Jyossarian

All of my road riding including the TT course has been on the Schwalbe Marathon slicks. They are nice rolling but durable tires with a pressure range from 55-95 psi. For absolute speed I think the Stelvio would be a bit quicker (lighter and higher pressure). I never did the entire ride on my Swift in the stock config. The stock bike (short stem and flat bar) was too confining without enough hand-postion options for my taste (I'm 6'1). With that said, I could average 15-17 mph prior to the modifications, and now 20-22 mph is very comfortable on the same level smooth pavement. I personally think the stem has made the most difference, as it allows me to get in a lower stretched out position which is comfortable and aerodynamic. Compared to my 700c wheeled bikes, I am only about 2-3 minutes slower on the mentioned course with the Swift. I think the disparity will drop even further once I get a 55-56t chainring on the front.

The Intense Haalo nobby tires are no slouch in the rolling department though...as a matter of fact their max psi (75-125psi) is higher then the Marathon slicks. I have not run them at their max pressue, but even at 75-80 they roll quickly...of course they are noisy on pavement, but superb on dry packed trails like we have here in Tucson, AZ.

As for additional mods, the Minoura saddle mounted water gets mixed reviews. On pavement, it is okay, but I have ejected a water bottle when I took a man-hole cover at high speed. It will be unusable on trails for the same reason.

Has anyone used the Quick Cage by Twofish? If so, does it work better attached to the seatpost or the handlebar assembly?

Thanks for the interest, and I'll keep the Swift community updated on additional modifications and their merit.

Jollydriver