My Swift has now been bashing out a daily commute for 3 years, the first two in Chicago and then recently in London. The poor girl is looking a bit tired and it's time for a mid-life refit. Here's what I'm thinking:

1. Go to disks front & rear. Daily commuting in the winter is not kind to rims... I'm on my second set and these are nearly shot. I figure that disks will give me better stopping in the wet and are more easily replaceable that rims.
2. Switch to a hub. I'm planning on an Alfine 11. This will give me great range with simple maintenance. It'll also give me a higher top-end because my Swift has a funny frame and can't run in top gear without dragging the chain on the frame.
3. Replace 406 rims with 451. Since I am going to disk brakes and need to replace my rims, I can't see any reason why not to switch to slightly faster 451s.
4. Get a paint job. I'm thinking 'New York Taxi Yellow' with black forks.

I've found a great LBS that does custom recumbents, so I should be in good hands. This will become a great winter bike and I'll use my Airnimal Joey Drop for the summer.

Photos will be posted after we complete the refit!

JL