The Full Fat

WE CHECK OUT SIX OF THE BEST CUSTOM PAINT JOBS FROM UK-BASED FATCREATIONS

- Geoff Waugh

Alistair ‘Ali’ McLean and his partner Rebecca ‘Bex’ Booth are the airbrush aficionados behind Fatcreations, one the UK’s leading custom paint companies. Situated on England’s south coast, the pair have painted everything from Steve Peat anniversary one-offs to Lance Armstrong replica frames for the film industry. Their story is a familiar one in the business world – Ali painted a helmet for himself, some friends saw it and wanted theirs done, and his work has been in demand ever since. In fact, if you’re after a boutique paint job for your bike, you’d better be the patient type, because the waiting list is long and gets longer still at times like the World Championships, when teams often request something special. Here are six of our favourite pieces from these professional pigment pushers.

Peaty’s Last Orders

HIGH-FLYING SANTA CRUZ V10 FOR STEVE PEAT’S LAST WORLD CUP

In 2016, Steve Peat announced his last ever season of World Cup racing with a spectacular exit plan that involved some head-turning custom bikes, matching kit from his sponsors Royal Racing, and a farewell knees-up after every round. The Santa Cruz V10 frame he raced in Vallnord, Andorra, sported an RAF theme, with Supermarine Spitfire livery and a matching Fox 40 fork.