FAT City Cycles Sponsors Fountainhead Trail
Since we are celebrating our 25th anniversary we thought it would be fun to dig through our archives and share some of the articles and news we published on MORE’s first printed newsletter, “Trailhead.” Over the next few weeks we’ll “Throw back Thursday” and share some of these with you.
Ever wonder why Shock-a-Billy Hill is called that? Well, as part of our sponsorship agreement with FAT City Cycles, we promised the custom frame builder to name a gnarly section of trail after their signature frame; This articled appeared in the September 1996 Issue of Trailhead. Read on for the scoop.
We’re getting FATter: MORE Vice-President Martin Fernandez (right) and Newsletter Editor/all around MORE guy Andy Carruthers (left) finalize the FAT alliance with Wendyll Behrend-Chance of FAT City Cycles during the 1996 Newsweek 24 hours of Canaan.
Shock-a-Billy Frame to be Raffled; October Picnic Slated
Getting FAT? We are,
Fat City Cycles, that is, A high performance frame builder based in upstate New York, has teamed up with MORE to sponsor the Fountainhead Regional Park mountain bike trail in Fairfax County. As a primary sponsor of the region’s foremost MTB trail initiative, Fat City has agreed to provide $2,500 in cash and merchandise including a full suspension Shock-a-Billy frame to be raffled. Fat City has also subsidized MORE’s new four-color informational brochure under the exciting terms of the MORE-FAT partnership. Read on to find out how you, MORE, Fat City and the Mid-Atlantic mountain bike community can win, win, win!
Here’s a chance for you to get FATter: on Sunday October 20th, MORE and Fat City Cycles will be holding our Fall picnic at Fountainhead Regional Park. We hope to have several Fat City bikes for you to test ride on singletrack, in addition to the usual socializing and hoopla (B-B-Q, Frizbike, sundry bike-based fun). Details are still in the works, so please consult the Ride Line (703-502-0359) or contact Susan Musante (703-807-0143) for the latest info in October. [Please, please remember that this event is strictly limited to members of MORE and FAT Cogs (Fat City Owners Group members) and their families. The Fountainhead trail is NOT completed and NOT open for public use yet.]
A strong reputation for quality and customer service has already made Fat City among the most preferred brands of quality mountain bikes in the prosperous Mid-Atlantic region, Fat’s sponsorship of the Fountainhead trail is a measure of that! company’s commitment to trails and an acknowledgment of MORE’s success garnering positive press and the respect of land managers and trail users region-wide. The partnership means higher visibility for FAT, more funds for Fountainhead and ultimately, more open trails for all.
Sales of the ten dollar tickets began at a brisk pace at the July 21st Fountainhead fund-raiser ride, where a special guest appearance was put in by Jim Hasenauer, president of the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA). In order to assure all participants a fair chance at winning, ticket sales will be capped at 1,000. Thus far, MORE has raised over $2,000 of our $6,000 goal for the trail project, including some $600 in raffle revenue.
To purchase your tickets, bring cash or checks to the next Fountainhead trail day– September 7th at 9:30 AM!!! (Call Doug Oates for details at his new number–(703) 660- 6409.) Or attend a 7 PM MORE meeting on the second or fourth Tuesday of the month at the Fairfax Circle Performance Bicycle Shop or the first Tuesday at
the Rockville Performance. Not convenient? Send your check or money order (payable to “MORE”) to MORE/Att: EZ, P.O. Box 2662, Fairfax, VA 22031 along with a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Your tickets will arrive by mail within three-to-four weeks. Full details about the Shock-a-Billy raffle will be available on MORE’s stellar Web page (http://apollo.gmu.cdu/-chain/more). Additional information can be obtained by e-mailing FntnhdFund@aol.com or by calling MORE President Ed Zimmerman at (703) 779-3576.
Sink some bucks in a chance at high-end equipment while directly supporting your access to top-quality trails. Write a check now!
Follow up – The article below, by Andy Carruthers, appeared in a July/August 1997 issue of trailhead announcing the winner of the FAT City Cycles Shock-a-Billy Raffle.
Trail Volunteer Wins Shock-a-Billy Raffle
“Holy (Cow!) I cannot believe it!” Says Annandale Native.
The Winner, Carl Begeson
At the close of Newsweek’s 24 Hours of Canaan, the crowd was never so hushed as when Chris Chance of FAT City Cycles climbed the stage and pulled the winning ticket for MORE’s marathon raffle. The lucky winner? You.
You and every cyclist in the region who rides trails like Fountainhead and Schaffer Farms, projects made possible in part by raffle revenue and publicity. Yeah, yeah, yeah… we know, but who really won?!
The answer? 34 year-old Carl Bergeson, who got his lone ticket for volunteering at a MORE trail day.
Bergeson, a MORE member for three-plus years, had this to say when told of his good fortune: “GET OUT!” An incredulous pause, and then: “Get out of here. Oh my God, you’re kidding me?!” he said. Finally, when his skepticism waned: “I WON THE SHOCK-A-BILLY!!!!”
Bergeson’s well-won current bike, a 1993 Specialized Rockhopper Comp with rigid fork, had “hit everything except the lottery said Bergeson. The Raffle has made possible a radical upgrade. The Shock-a-Billy frame, with a suggested retail price of about $2,000, was generously donated by FAT City Cycles.
But gear isn’t everything as Bergeson acknowledged. “I’ve always been impressed with MORE. It’s a whole attitude. They’re not a bunch of bike snobs. Just a lot of people who enjoy mountain biking.” And, he added pensively, “go to a work day, you never know what will happen.”