Also, can the swift be set up to ride in an upright position?

What year Burley? From what I can tell at their website, the 2008 models offer a nutted-axle hitch that looks like it might work with the Dual Drive. Unfortunately, mine's a 2006.

(Also, if I hadn't added the Dual Drive, the skewer hitch would have worked just fine.)

I rode Air's Downtube at one of the recent NYC night rides. I liked it, but it didn't have that yeah, this one! feeling. I'm not sure why--maybe the more upright riding position. Speaking of which:

From what I can tell, it's all just a matter of seatpost and stem lengths. Check out this and this.

The latter link is where this image is from. It's a Swift overlaid on a Trek hybrid:

http://www.xootr.com/xootr/swift/ima...verlay-400.jpg

EDIT: After looking at the nutted-axle hitch at Burley's online shop, I think it might actually work on the 2006 trailer! It's out of stock there, but I ordered one from biketrailershop.com.

I started a thread in Bicycle Mechanics about the crank arms:

Crank arm thread

Did you get a saddle yet? I ordered a Brooks narrow that is laced. The lacing is suppose to help with the adjustment to get use to it. I also read that it takes about 100 miles of riding to get it broke in.

Not yet. Color choices are critical, and require much contemplation.

The B17 on my road bike was comfortable from mile 1. I took it on an organized century after about 30 miles, and while I can't join those who say "It just disappeared under me!" it was the least uncomfortable my butt has ever been at mile 90.

From Burley:
Here's the hitch guide he sent me.

Thanks for the feedback on the hitch. We figured it up and our Burley D'lite is actually 8 years old - hard to believe. still has the original tires and tubes! it has been an awesome investment - now using it for our 4th child. We have the classic hitch (although a little les refined than the one in the brochure you posted). we have a set of boardwalk D7s and the hitch fits them perfectly with the rack mounted. we liked the bikes, but our older boys like them enough where we may let them keep them and get new ones for me and the wife. I really like the look of the swift. I do like the downtube as well, and some of the other Dahons. between looks, and performance, and warranties, it is hard to make a solid decision. where i live, there are NO folding bikes anywhere to test ride, so i am blind in my decision. thanks for the feedback.

Before you order the nutted axle hitch, make sure the theads are correct.

The Dual Drive might have a different thread than a standard solid nutted axle.

Oops.

Well, we'll see. Worst case, I sell it on eBay.

Thanks.

Almost there...

The Burley nutted axle hitch works. The Arkel Bug hangs about an inch too low, and the rear tire rubs it. In this picture a bungee is raising the bottom, but I'd like to find a better solution.

Other than the Bug hanging to low, how do you like the Crossrack? Would the setup hang any better for you in the front?

You may just have solved two problems for me. I was already thinking the bike is overbalanced toward the back, so I was considering something like a Nitto Mini Rack over the front wheel. But if I can get the Crossrack around front instead, with adequate tire clearance for the Bug, it might help on both counts. Thanks.

Besides that, I love the Crossrack so far. Mostly just because it lets me pick up BBQ at Dinosaur on my way home. I haven't tried it on a commute yet, with laptop and clothing.

This morning was the first test run with boys in the trailer. We went down to River Run Park, maybe an 8-mile round trip. I'll post pics and comments in a little while.

Hey, cool! Glad to finally contribute on this forum! The thing that got me so geeked about the Crossrack was the front mount - that seatpost has more than enough stress with my lard ass. Based on some posts in the original, massive swift folder thread from Yangmusa I scored one of these on the Ebay http://www.amazon.com/Nashbar-Front-Rack/dp/B000R2M5HC (he tried the Nitto without much success and ended up with this one). It works fine for strapping things, but I've not been able to find a bag that will work with both it and me...enter the Crossrack. The Nashbar rack will be moved to my Kona Smoke loader on receipt of the Crossrack.

Perhaps more importantly, my experiences with BBQ in NYC have been spotty (when around I'm mostly downtown and in Brooklyn). What and where is this Dinosaur?

131st, just off the Henry Hudson Greenway. It's a BBQ joint with good food, outdoor tables, and a bike rack. I'd ridden past it a hundred times on my commute, but I didn't stop in until one of those Random NYC Night Rides with Air and JYossarian.

Now, when I say "Good," understand that I mean it's actually great BBQ--for New York. You're going to get better in New Orleans or San Antonio. That said, it's still well worth the trip, and just the fact that you can ride over, chow down on a Big Ass Pork Plate and read a book while your bike is right there, six feet away in their bike rack, would put it on my businesses-to-patronize list.

I made a point of thanking the manager for the bike rack the other day, and it seemed to make his evening. I think they really do want cyclists' business.

Oh, and the deviled eggs are the best I've had.

Very cool. I love good BBQ and have always been frustrated in NYC. I'm going to be back in the fall and am hoping to pack the swift for the trip. I smell a trip up the West Side!

I took my boys out today in the trailer, a 12-mile round trip from Washington Heights down to River Run Playground and back. For the most part, it was a success.

I know I'm preaching to the choir, but all the bike talk isn't just for the sake of messing with gadgets. I have a goal, which is to use this bike as the primary transportation for my kids. I would never have spent this much money otherwise (I think the total is around $1500 at this point). If it were a luxury item, just for tooling around on weekends, I couldn't have justified the expenditures and time. But that was never the point.

This was:


Get down to River Run Playground on the subway? With a double stroller? With no nearby station with an elevator? In this heat? Are you nuts? Or rent a car just for a playground trip? No way--we'd just stay in and watch CARS or MADAGASCAR again. But the right bike and trailer mean my three-year-olds got to splash around, run around, climb around, and generally goof around instead of being cooped up indoors. THAT is what this all about, and we'll resume going to preschool by bicycle tomorrow if the heat isn't awful. (That's a 28-mile round trip, so I'm not as willing to strike out in the heat as I am for 12 miles with sprinkler roughhousing in the middle of it.)


Okay, so that all said...

The Swift and Sram Dual Drive combination works. It's nice for trailer-hauling because it goes down pretty low--something like 22 gear-inches, and I'll be allowed into my office with the Swift after I drop the boys and trailer at preschool in the mornings.

There were a few problems that I need to address. One is that although the gearing is adequate for the monster hill I have to climb near the GW bridge, I couldn't hold a line, even before I got to the steepest part. The bike felt small, the folding pedals didn't give me confidence, and when the sensation of alarm reached a certain point, I dismounted and walked the rest of the way up.

I think part of the problem is the stock handlebars are pretty narrow, and I just didn't feel I could balance. I was already thinking I wanted wider ones, just for comfort, and this pushes that up on the priority list. I'm not sure what kind I want. I've been thinking drop bars might be nice, but I haven't thought it through yet.

Another part of the problem may be that I just wasn't going fast enough to keep the bike upright. Not sure what I can do about this when I'm at 22 gear-inches on a steep slope and have no forward momentum. Pedaling faster just didn't seem like an option. I'll have to try some more and pay attention to what's really going on.

I also think I'm going to take the FUNN Soljam Vipers off my Matrix when I get it back from the shop, and put them on the Swift. They're not sleek-looking enough to match the rest of the Swift's look, but I never have any doubt I'm stuck solidly to them.

Also one minor safety issue, easily resolved but not easily foreseen: The quick-release at the steering tube caught my shorts twice when starting from a resting position. (This is the first time I've ridden the Swift in MTB shorts; usually I'm in lyrca bibs). I addressed this by turning it so it pointed down instead of up--and then it hit the top tube and prevented a turn. I had to stop very suddenly and awkwardly so I could turn it parallel with the street. That did it, but I'm afraid of forgetting this.

The Arkel Bug now hangs on the Crossrack above the front wheel instead of the back:


I think this will be better all around, both for wheel clearance and bike balance, but I won't know for sure until it's loaded and I've done a few runs with it.

I took the Brooks B17 off my road bike and put in on the Swift to see if I liked it. I do. But it needs to be black.

Overall, I'm happy so far. I admit to some trepidation about getting up that hill safely, but I still think this will work.

Awesome!!!! Great pics, great use!

Two quick things:

- Handlebars: Check out trekking bars. It's what I have on my roadie and I LOVE them. Next time we're both out give them a spin.

- Pedals: Nashbar has some strong platform pedals (also the ones I have on my roadie).

Dang that Bug is huge!

I hope the road finds you well tomorrow.

Air, I was thinking about trekking bars. But they don't give you drops, do they?

tblott3, the Bug isn't as big as it looks in that picture. I'll post another one when it's all together.

I took my boys to preschool in the trailer this morning. Dropped them off about 20 minutes ago, and now I'm next door at Starbucks, chipping away at my novel manuscript before heading down to the day job.

Corner office with window and parking:

They do but not in the traditional sense. They stretch forward a little more giving you the platform to stand up on like for drops and the hand position. They're actually easier to climb because of the handles on the side.

When my bike's back up and running take a spin and you'll feel what I mean.

Great. And then I'll tell you about the male shirtless psycho baton twirler who kicked my bike over while trying to attack the bus schedule.

Ahh, the wildlife ;)

:lol:

:thumb:

I did not see you post in the other thread -- presumably the Swift folder thread. But I enjoyed this thread discussing the bike and your commute with children.

Thanks for the pointer to that rack. I never heard of it. Do you like the "quick release" mechanism of the pin? Does it mount well to the seat and/or handlebar post?

BTW, it isn't clear to me what you mean by the contact patch area. But if you are talking about the contact patch of the tires -- ignoring tire construction -- the contact patch should be a function of your weight and tire pressure. In other words, if the tire pressure is the same as it was on your Matrix, your contact patch is the same. So just lower the tire pressure a bit if you want a bigger contact patch.

Pictures, please!

I miss New York...