Micro XT's in the US???

Yes, Micro XT's are finally available to buy in the US at www.microxtusa.com, without huge shipping costs from Europe. Having received and ridden an XT for some time, I'm sure with a little tweaking and price adjustment they could become a viable alternative to the Razor Pro Model.
The company selling them, National Sporting Goods, carries not only the XT but the entire line of Micro scooters. You may not know much about the company, but according to Gregg Adelsheimer, NSG has "...been in the sporting goods marketing and distribution business for over 45 years." With a business as long lasting as that, you can be sure to know that NSG is a legitimate, quality company.
NSG became the official US Micro distributor about two years ago, but has known the Switzerland-based head office team for several years. Adelsheimer said that this opportunity is very exciting for them at NSG. "The opportunity to sell quality products is what we focus on. The XT is the culmination of many years of development for Micro. Every aspect of this scooter has been well thought out to provide a freestyle rider with a quality product that will stand up to the most extreme conditions."



The website lists reasons why the XT is one of the strongest scooters out there. Additionally, Adelsheimer said, "This scooter has been designed to stand up to punishment. It does not fold. It has three super strong aluminum bolts to hold the fork in place. It does not collapse easy again to make sure in use nothing can become loose. The metalcore wheels and premium ABEC 5 bearings again are stronger and faster than any components." While the scooter has some flaws, Adelsheimer says that the head office is always working on developing and improving their products, so be sure to know that each new Micro will be an improvement on the next.

Adelsheimer also happens to believe that the sport of freestyle scooter riding is about to get big. He seems to have good reason for this- "There are so many tricks that can be done on a scooter that can't be done on a skateboard. What is most interesting to me is despite the appeal of the scooter many in the action sports industry still think of the scooter as a toy. However, once they see videos of what can be done on a scooter or watch the action in a skatepark they are amazed. "

Adelsheimer is also looking for a USA Micro team. He says he wants riders who "have passion for the XT" and "set positive examples." And, of course, he would like people who "other riders want to emulate."

- Jordan Jasa

Micro XT Written Reviews

After having the Micro XT for a couple weeks now, Steven and I wrote some reviews on the new scooter from Micro.
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Recently, I received a Micro XT (Old style not New one) to test, ride, and review for Inside-Scooters Blog.

When you get the XT it comes in a box including all the tools you will need to assemble the scooter. Which for the record doesnt take any more than 10 minutes if you have experience working on scooters before hand. After getting it all set up the first thing I noticed was the weight of the scooter. It is quite heavy, and it is most certainly not for the "weight freaks". The steep angle of the headtube is also something that takes a while to get used to. Both of my grips did get throttle grip, however this is a problem that has been looked into already by Micro and will be fixed in the near future. The next thing I noticed while riding the XT was how smooth and solid it felt. The XT 100mm metal cores that come on the XT seem to be loved by some riders, and hated by others. Some say that they dehub too easily, others have been riding them for long periods of time with no problems at all. However they are the fastest 100mm wheels Ive rode. I adapted pretty quickly to the angle of the headtube, and the weight of the scooter, and was landing flat double tailwhips with the XT in no time. With some time, and with an easier price for US riders to work with, I can see the Old XT's popularity getting bigger in the US. Below are the Pros and Cons of the Micro XT.



Pros:

Easy to put together
Solid and very Smooth
Fast 100mm Metal cores
Gnarly Full Deck Griptape

Cons:

Heavy Deck
Steep headtube angle/Weak headtube known to crack
Small grips that get "throttle grip" after time
Top cup on headset seems to loosen up a bit after riding




Review done by Inside-Scooters Head Writer
Steven Tongson
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And now mine (video review can be viewed here):

After riding the XT for a few days, the throttle grip got bad enough that I was forced to put my Inward bars on. I had a lil problem with that, the forktube was too long for the fork to go all the way down, so I used a double clamp as a spacer until I used a hacksaw to cut the forktube down.

The scooter remained very solid throughout riding, the first few days. However, the headtube's top cup is actually like a double cup, I'll try to post pictures later. Anyway, the top part of this double cup gets loose, and the headset shakes, even if its tight. If you do tighten it enough so it doesn't shake, it will barely spin, which is something that, as a tech rider, you don't want.

I pretty much gave up trying a lot of whip stuff because of the weight of the deck. It definitely isn't for people used to riding light decks, and doing a lot of whips. I can riders having trouble with scooterflips too, although it can add momentum to make them easier. It really depends on the type of flip, and obstacle you're doing it on.

For tricks like hang fives, nose manuals, and sliders, this is a great scooter. The zero offset fork and high headtube angle makes nose manuals a breeze. It may take a little getting used to for hang fives, but you should adjust to the lack of folding mechanism in a day or so. The wheels have plenty urethane, so you don't have to worry about wearing down your wheels for a long time.

Pros:
Fast, solid, smooth
Good wheels
Thick forktube
Can easily exchange the stock 13 wide crossbar for longer ones
Full deck griptape
Thick steertube
Quadruple clamp (2 double clamps)
No annoying lever and clamp to hit your knee on on the bars

Cons:
Heavy
High headtube angle
Threaded fork
Steertube has 2 slits
Cost (340ish USD)
Unnecessarily thick brake

RECAP: If you like doing small tech tricks, involving a lot of bars and whips, this is probably not the scooter for you. The headtube angle and weight makes things harder than they should be. If you like to go big, fast, and just cruise, this would make a great scooter. However, at the price it is at right now, I don't believe it is worth it. Should the price drop, and a few changes be made, I could see this becoming a viable alternative to the Razor Pro Model.



Micro XT Xtreme Review from Jordan on Vimeo.

Micro XT Review

Micro XT Xtreme Review from Jordan on Vimeo.

I suck at public speaking...the riding clips are pretty much first try, pretty meh. Like I said, after I get a chance to ride it more I'll post a written review.

Micro XT Review

Review: Micro XT "Stunt Model" from kickscootervideos.com on Vimeo.

By Madis Kukk.