Handsome Cycles: Handome Devil

One thing that I really like is bicycles that are built from a practical standpoint. The major players in the bicycle industry are building bikes that are aimed at sport cyclists, either road racers or mountain bike racers, and the rest of us are supposed to try and emulate them. So, we get a market full of gaudy, impractical, aluminum and carbon fiber bikes with high price tags, or you have low priced department store aluminum that would be better off as coke cans.
I am a big fan of practical bikes that can work for multiple uses and that are made of good quality steel. My favorite bike manufacturer is Bridgestone, although they no longer manufacture bikes for the US market. In the Late eighties and early 90's, with Grant Peterson, now of Rivendell, at the helm, Bridgestone produced extremely high quality, practical bikes with a focus on comfort, practicality, durability and utility over fad and gimmickry. This led them to choose steel over Aluminum, top-bar over trigger shifters, and to avoid supension technology on most of their mountain bike lineup. Their stick in the mud attitude about the latest technologies is still reflected by Rivendell, but is probably a major reason that Bridgestone bikes are no longer available for American consumption.
The Bridgestone philosophy, is however, one I can truly relate to. Build it right, make it practical and simple. Make it feel good to ride. One of the most well known and unique Bridgestone bikes was the XO-1 and the resultant XO series. Rivendell's flagship Atlantis is based off of this design.
So is the premier offering from newcomer Handsome Cycles, the Handsome Devil.



This is a great looking, simple bike with a great deal of versatility. Handsome has done some great pre-release marketing and has a much anticipated product. It is an exciting bike with excellent potential as a commuter, a touring bike, A camping bike, or just an all rounder. It may even have some cyclocross potential, although I think it is to classy to play in the mud. This is one bike that really wears a mustache (handlebar) well.