Brother Cycles Kepler - “Teal Is Real”

Built for city cruising, big pushes, and even bigger skids, this custom Brother Kepler in Teal Is Real is a flat-bar rig with timeless charm and a modern twist. It’s made for the in-betweeners — the riders who rack up commuter miles during the week, then point their wheels toward weekend gravel, waterfront detours, and the odd shortcut through the park.

What we like about it & why did we build it?

Aside from the obvious — that colourway — what makes the Kepler so fun to build on is how niche you can take it. The frameset lays the groundwork: a lugged steel fork with dynamo routing for lights that never need charging, tidy internal cable routing, a timeless brazed seat collar, and Brother’s signature oak-leaf head badge for that connoisseur touch.

For this build, we leaned into the everyday-urban personality of the Kepler. We ditched the drops in favour of a flat bar setup topped with classic Oury grips, keeping things casual, comfy, and ready for a cheeky jib on the ride home. A chrome Ritchey finishing kit ties everything together with understated style.

Shifting is handled by a tough-as-nails Shimano GRX 11-speed drivetrain, running a 40T GRX chainring up front and an 11–46T cassette out back for all-terrain versatility. Stopping power comes from Shimano CUES hydraulic brakes on 160 mm rotors, offering smooth modulation in traffic and total control on gravel.

From there, it’s all about the details. A pair of custom-built wheels — Velo Orange disc hubs, laced with DT Swiss Champion 32H spokes to DT Swiss rims — give this Kepler the kind of durability that laughs in the face of potholes. Wrapped around those hoops are Maxxis Reaver 700 × 40 tyres for fast-rolling commutes and loose-over-hard trail fun. Finishing touches? Velo Orange Sabot pedals in black — simple, grippy, and ready for action.