Swift for airline travel?
 

Can the swift be packed into an airline legal suitcase without overages? I would like a folding bike to take with me on trips and would like the swift. If not, I'm stuck with a Dahon Speed P8.

Swift site has packing info.

Yep

You will need a large suitcase. I use the Samsonite F'Lite, 33" iirc. Takes a bit of disassembly -- take off the wheels, derailleur, stem / handlebar, pack carefully, expect TSA to snoop in the case.

Isn't the 33 inch bag oversize and subject to charges?

I wonder if the 31 inch F'Lite suitcase was meant. That's the one I presently use with my Bike Friday. It's technically oversize, 64 linear inches rather than the max of 62, but that's so close it will probably go unnoticed. Used to use the 29 inch Samsonite Oyster, which is definitely airline legal, but it was a tight fit and I was more worried about damage because of that.

I suspect that the 31 inch F'Lite would work with a disassembled Swift, but don't know for sure. Anybody squeezed it into anything smaller?

On the Xootr website, they use the 31" F'Lite.

I thought I had the 33", maybe it is 31. Far too lazy to measure it.

Yes it is over 62 inches by a hair, but since it looks like another big suitcase, no one ever checks. As long as it's under 50 lbs and not obviously xbox huge, it shouldn't be a problem.

great. does this apply to all swift models? sorry if this is a dumb question.

AFAIK the frame design of the Swift has basically stayed the same over the years, so "yes."

In theory they are designing a frame that packs easier, there are some pictures floating about but no idea if/when it will be mass-produced.

Some assembly required
 

The Swift fits into a 29" Samsonite hard case. It is necessary to remove the hinge bolt. Packing S&S coupled bikes taught me to strap all loose parts together, so the pictures show Velcro straps. I use self-extracting crank bolt on the right side so I can quickly remove the right crank/chainring. I leave the chain in place, but gathered and strapped to the chainstay. These photos are printed on one page, laminated and taped to the inside top of the case, with some nice suggestions for easy repacking by security inspectors. A friend has a Swift with an internal hub. His fits similarly. Again learning from the S&S bikes, if you have a derailleur, remove it from the hanger and tape it or strap it to the chainstay (with the cable attached). Also, take extra care to coral all cable ends; they tend to flip out of the case, interfering with closure and sometimes getting damaged.

Any comments or tips on that? E.g. are there any parts inside the frame to watch out for? Last thing I'd want is the bike to come apart in mid-tour because I missed something. ;)

Forgot to mention: I also use a plastic contraption to prevent the case from compressing during baggage handling. Like this:

http://www.sandsmachine.com/ac_comp.htm

I use just one, near the center of the case.

No. There are no loose parts, no parts to lose. Removal of the bolt requires a 3/16" hex wrench, rather than a metric one. After breaking the frame into two pieces, I put the bolt back in its place and tighten it well, so I know the bolt will be there when I go to put things back together. My experience has been that anything you put in the case should be big enough that it is unlikely to be left out during the repack by security. So put any little stuff in a big Zip-lock or something similar. I try to use clear bags, thinking the more they can see, the less the need to take apart. Maybe not true, but I haven't lost any small tools or parts yet in six years of this.

If your frame is older and the hinge bolt has never been removed, it may be a challenge. My friend's was rusted and required a long soak with a penetrating solvent. WD wouldn't touch it. We used a CRC brand product in a spray can, called Knock'er Loose. There is a thread about this in the Folder forum. There are a bunch of such products available. I found it at a hardware store. Auto parts stores carry this sort of thing as well.

It's not clear from your post whether you're wedded to Swift or are open to other brands.

Bromptons fit into an airline legal hard case without any disassembly.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d7...inHardCase.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d7...Unfoldedsm.jpg

I really want a Swift. But if not airline legal i'd go with the dahons. The brompton's are too pricey for me.

If you plan to travel a lot be aware that everytime you put your bike together you will need to readjust the gear cables and 60% of the time you will need to readjust the break cables. I tried that several times and after one trip with several stops, I gave up and now I only travel with bikes that do not need ANY kind of assembly when I arrive. I currently have a Merc, a Brompton and a 12 hour old Dahon Curve.

Just keep in mind that a 40 minute procedure to disassemble and pack a bike on a trip with 3 destinations that you want to bike at is at least 4 hours dealing with packing and unpacking. Good luck on your choice.

...?

First, with the Swift you will usually need to remove the derailleur in order to pack it. I've done this a few times and did not need to do any adjustments to the gearing.

Also, with the brake cables you just do the QR. Again, several packs/unpacks and no extra adjustment required....

As Bacciagalupe points out, no readjustment should be necessary. I do not disconnect the cable from the derailleur, just the mech from the hanger (this on my bikes that have one, my Swift is SS). Assuming mountain levers, brake cables come off at the levers and go back without adjustment. The swift takes maybe 20 minutes to assemble if I'm going slowly. There is not that much assembly.

Traveling with bikes requires compromises. So, I know what you mean 14R. I bought my Swift for just such travel, shorter stays that make my other bikes less appealing on short trips because of their more complicated packing an unpacking.

For the Swift, the little bit of disassembly, IMO, is fully rewarded by traveling with the smaller case and having a great bike that fits well and rides great. The 29” suitcase really is a very manageable size. Fits nicely in trunks or back seats, etc.