Brother Cycles Pinecone Frames - Electric Blue

Brother Cycles Pinecone is a steel frameset for anyone who likes the feel and simplicity of a good mountain bike from the 1980s and 1990s, but wants to avoid the limitations that come with a thirty-year-old frame. Brother has taken the classic idea—slim steel tubes, a relatively straight top tube, quick release, and uncomplicated standards—and built a modern all-terrain bike that can become anything from a trail bike and single speed to a touring bike or a truly personal everyday build.

It is also a frame that encourages you to use parts you already have. At the rear, horizontal dropouts with 135 mm hub spacing mean the Pinecone can be built as a single speed without a chain tensioner. If you want gears, a separate derailleur hanger is included. You can also choose between cantilever/V-brakes and disc brakes. With rim brakes, you build it around 27.5"/650B wheels, while disc brakes open up more wheel-size options. That flexibility is exactly what we like about the Pinecone—an old XT groupset, a pair of fine V-brakes, or modern disc brakes can all be the starting point for a great build.

The frame is made from heat-treated 4130 chromoly with butted tubes in the main triangle. Brother has deliberately kept the tubes relatively slim to create a more compliant bike on rougher surfaces, rather than the very stiff feel of many modern MTB frames. The geometry follows the same idea. 440 mm chainstays and a 70-degree head angle create a bike that feels stable on longer rides while remaining fun on gravel roads, forest tracks, and easier trails.

The Pinecone is also designed to carry gear on the bike. The segmented steel fork has three mounting points on each fork leg, the frame has three bottle-cage mounts in every size, and there are mounts for both a rack and fenders. Tire clearance is up to 27.5 × 2.6", or up to 29 × 2.2" when using disc brakes. This gives you plenty of options for building anything from a fast and simple all-terrain bike to a well-equipped bike for longer rides.

We have built the Pinecone ourselves with a mix of old and new components—including 27.5 × 2.35" tires, Avid BB7 disc brakes, a Sugino crankset, a Nitto stem, and a Crust handlebar. That says a lot about what this frame is all about. The Pinecone is not a modern mountain bike in the traditional sense, nor is it a pure gravel frame. It is a frame for anyone who wants to build a bike their own way, use good components regardless of their age, and get a bike that works on far more roads than it might initially suggest.

Quick Specs

• Model: Brother Cycles Pinecone
• Type: Steel frameset / all-terrain
• Frame: Heat-treated 4130 chromoly, butted main triangle, ED-treated
• Fork: Segmented steel fork with mounts for fenders, a rack, and three mounting points per fork leg
• Sizes: Small, Medium, Large and X-Large
• Wheels: 27.5"/650B, also 29"/700C with disc brakes
• Maximum tire width: Up to 27.5 × 2.6" or 29 × 2.2", depending on the brakes and actual tire width
• Rim brakes: Cantilever or V-brakes, 27.5"/650B
• Disc brakes: 51 mm IS mount
• Rear hub: 135 mm quick release
• Rear dropouts: Horizontal
• Derailleur hanger: Separate derailleur hanger included
• Single speed: Yes
• Headset: 1 1/8" threadless, EC34/28.6 upper / EC34/30 lower
• Seatpost: 27.2 mm
• Seatpost clamp: 30 mm, included
• Bottom bracket shell: 73 mm, ISO threaded
• Front derailleur clamp: 28.6 mm
• Maximum chainring: 36T single, 38/28T double or 44/32/22T triple
• Bottle-cage mounts: 3 sets on all sizes
• Mounts: Rear rack and fender mounts
• Frame weight: Approximately 2.4 kg in size Medium
• Fork weight: Approximately 1.3 kg with an uncut steerer tube