

Re: Re:

As long as a Chinese welded bike is painted and assembled in the USA it can be called "made in the USA". So I guess him painting, placing the decals and signing each frame is enough to constitute "made by Chris Chance". Only the most naive would believe he's going to build 250 frames in 150 days.

Technically that's not true. There are very strict guidelines around what can bear the label "Made in the USA", typically a product has to be more than 75% sourced from US and largely transformed in the US. So, don't think we'll be seeing any Chinese made bikes here

 

[mr_ship]

Re:

I'm somewhat surprised by the generally negative vibe of this thread.
Loads of people on here in the past have commented on how they wished that FC would return, how they'd love a modern Yo Eddy 27.5/29er, blah, blah, blah...Time to dig deep then Fat fans to get the marque up and running again. There were never going to be many takers for the $5k or $6k packages but over here in the UK, an IF Deluxe is $2300...so the $2.5k frame package isn't wildly out. So far Chris has pledges for 21 frames so 3-4 a month to build so far, do we think he could manage that?

Oh yeah, just noticed he's got a booth at NAHBS so I don't think that they'll be Chinese built frames with stickers on Pete.

http://www.2015.handmadebicycleshow.com/exhibitors/

http://fatchancebicycles.com/kickstarter-questions/

 

[mrkawasaki]

It is illuminating reading the opinions sparked by this project. For the lifetime of the forum, this nostalgia-filled flotation tank has been a pretty large non-cycling pastime in itself - we have ridden literally on giants shoulders, extracting yet more value out of those few that kickstarted this whole mountainbike thing around the western world. It seems churlish that such a stalwart and pioneer should be questioned in negative tones rather than waiting for the end product. It's like some Government enquiry as though we now own that whole history. The fact is, when we were excited, expectant consumers bitd we knew jack-shit about the bike business/bike building (other than what the magazines told us) - we were deleriously happy to surf the waves those boys made for us whilst we went about kicking tyre after tyre. If we had been similarly negative then and those pioneers had said 'hey, guess what... you're right' what would be in our sheds now?

The Fat Chance marketing aura (like Klein) was an innovation in itself within the fledgling industry and to a certain extent that is what is being offered here to people who responded to it first time around. Like I say, people who enjoyed buying these brands then were buying more/less bike but guaranteed was a whole lot of attitude and differentiation that owners craved and were prepared to pay/wait for. Whether Chance or Klein were marketing genii or not isn't relevant - they inadvertently or otherwise created an enthusiastic base that was way more than the metal. People became aspirational fans without even getting to see, buy or ride those bikes and to them, that is a value in itself.

One could go on to argue that Chris Chance is perhaps asking people to pay for the very experience as you go along this time. There is certainly no £££ value/metal argument to potential owners as has been said - then and now - any more than, say, an Eagle E-Type.

Ultimately it's Chris' intellectual property so surely he's every right to go again (and even 'fail' if he wants to). I wouldn't feel the same if the brand had been sold/re-inflated by Trek though! I'm not a Fat Chance fan then or now - but I applaud and support his right to have another go and use anything he feels relevant from a past he created.

 

[jonnyboy666]

Re:

Have to say I am also surprised by the negative posts here.

My view, it's brilliant he's back in the trade, brilliant that he's going via kick starter as opposed to selling a portion of the business to a big backer, this way he keeps control (but also risks the fail potential, I respect this as I am thinking of starting a business)

People are questioning his skill here and also his ability to build enough frames in time, I'm gonna be honest here, if I could afford one I probably would order one, its gonna be a nice frame regardless of who builds it, him or a sub contracted builder, are most buyers buying the frame because of his history? Probably.

I'd buy it because I'm sure it would be good, and also because I think it would be really cool to have a limited edition frame, it would be pretty individual, I bet the paint scheme would be cool aswel.

Also I freely admit I bought my 2007 limited edition clockwork because it was the true meaning if retro, something new made to look like something old, with regards to what he is selling here I don't think he's doing anything different albeit for more money for the product.

Personally I wish him well and I hope it succeeds, also just to shut up the naysayers.

 

[sinnerman]

Re:

I see no reason why it wont work, Hype sold the First time and it will do it this time.

I dont see any negative in this thread, or any thread around the internet, every comment adds weight to the Propaganda machine.

Its what he wants, and it will work, of that I have no doubt.

 

[Kevinwulf]

Ok, so the frames are slated for August release. We're almost half-way through January, there doesn't appear to be any specs or a proto, they don't appear to be equipped to build, heck maybe there isn't even premises yet. I think it is unlikely that the torch will be fired before the end of the month.

152 working days. 250 frames. 1 man who hasn't built bikes in close to two decades...And that's not even allowing any R&D time.

I'd be very surprised if they're not built on contract for the Team Yo Eddys at least. Which wouldn't be much different to how it was back in the day anyway.

Other makers take their business risk on themselves with faith in their output; and still don't cost $2.5k USD for production steel hardtail frames.

I'm definitely not buying one. Too pricey with some flimsy details for me.

But anyway, he's raised almost all the money and has only sold 21 frames so far. The total number of frames he's going to have to make in the 8-odd months is 30-40. Maybe 50 if there's a mad rush at the end (which I doubt). So it's definitely do-able. Especially in standard sizing.

Sure, if 250 people bought he'd have to come up with some other plan but I don't think he was ever expecting to sell that many frames at that price through the kickstarter.