FAT CHANCE YO EDDY
Don’t Call It a Comeback
Chris Chance is a man who needs little introduction. He is the founder of Fat City Cycles, which started producing road frames in the late 1970s and entered the world of mountain biking in 1982. Chris Chance set the tone for how a bike should ride and was known for his attention to detail. The original Yo Eddy created a cult following with its incredibly nimble handling and stiff rear triangle, attributable to Chris’ dome stays.
Fast-forward to the modern world of superbikes and Chris Chance has reemerged to bring a little more fun to the trails. The modern Yo Eddy takes some cues from current standards, but has its own personality and reminds us of our roots in mountain biking.
THE HISTORY OF FAT CHANCE![Chris_Chance]()
Creating a Cult Following
There are few bike brands that have as strong a history as Fat Chance—or the cult following it enjoys. Fat City Cycles was established in 1982 by Chris Chance in Somerville, Massachusetts, focusing on handmade road and mountain bike frames. There weren’t very many East Coast-bred mountain bikes in the 1980s, and Fat City was one of the earliest companies to focus on dirt riding.
Before segments of mountain biking were truly established, frame builders designed their rigs around their local trails. East Coast riding was tight and narrow, inspiring East Coast or “woods” geometry that used tight wheelbases for negotiating densely forested trails. Fat Chance bikes were designed for this type of riding and were among the more sought-after bikes on the trail.
Setting the tone: Don Myrah was one of the first big-name pros to take notice of what Chris Chance was doing. Here he is pictured racing Durango Worlds in 1990 aboard one of the first Yo Eddy bikes.
THE ORIGINAL YO EDDY!
If there was any bike that defined Fat Chance, it was the Yo Eddy that was introduced in 1989. The “Yo,” as it became known, used chromoly tubing and signature dome stays. This design allowed for a stiffer and tighter rear triangle that helped give the bike more predictable handling.
Along with the unique chainstays, Chris used oversized tubes on the mainframe and for the fork legs. The fork on the Yo was burly and incredibly stiff, adding to the high-performance aspects of the design. With its loud neon colors and aptitude for fun, many considered the Yo Eddy the ultimate bike.
At the 1990 Durango Worlds, future Olympian Don Myrah raced the Yo Eddy and helped legitimize the bike—and Fat Chance.
BRINGING FAT CHANCE BACK
Chris Chance sold Fat City in 1994 and disappeared from the bike industry for over 20 years. Followers were elated to hear of a comeback from the man who had helped make mountain biking fun in the ’80s and early ’90s.
The modern Yo Eddy is similar in design to the Yo of old, and, even with larger wheels, it has almost the same-length chainstays as the original version. Check out the next few pages to see our full review of the new and improved Yo Eddy and see if Chris Chance was successful in recreating one of the most iconic bikes of all time.
WHO IS IT MADE FOR?
The Yo Eddy was designed for riders who will appreciate a frame builder’s attention to detail. The trail-orientated geometry and handmade steel frame will appeal to riders looking for something different from what the big-box brands have to offer. It is a truly handmade frame welded by one of the greats in MTB history.
The options are virtually limitless with the Yo Eddy—from custom paint schemes to component spec. If you are the type of rider who wants to have a say in all the little things, Chris Chance will help you build your dream bike.
WHAT IS IT MADE FROM?
Stiff and stable: The front end of the Yo Eddy has a massive 44-millimeter head tube that gives the bike more stability when ripping down the trail. Our bike came with a matching, custom-painted stem that complements the overall build.
The bones of the Yo Eddy are custom-drawn True Temper steel tubing, welded and painted right here in the United States. Chris Chance designed the frame around 27.5- or 29-inch wheels. Our test bike came stock with the smaller wheel size. The Yo Eddy comes with a stock geometry, but riders can tweak the fit during their initial consultation with Chris to iron out all the details, including the paint scheme.
The Fat Chance uses plenty of modern technology, including 12×142 rear-axle spacing, stealth dropper routing and an oversized 44-millimeter head tube. After nailing down the fit details, riders will receive a signed blueprint sheet in the mail with all the design specs. Production can take up to 12 weeks, but the frame will last a lifetime. Frame pricing starts at $1800 and goes up from there.
WHICH COMPONENTS STAND OUT?
Order it how you want it: The sky is the limit when you build your Yo Eddy. Chris Chance will allow riders to pick just about any drivetrain and wheels to dial in exactly what they want on their new machine.
Handmade: Every frame comes with the “Made in the USA” logo and Chris Chance’s name. It’s hard to find handmade American frames these days. We recommend keeping this bike in good shape.
Some modern touches: The new revamped Yo Eddy has some modern touches to keep up with the changing times, including stealth dropper routing. This doesn’t come stock on every frame, but riders can opt to have Chris add it on when designing the bike.
Our test bike came stock with a SRAM X01 build kit, Magura MT5 Trail brakes, and Knight Composite wheels on DT Swiss hubs. The cock- pit was provided by Thomson, along with its dropper post. The X01 shifted well, and the Knight wheels were stiff and responsive. Our test riders were very impressed with the confidence-inspiring stopping power of the MT5 brakes as well. Up front, the 130mm-travel Fox Factory fork was stable and effective on technical bits and groomed singletrack.
HOW DOES IT PERFORM?
Modern touches: The first Yo Eddy may have come with old- school geometry. However, this new version of the bike is ready for some serious trail riding.
Swinging a leg over the saddle, we discovered the Fat Chance has a long top tube and aggressive fit. Combine this with a some- what slack head tube and a little extra front suspension and the Yo Eddy feels more versatile than some would expect. Our bike came with 740-millimeter-wide bars and an 80-millimeter stem for more cross-country-style riding.
Suspension Setup:
We set the sag at 25 percent for the first couple rides. After a few rides, we chose to change it to 20 percent for a little more supported feel but with plenty of small- bump compliance. We ran the rebound knob in the middle and didn’t have any complaints during our testing.
Not your grandpa’s Yo Eddy: This bike comes with a relatively slack and trail-friendly geometry that’s built with a longer-travel fork in mind. You will want to spring for the dropper post upgrade when you build it.
Cornering:
The original Yo Eddy was known for its playful geometry that could also allow riders to get serious when necessary. This Yo Eddy does just that but with a modern twist that’s ready to handle more aggressive trails. Through banked turns and tight corners, the 27.5-inch wheels and aggressive geometry allowed our test riders to lean the bike over confidently. The short chainstays and tight wheelbase make the Yo Eddy a seriously fun bike to rip through corners.
Climbing:
We spent plenty of time climbing on the Yo Eddy— from long fire roads to winding singletrack. Out of the saddle during hard efforts, the Eddy sprang to life and was stiff and responsive. In the saddle during long grinds, the steel frame gave our test riders a smooth, comfortable ride up the mountain. The bike is also impressively light considering it’s built from steel— something we don’t see often anymore. The low weight combines with the efficient hardtail feel to make a bike that ascends quite well. Despite the longer-travel fork, Fat Chance has done a nice job keeping the geometry in check, preventing the bike from “wheelieing” back on the rider, even on steep and technical climbs.
Descending:
Compared to modern trailbikes, you would expect a steel hardtail to have a hard time keeping up on descents; however, the Yo Eddy surprised us as a seriously fun machine to rip downhill. The steel tubing made us feel like we were gliding on a magic-carpet ride rather than a hardtail, and the handling made it feel almost as if it could read our minds when picking lines on the trail.
The geometry gave our test riders a much more playful feel than they were expecting. We ripped groomed singletrack and even some more technical bits of trail to push the limits of the Eddy. Regardless of which trail we rode, there was no shortage of grins. A carbon full-suspension trailbike may be more forgiving on technical terrain, but the Yo Eddy proved to us that a well-dialed hardtail is seriously fast, especially in the hands of a talented rider.
TRICKS, TIPS AND UPGRADES?
The Yo Eddy can be built any way that you want and gives riders endless options to dial in their rigs. Given the playful nature of the Yo Eddy, we would strongly recommend a long-travel dropper with your frame, like the one we used for this test. A slightly wider set of bars and aggressive tires will complement the trail feel of the design as well. We spent all of our time testing the 27.5-inch version but are confident that the 29er will deliver a faster ride for those looking for a more XC-oriented bike.
BUYING ADVICE?
Chris Chance has a strong history when it comes to frame building. His designs have helped influence modern bikes and set the tone for what a quality machine looks like; however, this is far from a reproduction of the original machine. It’s a bike with all the modern touches that is ready to shred some trails. It only happens to come with a jaw-dropping paint job, finish quality that’s second to none, and a history that will blow any “plastic” carbon bike out of the water. This bike is for riders who will appreciate the attention to detail and history that is welded into each frame but who still want to have the technology to hit the trails—and hit them hard.
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