Schwinn Homegrown Specs

Schwinn built a reputation for building quality bicycles that lasted through the 1960s. After failing to capitalize on the 10-speed road bike boom of the early 1970s and largely dismissing the emerging BMW and mountain bike markets in the 1980s, the Chicago-based manufacturer found itself in bankruptcy. Schwinn emerged from bankruptcy to set up shop in Boulder, Colorado. One of the first lines the company introduced after its financial turmoil was the Homegrown line of racing mountain bikes with the Homegrown Factory Limited leading the pack. The Homegrown line of bikes ceased production after the company's second bankruptcy in 2001, after which Schwinn's focus shifted to department-store-level equipment.

  1. Frame and Fork

    • The backbone of the Schwinn Homegrown Factory Limited was its Easton-tubed, TIG-welded aluminum frame. The frame employed a traditional, double-diamond frame style with wishbone seatstays that arced inward at the brake mount for optimum braking performance. Schwinn mounted a Rock Shox SID Race suspension fork to the front of this bike. This fork was the top-of-the-line model for cross-country racing produced by Rock Shox at the time, which kept in line with the rest of the parts on this bicycle. The SID Race offers 63mm of wheel travel, which is just enough to soak up stutter bumps without robbing efficiency.

    Cockpit

    • The rider of the Schwinn Homegrown Factory Limited controls the bike by gripping a Titec titanium handlebar and Titec Fat Head titanium stem. Titanium is chosen over aluminum because of its ability to absorb some impact while still providing rigidity. Shifting and braking are handled by a set of Shimano XTR RapidFire SL shifters and brake levers that are integrated for ergonomics and light weight. Both of these are cable-actuated to keep weight and maintenance at a minimum.

    Gearing

    • Schwinn equips the Homegrown Factory Limited with top-of-the-line gearing components. Shifting duties are relegated to a set of Shimano XTR front and rear derailleurs. The rear cassette is a nine-speed XTR model with gears ranging from 12 to 34 teeth in size. The Shimano XTR crankset features a 24-tooth small ring, 34-tooth middle ring and 46-tooth big ring. This gearing is slightly taller than that of a recreational bike, allowing competitive cyclists to achieve maximum speed when racing.

    Wheelset

    • The Schwinn Homegrown Factory Limited's wheelset is comprised of Hugi 240 hubs laced to Tioga Factory XC rims with DT Revolution double-butted spokes. The front wheel is composed of 28 spokes, while the rear wheel is a 32-spoke design. Wrapped around this wheelset is a set of Michelin Jet S tires.