Okay okay, to be fair, we never actually “closed” ordering completely, we just weren’t able to promise any sort of production schedule for the large and medium sizes in our most popular models… but now we can!
Heads up! Lot’s of information and numbers in this post. Please get in touch with us if something doesn’t click or if you have any questions! Thanks!
Delivery Timeline – Pre-Order Opens 3 Feb
Before we get into the rest of the story, less set the timeline right away. In a galaxy far, far away…
- Purple Haze frames, sizes medium and large: Available for pre-order 3 Feb 2023
- Purple Haze frames, sizes XXS/XS/SM/XL/XXL: Available from stock (Made in Taiwan)
- Pasta Party frames, sizes medium and large: Available for pre-order 3 Feb 2023 (Made in Germany)
- Pasta Party frames, sizes SM/XL: Available for normal ordering (Made in Germany)
- Clueless frames, sizes medium and large: Available for pre-order 3 Feb 2023 (Made in Germany)
- Clueless frames, sizes XS/SM/XL/XXL: Available for normal ordering (Made in Taiwan)
- All other frames are available for normal ordering. Contact us for more information on lead times and origin!
Your local dealer may have already pre-ordered the frame you are looking for! Get in touch with them to see if they have ordered your new Sour!
Okay, Cool. When Does My Bike Arrive?
April! Well, kind of.
We fully expect to deliver the first frames ordered in this pre-order cycle no later than April. Certain frames that are being produced right now, or frames with tubing in stock (Big Fun for example), may be delivered earlier than April, but no promises. All the popular frames and sizes (Purple Haze size medium and large are essentially unobtainium), will be delivered no later than April.
To better stay on top of production schedules we are pulling out all the stops on workflow and organisation. We will be receiving a portion of our tubing to build your frames by air, and the other portion via container on a big ol’ ship. The idea being that by splitting the supply chain, we will be able to weld pretty consistently because the tubes that have shipping via air freight will arrive within a week, and it takes us a few weeks to work through that pile. As we approached the end of the air-freighted tubing stock, the container will arrive in Dresden meaning we can just keep on welding. So this means a couple things:
- This is global supply chain dovetailing. Dovetailing is hard enough in the kitchen, let alone on a global scale. There will be hiccups in this plan, but we feel that we have calculated some pretty solid buffers into this process. Unless yet another boat runs aground in the Suez, we will only experience a delay of one, maybe two weeks.
- Order first, get your bike first. Barring any quality control problems, or super-fancy paintjobs, if you order your frame first, your frame will be finished in the first batch of that frame and frame size.
- Kind of a repeat of number two: if your bike has a super crazy cool paintjob, it’ll likely take more time and attention. If you really want a wild paintjob, please do so, it’s so worth it! If you’re super worried about slowing down the delivery of your frame with said paintjob of wild horses at sunset, just drop us a line first and we’ll find a middle-ground.
Homebrew Pricing 2023
We procrastinated as long as possible, but price increases have arrived. You know the story by this point, but just to further put it into context, literally every part of our production has gotten more expensive. From the gas to weld the frames, to the steel tubing itself. Lighting in the workshop, to the petrol to deliver the frames to the painter. Shipping costs at DHL, and the price of after works beers… Okay, maybe we left that last one out of the calculations!
Here are the new prices for all Homebrew frames in 2023. For all remaining stock of Taiwan-made gravel frames, the 2022 prices remain accurate (€849). All Taiwan-made frames in sizes medium and large are sold out and will not return as we will only produce in Germany moving forward. Any questions just let us know or get in touch with your local dealer.
Although Homebrew has given us a ton more certainty in our production planning and delivery, we are still dependent on the supply of steel tubing, and that part of the global supply chain is still not 100%. Now that we have secured delivery of steel tubing for the next production cycle, we have a really good overview of delivery times for the more popular frames and frame sizes.
Pre-Order and Beyond!
Through 2023 we expect to be able to deliver frames on an increasingly regular schedule. This year we have solid agreements with our suppliers, and we even have heating in our workshop now! Everything’s coming up Millhouse!
We will continue to have pinch points and bottlenecks through 2023. The whole supply chain is still weak, and moving more slowly than everyone grew used to pre-corona, this will continue to impact out production schedule here in Dresden. Additionally, we have identified a number of bottlenecks in our own production and will continue to work on addressing these issues to better deliver on our promises and slowly but surely bring the delivery time down. Currently we are focused on the finishing side of frame production which includes quality control, the physical finishing of the frames (blasting, filing, reaming, chasing etc.), and most importantly the powder coating! We love custom colours, and are constantly blown away by the creativity of our dealers and clients, but dang, custom colours really slow the production process at the moment. This is not a slight towards out painter, he’s one of the best we know! But there are just so very few corners to be cut when frames are being painted and baked nearly one-by-one because you are the only one to order Misty Vanilla Cinnamon Gloss paint.
…and no, that isn’t a real Prismatic colour, but it sounds like one, doesn’t it?!
TL;DR
- Pre-Order of medium and large sizes in the popular models will open again 3 Feb 2023 on Sour.Bike
- Your local dealer may have already ordered the frame you want. Give them a call, they miss you!
- Backstock of Taiwan-made frames still at the 2022 prices (no size medium or large). Limited stock.
- Once the TW-made frames are gone they won’t return. All frames are made in Germany now.
- Production and ordering will happen on a quarterly basis with delivery times being between 8 and 12 weeks. All delivery times will be communicated at the time of pre-order.
THANKS!
Okay! You made it all the way to the end of this meaty blog! Thank you for taking the time to read it through. We hope this answered more questions than it made, but if you have any new questions don’t be afraid to get in touch!
Thanks for sticking with Sour through all of this. 2022 was a wild ride, and although we made it through, we have a ton of work to get back up on the horse and get on top of production, organisation, and communication here at Sour. We are stoked for 2023 and the events, rides, new frames, new friends, and old friends. Let’s make it a great one!
