Hey James. I thought it was sunshine all year long on the west coast of the states? :-)

Are those the recumbent mudguards/fenders that people have posted about? FWIW I bought a cheap $7 mudguard designed for a kid's bike - fits front wheel fine...I got caught in the rain (again) and rear xts was ok, but front wheel threw up loads of grit and rain, so made a beeline for the bike shop and that's all they had in stock. Seems ok though.

Made a few modifications in the last few weeks; fitted some ergon grips - they're fantastic, and the small bar ends help my climbing...easy to cut the left one to accommodate the shifter

I also found myself sitting too far back on the saddle (even after adjustment) so fitted a looong stem. It's only a couple of inches longer than standard (looks same length as yours) but what a difference - the 'snappiness' (squirrely?) steering is gone...much more of a sedate ride with what feels like 'heavy' steering...I'm not sure I prefer it at all actually...may be a getting used to thing, but at the moment I feel like I prefer the 'snappiness' of the short stem.

It really is a versatile bike, you could turn it into any kind of bike you like really, with basic component changes...really impressed with the thought process of the design. I guess that's why I've seen the track bike, fixed gear versions etc. etc.

Also getting a lot of positive feedback....from kids! Not sure what the US is like, but kids seem to be the predominant bike riding demographic here and they're intrigued by the look of the swift - I guess they think it's some kind of weird bmx! Glad I carry it around with me, it would get nicked very quickly if I left it locked up somewhere...!