I’m probably going to try a Tioga as a rear since I already threw my spare 2.00 Big Apple on the front. Looks like the front could almost fit a 2.15. Did not like the feel of the Maxxis Hookworm that the bike came with. I also realized the front rim was completely ground down and bulged out on one side, so I put on a cheap bolt-on alloy wheel for now!

I wish there was a cushy 406 “balloon“ tire significantly lighter than the BA. I’ve found some interesting leads on other threads but in 2021 many of them are out of date or discontinued.

I think Primo Comets may come in large widths. I need the protection that BAs offer, so for me they are good compromise.

I was wondering if anyone has had luck finding a replacement derailleur hanger, given that Xootr no longer sells them and Peter Reich retired. Mine is somewhat bent (enough to interfere with the granny gear) and I’m a little worried about bending it back. Should the hanger be taken off for this operation?

To do it right you should have a deraileur alighnment tool and it is kind of expensive, about $80 or so. Try a bike shop.There are also videos online that show work arounds if you do not have access to the right tool. I think in all cases its done on the bike.

Did you contact Xootr or just check on their website? On my last trip to the states I was thinking of picking up an extra hangar just in case. Contacted Xootr and they said they had plenty in stock and would restock when they ran out. This was pre-pandemic, so about 2 years ago.

BTW. I also bent my hangar slightly. Took it to a local shop, they removed it and bent it back to normal in a vise.

No problems since.

Regards,
Joseph

Schwinnsta,
Was thinking of getting the Surly Monkey nuts for my Xootr. Did you have to make any modifications to them to fit the Xootr dropouts or were they a perfect fit? Also if you could, is it possible to post a picture of your Xootr with the Monkey Nuts installed?

I am thinking of getting a set over the winter to run wider tires come spring.

Thanks,
Joseph

As best as I remember they fit in but due to the extra thickness of the Swifts dropouts I had had to get slightly longer screws then they came packaged with. Not that on the right dropout, I installed the screw from the inside out versus the left, to avoid an interference with the cogs. I could have trimmed the screws but I was anxious to try them out and never opted to trim the screws.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a7aea50036.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...28ee19f01e.jpg

I’ve emailed Xootr to ask about replacement hangers. Thanks to everyone with help and suggestions in this thread!

Schwinnsta, is the rear fender much of a pain when it comes to repairing flats? I’m guessing it’s not that bad since you run Big Apples, but I’ve certainly had occasional flats with them in New York on my R20

I don't have to remove the fender to take off the rear wheel. There is enough room to slide it back and drop it out. I did make the rear fender a 2-piece to make the bike easier to pack into a suitcase.

Schwinnsta,

Thanks for the photos.

Man, I really wish I'd have purchased one of these when they were still being made by Xootr

Man, I really wish I'd have purchased one of these when they were still being made by Xootryb

You can probably still get the titanium frame from China if you're willing to spend some big-ish bucks.

https://m.es.aliexpress.com/item/1964267598.html?html=static

I wish somebody besides China would resurrect this design. An affordable disc brake version would be great. I think Peter Reich liked the horizontal dropouts as these are adaptable and easy to fit internal geared hubs onto. Personally I think that a disc version would be more saleable today. Anyway, the Swift is possibly the best 20" folder ever made. So simple, yet adaptable, stiff and fast. The design needs to live on and develop.

Keep an eye out. Occasionally one comes up on the second hand market.

B fold bikes in NYC has a swift for sale at $1600. Bike looks clean. I have bought parts for my Carryme from David and it always went well. I would love that bike but mostly have been riding off road with a Giant Anthem SX that I love. If I lived in a city I'd really look hard at purchasing this bike.

I suppose one can order them custom, and the swiftfolders.com site says that there are some remaining Xootr made aluminum frames. I will have to think about it...I have too many projects going on right now...

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