v1nce

I have seen that rack a couple of times and it has me totally confused...! I tried to find their webpage but failed, anyone have a link?

I am utterly ignorant on this rack so please forgive me if i am way of base but,.. what i just don't get is:

1. Is this rack really only attached to the seat post? Then why the redundant huge tube triangles just floating in mid air..?! Wouldn't a simple Truss design be just as strong and more sensible/light/look better? Why not in fact just use a normal style rack since this bike has eyelets for it? Doesn't the whole rack vibrate or move about due to the single attachment point?

2. Isn't this rack sortoff a bad idea on a Alu folder with an already "stressed" seat post (Big and heavy rider), won't the extra weight of the goods carried on the back lead to trouble with post and frame?

3. The huge main tube and the triangles would make it pretty heavy right? The only advantage i can see in this design is that it removes easily/quickly and won't impede with the fold, but aren't there quite some other racks out there with the same capabilities but that are of a more regular (strong/light) design.

Lastly it seems really high of the ground which is not ideal for carrying loads and stability....?

My apologies up front if i am in fact smoking carpet.

Wavshrdr

@v1nce - the rack has the triangles so panniers won't foul the rear wheels. It is an all aluminum rack and not very heavy. It spreads out the load quite a bit on the seatpost.

Here is a link to the rack at on the Performance Bike website:
https://www.performancebike.com/shop/...tegory_ID=2325

I personally have had no issue with this rack on my other bikes and if you think it high, compared to my body mass it is quite low. Also 20 pounds on the rack compared to my 220lbs is nothing. This is also the reason I went with heavy duty rims and upgraded my components. Peter felt the frame would be absolutely no issue and I feel no flexing at all. My seat post is bottomed out in the frame so it spreads the load all down the seatpost tube.

The rack itself doesn't way much at all. All together the bike (without bag but with rack and lights and the Thubuster) is at 29.4 lbs. The rack stays there as solid as can be. No vibration and I carried my 70lb daughter on this rack on another bike for several miles with no ill effects. It is quite sturdy and has 4 screws clamping it on the post.

They also make this rack in QR version without the pannier stays:
https://www.performancebike.com/shop/....cfm?SKU=19328

I can easily lower the rack another inch or so but I like the panniers to stay well clear of my size 47-48 (Euro size) feet or 13 in US. Too much lower and my heels kick the panniers at times. As I mentioned earlier I also have it more rearward which makes it look bigger too. It will also double as a decent fender if you don't have one on the rear.

Today I went shopping with my kids and had it pretty well loaded up and it was fine even going across rain slickened roads, snow and ice. This bike is really amazing. Finally the Brooks is starting to loosen up too and adapt to my nether bits. So you could buy the rack without the pannier stays but I like them and tried to find a rack like this so if I didn't have fenders OR I mounted it high to clear my feet, the bags wouldn't hit the rear wheel. Hopefully it is more understandable now.

v1nce

I stand corrected sir, if it can handle 70 LBS of daughter that is more than anyone could hope for in almost any rack. Thanks for the explanation, makes a lot of sense.

Wavshrdr

Yes, I didn't want to "test" it that way but when riding with several kids and 1 bike fails, you tend to shuffle people around. I had to ride her home so we could get the car to repair her brother's bike. He hit a BIG chuckhole and turned his rim into a taco. It was either hit the hole or have a close encounter with a big car. OTOH she loved the ride and thought it was great. I was waiting for the rack to break but it never did. It subsequently went to Europe for several trips and carried 40 lbs loads with ease. It is definitely conservatively rated.

v1nce

Cool! Sounds like the business this rack.

jyossarian

Wav: Looking at the Brooks saddle and all I can think of is that a Carradice saddle bag would look nice strapped to it. Not as good as a rack and panniers for touring, but might add to the look you're going for.

Wavshrdr

Thought about something like that as well. I have an underseat bag and if you look carefully you will see the clip under the seat. I have other pics without the rack earlier in this thread. I view the rack as a necessary evil (so to speak) as I think it sort of spoils the lines of the bike unless the panniers are on and then it looks ok. I will probably pick up Carradice saddle bag when I can find the style I want to go with it.

Michael Gugliel

Have you looked at Rivendell bags at https://www.rivbike.com/webalog/baggage_racks/
Great set-up!

14R 

I may be wrong, but these Rivendell bags look like tey would smell funny if they ever get wet. Well, let me rephrase that, WHEN they get wet.
Any experienced user?

v1nce

I haven't tried the Rivendell bags but i do own Carradice (pretty much the same concept but a lot cheaper!). The Carradice really are amazing, i have the Pendle bag that attaches to my Brooks and i love it is great, doesn't smell when wet, bulletproof, waterproof, handmade in the UK by a family owned business and stylish. SJS cycles is the cheapest place and great service too.

If i would have to find any fault with the Carradice i'd say the only thing is that the older style bags (which i like the best) have attachment and closure with litle leather straps and buckes, very sturdy and old school but not convenient or quick. Very simple modification took care of that problem on my bag. They also offer a variety of more modern/quick release type bag.

juan162

Hi,
I've been watching this thread for quite a while and ride a modified raleigh twenty myself. I just thought I'd let you know that there is a suspension stem that is available that when paired with a suspension seatpost, will give you a very cushy ride. I currently have a suspension fork and seatpost on my raleigh twenty. I have gone 1,500+ miles on my folder in the past 4 months and I have no problem with harsh ride, or staying up with 700c road bikes,
juan162

juan162

Hi Jollydriver, I use a Twofish on my Raleigh Twenty. I have it mounted on my head tube, facing me and I have no problem with it. You do have to make sure that the velcro is nice and tight, but once it is, there is little movement. It's been on my frame for 4-5 months w/out any problems. I have also seen another option at performance or nashbar, which features a clamp that allows you to use your favorite bottle holder wherever you feel like clamping it (head tube, seatpost, handlebar, etc.).
Juan 162
BTW, awesome swift.

v1nce

Yo Juan, we need pictures of that Twenty (maybe on another thread though) and if possible a website!

DaFriMon

I've got a Rivendell Little Joe Bag for every day, and a Carradice Camper longflap for big loads. The Carradice smelled pretty strong when I first got it, but that went away. The Little Joe didn't smell like anything in particular. I don't know that either smells particularly bad when wet, just normal wet canvas kind of thing, but I admit that I'm not very sensitive to these things.

The quality is fine on both brands, but I think the extra cost on the Baggins bags is more for style than functionality. By the way, I bought my Carradice from Rivendell, years ago, when they still sold them as well as their own.

pxboii

thanks Juan for your info. I'm also currently rebuilding a Raleigh 20 and I've been looking for a 20" suspension fork but having trouble finding a one with a longer steer tube. A LBS says perhaps I can cut the head tube so that a regular size fork can go in it. Please post some pics and advise. Thank you very much

juan162

Hey v1nce, haven't really gotten around to taken pics of it, but I'll try to find some time...guess I'll either have to put it in a different thread or start a new one.

juan162

I actually had the same problem but found a simple solution. I used a stem riser and just made sure it was VERY secure and tight. I used a threadless headset with the 'tariq' device, which is a pvc spacer cut to size. I've been riding for 4-5 months and 1500+ miles without any problems. My LBS even gave it their blessing, so long as I agreed I'd check it every once in a while. I will be replacing the pvc with and aluminum spacer now that I am sure that I like my stem height-I'm lucky enough to have a brother in law that is a machinist. BTW, if you go this route and you are doing the build yourself, get a diatech headset from Gaerlan cycles. They work threaded or threadless. In addition, when used as a threadless, you don't need a star nut because it has its own 'tensioning' system built in. In fact, you can adjust it with just an allen wrench. You can also get the stem riser from them. I'll try to get some pics of my ride up soon, but you can see one pic of it at bikejournal.com...my handle there is also juan162

juan162

Since this is the Swift thread, I'd also like to say the reason I have been reading it so much is that I'm thinking of getting a Swift frame myself to make a light weight road folder. BTW, has anyone tried out one of the Shimano Capreo hubs yet? If you don't know, it was designed specifically with small wheel bikes in mind. The smallest cog is a 9 tooth, which means you don't need quite as big a chain ring. I currently run a 64 tooth chainring on my raleigh twenty with a sachs dual drive 3x7 rear hub. I was thinking of maybe the Capreo hub paired with Shimano 105 level components and 451 wheelset. What do you guys think?

james_swift

My Xootr Swift single-speed conversion project:



Parts:

1.) Fibonacci spacer kit from Endless Bikes.
2.) 14T Kickass cog from Endless Bikes
3.) Spring-loaded tensioner from Misfit Psycles
4.) Single-stack BMX chainring bolts from Dan's Comp.
5.) SRAM PC-68 chain.

It was pretty easy dialing-in my chainline with the Fibonacci spacer kit. The first try, I was off by about 1.5mm. I simply added a 1mm spacer from the kit and was good to go.

The cog and spacers are beautifully machined and super-lite. The cog has a thick 1/4" base that sits wide on the freehub splines, preventing dig-in damage to the freehub body. Real quality stuff.

The stock 52T chainring and the 14T cog, along with the Primo Comet 20X1.35 tire gives me 68 gear inches, and 70 gear inches with the .5 inch larger diameter stock Kenda 20X1.50 tires.

The tensioner is only temporary solution until my SS wheel from Peter arrives (solid axle), wherein it is simply a matter of migrating my spacers/cog and tire.

The drivetrain rides silky-smooth, lite and responsive, and virtually silent. You can really feel the difference losing the cassette cluster, derailleur, cable and shifter make in the weight of the Swift. Makes it all the more easier boarding the commuter train with, and carrying folded through my office building. Not to mention, the bike accelerates and climbs quite well out-of-the-saddle. I might keep a 16T cog on hand for the days I want to ride the bigger hills, being that it is a snap to switch-out cogs with this system.

Wavshrdr

Nice bike! I appreciate the idea of a SS but it wouldn't work for me. Maybe 10 years ago when I lived in a flat state. If you want to sell the tensioner, let me know. I am working on another project and have need of one if you want to part with yours.

yangmusa

Hey James,

this is slightly off-topic, but I notice you now have blue Eggbeater C pedals. Did you get them recently from performancebike.com? I see they have them on sale for $59 so I'm very tempted! How do you find they compare to spds?

Magnus

james_swift

I actually did a "write-up" on them in the Roadie section here.

baxtefer

why the tensioner? you can easily get rid of it while keeping your quick release hub.
You can safely run a QR and a SS wheel, no need for a solid axle wheel. if the axle doesn't slip with a multi-geared setup, then it shouldn't slip with a SS.
If it does, then you just need a stronger QR.

james_swift

Tried that already, and the axle still slipped (borrowed a friend's 105 skewer). I even tried a setup using the QR axle with a BMX axle-tug that worked, but didn't look all that great, and didn't do anything for preventing the non-drive side from slipping. I even tried star washers with the QR to give more bite, but that didn't help either.

The tensioner works really well...even sweeter is that it was only $15 (compared to the $50-$60 Singulator). The only reason why I'm giving it up is because it's a shame to have a tensioner when you have horizontal dropouts (some people invest good money in a frame with horiz dropouts just so they don't have to run a tensioner). But with the Swift, it's nice to be able to run all sorts of configurations.

Solid axle and nuts is really the way to go, as per Peter's recommendation. I really don't mind carrying a wrench in my bag anyway. Can't wait for my SS wheel to arrive.

james_swift

Update on the single-speed...



I finally got my single-speed wheel from Peter. It was basically a stock Quando hub fitted with a solid axle and some nice track nuts. I swapped-out the BMX cog and custom spacers that Peter installed with the better quality cog/spacers I purchased from Endlessbikes. I also installed a On-one brand chaintug, and readjusted the cones prior so that a bit more of the axle protruded out the drive-side (to accomodate the slightly higher stack height with the chaintug).





More pics on Velospace (click my sig).