Brother Cycles Pinecone Frames - The Honey Monster

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 forest bike and single speed to a touring bike or a truly personal everyday build.

The frame is designed to work with both old and new components. 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 with 27.5"/650B wheels, while disc brakes also open up other wheel sizes. That flexibility is exactly what makes the Pinecone so fun to build—a vintage XT groupset and nice V-brakes can be just as right as a modern geared drivetrain and disc brakes.

The frame is made from heat-treated 4130 chromoly with double-butted tubes in the main triangle. Brother has deliberately used relatively slim tubes to avoid an unnecessarily stiff frame and provide a more compliant feel on uneven surfaces. The chainstays are 440 mm and the head angle is 70 degrees, a combination that creates a bike that feels reassuring on longer rides while remaining playful on gravel roads, forest paths, 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, as well as mounts for a rack and fenders. The frame has three bottle-cage mounts in all sizes, plus rear rack and fender mounts. Tire clearance is up to 27.5 × 2.6", or 29 × 2.2" when using disc brakes.

Honey Monster is the decidedly less discreet version of the Pinecone. The vivid yellow paint has a dark, speckled effect across the frame and fork, together with purple Brother decals. The shape is still clearly inspired by old mountain bikes, but the color makes little attempt to look like an anonymous 1990s frame tucked away at the back of the garage.

The Pinecone is not a modern mountain bike in the traditional sense, nor is it a gravel frame with extra-large tires. It is an all-terrain frame for anyone who wants to build a bike their own way, ideally mixing quality old parts with new ones to create something that works on asphalt, gravel, forest roads, and easier trails. Choose Honey Monster when you like the whole Pinecone idea but think the bike itself should be seen, too.

Quick Specs

• Model: Brother Cycles Pinecone
• Color: Honey Monster
• Type: Steel frameset / all-terrain
• Frame: Heat-treated 4130 chromoly, double-butted main triangle, ED-treated
• Fork: Segmented steel fork with mounts for a rack, fenders, 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" with disc brakes
• 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