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11-16-09, 08:05 AM
As of Friday, Nov. 13th at 05:00pm I took delivery on my new silver Zootr Swift. I've only rode it 7 miles so far, so it would be unfair to make judements at this point, but here are some of my first thoughts:
(1) The bike was packed really well in the box, no danger of parts breaking in the shipping process. It took me probaby 20 min. just to carefully unpack it.
(2) Its light. The advertised weight is 24 lbs. I just know its a whale of a lot lighter than my 26" Gary Fisher and the Miami Citizens 20" folding bike I use to own.
(3) Its pretty. My wife even remarked how pretty the Swift is.
(4) Quality. No cheap parts on this bike. I have never had the opportunity to ride or even see up close a folding bike that retails for over $1000, so I can't compare. But compared to the Citizens bike there is no comparison. However, I have to remember the Citizens cost me $198 while the Swift was close to $700. I am not putting the Citizens Miami down, it was a fun worth the money introduction to folding bikes. The gearing on the Swift is so smooth, right out of the box too.
(5) Brakes. I had to do a little adjustment on the front brakes. 2 minutes and all was well.
(6) A kickstand came with the bike as a freebee. However, the predrilled hole in the frame is too small for the screw that came with the kickstand. I've got to call Swift and make sure its ok to drill the hole a little larger or would they rather send me another kickstand with a smaller screw. I'm thinking about not even using the kickstand to keep the weight down.
(7) The seat seems to be very comfortable.
(8) Value? I don't know. My initial thoughts are that the Swift is overpriced. Last night I'm studying over the Swift, my 26" Gary Fisher Advance, and my wife's ladies Trek 2700. Both are quality bikes with good components, both cost us around $400.00 each. I guess one pays for the uniqueness of a bike that folds. The same could be said of the Citizens, I thought they were overpriced. Saying all of this doesn't mean I want my money back, I'm just saying it all just doesn't seem to add up. I'll keep the bike and might even buy another one for my wife.
(9) The fold. Compared to the Citizens, the fold is much larger. I did fold it and was able to store it in the back of my 09 Suzuki SX-4 Crossover, but with the back seats folded up. I bought this bike to take with me on our motorhome adventures, and I found I would have to take the front tire off and the handlebar to the side for the best fit. It does fit in the basement of the MH, but it takes up too much needed space to do otherwise. I am ok with this, no problem.
(10) I found the Swift to be very fast compared to the Citizens, and just fast period. Except for the 20' wheels, it rides very much like my Gary Fisher. The bike is not twitchy, its stable and feels very secure.
I can ride standing up very much like anyother bike. The brakes and gears are superb.
After I put a few more miles on my Swift I'll give another report. My initial reaction to my new Swift is its all "its cracked up to be", or as advertised.
Terry
(1) The bike was packed really well in the box, no danger of parts breaking in the shipping process. It took me probaby 20 min. just to carefully unpack it.
(2) Its light. The advertised weight is 24 lbs. I just know its a whale of a lot lighter than my 26" Gary Fisher and the Miami Citizens 20" folding bike I use to own.
(3) Its pretty. My wife even remarked how pretty the Swift is.
(4) Quality. No cheap parts on this bike. I have never had the opportunity to ride or even see up close a folding bike that retails for over $1000, so I can't compare. But compared to the Citizens bike there is no comparison. However, I have to remember the Citizens cost me $198 while the Swift was close to $700. I am not putting the Citizens Miami down, it was a fun worth the money introduction to folding bikes. The gearing on the Swift is so smooth, right out of the box too.
(5) Brakes. I had to do a little adjustment on the front brakes. 2 minutes and all was well.
(6) A kickstand came with the bike as a freebee. However, the predrilled hole in the frame is too small for the screw that came with the kickstand. I've got to call Swift and make sure its ok to drill the hole a little larger or would they rather send me another kickstand with a smaller screw. I'm thinking about not even using the kickstand to keep the weight down.
(7) The seat seems to be very comfortable.
(8) Value? I don't know. My initial thoughts are that the Swift is overpriced. Last night I'm studying over the Swift, my 26" Gary Fisher Advance, and my wife's ladies Trek 2700. Both are quality bikes with good components, both cost us around $400.00 each. I guess one pays for the uniqueness of a bike that folds. The same could be said of the Citizens, I thought they were overpriced. Saying all of this doesn't mean I want my money back, I'm just saying it all just doesn't seem to add up. I'll keep the bike and might even buy another one for my wife.
(9) The fold. Compared to the Citizens, the fold is much larger. I did fold it and was able to store it in the back of my 09 Suzuki SX-4 Crossover, but with the back seats folded up. I bought this bike to take with me on our motorhome adventures, and I found I would have to take the front tire off and the handlebar to the side for the best fit. It does fit in the basement of the MH, but it takes up too much needed space to do otherwise. I am ok with this, no problem.
(10) I found the Swift to be very fast compared to the Citizens, and just fast period. Except for the 20' wheels, it rides very much like my Gary Fisher. The bike is not twitchy, its stable and feels very secure.
I can ride standing up very much like anyother bike. The brakes and gears are superb.
After I put a few more miles on my Swift I'll give another report. My initial reaction to my new Swift is its all "its cracked up to be", or as advertised.
Terry