No update yet on the handlebars (the other two still haven't arrived), but I'm thinking fenders.

The Custom Planet Bike Freddy Fenders will obviously work, but I'm not thrilled with how they look.

I'd love a set of Honjo-Koken fenders (probably these ones), but they don't seem to be available in 20", and Chris at Velo-Orange had no suggestions.

Anybody know anything else?

Well, since you say "anything"...

http://www.topeak.com/products/Fenders/AirFender_a2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdv2AB5Yg1I

Regards
T

I wish you could hear the tone with which I say:

Wow.

Dahon/SKS fenders ...

https://shop.sunrisecyclery.com/item/14887/

Bike Friday sells fenders too ...

Thanks!

Black, it's just too much black...

My wife's gotten to where she doesn't even bother trying not to laugh whenever she sees me just standing and looking at the bike.

I think it'll either end up with silver/aluminum/chrome fenders along these lines or custom-built 20" wooden ones.

You can also buy the swim "noodles". They are pretty inexpensive and you can split them with scissors and slip them over frame tubes/forks to protect them. This is what I use to protect the bikes when they are on the bike rack.

Also moving blankets are good for putting between things to protect them. When putting bikes IN the car, I put moving blankets between them. 2 blankets for $15 at COSTCO

Swim noodles...never thought of that. Thanks!

Custom fenders from a guy in your neck of the woods (if you take the UWS as a broad term): http://www.fastboyfenders.com/

According to the website, the only way you can get his fenders now is to order a whole frame.

Still not sure I want wood. It might be just that too much brown; plus I have to figure out how to deal with the Arkel Bug once I've lost an inch (or whatever) of airspace above the tire.

Hey noteon. I've really been enjoying reading your post. I'm a fellow Xootr rider in NYC.

Re. handlebars: Not sure if you looked into these, but Bike Friday has these H-bar handlebars that seem pretty cool. Galfromdownunder uses them for her long tours I believe.

The catch: they may not fit the stock handlebar stem of the xootr swift. You'd have to check.

What type of handlebars are you looking for?

Thanks, badabas! I'll check those out.

Dynocoaster, I was really interested in the Dimension Trekking Bar, but I can't find one anywhere. I've ordered them from several places online, only to be told after the fact that they don't actually have them, and the bike stores I've called no longer have them in stock.

When I called Dimension, the guy I talked to was surprised that he couldn't find them anywhere in his system either, and suggested the Dimension Arc as a similar bar. So I ordered one--only to discover after the fact that it's not all that much wider (560mm) than the stock Swift bar (500mm). What I'm going for is better leverage and stability while climbing a steep hill very slowly. The small wheels are twitchy enough at near-stalling speeds; the narrow handlebar kills me. I can't hold a line half the time. Today I lost my balance near the top and stepped off--which is REALLY annoying since I could actually have made it up, sheer-strength-wise.

I was also looking at the Titec H-Bar, but $75 is a little rich for me at the moment...

You could always order some hickory slats used in making Amish rocking chairs.

Regards
T

Yo noteon, I got 18" (46 cm) wide bullhorns (Soma Urban Pursuit) if the bars you have don't work out. I'll let 'em go cheap or trade you something like an autographed copy of all your books. ;)

edit: Forgot, you have grip shifters and they won't slide past the bend.

And I don't think I still have copies of all my books.

(And as attractive as it would be to be the only guy in New York City with Amish fenders...)

I bought some black bars that look like that and I want to change to silver ones, I dont remeber what size they are, I will look tomorrow.

If you've got a Dimension Trekking Bar for sale, I'm interested...

Is this what you are looking for?

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j6...6/PICT1140.jpg

http://s77.photobucket.com/albums/j6...t=PICT1139.jpg

Sure looks like it! Feel like making back what you paid for it?

I bought them from the community bike shop a month ago for $25 less the grips,lever and bell. let me know what you want, I am in washington state my zip is 98264, Frank

Just the bar. PM me a figure and I'll Paypal you the dough?

If the bar's in the QBP catalog, you can have your LBS order one. Most shops order from a couple distributors including QBP.

None of the bike shops have been able to track one down, so I think the stock has simply depleted.

I should have Dynocoaster's shortly. Stay tuned...

I rode out to Queens to pick up my misdelivered Dimension Arc handlebar this afternoon, installed it, and rode back home.

It's considerably more comfortable on my hands, and allows for more flexibility of positioning grips, shifters, bell, etc., but it really does make the ride more hybridlike because it places my hands several inches farther back. I can only assume the Dimension Trekking Bar I bought from Dynocoaster will increase that effect, so between that and the idiosyncracies of a B17 saddle, now I need to learn how to increase the setback on that big Xootr seatpost.

One little surprise today... when I got off to look under the saddle and see how much rail I had left, I discovered it's already so far back that the clamp isn't properly seated. The place where the gap between the rails narrows isn't supposed to be clamped, and isn't wide enough to fit the clamp, but that's where it's sitting right now.

I have the North Fork Century tomorrow, so I'm leaving it, but after that I got some tinkin to do.

I'll post a picture once I have it switched over to its century ride configuration. I have a new bag that simply MAKES the bike, dahling.

After all this trouble, riding out to Queens, etc., I got it all ready for the century except for taking off the fat tires and putting the skinny ones on.

And the Sram Dual Drive clickbox wouldn't come off the rear axle.

So I couldn't remove the rear wheel. So I couldn't change the tire.

I had to be up at 3AM to ride down to the century registration/bus pickup. at 11:30 PM, I was still transferring things from the Swift to my road bike, pumping 700c tires, lubing the drive train, etc. And while I was putting the rear axle nut and trailer hitch back on the Swift, I stripped something. The hitch won't go on securely anymore.

So no bike trailer to preschool this week, and now I have to figure out how to get the bike back to B-Fold, given their new weird hours and my single-parenthood. (My wife is out of town this week.)

Sigh.