500-mile report...
After 3 months and over 500 miles on my Xootr Swift, I think now is about perfect time to check-in.
Background:
I bought my Swift originally as a commuter. I live in an apartment in SF where space is at a premium, and I take the commuter train to work where space aboard the bike cars is also scarce. My commute has been a daily 10-mile ride from home-->train-->work and back. My Swift takes me from the city to the suburbs over varrying terrain and traffic conditions, in rain and darkness of the short Winter days.
Performance:
The bike has been outstanding. I've been able to cover the 5-mile leg of my commute from the train to work in usually 10-12 minutes with an average speed of 17-18mph, depending on the wind, traffic signals (yeah, I stop at traffic lights) and cargo (lunch, change of clothes, tools, and occasionally a 6lb notebook computer). I'm definitely not in the best shape at 170lbs (give or take a couple of pizzas), but so long as I'm not late for the train or for work, then that's saying a lot about the Swift's performance abilities. By contrast, when I was commuting on my Dahon Vitesse, I needed to allot a minimum of 20 minutes for commute time just to catch my train.
Durability:
So far, nothing has fallen/broken off of the Swift. No creaks, clicks, or stange noises...except for one, which you will see below.
Here is my maintenance record after 500 miles (excluding routine stuff like chain cleaning and derailleur and brake adjustments):
a.) Headset - just your normal adjustment to tighten-up the front-end. The guys with custom-built Swifts with quality Ultegra headsets are probably laughing right now.
b.) Derailleur hanger - mine was bent pretty bad after dropping the bike on it's side. The hanger is really soft material, and bends quite easily, I guess so as not to trash the derailleur itself or the dropout. I fixed this by removing the derailleur, then using a pair of channel-locks (with electrical tape covering the teeth so as not to chew anything) to grasp and bend the derailleur hanger back into alignment with the dropout.
c.) Brakes - I replaced my worn front pads with some Aztec 2's. After only 3 weeks of using them, they developed a really bad squeal/chatter. I re-surfaced the rims, removed the glaze from and toed-in the pads, but the squeal/chatter just wouldn't go away.
I just recently dumped the Aztecs for some dual-compound Kool-Stop Thinlines, and that took care of it. Aztecs brakes are crap...avoid them.
yes!
no!
I recommend re-surfacing your rims after 500 miles or so by removing the wheel, scrubbing-down the rim (brake-contact area only) with a ScotchBrite steel wool pad, let dry, then polish with a fine-grade sandpaper followed by a wipe-down with alcohol.
Update on the 20" Apex fenders I purchased - these things are useless...total crap. They provide very little coverage. I was drenched in grime and mud after my first major rain storm ride. Gonna break-down and get the PlanetBike fenders before the rainy season.
Update on Primo Comet Kevlar tires - No problems at all...no punctures, excellent performance, excellent ride/handling, even in wet weather...light, fast and durable. Get these tires.
So in recap, no major mechanical failures, stay away from Aztec brakes and Apex 20" fenders.