jakub.ner... Thanks so much for the reply. I appreciate your insight greatly. I wonder if you wouldn't mind offering a bit more - if I may be so brazen in asking (and if you read this follow-up). I never plan to go off-roading on a bike of any kind. I'm just not that adventurous! However, I may from time to time want to take a detour down a grassy pathy, maybe a little uneaven in terrain, but flat overall with no roots/major bumps, etc. I would mainly (only really) be taking my bike through the park on semi-paved roads. The roads are gritty, but not with gravel or anything - just black top that hasn't aged all that well. The terrain varies greatly with one hill up and one steep hill down, and flat ground to balance things out. If I can move closer to work, I may use the bike as a means to bike to work (not on main roads, however). With all of this in mind, do you think the Swift is something I would benefit from to an enhanced degree, or do you think I would be able to get by with a Downtube Nova without affecting my ride experience too much? I want a smooth ride first and foremost, but don't think I need suspension given my mostly on-road intentions. I'm thinking Big Apple tires might be enough, or even a spring loaded seat. As for folding sizes, I love the ease of folding from the Swift (without removing anything), but it is a little big. I should be able to fit it as is in my hatchback, but it would be tight. I would never take a bike on a bus or in confined places. So while the Downtube is nice that it folds smaller, it isn't a defining feature I'm after. Just so long as it folds up enough to fit in my car, I'll be happy - and it must be a clean, easy fold at that. Anyway, thanks again for your comments.
Originally Posted by
jakub.ner
I don't think you can compare the Downtube with the Xootr.
The Downtube is akin the Dahon in that it has a long handlebar post and a hinge. You will not be able to rough it up: no bunny hops or off road with the Nova. The benefit is that it will get fairly small fairly quickly (a minute?).
I regularly take one of my Swifts onto some mildly technical offroad action. I bunny hop over roots and generally abuse it. Because it has no hinges, and the two pivot points are essentially mountain bike suspension pivots, the bike is holding up really good. The stiffness helps quite a bit too. The Swift will fold up really small (suitcase), but not very fast. It takes me about 35 minutes to fold my touring Swift into a bag when I take a greyhound: this includes taking off panniers, breaking it all apart, etc.
So depends on what you want out of the bike. For touring and offroading I use the Swift. To pick up my wife's car from the dealership (i.e. when I need a rather quick fold for the trunk) or to go out with buddies in their car but take my ride along, I use my Dahon Vitesse (which is kind of like the Nova).
Don't buy a Swift for a multi-modal commute. It just doesn't make sense. It's a real good bike (better than Dahon/Downtube in my opinion) if you just have time to break it apart when packing.
- Jakub