mtalinm

hi, I'm pretty close to springing for a Xootr Swift but want to do a reality check first.

main use is that I go to a lot of conferences and end up renting bikes frequently. am in Eugene OR currently and am renting a Trek 1.2 for tomorrow, so there goes $40. if I do this 10x in the next year I'll've bought a bike! so I need something I can check as luggage.

also, I'm big. I asked the Swift folks and they said they can handle a 260-pound rider, which is pretty much where I am these days. I don't know of another folder that can carry that much weight, short of a custom build.

and I've read that it'll pack in a suitcase to check as luggage.

it seems to meet all of my needs. any reason to go a different route? (I may drop by the Bike Friday factory tomorrow while I'm in Eugene, but I don't think any of their non-custom stuff would work for me.)

mulleady

Why not speak to them about a custom order for a Tikit?

Great bike for your needs!

feijai

There's no way a Swift will support 260 pounds. Heck, a Montague only goes to 250. If your heart is set on a folding bike, BF is the only place you should even be dealing with. BF's heavy rider upgrade goes to 260 on most of their bikes, so you're right at their limit. The only bike that BF makes which will definitely support you is the BF Pocket Llama with the heavy-rider upgrade (which goes to 280).

jur

I have a Swift and I wouldn't be so confident about 260 pounds either. I don't have any design fu but my gut tells me while the Swift would be OK for a while, I'm not sure what it would in the long haul carrying 260#. The Swift people would be better qualified than me to answer but perhaps a discreet email to Peter Reich, the designer, may be in order before you buy. Who knows, maybe the Swift will emerge as one of the few ones to handle big loads?

mtalinm

actually I corresponded with peter and that's where I got this info.

didn't managed to get over to the BF factory while I was in Eugene this weekend, but I'm not crazy about throwing down that much $ on a folder. maybe I'll just keep renting...

jur

Well that's amazing! The Swift continues to surprise. So it has now emerged as suitable for heavy riders!

I agree with your assessment about putting down a large amount down for your first folder. The Swift seems like an excellent compromise. Besides, it is such a good bike that it's highly unlikely that you would be disappointed. It's a bargain, really.

mtalinm

Thanks very much, this is most helpful! I've wanted a swift for some time now - I know one of the cofounders of Xootr - but was too heavy until recently. Now I will need to find one to test ride...