Upgrade from 11/28 to 11/32 cassette
 

Hello,
I think I read that one Xootr Swift owner replaced his stock cassette with the SRAM 11/32.
I'd like to do the same. Anybody here with suggestions on what I need? (Do I need a new chain? Or can I purchase extra links? Stock chain is a KMC-Z72, and I assume that it will be too short for the additional reach needed on the 32t cog.) I'm new to bike mods, and would appreciate your ideas/experiences. Thanks, flyhi46c.

I think the person you want to consult is BruceMetras.

Personally, I'd recommend mating a new chain with a new cassette. This will give you a longer life out of your drivetrain, as well as less tendency for the chain to skip in the smaller cogs because of an old chain not meshing properly with the new gear set.

Get a SRAM PC-68 chain. The Powerlink makes breaking the chain a breeze. As for tools, you'll need a cassette lockring remover and a chainwhip (depending on how tight the lockring is, you may be able to do without the chainwhip by substituting a towel or thick rag wrapped around the cassette gears in similar fashion).

Thanks James,
Actually the bike is brand new and so the chain is not worn, so I didn't know if extra links are available for it, or if I MUST purchase a new chain (not a big deal).

Hi ho flyhi46c! I'm using a 9spd 11/34 and a 58t chain ring.. so I used a new 9spd chain in place of the 8spd one that came on my Xootr/Swift..

Enjoy your bike.. they are terrific..

Bruce

Swift Silver Bullet
 

i've taken delivery of a new creation from peter and i wanted to share my new toy with the fold. here are some of the notables:

flip flop hub 14t fixed / 16t freewheel
velocity razor rims
truvativ team carbon handlebar
thomson stem
avid grips
avid brake lever
avid ultimate v brake
wtb rocket v stealth saddle
crankbrothers eggbeater
silver with white swift folder logo

the bike is mainly a commuter around downtown SF and the Soma. i got the freewheel in case i didn't like fixed. after a week of riding, i'm liking it a whole bunch (it will probably never be flipped). i understand why others love fixie so much now especially in the flats. you can feel the power and control instantly when the cleats engage. it does take some time getting used to it though. it will take more time until it's second nature and committed to muscle memory but i don't mind. for pictures click the link in my signature.

If I may ask, how $much, w/o shipping?

it was he same price as the standard. the fixed work was negated by the cost of the derailleur. the other things i bought from peter were both the freddy and apex fenders. i upgraded the other parts myself, including the stem/bar/grips/saddle/pedals. the upgrades were purchased from lbs, online retailers and the hard to find silver levers are from ebay.

Very interesting Bruce,
Did you find the Quando rear wheel hub acccepted the 9-speed cassette, or did you need to replace it? Also, did you replace the SRAM 8sp grip shift with something else? SRAM also makes a 9sp grip shift. flyhi46c.

I'm not running stock wheels and hubs ... I changed out a bunch of parts .. I'm using a SRAM 9spd thumb shifter and like it a lot.. the front hub is a Pantour suspension hub.. tires are Stelvios.. seatpost and seat are SDG I-Flex ... this is the bike I go out with when I ride in roadie group rides .. last weekend was a 40+ mile with 4000' total elevation and an average speed of 14.5mph.. the bike was terrific and I had no physical discomfort other than really tired legs... supposedly the group is going to extend this similar ride to over 50miles on Saturday.. I hope to join in again..

Bruce

Frame only?
 

Is it possible to buy just a Xootr swift frame and build your own bike?

Swiftly comes the Swift
 

Hello all,

I recently found and joined this forum after spending some time researching folding bikes. I have been using a recumbent for some years now, but the big thing, while extremely comfortable, takes up a lot of room, so I was looking for a folder for travel and such. Plus, to be honest, I missed the heads up feeling and control I had enjoyed years ago with my mountain bike. I am now 56. I don't think two bikes is too much in these days of super high fuel prices!

After researching Bromptons, Birdys, Dahons, etc., etc., I finally found the Swift, which actually looked like the perfect fit for my needs and size at 6'1". This forum has confirmed all that, and I decided to go with the Xootr aluminum version but with an internal hub and a Brooks saddle for starters. The good folks at Calhoun Cyclery in the Twin Cities were happy to accommodate me - though this is a very busy time for them - and I will be picking up the bike on Monday, on my journey north from Iowa to northern Minnesota to visit my brother.

Like any grown-up kid I am excited about this new bike and am looking forward to giving it a lot of use this summer. Thanks for all the great info in this forum and everyone enjoy going Swift!

Mike

Help -- Swift Folder envy!
 

Howdy all -- and special greetings to my fellow SF Bay Areans --
Can you help me get into contact with Peter Reich and/or Jan VanderTuin? I've sent e-mail to Peter & left a phone message also, but so far no reply! I'm eager as can be to buy a Swift (undecided whether steel or aluminum frame) & customize it so I can climb fairly steep hills in the area around UC Berkeley. (Supposedly it's around 700' elevation gain from the bottom to the top, within about 2 miles...) I also want to be able to haul moderate-sized loads of groceries in this super-light new trailer that I have (it's called the "City" trailer -- you can see a lot of info about it at http://www.carryfreedom.com ). I'm grateful that y'all are here, as I'm actually not a very seasoned cyclist and would LOVE to talk on the phone with locals who can to help me with this... esp. e.g. james_swift, BruceMetras, bigbenaugust, yangmusa --
THANKS!
-spinnercat

Peter is kept quite busy, so he's not on top of the emails as most people would like him to be...but he always follows-up on your questions and fills your order promptly (he was kind enough to work on a Saturday so that he can get my custom wheel shipped-out that same day).

Hi there -- at last have had a brief conversation w/Jan at Human Powered Machines ... he says he has steel frames, but can't ship a Swift to me any sooner than 2 months from now (yikes!) Should I expect this long of a lead time from Peter too?
I was assuming that steel would be longer-lived & maybe a better choice since I'll be using a trailer. Any further thoughts about this?
-spinnercat

Peter will be faster. Keep in mind that what works on the aluminum version of the Xootr/Swift may not always work on the steel. The bike has slightly different dimensions so tires might not fit on the steel that fit on the aluminum one. Seat post is different size so you can't use Dahon stuff. Lots of these little types of niggles. I've had no problem pulling a trailer but the stress ISN'T on the frame. It attaches to my rear axle and I'd not bother with one that clamps on the rear frame section. The BOB trailer works great for me.

How custom are you wanting to go? Maybe buy a stock Xootr and mod it.

Thanks wavshrdr -- it's good to know. I'd buy a Xootr and mod it here locally, but would rather have Peter's expertise if I don't have to wait weeks and weeks. (But still haven't got in contact w/him yet..) My right knee has low-level chronic tendinitis, so I'm hopeful to get an ultra-low low gear -- am thinking 20" or even less --and still be able to have a high gear that would let me pedal comfortably slowly at a good pace going DOWN the steep hills! I don't know enough about this yet -- but I see some guidance on the Xootr specs page (I don't know what my usual cadence is, for instance) ... that's why I'd like to talk with and/or meet up with some local Swift owners & see the Swift in person, if possible - :)
I'll probably want to have a Nexus internal hub (is this different than the SRAM Dual Drive?) for getting this wide of a range of gears. Also, I now ride upright instead of racing-position, 'cause my knee likes it better when I extend my hip fully (or close to it). So I'll want a long stem for my handlebars (may be using a set of Joe Breeze's "multiposition" handlebars).

Biking really does seem to help reduce my knee symptoms, BTW.
-spinnercat

If you have the $$$ to spend, go with a Schlumpf drive up front and an Nexus 8spd red label internal hub and you'd have an ultra-wide gear range bike that requires minimal upkeep. I suggest holding out for Peter based on what you want and skip the steel one. Save the almost 2lbs of weght by going with aluminum. That will help offset the weight of the internal hub. Get a BOB trailer and the appropriate BOB NUTZ (fasteners for the trailer to attach on the internal hub) and you'll have a nice ride. I would watch going much lower than about 25 gear inches or you will be ahead to walk up the hill. I think you can get to where you want to be with Peter pretty quickly.

I like the dual drive and dislike it simultaneously. It has a wide gear range but I hate the little click-box that hangs off the side that seems pretty fragile. Another issue will be trailer fitment as well. You will have to go to the type of trailer that fits onto the rear frame area. The BOB trailer works very well on any of my bikes and you can get the attachments for MOST derailleurs and the Shimano Nexus and Sturmey Archer internal hubs too.

As for the knee have you tried any of the glucosamine complex type formulas to help with it?

Thanks for all the great suggestions, Wavshrdr -- it helps a lot :-) I have no idea how much a Schlumpf drive costs, but I love the idea of having an ultra-wide range of gears with minimal upkeep!.. A Bike Friday owner who lives in my area told me that he'd like to have a 15" low gear, to comfortably pull a trailer up our steep hills -- this is a guy who has toured in Central America with his New World Tourist, so I imagine he's right about what's good to use on our local hills. (I don't mind if I can walk faster -- the idea is for my knee to be pedalling every day :-)
Today was my first day using Carry Freedom's "City" trailer (http://www.carryfreedom.com/city.html ) -- I just rode with it empty, since I'm not experienced with trailers yet. Although I did test-ride with a BOB trailer on my hybrid bike, and didn't like the feeling of the single-wheel style design. I'm not yet fully committed to this "City" trailer (which is a rather rare bird), but I like it.
I haven't tried glucosamine, but I may yet -- though my problem is tendon, not lost cartilage (thankfully!)
-spinner

Schlumpf is about $350-$500 or so additional. You can get an overdrive or underdrive depending on your needs. The 15" gear would be worthless for me as it would put you at about 3-4 mph (a guess) and it isn't real stable at that speed.

The rougher the terrain the better a single wheel trailer will be vs. a dual wheel. I also like how it tracks better behind the bike in city traffic as it isn't as wide. Downside is you have park it more carefully. Single wheel is faster than double and the BOB is very sturdy.

TW Recumbents in Taiwan has a trailer similar to the BOB design in both a single and double version. At $400 or so for the CF "City" trailer I'd have to love it to spend that kind of money on the trailer.

I find that the glucosamine/ch. complexes helped reduce almost ALL knee pain I had, not just cartilage related. Overall my knees feel much better than they did a few years ago and I am more active now.

Yeah, I think you're right about the instability at low speed -- so hopefully 20" or 25" will be low enough to prevent my knee pain from flaring.

I also like the narrowness of the BOB trailer, but I probably won't be trailering very fast any time soon or on rough ground, so I'd rather have the stability of a 2-wheeled trailer (for now). Will check out TW Recumbents' trailer too. The "City" trailer is unbearably expensive, but at least it's a multiple duty item and folds up. I'd like to think I might take it to England for my sole piece of luggage, and attach it to a bike after arriving... (An American distributor is offering it to me for slightly less, BTW)

Wow -- I hope I'll LOVE that Schlumpf drive! ... :eek:
I'm glad to know the glucosamine is so effective! Thanks again -
-spinner

I forgot to ask -- what's an "overdrive" and "underdrive" ?
...thanks - spinnercat.

There are two "overdrives": SpeedDrive and High Speed Drive and one underdrive: Mountain Drive. The latter option sounds more suited to your requirements.

For more info see:

http://www.schlumpf.ch/md_engl.htm

Hi Ho Spinnercat!... look me up in San Rafael when you're heading West! .. I've got a variety of folders here with a variety of drivetrains... you could come over and check out my Dahon XP with Nexus RedBand 8spd hub and Schlumph SpeedDrive that I ride almost daily .... a Helios XX with 9spd derailleur and Schlumph.. a SpeedPro with DualDrive and my 9spd Xootr/Swift with single chain ring.. Schlumpf drives work great on 20" folders .. right now, I'm building up an Airnimal with a Schlumpf..

Bruce

Underdrive drops your gearing (makes it lower such as for hills). The TW trailers do fold down too so that they form a flat package. You will need to take the rear wheel(s) off though. They are pretty strudy and pretty much copied the BOB trailer in many design elements.

Go here to their main page in Taiwan. Click on eather the double or single wheel trailer partway down the page on the right:

http://www.recumbent.com.tw/HTM/model.htm

or go here for the direct link to the 2-wheel model. The prices are about helf of the "city" trailer you were looking at.

http://www.recumbent.com.tw/WEB-07/con02.htm

Hope this all helps. I'd sersiously suggest trying the BOB more though or even the single TW Bent trailer. Easy way to ship it is just in a duffle bag that you can then through your clothes in and mount on the trailer. They are very well behaved and generally you don't even know they are behind you that track and roll so well. Keep in mind that if the terrain is not level (side to side) that the dual wheel trailers are going to exert rocking forces on your bike. It will actually try to twist the bike in that plane unless they have a full floating gimble type mount.

They onley place I'v ever noticed I had the BOB behind me was when the bike was actually stopped and with about a 70lb load in it. Then I had to make sure that the bike was placed properly on its kickstand. I find that even with that big of a load and no real "mountains" to climb but some pretty steep grades if I had about a 25" gear I could still climb it without getting off the bike to walk. No obviously I wouldn't want to do this all day but if I had to I probably could. Avg. mph wouldn't be very high though.

G'morning & thanks everyone -- I'm so glad to get all this help! Until yesterday I couldn't get in touch w/anybody in the Swift Universe, so now I feel much more hopeful about it all :) Actually right now I'm barely awake & haven't eaten breakfast yet (perhaps am becoming a bike geek online? ;) and am due to meet up with the Bike Friday owner who lives in my neighborhood in about 45 minutes, so I'll reply more after that. (Last week I made an arrangement to see his bike -- but that was before I heard about the Swift Folder! :)

@wavshrdr Thx for the link the TW trailers ... if they only made them in aluminum instead of steel.

I second wav's comments on the single wheel design. If high speed maneuverability, single-track, or rough terrain are in the picture, the single wheel design wins hands down. However, when loaded, single wheel trailers are a handful when stopping and parking. I don't have kickstands on my bikes, so getting the rig into and out of an "L" is a dance.

Howdy maunakea, & all -- yeah, thanks a *lot* for the TW Recumbent links. I'm terribly tempted to order one of 'em -- I've been pining for this kind of cage-style design, with the mesh floor -- and the fact that it's collapsible is a HUGE improvement on the original BOB, IMHO. But I'm not so optimistic about my weak right knee's ability to pull a trailer that already weighs 20 pounds *un*loaded! Gosh, are they possibly working on making an aluminum one right now?....
My most immediate needs are going to be in town, hauling groceries & such, so I will probably be doing a lot more stopping and parking than high-speed & rough terrain. (Though if there *were* an aluminum edition, I'd be on it in a flash ;) )
So -- I just got back from my meeting with the local Bike Friday owner -- a very nice guy who loves his bike & generously let me try it out. It's my first time on 20" wheels, and I was able to get used to that pretty quickly. His New World Tourist is probably almost as heavy as my 700c-wheeled hybrid bike, so no benefit for me there (I'm pretty slim & don't have much body weight to lose! :) ) But it was great to be able to try it out & see the folding, which is obviously well-engineered. I still think the Swift is more like what I want, but I really should see it first! So -- thanks a bunch to BruceMetras for the nice offer -- I'd love to come over & see your stable of folders! Is your phone number listed in the phone book or, ?
-spinnercat

I can honestly tell you that I rarely notice my BOB when I tow it. It's not as though I am in my mid 20's either or in the best shape of my life. The BOB isn't very heavy, about 13 lbs and is 4130 Chromoly so it is durable. Until it is very loaded the only way I know it is there is to see the little flag in my rearview mirror.

The way I looked at the 1 vs. 2 wheel design was based on whether I would be riding the bike or parking it the most. I have a different 2 wheel design trailer and while it is more stable parked I like it a lot less while towing it. Of course this is not the case if I have a large load that I can't balance easily on the single wheel trailer. Normally that isn't the case though. I'll have groceries or something else in it that isn't long and unwieldy. If I were halling lumber I'd go for the 2 wheel trailer for sure. If you are touring with it I'll stick with the single. I am working on a "kickstand" for my trailer that will flip up when I ride off so I don't have to worry about it being unstable while parked. It is quite easy to unhitch if it is a real issue.

FYI- the TW Bent trailers don't seem to have any connectors for hubs and I don't know if you could use them with the BOB ones. They look somewhat similar. I contacted the company in Taiwan and they said they had them but when I contacted the distributor here they acted like they had no clue what I was talking about even though I provided them with my original emails from the manuf.

Wow, I didn't know the BOB was only 13 pounds. I just remember that when I test rode it with my hybrid bike, I felt drag on my bike, when turning -- but wasn't that surprised, because it seems like such a big hunk of metal. I'm glad to know there may be an issue with hitching the TW Bent trailer (by the way, it's the 2-wheeled TW that weighs 20 pounds unloaded). I guess I'll give it another test ride .. (to try it out with one of BruceMetras's folders would be great! :) )

Thanks also to Fear & Trembling for the links & info about Schlumpf -- wow! Great stuff .... now I really am in danger of becoming a bike geek ;)...
-spinner

Hi there Bruce - Thanks for the nice offer! How do I contact you? Is your phone number in the white pages? I can't send you an e-mail through bikeforums.net, so I don't know what's the right way to do this. (If you go to my bikeforums Public Profile, you should be able to send an e-mail to me)

(Apologies to the other posters here -- I don't wish to use this thread for individual communications. Also, I didn't want this to go off-topic & morph completely into trailers! But all of this has helped me a lot, so thanks again.)
-spinnercat