The original Homebrew was arguably the most handsome bike in our small line with it Town Red paint job and traditional lugged construction. The complete bike also featured downtube shifters instead of modern integrated brake/shift levers. The frame also used a high tensile steel instead of more desirable and lighter Chromoly Steel in order to lower the costs created by using investment cast lugs. Those factors might have made it a bike that was harder for managers to put on the shop floor.
We have rethought the model. Gone are the lugs that drove up the price of what we wanted to be a budget roadster. Instead we are using TIG-welding which is just as strong as lugs. This allows us to spec a super tough Tange Champion #2 chromoly tubeset. And we have adopted a threadless 1-1/8" steerer to allow for more stem and headset options. So it loses a little vintage vibe, in order to make it easier for budget cyclists to collect parts. It retains the hot red look and the skinny road tubes of the 70's.
The Homebrew still has the retro touches like downtube shifter bosses, a lugged seat collag, and cool dropouts with double eyelets for mounting fenders or racks.
Our photo build features Rivendell 57mm reach Silver brakes, Soma Shikoro 700x33c tires, IRD Drillium ZST aero levers, IRD 46-30t Defiant cranks which offers decent climbing gears when matched with an 11-28t cassette. The mechs are Sun Race which are affordable and just plain work. Wheels were Suzue/Ukai. The bell is a Crane Suzu that mounts to your headset spacer stack.
The Homebrew is available as a frame only with lugged fork as an option. Lugged fork has mounts for fenders and mini-rack.
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