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335 Posts
My Fat Chance Shock-a-billy. This one is SBL013. If I remember correctly, there were 5 prototypes, 3 team bikes and 5 frames in the original production run. So I got the last one of the first group. I believe it was the only L (large) frame of the group.
Back in my bike shop days, the coolest employee’s bikes were the Fat’s. So when I could afford one, I got a first generation shock-a-billy. It had the Amp B-2 rear end and was scary from a durability and flexi-ness standpoint. Then I saw this design at Interbike at Fat City’s booth (at Anaheim in 96?) and ordered one immediately. I waited 10 months. It was my only real mountain bike for a long time. I “retired” it about 4 or 5 years ago when I purchased an Intense Tracer. At that time it became the backup bike. My stable of bikes now consists of two rigid 29ers, this bike, a Slim Chance road bike and a commuter.
I’ll keep this bike forever, even if I ride it twice a year. It has 4 or 5 hard years of riding and the rest of that time its been ridden rarely. I still have one full set of unused replacement parts for the suspension and I have a spare rear shock. In it’s life I have only replaced the suspension bushings and pivots once. Otherwise, it has had an annual rebuild.
Currently set up as follows:
· King wheels to 32hole ceramic 217 front and 36hole non-ceramic 517 rear. I wish I could find another 36hole ceramic 217.
· Manitou X-vert super fork running full travel. Yeah, the bike was built for 75mm front travel but I run a boat load of sag so it sort of works out. The bike was first built with a JudySL painted to match. I have the fork. I’ve also run a White Bros. SC90 on the bike.
· Ritchey crank on XT 122.5bb and 737 peds. 46-34-24 rings.
· XTR rear der and XT front der with XT thumbs.
· 12-32 8spd XTR first-gen cassette.
· King Headset.
· Ritchey stem and Titec bar with IMBA grips. This is my second stem and fourth bar on the bike.
· Ti Syncros post 29.4 with Flite saddle.
· Second-gen XT V-brake rear and Grafton front brake with Pauls levers (one long pull and the other for cantis.)
I’ve always wondered how many other Shock-a-billy frames there are in the world. Last time I talked to anyone at Fat City, which was probably late 97 or early 98 I remember hearing that there was maybe 60 or 70 frames built. So where are they? I’ve never seen one in person except for the one I sold while working at a shop, the ones at the show at Interbike and a demo we had at the store.
So post yours if you get the Chance.
Back in my bike shop days, the coolest employee’s bikes were the Fat’s. So when I could afford one, I got a first generation shock-a-billy. It had the Amp B-2 rear end and was scary from a durability and flexi-ness standpoint. Then I saw this design at Interbike at Fat City’s booth (at Anaheim in 96?) and ordered one immediately. I waited 10 months. It was my only real mountain bike for a long time. I “retired” it about 4 or 5 years ago when I purchased an Intense Tracer. At that time it became the backup bike. My stable of bikes now consists of two rigid 29ers, this bike, a Slim Chance road bike and a commuter.
I’ll keep this bike forever, even if I ride it twice a year. It has 4 or 5 hard years of riding and the rest of that time its been ridden rarely. I still have one full set of unused replacement parts for the suspension and I have a spare rear shock. In it’s life I have only replaced the suspension bushings and pivots once. Otherwise, it has had an annual rebuild.
Currently set up as follows:
· King wheels to 32hole ceramic 217 front and 36hole non-ceramic 517 rear. I wish I could find another 36hole ceramic 217.
· Manitou X-vert super fork running full travel. Yeah, the bike was built for 75mm front travel but I run a boat load of sag so it sort of works out. The bike was first built with a JudySL painted to match. I have the fork. I’ve also run a White Bros. SC90 on the bike.
· Ritchey crank on XT 122.5bb and 737 peds. 46-34-24 rings.
· XTR rear der and XT front der with XT thumbs.
· 12-32 8spd XTR first-gen cassette.
· King Headset.
· Ritchey stem and Titec bar with IMBA grips. This is my second stem and fourth bar on the bike.
· Ti Syncros post 29.4 with Flite saddle.
· Second-gen XT V-brake rear and Grafton front brake with Pauls levers (one long pull and the other for cantis.)
I’ve always wondered how many other Shock-a-billy frames there are in the world. Last time I talked to anyone at Fat City, which was probably late 97 or early 98 I remember hearing that there was maybe 60 or 70 frames built. So where are they? I’ve never seen one in person except for the one I sold while working at a shop, the ones at the show at Interbike and a demo we had at the store.
So post yours if you get the Chance.
