Xootr, the company that sold the Xootr Swift aluminum model, no longer sells the bike OR frame. Shame really,...

Rear derailleur replacement and a tale of woe
 

The SRAM X-7 rear derailleur (could this be original from the factory?) on my 8-speed aluminium Swift went into my spokes last week. I'm not sure of the cause, but I had put a fresh, same length chain on a few days before and been riding OK for a few days. The encounter mangled the hanger, and the chain-ring bolt-like-thing that holds the hanger on split and distorted. The derailleur was bent and only half of the upper jockey wheel was present. I'd rather get a new derailleur but parts are hard to get at the moment, and I don't want to pay the earth. X-5 and X-7 etc are described as retro, it it might be cheaper to get something more modern. I understand that 1:1 actuation is required, and SRAM's newer "Exact Actuation" is also 1:1, so my main question is, was the original RD short-cage? It would superficially make sense to me that it was short-cage because the single ring on the front means that a capacity of ~23 was all that was needed. I have seen some cheapish short-cage road bike rear derailleurs on sale, but the specs state a max sprocket size of 32T. Is this to do with the angle of travel of the parallelogram? I'm sure the clearance height could be altered so that it could get onto my current 34T cassette.

I've hammered the hanger as straight as I can, but there is still a wave in it, which means it will only be making contact with the dropout at spot points. I could file it, I suppose, but that would take more metal away. Can I still get spare hangers? And does anyone have a CAD file of the hangar? In some other posts people have mentioned there wasn't much platform on the hanger for the B-screw to make contact, so maybe the design could be finessed a bit.

Lastly, if I were to decide to take the opportunity to move to a 1x10/1x11/1x12 wide range setup, what is the path of least resistance? Could I keep the front chainring, for example, with a 10 speed chain? And could the original freehub body be retained with any of them? Recommendations and part suggestions would be welcomed. I've seen very wide range 8-speed cassettes, like 11-42. Has anyone tried these? Do they work well and do they need a specific rear derailleur to shift cleanly?

Cheers all,

I have a road bike not foldable with 11 speed cassette 11-13-15-17-19-21-23-25-27-30-34 (matched with 50-34 crankset), and another foldable 8 speed 11-13-15-18-21-24-28-32 (with 50/39/30). My limited riding experience to balance speed n resistance is to go for a radio 3:1 for flat road n 1:1 or less for (steep) slope…

Others can advise on where to best source a replacement derailleur hanger, but if you search for some of my posts you’ll see my experiences with wide range cassettes on Tern folders with the same size wheels as your Swift. In a nutshell, if you’re okay with limited ground clearance a medium-length Microshift Advent 9-speed derailleur with clutch (don’t get the long-length one) can run the matching 11-42T cassette without needing a new hub or chainring from an 8-speed setup. Not an expensive upgrade if you need the range.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...470d495419.jpg
I picked up this original Swift Folder (n°07080460) last year via the original owner who had it set up as a track trainer.
Pat myself on the back for my first from-scratch wheelbuild so I could set it up on a 1x9 drivetrain.
Several years ago, I was gifted a non-numbered prototype who's steering tube had snapped in the middle of the threaded section. Never got around to repairing it, but it's living in a box with one of my colleagues who has better brasing skill than me and will eventually live to ride again.
Having tolerated living in NYC for 22 years now, I won't lie that I slightly fetishize owning a piece of NYC functional engineering.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b6212f0672.jpg

I felt the same way when I lived in Nottingham and bought an old Carlton touring bike some years ago. Looks nice!

I have an aluminium one for sale on Gumtreedotcom in the UK.

Interesting. Do you have a link?

https://www.gumtree.com/p/bicycles/x...cle/1427527103

Will take some better pictures next week.

Selling a couple of folding bikes to offset the cost of a vehicle I bought. Here's my like-new Xootr Swift:

https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/...464951105.html

SWIFT folder wheelbase
 

On of the reasons that I bought a swift was the wheelbase. It has the wheelbase of a full size bike which provides adde stability. The fact that it does not fold in half via a hinge in the center was another reason. This has been stated previously as enhancing stability.

Don't ride it frequently but it is stable on roads and trails.

On of the reasons that I bought a swift was the wheelbase. It has the wheelbase of a full size bike which provides adde stability. The fact that it does not fold in half via a hinge in the center was another reason. This has been stated previously as enhancing stability.

Don't ride it frequently but it is stable on roads and trails.

As discussed in the Origami Swift thread, the Swift has a shorter wheelbase than other well known folding bikes like the Brompton, Birdy and Bike Friday.

My Swift has the same wheelbase as my road bike.

This is what was posted in the Origami Swift Thread.

40.5" is very short for a road bike. And the Wheelbase of both the Brompton and Birdy is bigger.

Meh. So what? The Bike Friday has a slightly even loooonger wheelbase. My Swift still has the same wheelbase as my road bike, which is already quite long enough. I don't feel that my Swift would benefit from being any longer than it already is.

Meh. So what? The Bike Friday has a slightly even loooonger wheelbase. My Swift still has the same wheelbase measured axel to axel as my road bike, which is already quite long enough. I don't feel that my Swift would benefit from being any longer than it already is.

And btw, 40.5" (985mm) is about bang on average for a road racing bike wheelbase, not "very short" as you say.

My Soma Saga touring bike is 40.5 in. Besides, shorter wheel bases have advanteges too.

The pictures above are my bikes. I do find the BF rides noticeably better than the Swift. The short front center of the Swift always gives me the slight feeling that I'm about to go over the bars. It's a bit nervous in comparison to the BF.

My 53cm Colnago road bike has a wheelbase of around 1000mm (approx 39 and 3/8 inches) which is also why I was attracted to the Swift as geometry can be set up very similar to a road bike.

Btw, has anyone tried crazy bars on their Xootr Swift?

I'm thinking of putting some on mine.

Did you receive a reply scrambeagle about spare hangers from Xootr ? If they have them, how much were they? My hanger received the vice, hammer, and file treatment, in that order, to make it flat again, and I'm not proud of it.

Is there a good rear rack for Swift Folders?

Mine has one on the front but I'd also like one on the back. It offers an odd engineering conundrum since traditional rack setups won't work if you want the bike to fold, and the odd size of the seatpost means you average seatpost rack won't fit (Though I have a carbon fiber one so I don't want to put a rack on it to begin with). In looking at other rack options I found the Thule Pack and Pedal rack which ratchets onto the forks on the rear of the frame, bypassing both of the issues I'm seeing. Anyone with experience with that particular rack on a Swift or another option?

Rear Rack…
 

https://vincita.cc/products/c029-v-r...atpost-carrier

that’s a copy of the rear seatpost mounted rack that Zootr used to sell before discontinuing the Swift… Not a lot of help since you have a carbon seatpost.

I was considering a Tern Rapid Transit Rack for my Swift at one time and did a mock up by matching the tire sizes on two photos… here’s what that looks like with the bike folded. I imagine any rack made for a 20 inch folding bike would work similarly well but also prevent the seatpost from going all the way down when folded…


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...be34fd3416.jpg

Sorry for the slow reply. I was able to buy a replacement hanger from Xootr but I had to contact them directly to do it. It was around 15+10 shipping which is a bit excessive IMO, but I really appreciate the customer service. They said that the hanger needed a single countersink but that seems easy enough to DIY. Must have been some incomplete dead stock or something? I haven’t taken my original hanger off to compare them, as my bike is working decently right now.

That's interesting though the seatpost is the wrinkle. I got a Thule rack in the post today and while it fits 99% of adult bikes... the Swift is unfortunately in the 1%. The brakes are in the exact spot where the clips would fit on the frame, and moving it anywhere else does not allow the rack to sit on the frame. Super neat design though. If I had a bike to use it on I'd keep it.

That's quite interesting. I'm guessing some drilling would be necessary to attach it to the back frame because looking closer you might not be able to attach it to the brake assembly. I use mine folded to fit in the back of the wagon so putting the seatpost in the folded position isn't a high priority for me. I've been kitting out a road bike, so my wife might not approve.

The part that is near the rear brake in the mock up is an adjustable piece, it's only in that spot on the mashup because the bike used to get the rack and tire sizing correct was a Tern that had mounting points specifically for this rack.

Normally when mounting racks to a bike not specifically designed for the rack you are mounting you'll need to adjust those parts to work on the frame, the struts can be bent and adjusted to work.
Sometimes you need to attach them to p-clips or a special seatpost collar if no mounting points are available on a given bike.

On the Swift I had planned on using p-clips to add mounting points at or near that location.

https://i.imgur.com/ecuyOT8.png

https://i.imgur.com/7ql0kg9.png

Some better pictures:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125324992...0AAOSw3dZih6fl

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b0ca7bafc7.jpg
Green Swift FolderMy recently completed Swift Folder project! This is a converted Xootr Swift, powdercoated here in Louisville with a new old stock decal set from Peter Reich. Weighs about 21-22 pounds, even with the generator hub/light combo.

Dura ace rear hub / rear derailleur
SON edelux front dynamo hub
B&M Lumotec IQ Fly Senso Plus Light
XTR ti rear cassette 11-30
Velo Orange 110 BCD Crank/chainring 44
Tioga X Spec Sigma tires / Velocity Rims
Modified Volae Recumbent Stem Riser
LitePro 33.9 seatpost
LitePro brakes and levers

Other goodies I can't remember.
Rides great, took it on vacation in Costa Rica last winter (in a suitcase) rode the Pacific side beaches with it.
Super riding bike.

David Dillard
Louisville

What size (dimensions) suitcase?