Second question: fenders. I read through the various posts about them. It seems some people are satisfied with the
Xootr-designed Planet Bike fenders, others like Paul Braithwaite and Jur use clip-on models. I heard the concern expressed that with the PB fenders, the rear wheel can be challenging to remove. Is this true? And are clip-ons even up to the task?
For now, I'm doing without on the premise that the Swift is my commuter, not my long-distance touring bike (which is fitted with full fenders) and I can always bail out on the subway if it starts pouring. I'm not a big fan of riding in a downpour, although it rained so much last spring and summer, I even completed a century in one (and was thoroughly soaked by the end--yuck!).