I would never consider welding disc tabs onto a fork that wasn't designed for discs unless it were really, REALLY overbuilt.

Tell that to Bike Friday, they weld on disk brake mount on their front forks and look at how small the tubing is on it. The bottom of most fork ( down where it is welded on ) is alot thicker than the spot the V-brake bosses are brazes or welded on. I have welded on 20 to 5-30 disk brake bosses and have never had one come back. I have not put one a Xooter fork but it looks like it is strong enough. Mac

I should have something interesting to share in this thread in the next week or so.

Great story! Everyone I know who starts commuting by bike doesn't stop. It's strange then that it remains a tiny percentage of overall commuting.

-Ari

BF also screwed up quite well with a disc mount..
 

You know BF got burned really nicely on a tikit (I think) 1-2 years ago that had the fork fold in half because of not calculating this well. Weak thin or small tubing is very easy to improperly bond. Post is here in BF folding bikes. The OP was hurt, nothing life threatening but he was lucky.

Can you post what you've welded to (are you talking TIG?) - specific ODs and wall thicknesses? How exactly does your gut_feel just tell you that the swift fork would be ok for this? And using what joining method? This sounds a bit wreckless.. are you a framebulder? Can you post some more work to qualify yourself ?

Seat post with measured hash marks?
 

Hi all, I've had an aluminum Swift for several years -- but one detail that still bugs me a bit is having to find the right height/position when I re-set the seat post.

I've been using pencil marks, but those rub off.

And I'm reluctant to use a Sharpie because I've noticed that my preferred height seems to change -- perhaps because I have a Brooks saddle, which presumably continues to settle in.

Can somebody suggest a good seat post that has hash marks, and would be a good match for the Swift -- or is there some other simple solution?

Thanks!

I too found that pen or pencil was temporary at best. So I took a piece of electrical tape and wrapped it around the seatpost, such that I insert the seatpost until I can still see the entire piece of tape (with maybe a couple of millimeters of aluminum showing).

It feels like a hack, and I agree that this is a deficiency of the Swift design, but it has worked for me so far.

But can you slide the seatpost down (ie, until it rests on the rear tire) when you fold it?

ah, fair question. i so rarely fold it that I don't recall whether the tape got in the way.

A thin camera strap attached from the rail of the saddle to the upper QR post works a treat.

Smoothing out the Swift
 

As much as I love my Swifts (I have two), I'll confess that when possible I opt for my CF road bike just because of the smoother ride. I commute into Boston, which means lots of potholes, cracked pavement, and the occasional curb jump.

I find that I feel the bumps more on the Swift. Part of this is probably due to the frame, but I can't help but think the small wheels are part of it. The Xootr website used to admit as much, but they now claim it's a "small" effect and suggest lowering tire pressure. But I'm running my road bike tires at full (125psi) inflation as a big guy who wants to avoid pinch flats, and it's just not as jarring.

Things I could try:
* lower inflation in the front tire while leaving the back one full. I already keep it down 10psi or so but I suppose I could try even lower
* wider tire in front (or both, but I already have a 1 3/8" and could use that instead of the 1 1/4)
* thudbuster, though that is pricey and mostly the bumps bother my hands

other thoughts?

This is for re-setting the seat post to the correct length? If so, can you post a pic?

Big Apples? Not as much rolling resistance as you'd think. In fact, on the roads around here, my Swift was actually faster with BA's than with the Kojaks.

Like butta.

these are 451 rims, so selection is a bit limited. both of my tires are primo comets. maybe I'll try the 1-3/8"s again and leave them a bit underinflated.

thank you

Sorry for a n00bish question...

I've long considered switching to Big Apples -- but I have Primo Comets (came with the bike) -- does that mean I can't swap the Primo Comets for Big Apples? ie, do I necessarily have 451 rims, and I would need some other rims if I want Big Apples?

I just use dirt.

Hi all, I'm thinking about replacing my QR levers -- after some hunting, do you think any of these would be a good choice?

http://harriscyclery.net/product-lis...1-m25260-qc49/

I read (http://sheldonbrown.com/skewers.html) that "enclosed cam" QRs like these might be better than the "exposed cam" that came with the bike, because "enclosed cam" QRs don't get all gritty.

If these are a good choice, can somebody help me understand whether I need 6x50mm, 8x50mm, or 6x60mm?

Or is there some other good choice?

Thanks!

Your questions were answered in Epicyclist's post on the previous page of this thread. :)
I'm in the UK. I found it hard to source Kalloy, enclosed cam, quick releases. I bought three of these Kalloy ones via Amazon Marketplace from Bikester in Germany.
They make it much easier to clamp the saddle stem tightly than the OEM QRs. :)

Mtalinm has two Swifts, one has the standard build, Swift 406 rims and the other custom 451 rims. The Big Apple tyres will fit 406 rims. See the Big Apple page on Xootr's web site for more info. :)
If you search back through this thread too, then you'll also find info about the Big Apple tyres.
My single speed converted, Xootr Swift has Big Apple tyres. They're brilliant! A comfortable ride but still quick. I find that a pressure of around 30 to 35 PSI front and rear works best for me. I weight around 147 pounds.

Sorry, I don't have the bike anymore, so can't post the pic. Basically, the idea is that once the strap is tight, the post is at the correct length. Old brake cables work too, but can rub paint when slack.

I did actually read that! In particular: "Get the 60mm long version for the bottom seatpost clamp if you try to fit rack stays in there too."

I gather that means the 50mm clamps are fine, unless I also want to clamp in additional hardware (in which case I'd need the longer 60mm)?

But what about 6mm vs. 8mm? The rubberized one, which I also think I'd prefer, is 8mm whereas the other is 6mm -- does this make a difference?

(The ones you got via Amazon Marketplace appear to be 6mm, but the rubberized ones via Harris http://harriscyclery.net/product/kal...t5210-qc49.htm are 8mm, and I'm not sure they'll fit.)

Thanks!

6mm. The 8mm ones don't fit, from experience.

Thanks & sorry about the 8mm's.

So I should get these (rubberized):
http://www.amazon.com/Kalloy-Bicycle...0705473&sr=1-4

Or these (not rubberized):
http://www.amazon.com/Kalloy-QR-Seat...0705473&sr=1-1

But not these (Rubberized):
http://www.amazon.com/Kalloy-QR-Seat...0705473&sr=1-2

Is that about right?

Am I correct to think the rubberized grip feels better vs. non-rubberized?

The impression I get from the rubberized ones if that the rubber is the cheap, hard stuff that will come off the lever eventually. The 8mm QRs I had were rubberized. When buying the 6mm QRs, I opted for non-rubberized.

I need to rescind my suggestion of wrapping electrical tape around the seatpost to mark the insertion point, at least if you need to fold frequently. I tried it today and the tape blocked the seatpost from being inserted.

in happier news, the 1 3/8 front tire solved most of my jarring problems. I still have a 1 1/8 on the rear at higher pressure, so that's still a bit jarring, but luckily I have more "padding" in the nether regions. too bad I didn't get a Brooks Flyer instead of an Imperial...

in less happy news, my flat today was due to a valve failure (precluding repair), and in my haste to swap in a new tube I blew it out. and no LBS in town had 20" presta valves for sale. needless to say, I picked up a stack when I got back home...