The Schwinn Homegrown Factory was THE bike in 1998. I have such a fond memory of it, that I decided to recreate the aesthetic on a modern hardtail.
The original Homegrown was made by Yeti in Colorado out of aluminum. This frame is made out of titanium. Mostly because that’s what I work with and I like the ride quality. The frame features modern geo and 29 inch wheels, so I guess it’s not that historically accurate. However, it’s way more fun to ride!
I modified the bonus tomato to be a bonus potato. Mr. Potato Head to be exact. A homage to my Idaho roots.
Matte grey M950 XTR was the default high end kit, so I went 12 speed XTR M9100. Not a bad upgrade!!!!
All the finish work is done in luscious liquid paint. I’m glad Ollie at Dark Matter paint had my back on this one. He’s the best. I wasn’t concerned about masking any areas off. The more bass boat sparkle the better! I also painted a 140mm travel Pike to match the original SID fork. The go to XC race fork at the time.
This project was all about catching the vibe from the peak of XC racing. A very fun time for mountain bikes. Both the sport and bikes have advanced since then, but it’s fun to look back on where we came from.
