My 1987 Wicked, custom paint, single owner dream bike

[chtucker]

I am the original owner. Custom paint from Somerville, MA. I can't describe how many lawns mowed, leaves raked, babysitting, dog walking, sweeping floors it cost me as I was a junior in high school. I bought this bike following the summer I road cross country on my first bike purchase, a Connecticut made Cannondale tourer. I obsessed about the details. Rode a few races on it. Commuted 1000s of miles and most importantly NEVEitR sold it. I have not ridden in years other than a few goofing arounds. I bought a WTB Phoenix years ago that I never fell in love with. I really want a new bike to get back into riding and to ride with my 8 year old twins. My daughter is considerably taller than my son, she clears the top tube. Frame is a 15" if I recall, I have a 28.5" inseam (5'8" tall) so my torso makes it up.

I shed a few tears today when she got on it. Need to order some new tires, the beads are messed up on some old panaracers.

I can't think of ANY possession that I have in my life that I have held onto for 30+ years. It is the only thing that I have moved from CT, DC, NY, CO, to Kirkland, WA.

I noticed that I have to address some surface rust underneath the seat post clamp. Other than that, it is as sweet as the day I bought it. I got rid of the locking collar bottom bracket long ago, which was the only issue I really had. Everything is original, except the chain, headset, sprockets, brake pads, tires and tubes. My memory is vague, but I think it came with Biopace chainrings. I worked in a bike shop putting on kickstands and pushing a broom when I ordered at age 16. I paid for 100%. I think I will just give it to my kids.

I had a few tears in my eyes when I pulled it out of the shed today. I can't tell you how many memories are tied up in this bike.

[Stingercut]

Great post and so true about the emotional attachment we can have with bikes. I still have my first FAT from 89

[I-ROBOT]

What kind of bottom bracket is that? It doesn't look like a standard '87 FC BB.

Thanks for being such a loyal owner! Nice to see she still looks good at age 30.

Your daughter is very cute, glad to see she is wearing a helmet. Still see lots of kids riding without around here. They have no idea.

All the best
Scott

[Stingercut]

When i managed a chain of London bicycle shops bitd, we used to fit these Mavic BBs to customers bikes which had either press fit bearings causing issues, were badly cross threaded or had rust damaged bearing surfaces. It just required a little chamfering, then it was fit and forget. These were expensive but so well made. A frame saver many times over.

https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-m...m-bracket.html

[mainlyfats]

Originally Posted by Stingercut

When i managed a chain of London bicycle shops bitd, we used to fit these Mavic BBs to customers bikes which had either press fit bearings causing issues, were badly cross threaded or had rust damaged bearing surfaces. It just required a little chamfering, then it was fit and forget. These were expensive but so well made. A frame saver many times over.

https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-m...m-bracket.html

I had one of these in my first Team Comp as well. An astonishingly high-quality BB.

[chtucker]

Originally Posted by I-ROBOT

What kind of bottom bracket is that? It doesn't look like a standard '87 FC BB.

Thanks for being such a loyal owner! Nice to see she still looks good at age 30.

Your daughter is very cute, glad to see she is wearing a helmet. Still see lots of kids riding without around here. They have no idea.

All the best
Scott

Scott, more pictures to follow of the BB, but when I had it done, the shop described it as the solution for my never ending battle with the cranks shifting. I never could get the lockrings right. Again, fuzzy memories. It is indeed a Mavic. I didn't think it was stop gap/repair but an upgrade in quality??

A small world for me with FC. In the early 2000s I opened a brewery in Leadville, Colorado. Earl Walker Jr an early 90s FC team rider moved to Leadville from Atlanta. A bunch of his friends and Independent Fab associates raced the Leadville 100. Earl's wife became our brewer. Total happenstance with the FC connection.

How many 16 year olds bought there own FC? I remember the yellow order form and I think I paid $1150 in cash to the bike shop owner that I worked at part time.

Here is the Mavic headset that went in when I had the BB done.

[chtucker]

Here is the bottom bracket--- And the other bike out of the shed.. WTB steel Phoenix

[Shamobius]

Originally Posted by chtucker

Here is the bottom bracket--- And the other bike out of the shed.. WTB steel Phoenix

Two fantastic bikes!

If the Phoenix isn't doing it for you, I could put it to good use! If you ever want to sell, get in touch...

[chtucker]

Originally Posted by Shamobius

Two fantastic bikes!

If the Phoenix isn't doing it for you, I could put it to good use! If you ever want to sell, get in touch...

Ha! I got mobbed over the WTB. I never did fall in love with, maybe road it 25 minutes??? I ALWAYS preferred the Fat. I knew that WTB was a unicorn and I bought it for the history, but I never grew attached.

I said the same thing on the MTBR forums and I had someone had more door step in less than 24 hours waving cash at me. I truly didn't realize how desirable they were. I hated the way it handled. I loved the way it looked and that rear WTB brake was something to lust over.

[Stingercut]

Thats the thing about retro FATs, they may not always look as dramatic as a blinged up Klein or Yeti but they flat out always handled better. Iirc they nearly always came out top in mag comparison tests too.

[Jassie06]

Originally Posted by Stingercut

Thats the thing about retro FATs, they may not always look as dramatic as a blinged up Klein or Yeti but they flat out always handled better. Iirc they nearly always came out top in mag comparison tests too.

I have both an early 80's MountainKlein and a late 80's Fat Team Comp.
I agree on your insight on the handling.


The Klein is SLOW handling, very stable and good at speed, but again slow to turn.



The Fat is fast handling, bordering on squirrelly. It pitched me many a time in the first transition year from the Klein. It is a perfect tight, boney single track bike and very suitable without suspension. Lighter is better in my old rides.



There's an Ellsworth FS in the collection too but it's much like a fully suspended version of the Klein but requiring significant maintenance. It's long and stable at speed but not particularly quick to turn. It took me a long time to wander into the suspension world but left it just as fast and the Fat seems to always the bike that seems to get out there now.



In the same time frame I bought my wife a Fisher and it turned out to be imported junk; it's heavy, doesn't handle or shift due to poor frame alignment. I mistakenly assumed that a pioneering name would never go offshore. Glad Fat didn't and therein lies a lot of value and prestige, but possibly mostly among those old enough to have been around when it all was happening.

[Stingercut]

Originally Posted by Jassie06

I have both an early 80's MountainKlein and a late 80's Fat Team Comp.
I agree on your insight on the handling.


The Klein is SLOW handling, very stable and good at speed, but again slow to turn.



The Fat is fast handling, bordering on squirrelly. It pitched me many a time in the first transition year from the Klein. It is a perfect tight, boney single track bike and very suitable without suspension. Lighter is better in my old rides.

Amen to that Interesting you say that about the handling of your TC. Maybe its the Prestige box crown forks which are quite flexy/twitchy. I have not tried your Box Crown forks ( wish i could ) but i can report that my 89 TC has the unicrown forks and it handles like an absolute dream. All late 80s TCs have the same geometry afaik. A 93/94 Yo is an amazing ride but less forgiving with more race bike stiffness and absolute precision handling due to the 1.5” rake BOI forks.



There's an Ellsworth FS in the collection too but it's much like a fully suspended version of the Klein but requiring significant maintenance. It's long and stable at speed but not particularly quick to turn. It took me a long time to wander into the suspension world but left it just as fast and the Fat seems to always the bike that seems to get out there now.

I know its sounds corny but the FATs always get pulled for a ride ( hell I sold most of the other brands ) , just something about them after 30yrs of riding them


In the same time frame I bought my wife a Fisher and it turned out to be imported junk; it's heavy, doesn't handle or shift due to poor frame alignment. I mistakenly assumed that a pioneering name would never go offshore. Glad Fat didn't and therein lies a lot of value and prestige, but possibly mostly among those old enough to have been around when it all was happening.

Having worked in the bike business many years ago and checked frame geometry of mass produced Taiwanese bikes, they could be really badly out of alignment but most customers never noticed or understood why there was so much wheel rub on one chainstay or the front wheel could never be centered properly.... FATs were checked on a Starret Granite test slab and well you know the rest. Downhill descents at high speed maybe with some nasty hard ruts.....the acid test.

Keep it FAT