More on the Most Fetishized Bike in History
I used that orange XO-1 as my inaugural example of great bike porn. It's a bike I've always loved and never owned. I admire Geno's at the shop--the one one which he won the Chequamegon 40--and I personally believe it to be one of the finest colors ever applied to a bike frame.
But I was reminded this morning as I stopped in at CRC, and I saw good old Sean. I asked after his purple XO-1, which the last time I saw it was in mint and original condition, and it turns out he commissioned it for sale out of CRC recently. I mention that, because if memory serves, purple was the original color of the XO-1.
Good to see you Sean. Sorry about the XO-1. (On the other hand, I admire a guy who can sever ties with lovers like that. I have a yard full of rusty, half-assed affairs that are an embarrasment to me and my wife, and which I would not fob upon anyone. But I keep them around for parts in the old Free Bike! side project, more about that some other time. Anyone got a bunch of bald 27 inch tires they want to donate?)
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5 comments:
Upon inquiry as to how much the aforementioned pretty orange X0-1 up on the ledge above the door at One on One would cost if I were to buy it, the response of "$4,000.00" was once given to me.
I don't know where that amount fell on the scale between serious and smartass, but it was a little more than I could afford at the time. Or at any time.
Funny you mention that. I notice in the Bridgestone catalog, the XO-1 listed for over $1.5K back in 1993... that was pretty high end back then, no?
I've seen the XO-1 around in various condition for $500-$1000, but never have the dough.
It would take balls the size of church bells to tell the wife-- if I ever pulled a stunt like that.
Course, I've done it many times, without the telling-the-wife part. Upcoming issue of Pinch Flat News:
When is a "new" bike not "new" anymore? (For purposes of getting off the hook with an angry spouse)
Yup I remember when Geno worked at the Alt Bike and Board when it was on Hennepin and I was a starving student and bought an MB-4 (my first good bike) and I remember looking at the crazy Bridgestones with the wacked-out handlebars and wondering who on earth would ever buy one.
Now it's almost 15 years later and I'm voraciously reading Rivendell readers and old Bridgestone catalogs and wishing that I had the means back then to snap a couple of them up.
I was into the MTB scene back then, and even though I remember I LOVED my MB4 with the Suntour and thumbshifters and no suspension I also remember how most of the bike world laughed at Bridgestone/Grant Petersen.
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