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Though I'd seen countless kids scooting around on Razor scooters, it never dawned on me that I might even be remotely interested in trying to scoot around myself.  I figured it to be a hobby that only pre-teens and teens could truly appreciate.  When I finally got on a good scooter, though, I realized just how wrong I was.
        It started with a casual visit to the mall.  As I invariably do at the mall, I decided to browse through all the interesting new gadgets at The Sharper Image.  While contemplating the purchase of an ionic toothbrush sanitizer, I casually hopped on a Xootr Street that was on display, kicked my right leg a few times, and, ZOOM, I was off!  Weaving my way through the crowd of shoppers and between display cases, I marveled at how far this fancy wheeled board went on just a couple of kicks -- it was almost as if I had kick-started a silent motorized scooter.  I mean, this scooter just kept going and going!
        "I need one!" I said to my wife, who was starting to look worried as I, in a fit of over-enthusiasm, nearly mowed a few display cases and fellow shoppers down.  Finally, I put it back down and gazed at the price tag -- whoah!  $389!  I decided I'd think about it.
        Thinking about it is exactly what I did.  When I got home, I was thinking about how much fun I had on my short ride.  The next day I was thinking how nice it would be to have one in my car trunk at all times, looking for good opportunities to scooter around.  A few days later, I was still thinking about it, and so decided to order one directly from the manufacturer (to make sure I got the most current features).

Out Of The Box

My Xootr arrived packed with care, and in nearly perfect condition.  I say “nearly” because on the steer support (the curved part linking the steer tube to the deck), there was a pretty sizable nick that turned up a sharp aluminum burr that had to be filed down.  That was the only imperfection on my Xootr upon its arrival, and it didn’t bother me too much.  I knew I’d probably be riding this thing hard, and so would be adding countless scratches and nicks to it myself in no time.
        Overall, the build quality of the Xootr is stunning.  Check out the underside of the Xootr Street’s deck (Figure 1).  From Nova Cruz’s web site:  

“The deck of the Street is machined by a computer-numerically controlled (CNC) machine tool from a solid block of 6061 aluminum. We start with a 10 lb. (4.5 kg) block of aluminum and we remove all but less than 2 lbs. of it. This is a pretty rare thing to do in these days of stamp-it-out mass production; designers and engineers in the know gasp when they see the bottom of the deck.” 

Very true.  I showed the underside to a couple of engineer friends of mine, and they were indeed quite stunned that such expensive crafting went into the Xootr. When I asked one of them to guess what the price was, he guessed $500 to $600 based on the manufacturing technique of the deck alone.

NOTE:  I’d suggest double-checking the four allen screws that attach the deck to the frame.  A couple of mine needed just a bit of tightening down.

The New Brake

One of the reasons I ordered my Xootr directly from the manufacturer is because I knew that a new brake system was on tap, and I wanted to be sure I got one with it.  I had a Xootr with the old brake, and let me tell you that the new brake is a HUGE improvement.  If you’re wondering how you can tell whether or not you’re looking at a Xootr with a new brake or old brake, simply look to see which wheel the brake is stopping -- if it’s stopping the front wheel it’s the new brake, and if it’s stopping the rear wheel it’s the old brake.
        If you currently own a Xootr with the old brake, you’re not out of luck.  The manufacturer (Nova Cruz) is making the new brake available to all old-brake Xootr owners for only $30.00.  To take advantage of this offer, your Xootr needs to be sent back to Nova Cruz (the installation requires drilling through the front forks and front tube).  If you have the old brake, I can’t say it strongly enough -- get the new brake asap!

What Rolling Resistance?

One of the most astonishing things about the Xootr is the devoid-of-rolling-resistance feeling it gives you when riding it.  The obvious reason for its prowess in this regard is its wheels and bearings.  Nova Cruz molds polyurethane tires to 7” aluminum wheels (see Figure 2)-- much larger than the 4” wheels on Razor-type scooters.  The wheels are also narrow, resulting in a small road contact footprint.  The bearings are also of extremely high quality -- RZ8 bearings with 0.5” bore according to information I read on eGroups.  I can say the following with great confidence:  Xootrs roll with less rolling resistance than any other kick scooter available.  In a direct comparison we did with Go-Ped’s Know-Ped, the Xootr would roll between three and four times as far with equivalent kicking.

Overall Ride Quality

Though the solid polyurethane tires result in extremely low rolling resistance, they also transmit jolts, bumps and impact a bit too well. Realizing that this comes as a compromise for the unparalleled gliding ability, it’s a worthwhile tradeoff.  Even though the ride is on the firm side, the big wheels help get you over most imperfections and debris.  Once again, you’ll agree it’s an acceptable compromise when you feel how this scooter glides.
        Steering the Xootr around is a breeze.  It leans well into turns, and the steering mechanism is precise and frictionless.  The steering head consists of a maintenance free Teflon-smoothed hinge, as opposed to a traditional bike-type headset (see Figure 3).  I’d take this steering mechanism over a traditional headset any day, as it requires no adjustments or maintenance at all.  The handlebar turns up to 90 degrees each way, which is more than enough for any turns you’d make.  Freestyle riders might not favor such an arrangement though, as they like to have full rotation of the handlebars for tricks like tailwhips and the like.
        I've taken the Xootr down some pretty gnarly hills in my travels, and the new brake setup does a god job of slowing me down and stopping me.  The brake feel is excellent, and is not nearly as oversensitive as I've felt on other scooters -- this particularly important with front brakes.  The sensitivity of these brakes makes it easy to modulate braking power with very commendable precision.  Emergency stops at speed require a significant tug, but not so much so that it's difficult.
        I found the Xootr's frame a bit too “flexy”.  The wide deck sits on narrowly spaced frame rails (see Figure 1 above, and notice the narrowly spaced frame rails underneath the aluminum deck).  As a result, there is a lot of deck overhang on either side of the frame rails.  With only one foot on either side of the deck, there is a slight sensation of frame flex.  Spacing the frame rails wider toward the middle of the deck, and/or adding some cross members between the rails, might result in greater torsional rigidity (that would be worth the half-pound or so of extra weight).  Also, another flex point appears to be the pivot area that connects the steer support to the under-deck frame rails.  Somehow beefing up this juncture to reduce flex there would be helpful.  I’m probably being a bit nitpicky, but I do believe they could improve the structural rigidity of the Xootr's frame.

Day-to-Day Use of the Xootr Street

If freestyle is your primary interest in choosing a kick scooter, then the Xootr may not be your top choice.  I, however, knew that my scooter's primary charge would be delivering me from one place to another.  And, for this, there is nothing better than a Xootr in the kick scooter world -- its extremely low rolling resistance is what makes it so.
        I keep mine in the trunk of my car when driving.  If I've got a far-out parking space, I simply reach into my trunk, remove my 10-pound Xootr, unfold it and go.  My officemates and I also use it to run local errands.  And almost every night, I use it for exercise, Xootr-ing four miles or more.  On flat land, and with some effort, 15 miles per hour is attainable for me -- I imagine the more athletic among us could muster up even more speed.  10 miles per hour is easily attainable, and is probably in the vicinity of my typical cruising speed.
        Watch out for puddles.  The lack of a rear fender will result in wet legs should you hit a puddle.  I've been told that Nova Cruz will likely be offering a fender soon.  As soon as they're available, I'll be sure to get one.  No word yet on whether or not it will be a brake/fender or just a fender.
        Some of my routes are riddled with things to jump over (like curbs), and the Xootr is light enough to ollie (bikers, this is the same thing as a bunnyhop) over most any reasonable obstacle.  If I'm feeling less daring -- or if I'm donning a heavy backpack -- slowing down, stepping off, and carrying it over, and hopping back on works too.

Summary

$389 is a lot of money to pay for a push scooter, I'll be the first to admit.  But what you get with the Xootr Street is a finely crafted fun and real alternative to a bike for distances of a mile or so.  As far as I'm concerned, it is well worth the money.
        If your budget is too tight for the Street, make sure to consider Nova Cruz's Xootr Cruz model.  It has a wood deck instead of aluminum and retails for $269.  Of course, if you want something even fancier than the street, $489 will buy you the Xootr Comp which has a carbon fiber deck.

PROS:  Craftsmanship is superb; rolling resistance is lowest of any push scooter available, making it a real alternative to a bike; smooth steering; precision brake feel; handlebar height has wide adjustment range; styling is head-turning.

CONS:  Expensive; could use more structural rigidity; rear fender should be standard.

The Xootr Street gets 4 1/2 out of 5 Scoots.

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