sthslvrcnfsn

I just bought a Handsome Cycles XOXO - used and already built. There's little real-world information on these biked that I can find, so I thought I should post something.

The back story:
I do a 13-mile one way, 26-mile round trip commute 3 times per week. There are very minor hills involved. 1/3rd is on roads, and luckily 2/3rds is on a bike path. I was doing the commute on a 1989 Miyata 1000LT. Easily the longest wheelbase and most comfortable steel road bike I've ever owned. I loved my commute, and I loved that bike.

The new bike:
I'm still getting used to the XOXO. I have shifters mounted next to the brake levers on mustache bars, and I really like having easier access to shifting versus downtube shifters. I will still probably love downtube shifters for the rest of my life, however. The bike has a mountain drive train, and I'm getting used to it.

The ride:
I love the geometry of the XOXO - I'm comfortable and upright. I'm getting used to the fact that mustache bars feel like they are "understeering" compared to drop bars on my old Miyata. I really feel that I'm in a better, more upright position for carrying loads (like my kids on the weekends - sorry that's not exactly commuting).

The Conclusion:
If I were riding any further than my commute, I would prefer drop bars - for climbing especially. I also miss the long wheelbase of my Miyata. But the XOXO is a stout champion (with a pretty darn long wheelbase) with the low mountain bike gearing. I feel that I can pull anything up any hill with the super low gears on this bike, the way it was built.

Overall:
I'm just enjoying something different. Still sad about my Miyata leaving (it was too big for me), and happy for a new, and very interesting bike. I wish this type of rigid-fork mountain frame was made with slighty slacker seat and headtube angles, and a shorter top tube, for my ridiculously short arms. The XOXO is an awesome frame - very light, comfortably stiffer than my Miyata touring steel, and yet not road-bike tight and firm - with great geometry. In fact Handsome doesn't shy away from saying that the geometry is identical to the Bridgestone XO-1 of yore.

I think I've found my "forever" bike. I just wish it had an extra set of eyelets on the rear dropout so that I could carry a rear rack AND full sized fender. I wish I hadn't let a Miyata 100LT in my size pass me up recently - I want both bikes.

tdister

And the pictures of it are where?

frantik

I managed to install a rack and fenders using one eyelet. some fenders come with clamps to attach to the stays as well

I'd love to find a used XOXO or XO-1.. probably would swap out the mustache bar, but all my mtbs have been converted into road warriors, so an XOXO/XO-1 would be fun to own

Schwinnrider

I was lucky enough to find a 1993 XO-2 in my size, and it's my favorite bike. I have maybe 800 bucks into it, and I ride it more than my custom Gunnar. The 26 inch wheels and drop bar combination are ideal for me.

Schwinnrider

Why can't you mount them both to the same eyelet? You can just use a longer bolt, right?

sthslvrcnfsn

https://www.flickr.com/photos/47821487@N07/8246557526/

Bad picture, sorry.

I could use a long bolt and some washers to attach a rack and fender stays on the rear, but I'd rather have separate eyelets.

...a custom Gunnar sounds nice. I bet that thing is pretty indestructable.

Also, the XOXO is FUN on trails. I took it off the bike path on the way home from work this week. It did excellent on the bumpy stuff, and the mustache bars were really enjoyable for the job, too.

a1penguin

That's a nice looking bike. I like the orange. Perhaps it's the angle of the picture, but the seat looks pointed up.

sthslvrcnfsn

Yes the seat was tipped up in the photo. I took it literally right after I walked in the door after buying it. I've adjusted the fit of the seat and bars since then. The XOXO only comes in orange - I think the XO-1s were only made in orange, too. Not 100% on that, though.

xenologer

Well its pretty. Near as I can tell though, neither the xoxo (or the original xo1 it is based on) come in any small frame sizes. So I'll never be able to ride one.
What's up with that?

Maybe big frame with little wheels is part of the definined 'look' of the bike? Thus a compact version for small people wouldn't work out?
Related: why does it have such a cult following anyhow?

frantik

not many were produced, the original was lugged, has roadish geometry with 26" wheels which isn't very common. Plus the whole Grant Peterson thing

cobrabyte

How small of a frame are we talking here?

chaadster

To be clear, we're talking about the Bridgestone here, right? I mean, does the Handsome have a cult following? And there's no Grant Peterson connection with Handsome, right, aside from the fact it's basically a copy of the Petersen designed Bridgestone XOs.

As for Bridgestone, those were the mountain bikes I cut my teeth on! My first was a cheapo '87 CB-2 that I flogged pretty good and did my first trail exploring on (though it was not cut for that work!), and I later got a lugged MB-3 that I used as a race bike and commuter for years. Great ride quality there.

xenologer

I ride 42cm for road, 15" for mtb, or a 26"standover

general visual sizing rule of thumb for me, if the seatstays intersect the toptube at a point higher than the top of rear wheel; its already too big.


manufacturers who don't account for small sizes make me sad...

frantik

^ sounds like you need a terry style bike

sthslvrcnfsn

A welder friend of mine (who owns Surly Troll) says that no machine and no human could make such a fine TIG weld as the welds on the XOXO.

gambaroja

Sorry but this is a good or bad thing????

chaadster

Made by beings from outer space? Probably good, though the way of phrasing does call into the question this welder's judgement, doesn't it?

gambaroja

Yep, It's what I was thinking but...

I have just ordered one...First XOXO in Spain (I think)
Will send photos after montage...

chaadster

Congratulations!

fietsbob

so they got E.T. sweating away in some Asian TIG cubicle, cloned a thousand times?

The Tig Welders at some of the Custom Titanium Frame companies must not like coffee either,

since their bead puddling is pretty darned tight and even..
Maybe they were schooled in Area 51, by that E.T. guy?

sthslvrcnfsn

Well, he is a zany dude, and that was his way of saying the welds were really, really good. Take it or leave it. I support the Taiwanese bicycle industry because I'm not one of the fortunate few who can just go get a hand-made custom-built American frame one-off produced. I live in Denver: Moots, Zinn, and Gangl are near me (Zinn and Gangl being less than an hour bike ride away), but I just simply can't afford it. There are also some smaller up and coming frame builders nearby (Avery County Cycles is about 10 minutes away by bike), but I can't afford them either. I fully believe that the dudes or ladies in Taiwan making the Handsomes, the Surlys, etc, are true craftsmen.

Update: I switched to bar-end shifters and moved the brake levers down to the end of the bars so I now have an extra hand position on the curve of the mustache. And new bar tape. I like it. I've been taking this bike on the singletrack adjacent to the paved bike path more and more, and the XOXO ****ing shines. I also hauled my son in the bike trailer today (riding with my friend who has the Surly Troll), and I was actually comfortable the whole time. Hauling a trailer with a road bike - my old Miyata 1000LT touring bike or others - just isn't nice.

I'm totally in love with this bike.

gambaroja

Hi, first built of the XOXO. I only took all of my old components of my Rockhopper and put it on the new frame. Later I plan on building it with all silver components: Nitto Albatross, sugino crankset etc. Ride wonderfull in all situation and very light bike...

tarwheel 

Very, very nice. If my commute involved any unpaved roads or trails, the XOXO would be a good choice. I love the color and your build. I'm not a fan of the handlebars as I like drops for windy days and long rides, but I can understand the appeal for commuting. I would also run some slicker tires because I hate knobbies on the road, but your trail portions might necessitate the treads.

Here is my version of a street-trail rig, my Bob Jackson World Tour with 32 mm cross tires. Rode it about 100 miles on the New River Trail last summer, where this photo was taken. I commute with it on days when I need to carry extra gear or just feel like riding a different bike.

droy45

I got a handbuilt Fetish Cycles frame made a few years ago from a small company in Scottsdale Arizona and it was reasonably priced for such a custom one up build. Not sure but I think they went out of business too. I think they can still be found but are not very popular as the Asian stuff is so good now that you can't go wrong with those.

Chris_in_Miami

Looks great gambaroja, congratulations! What year was the Rockhopper, and how would you compare the ride of the XOXO to it? Is that the 53cm frame?

I've got a 1990 Rockhopper that I like a lot, but I've been thinking about replacing it with an XOXO to get a shorter top tube (the Rockhopper doesn't work with drop bars for me unless I use a very short stem.)