Schwinn Homegrown Model Identifier Forums General Stuff Homegrown Talk Fresh Build, Polish or Paint

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  • #1206
    Brett Donald
    Member

    My story begins back in 96, I was regular customer of a local Trek Schwinn bike shop and had been going there for some years and had spent gobs of money at this shop.
    I got a call one day from the head salesman who happened to be personal friends with a Schwinn sales rep that had acquired a 1995 Homegrown full suspension, it was a demo bike that he would take to the bike shops and was the flagship model.

    I made a deal to fix some minor rust on his 4Runner in trade for the bike, I’ve been in the collision repair and restoration industry for years now.
    This was an awesome bike and I pumped more money into it with a White Industries crank set, new magnesium lowers with Englund air cartridges giving me air front & rear, I rode the snot out of this bike and raced it at least once a month then as fate would have it married life, kids, mortgage payments etc. slowed me down then eventually the swingarm developed a hairline crack which put stress on the shock causing it to loose air almost as soon as I got on it.

    By this time Schwinn had sold out and I heard through the Grapevine any stock that was left over for warranty claims had been literally tossed in the trash, what a shame.
    I then picked up a used Klein Hardtail and rode that for a few months and just could not get used to a hardtail again so I bought a used Giant NRS frame and built that, I was on a full suspension again but I really missed the ride of my Homegrown and always considered the suspension on the Giant to be slightly Rube Goldbergish with all those pieces and pivots. (sorry for rambling but this is the short version).

    Eventually one of those pieces that holds the swingarm to the frame backed it’s way out and disappeared rendering the bike un-ridable.
    Sort of bitter sweet as I hate to see a good bike go to waste but I decided rather than hunt around for parts to fix the Giant I would pick up another Homegrown frame.

    This leads finally to the question, Polish or Paint, are these bikes enough of a rarity to keep true to the original colors and decals or would it be worth equally as much with a different color combo since many of the components are no longer original, I had considered a matt green scheme as sort of a military tribute.

    My Ebay frame shipped out today.

    #3764
    chuckha62
    Member

    Congrats. It it were mine, I’d want it true to the original. At the end of the day however, it’s your bike and should be built to suit your taste. How are you going to build it up?

    #3812
    buseybus
    Member

    Hello; I bought a cosmetically rough but otherwise perfect S10 frame on ebay and faced the same dilemma as you. I went with the matte green military finish, using the actual military paint. The rest of the bike is trimmed in black and carbon fiber components, inspired by the CH-47 Chinook. High tech, tough and simple. I don’t regret removing the old paint. There’s a definite place for pristine and original preservation with these fine bikes, but I feel that a bike with a little bit of your heart and soul in it that you can ride daily is much more valuable to yourself

    #3813
    Avatar phototomatoadmin
    Keymaster

    I’d say we’re going to need some pictures of your bike. 😀

    #3815
    buseybus
    Member

    Love to share some pics! She’s not completed yet but I’ll show you what I have so far!

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