Originally Posted by
charleychen
Hi,
I am new to the forum. I am looking at folding bikes for my commute of 2.5-3miles in NYC. The Xootr Swift looks like a nice option and is in my price range. I have a couple of question that I can't seem to find an answer easily.
1) How easily is it to carry the Swift up a flight of stairs? Do I need to take off the handlebar and wheels? Does it stay locked? Does anyone have pictures or video of someone carrying the Swift around? The swift fold is not a problem for me at home, however, I have no where to lock the bike at work. So, I am thining of bringing it into our office. I have to walk up a flight of stairs before I can get to the elevator. I will also have a small bag to carry.
2) I would like to get an internal gear hub, what's the best way to go about this? Should I just buy the frame and customize it? Or is it cheaper to buy the complete bike and upgrade the rear wheel?
3) When you remove the front wheel, is there a place to attach it to the rest of the folded bike or do I need to get some straps?
Thanks.
1. It depends how tall you are. I'm about 6' tall, and have no real problems taking up several flights. It did take a couple of attempts to figure out the best place to grab the bike though.
2. If you're happy with the rest of the components of the bike, it's probably simpler to get the complete bike, and then just swap the rear wheels. If you are going to change a bunch of other stuff too, get the framset and build it up yourself.
3. You'd need to get some straps. That said, the only time I've removed the front wheel was to fix a flat. Do you see yourself having to remove the wheel often?