Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
Expected to be available this summer, the forthcoming Pinecone from Brother Cycles in the UK is a retro-inspired frame built around 27.5″ wheels and compatible with disc or rim brakes. Take a sneak peek at the adaptable new Brother Pinecone here…
Photos by Ollie Harrop
Building on the success of the Mr Wooden, a rim-brake, 650B-specific steel frame (find my review linked below), siblings Will and James of Brother Cycles in the UK just teased their equally niche upcoming model, the Pinecone. Inspired by their love for the practicality and versatility of ’80s, ’90s, and ’00s mountain bikes, which they say make perfect trail cruisers, tourers, or pub bikes, the Pinecone is designed to capture the retro spirit while modernizing a handful of key frame specs to address what many riders see as pitfalls of yesteryear’s ATBs.
Details are relatively scant for the time being, but we know that the Pinecone can clear burly 27.5 x 2.6″ tires and sports mounts for both rim brakes and disc brakes. It has a 1 1/8″ headtube, 440mm chainstays, and a 70-degree headtube angle. The Pinecone frame uses skinny heat-treated steel tubes that the brothers say give it “a super fun and forgiving feel on rough surfaces,” and the segmented fork has three-pack bosses on each blade. At the rear, horizontal dropouts open up options for gears (using the included derailleur hanger insert) or a single-speed setup.
Describing the prototype of the new model they’ve been riding, Will and James wrote, “This bike is SO much fun, it’s exactly what we had in mind when we started designing it. The geometry feels super comfortable yet nice and playful when you want it. It’s not really a mountain bike, but more of an all-terrain bike; happily switching from tarmac to gravel tracks and a few bits of flowy single-track. We built ours into a woodland ripper, a kind of modern day clunker and it feels like exactly that. This first ride (pictured) was probably only 20km but full of childish fun; skidding round every corner, hopping over logs and failing (still at 40 years old) at being able to wheelie.”
We’ll share details on pricing, sizing, and availability as they become available. For now, you can find some additional insights and photos over on the Brother Cycles Journal and stay up to date by following them on Instagram.
Further Reading
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