Folding Bikes - swift folders

I doubt (although this all subjective opinion) the BAs will offer appreciably better puncture protection than Comet Kevlars 1.35/1.5 (the BAs are a lot wider which means there is a greater tyre surface area to attract more sharp detritus) but they will soften the ride if you want to go over rougher terrain, or if the Brooklyn roads are badly cratered...

The Marathon Racer might be a worth considering - 40/406.

... and a stem riser!
He he, I met James_Swift on Caltrain last week, and we had a laugh at how tall my bike looked compared to his :)


Is it still the Nashbar front rack?
Yes it is..


What (material) did you use for the hook?
I used some heavy duty picture hooks from the local hardware store. They're stainless, and rated at 100 lbs, so should hopefully stand up to the punishment! I had to hack them a little to make them fit, but they were less than $2 ;) There's a close-up picture on the blog linked below.

He he, I met James_Swift on Caltrain last week, and we had a laugh at how tall my bike looked compared to his :)
Yes it is..


His seat tube is longer than than my leg...really. :D

by the way James, I love your bike - I was thinking of getting bullhorns myself, with super tiny BMX style brake levers to save room on the bars.


They're the Nashbar TT bars for $12.45. Plug-in a coupon from the Coupons forum for even more joy.

Just a few notes: the bar tops have a drop mid-way in the bar, which looks cool, but doesn't make for a comfortable on-the-tops riding position (unless you don't mind riding with your hands close together alongside the stem). The bar is standard 26.0, so BMX levers may not fit (perhaps unless you have hinged mounts). Other than that, bullhorns provide lots of leverage for out-of-the-saddle efforts, and better low-speed balance and control (still learning how to do a trackstand ;) ). If you do go with bullhorns, angle the bars upwards to match the angle of your wrists when you are in your seated riding position.

I used some heavy duty picture hooks from the local hardware store. They're stainless, and rated at 100 lbs, so should hopefully stand up to the punishment! I had to hack them a little to make them fit, but they were less than $2 ;) There's a close-up picture on the blog linked below.
Excellent idea! Thanks again!

here are some images of my swift.

Frame: older steel Swift from RAB (fitted to 120mm)
Rims: Alex DA16 (frontwheel uses 24 spokes on 36 holes)
Hubs: "Sprinter" 60's Flipflop Track Hubs with original wingnuts.
Tires: Continental Sport Contact 28mm
Break: Campagnolo Veloce linearpull cantilever for roadbikes
Crank: Shimano600 (52/14)
Pedals: old Gipiemme trackbike
Saddle: vintage Ideale Swallow Cutaway
The stem will be changed to one that fits better.

The bike rides delightful.

EDIT: Pics updated with new stem and ezy-pedals
EDIT: Changed gearing to 52/13. That is much better.

Very nice! I love the curved rake on the fork that comes w/ the steel Swifts. And nice lacing pattern on the front wheel.

Can you get those wing nuts tight enough by hand so the rear wheel doesn't slip? I guess so, since they were standard equipment before q/r came along. But my hands hurt thinking about it.

here are some images of my swift.

Frame: older steel Swift from RAB (fitted to 120mm)
Rims: Alex DA16 (frontwheel uses 24 spokes on 36 holes)
Hubs: "Sprinter" 60's Flipflop Track Hubs with original wingnuts.
Tires: Continental Sport Contact 28mm
Break: Campagnolo Veloce linearpull cantilever for roadbikes
Crank: Shimano600 (52/14)
Pedals: old Gipiemme trackbike
Saddle: vintage Ideale Swallow Cutaway
The stem will be changed to one that fits better.

The bike rides delightful.

Classic parts! I didn't know Campy made road linear pulls. Nice cutaway.

This is the first bike I've seen with the Conti Sport Contacts. I'm sure everyone here would like to know how they ride.

Great looking swift.
Got a general question though. Any word on when the updated steel swift will be released? Has anyone heard any new info.

right, I indeed replaced the rear wingnuts with standard track-nuts to keep the wheel in place. it looks less classy, but it works fine.

The sport contacts are super. I do not have much comparison though. I enjoy riding them rock-hard (6,5 bar). They feel extremely fast and responsive. The S-profile looks very interesting and Continental gives some kind of guaranty against flat tires. That made my desicion.
I had a look at the big apples, but they didn't seem to be my cup of tea...

The campagnolo break also works good and seems to be a good deal. They are not that painfully expensive (about 60USD/pair) and do a good job with many types of levers.

Ah, and I got myself a pair of those MKS-EZY pedals. They are terrific with classic toe clips. Very convenient!

I put my swift on some severe performance testing in the last days: I rode two 7.5 hrs shifts as a bike-messenger in vienna with it. thats about 100km per shift. It was great fun and the swift did a good job!
My colleagues where a little surprised when we counted our vouchers, that I did that with a folding-bike...
well, a very serious folding bike!

NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! :cry: :cry: :cry:

Holy smokes, James! :eek:

When and under what circumstance did you find this?

(Lucky for you they still make 'em in CroMo! :o )

NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! :cry: :cry: :cry:


Covered by warranty? If so, let us know how it turns out, please. No intention of buying a Swift at the moment, but it's a brand I keep in mind as a possible for some time in the future.

Best of luck, anyway.

I was actually trying to investigate why a creaking sound emanating from the lower seat tube area had developed yesterday while on my commute.

I sent an email to Xootr, and got a response in 30 minutes saying that they can ship me a new bike on Monday. Woohoo! :) I'm getting it in blue this time. ;)

The email also explained that the Xootr design team has incorporated a change in the frame that will prevent this from happening again on new Swifts.

Well I'm happy. Just need to dust-off the Dahon for next week's commute 'til my new blue Swift arrives.

Zepi - your Swift is a really sublime ride. Lovely choice of components - nothing shouty but impressive to those that know. Can I ask if it's a fixie or freewheel? If the former you should get it posted to the fixed gear gallery. Also - care to elaborate on your trick 24/36 spoking on the front. Did you fill the unused holes with anything?

The email also explained that the Xootr design team has incorporated a change in the frame that will prevent this from happening again on new Swifts.
So this was an acknowledged problem? Do you, et al., get to upgrade to the new frames once they're out?

I can't answer for the Xootr team, but perhaps it is a known problem. As for automatic free upgrades, I highly doubt it, but nothing to be overly concerned about since all Xootr frames come with a lifetime warranty standard.

Back to stripping all my custom parts off my defunct Swift...

I have lost three bikes in a similar manner (only one was folder though). Good to hear that Xootr have been amenable.


The email also explained that the Xootr design team has incorporated a change in the frame that will prevent this from happening again on new Swifts.

Well, hopefully it will diminish the likelihood of it happening again.

I just found this poking-around the Xootr bike gallery:


Shot of co-founder Karl on a Swift at the 2006 Mt. Washington hill climb. Bike setup with a 22-tooth chainring and single 21-tooth rear cog. Karl finished first in the folder category (which he invented for this race).

http://xootr.com/xootr/swift/images/KarlMtWashington.jpg

It looks like Karl is running a 16" wheel on the front.

OK, how in the world did this guy get disc brakes on his swift???

http://xootr.com/xootr/swift/images/JanAaldersSwift.jpg

Awesome!

I just found this poking-around the Xootr bike gallery:



http://xootr.com/xootr/swift/images/KarlMtWashington.jpg

It looks like Karl is running a 16" wheel on the front.

Look at the size of that chainring! 18t? Anyone know what crank can go that small?

NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! :cry: :cry: :cry:

Wow. I'll be keeping any eye on mine, especially because I keep making the clamps a little tighter to kill some minor creeks. How much pressure were you using to close the top q/r? I know it's hard to quantify, but was it always really tight? Like it left an impression on your palm, and you had to brace the bike while closing?

I'd heard about some forthcoming minor changes from Peter when I ordered mine a couple of months ago. I'm looking foward to your description of them. The only specifics I recall were different (bigger?) gussets at the headtube, I think.

Jack

Nick at commutebybike.com detailed his Swift fixie conversion project (http://commutebybike.com/2006/12/07/project-fixootr-chaindrive-and-handlebars/).

Zepi - your Swift is a really sublime ride. Lovely choice of components - nothing shouty but impressive to those that know. Can I ask if it's a fixie or freewheel? If the former you should get it posted to the fixed gear gallery. Also - care to elaborate on your trick 24/36 spoking on the front. Did you fill the unused holes with anything?



Thanks! Yes it is a very nice ride. Everything sort of fits together.
The frame has a great patina (that can not be catched on photo), it looks like it has been ridden and taken good care of for years and years. That matches great with the look of the antique saddle and the wing-nuts etc.
Interesting detail: I think the original rear fitting of the frame was 120mm and has been fitted to 130mm later (it was 130 when I got it). I re-fitted it to 120mm track-bike width which is a clear commitment to singlespeed/fixed. Is anybody familiar with the measurements of the early swifts?

I use fixed 13T on 52T on the front chainwheel. As my hub is a flipflop, I would enjoy having a freewheel as an option. But the smallest freewheel available for my hub, has 16T. For me that is unridable with a 52T ring in the front, because i enjoy slow and hard pedaling. Sadly chainrings bigger than 54T are not really available. I would need something like 64-68T for a good ride with a 16T freewheel and a 406 tire. So I will stick to my 13/52 fixed ratio.

The lacing-pattern on my front-wheel is not too much of a trick. And if it is, I will happily reveal it:
I got very inspired by Mr. Cristian Smolik, who is a german guru in terms of bicycle technics. (The man who built a race-bike weighing incredible 3.9kg!). In case of my steel swift it is ofcourse more about the idea than saving weight. My bike shows 10.5kg on the scale.
To result the pattern, shown on the images below, just follow the logic of a classic double crossed lacing, but skip every third hole. It will be a good idea to close the holes of the missing spokes to avoid dirt getting inside. I'll do that with some simple adhesive film soon.
I also experimented with triple crossing, but due to the small wheel diameter the spokes got terribly bent in the area of the flanges. Probably even a nifty SINGLE crossed 24 spokes on 36 holes pattern would work. I will try that next time.
PS.: I used the same lacing-pattern on BOTH wheels of my Auto-Mini 20" race-bike (6 gear sprocket). Works great! 36 spokes seem far too much on 20"...

I use fixed 13T on 52T on the front chainwheel. As my hub is a flipflop, I would enjoy having a freewheel as an option. But the smallest freewheel available for my hub, has 16T. For me that is unridable with a 52T ring in the front, because i enjoy slow and hard pedaling.

Dan's Comp has AC Claws freewheels (http://www.danscomp.com/products.php?cat=PARTS&show=FREEWHEELS) down to 14T in both 1/8" and 3/32" (not sure what size your drivetrain is).

Thanks! Yes it is a very nice ride. Everything sort of fits together.

Thanks for the excellent reply. And 'how to' pictures are always good too!

New details emerge seeing the details - like - the little brass washers you've threaded onto the spokes to sit between the flange and the spoke head. I've not seen that before - it is to protect the flange holes or for some other reason - either way it looks rather nice. I love that sort of detailling. I also see you've wired and soldered the crosses. That must be a pretty bombproof wheel for so few spokes.


Dan's Comp has AC Claws freewheels (http://www.danscomp.com/products.php?cat=PARTS&show=FREEWHEELS) down to 14T in both 1/8" and 3/32"
Thanks for the link to the freewheels!
Have been looking for lower-toothed myself. Will all these fit on a normal track flip-flop hub?

Thanks for the link to the freewheels!
Have been looking for lower-toothed myself. Will all these fit on a normal track flip-flop hub?

Quoting Sheldon on this one: ;)


A single-speed (BMX) freewheel is a modular unit, consisting of a single sprocket and its associated freewheel (coasting) mechanism. These have standard 1.37" x 24 tpi threads, and fit on any hub that takes a thread-on freewheel. This includes BMX hubs, track hubs, and multi-speed freewheel hubs.

...but I just found this on the AC Claws 14T freewheel:


AC Claws, Freewheel - for Flip-Flop Hubs (Uses small thread)

So what does "small thread" mean? It says for flip-flop hubs, so it should be good, right?

the little brass washers you've threaded onto the spokes to sit between the flange and the spoke head. I've not seen that before - it is to protect the flange holes...
Yes:
spoke head washers (http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi?id=171893312405&d=single&c=Repair-Parts&sc=Wheel-and-Rim&tc=Spoke-Washers&item_id=DT-SHW)

Ah - neat. I can't get them that cheaply but will probably get some for my next wheelbuild.
h

We're working on a couple of accessories at Xootr right now: (1) an "invisibility cloak" for carrying a folded Swift in disguise and (2) a nice rack. However, these are a few months off.


I am really interested in a fine bag for my swift. I want to get in and out of the austrian train without discussing if this is a bike or not.
There are some dahon-bags available at ebay, but I would like to avoid getting one just to find out that it doesn't fit with my swift. I think about sewing one out of two of those big IKEA-bags myself...

Any suggestions?

I want to get in and out of the austrian train without discussing if this is a bike or not.

Any suggestions?

Buy a "Nashbar Bike Transport Bag", currently $35 (less the usual 10% to 15% promo code, plus shipping), and address the length you don't need by sewing, heat-weld, rollup, zip-ties (cable ties), etc. I use the zip-tie method: melt two or three holes where you want to roll up the excess for a folder, zip-tie rolled up excess. If you need the extra room in the bag for clothing, gear, etc., use the full length of the bag.

Extra step One: silk-screen "Steiermark Maler Staffelei" (Styria artist easel) on the side to keep the transit police asleep.
Extra step Two: wear a beret when boarding the train.
Extra step Three: finger-paint a mountain landscape on the bag; avoid bright colors.
(I haven't needed the extra steps.)

Extra step One: silk-screen "Steiermark Maler Staffelei" (Styria artist easel) on the side to keep the transit police asleep.
Extra step Two: wear a beret when boarding the train.
Extra step Three: finger-paint a mountain landscape on the bag; avoid bright colors.
(I haven't needed the extra steps.)


Thanks for your ideas...
I'm not sure if I get your extra-steps though. Austrias trains are far from being escorted by grim MPs, even if the conductors are a little beefy sometimes. But I guess they are like that everywhere...
Slightly off topic: I recently saw an excellent movie about uncanny train-rides that perfectly reflects the image (http://www.sensesofcinema.com/images/directors/02/22/europa.jpg) of European trains. "Europa (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101829/)" from the danish director: Lars von Trier. See this movie, if you get the chance. It is outstanding! (but it is different in reality)

Anyways, the posting gave me the idea to modify an old, worn out army duffel bag (http://www.army-online.de/shop/katalog/trekk/bilder/sy-sees.jpg), that looks wonderfully used. I think it even has patched bullet-holes ;). It might fit well and would be very stylish... I'll post some images as soon as I got my bike in there...

Anyways, the posting gave me the idea to modify an old, worn out army duffel bag (http://www.army-online.de/shop/katalog/trekk/bilder/sy-sees.jpg), that looks wonderfully used. It might fit well and would be very stylish... I'll post some images as soon as I have my bag.

Please post if this solution works for you.

Thanks for your ideas...
I'm not sure if I get your extra-steps though.

The extra-steps are American humor.

My new blue Swift arrived!

The only hitch in setting-up the bike was the rear fork end spacing: apparently, Xootr changed this spacing at some point from 132.5mm to the standard MTB 135mm spacing. I needed to add 2 x 1mm spacers to my Surly fixed hub to up it to 134mm, but aside form that, everything else transferred over fine.

The pictures don't do justice to the paint job. It's a super-glossy deep royal blue. I really hate taking this bike on my commute only to see it get banged-up and scratched-up on the train. :(

Nice one, James!

What, new handlebars again?? These constant makeovers are quite entertaining :)

Nice one, James!

What, new handlebars again?? These constant makeovers are quite entertaining :)
Ha! Yes, my Swift has multiple personality disorder. :o The bars are oversize (31.8mm) MTB 1.5" riser bars mounted to a 10-degree 110mm oversize road stem. Although not as hardcore as the bullhorns, I find the risers much more comfortable and the extra leverage handy for fixed-gear city riding. They're stout, stiff, and light. I lopped off about 2.5 inches on each end with my $4 pipe cutter.

Oh, and by the way, Xootr changed the headset on the bike. This one adjusts perfectly (no slop, no bind). I'm hoping it stays that way after miles of pounding on SF's pothole-ridden streets. ;)

From he who once said:


If you want to get serious, consider drop bars or TT-bars. My Swift is awesome with drop bars. I'll never go back to flat bars.

:D Sorry James, I couldn't resist. And you'll be quite correct in point out that riser bars aren't flat! Personally, I like the look of flat and riser bars better on the Swift and most folders. Drops just look weird. But my hands can never get comfortable with my wrists in a flat bar position, so I'm aiming to put drops on my swift.

Blue Swift, bleah... ;) Sorry, but aesthetically I'm not into it, I vastly prefer the matte blue of my junky Dahon Mariner.

By the way, has anyone here tried both Schwalbe Marathon Slicks and Big Apples on their Swifts? I'm running on the Slicks (at around 95 psi), which have nice rolling resistance but a harsh ride.

From he who once said:



:D Sorry James, I couldn't resist. And you'll be quite correct in point out that riser bars aren't flat! Personally, I like the look of flat and riser bars better on the Swift and most folders. Drops just look weird. But my hands can never get comfortable with my wrists in a flat bar position, so I'm aiming to put drops on my swift.

I wasn't riding fixed back then, but yeah, if you're serious about keeping up with the roadies, you gotta have drops. My riser bars at 50cm wide are terrible aerodynamic-wise, but are more practical for fixed-gear city riding where the upright position and more leverage make the bike more responsive when darting in and out of traffic. They also have a nice sweep back that make them very comfortable on the wrists. I'm never going back to flat bars! ;)

Considering, that the Swift Folders thread is one of the most frequented threads in the Folding Bike Forums, and things are getting a little jumbled: wouldn't it be a good idea to expand and create a plain swift-folder-gallery thread. I love to watch images of nice, customized swift machines... And maybe even more swift lovers will upload their images then. I simply can not get enough of those images. :)

Considering, that the Swift Folders thread is one of the most frequented threads in the Folding Bike Forums, and things are getting a little jumbled: wouldn't it be a good idea to expand and create a plain swift-folder-gallery thread. I love to watch images of nice, customized swift machines... And maybe even more swift lovers will upload their images then. I simply can not get enough of those images. :)

I'm actually thinking of something similar, in that I'm surprised that there isn't a foldingbikeforums.net and foldingbikegallery.com . ;)

A Swift article (http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=9&aid=59764) on NY1. Check out the RealMedia slideshow (http://real.ny1.com:8080/ramgen/real4/BB00173820_060525_203736hi.rm).

NY1: "Next come the handle bars, the wiring for the brakes and the pedals."
One guess as to the gender of the reporter.

NY1: "Next come the handle bars, the wiring for the brakes and the pedals."
One guess as to the gender of the reporter.

so what are you trying to say?

To paraphrase, "Reporter, know thy lexicon."

A Swift article (http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=9&aid=59764) on NY1. Check out the RealMedia slideshow (http://real.ny1.com:8080/ramgen/real4/BB00173820_060525_203736hi.rm).

Thanks for posting this, James! I ordered my Swift from Peter three months ago and it's great to see any new images, especially a video, to help get through the wait. Peter's got mine built up but it's waiting for its black powdercoat. After seeing the video I almost wish I'd gone with white...

To paraphrase, "Reporter, know thy lexicon."

what's that got to do with gender?

Thanks for posting this, James! I ordered my Swift from Peter three months ago and it's great to see any new images, especially a video, to help get through the wait. Peter's got mine built up but it's waiting for its black powdercoat. After seeing the video I almost wish I'd gone with white...
I agree...Swift in white (http://xootr.com/xootr/swift/images/JanAaldersSwift.jpg) looks classy.

So what are the specs on your custom Swift (drivetrain, wheels, bars, saddle, accessories, etc.)? Please tell. :)