Originally Posted by
rishio
Well, I bit the bullet and finally ordered the swift! I'm in my early 30's and this will be my first bicycle that I bought for myself (the last bicycle I had was given to my by my father before my teens). It's coming with the big apple tires rather than the default tires. I also had them switch the right lever to control the front brake and the left lever to control the rear given that the front brake is more important and I'm right handed. Thanks for the feedback everyone!
Couple more questions:
1. I'm thinking of getting a fender for the swift - but only a front fender. I'm not so interested in protecting myself from wet conditions, I mainly want to protect the bike's important components. It seems to me that the front fender does the job of protecting the chainring where as the rear fender is mostly used to protect the person. Is this true? I also find the rear fender a bit ugly with too many tradeoffs on the swift. Anyone know if the front fender alone will do the job of protecting the important components of the bike?
2. Is it best to oil the bicycle chain and levers with Boeshield T-9 right away or would it be bad for the bike to oil it brand new?
Welcome to the fold!
1. The most important component on the Swift is the interface between the seat-post and the seat-tube. A rear fender will help keep the road grit from getting up into the quick releases and mucking things up. Aesthetics aside, I haven't had any issues with a rear fender and folding the bike whatsoever (unless you count the seat-post marking the fender a bit). Fenders; because it's probably
not water.
2. No harm in lubing up the QR's strait away. I'd keep the T-9 away from the chain though. I'm not super familiar with the stuff (never seen it in the UK), but it looks like a superior alternative to WD-40. If that's the case, it's not a heavy enough oil for a chain. Use a proper chain lubricant instead. I'm sure jur can make a definitive statement on this. If you search the forums, you'll likely find hundreds of opinions about how to best clean / lube / maintain a chain. Myself, if I've been riding in the wet, I wipe the chain with a dry rag a few times, then run some fresh oil on the rollers of the chain and wipe away the excess. If I haven't been out in the rain for a week or so, I'll do the same process after a weeks worth of riding. Then again, I live in Glasgow, and I can't remember the last time I went a whole week without it raining.
Also, don't forget to post pics of your new bike once it arrives.