I do not speak for everybody and this comes from myself and my belief in the bikes, but let me try and say this for the group. We are all here at BonusTomato because we have all been bitten by the ride of these Schwinn frames. In my opinion, we are all similar to alien abduction survivors. We are drawn together in this forum due to an unexplainable feeling of bliss that comes from riding these bikes. To those who have not experienced a Homegrown it is not understandable or even comprehensible. But those of us who are lucky enough to have felt it, the feeling is a revelation. I myself drifted from the Homegrown line for a few years and thought nothing of it until I rode another one. Why did I ever waste those years without a Homegrown?
It is the ride of the bike that has brought us here. The collection and accompanying preservation is second but the ride comes first. It is more than just a “blue collar” Yeti fetish because many of us are also drawn to the Banger line of bikes as well. The Bangers’ have no relation to Yeti, but more so to Mert Lawwill. It was a golden time in mountain biking (5-6 years) that cannot be recreated, but can still be enjoyed due to the fact that these bikes are still available, plus yours is the birth of the breed with those asymmetric chainstays.
I understand that it may be hard to get used to the canti’s. When I worked at a bike shop, there was ‘David’ who was able to tune in those canti’s to make them work as good or better than V-brakes. You might need to ask around your town to find out who the ‘David’ of your city might be. Get your bike rolling and hit the trail. Any scratches you get, just consider them battle wounds and ribbons of honor. Better you to have the story to tell how those scratches got there than anyone else.