Kevlar is slower while riding.... but faster if you don't have to spend 15 minutes fixing a flat. :D


If anyone's interested, it seems there's a simple way to get a rack onto the Swift using these clamps. I'll let y'all know how it works out....

Has anyone tried 451 rims on a swift? I am guessing they will fit, although may have to get caliper brakes.

big apples on Swifts?
 

So do Big Apples fit on the aluminum Swifts?

Cheers,
Ari

Sure do. I was the first to fit them though I was told they wouldn't work. I didn't go with the super fat Apples though. They work like a charm!

Well I just ordered one for my father so he can take w/ him whenever he and my mom travel. I liked the Dahons but like the fact that most parts on the Swift are off the shelf. Depending on how his looks, I might get one for myself but I am 6'05" 225 and curious if it would fit.

I think you'll be able to fit. Just make sure you have the long seat post and the taller bar riser. You can easily get the seat super high IF you combine the telescoping Dahon seatpost WITH a 27.2mm internal seat post. I use the 27.2mm Thudbuster and you could probably be 7 feet tall and ride my bike.

aroundoz: it looks like you'll be at the top end of the "XL" size. The frame is very solid and rigid, although I don't know the maximum weight.

I believe the Swift will fit you about as well as any other non-customized folding bike. So if it really doesn't work out, you may want to consider a Bike Friday.

Do you have the 2.0" version? I'd be grateful if you could specify the width. Thanks.

I have the 50mm ones (2.0"). I also have fenders too.

Thanks for replying. Can you tell me if the distance from the BB to top of saddle is 82cm, could you get the bars close to being level w/ the saddle?

If you saw my rant about my new office location, you'll know that my new office location doesn't have any place to lock up a bike. I just emailed Peter asking about the availability of the new steel Swifts. Time for me to start spec'ing out my bike. Anyone have info on the SRAM/Sachs internal gear hubs? The ones w/o the clickboxes. I can't find any reference to them on SRAMs website. Specifically, are they better, worse, the same as the Nexus Premium internal hubs. Thanks.

I personally am not too fond of the clickboxes. I had one on my Dahons that had the SRAM Dual Drive setup. On a folder there is no way I'd use one. On a normal bike where there is less risk of breaking that sucker off I'd consider it. The Nexus premium hub is excellent. One big plus to the hub is that you downshift very easily under load. Something the SRAM and Sturmey Archer hubs don't do well. If you want you can also get a trigger shifter for it if you so desire.

I currently have my bike apart. I'll try and answer this in a day or two when I get it back together if you can wait that long. I have my seat pretty high and it isn't difficult to get the bars level with the seat.

Anyone know of FD clamp for the Swift (steel version), or is a FD a braze-on deal?

What's the outside diameter of the seat tube?

40 mm

Yikes!! same as the Aluminum Swift... for lack of finding a 40mm clamp-on, I'd probably get a readily available 35mm(1 3/8") clamp-on and hog it out a little ..

Bruce

Well, perhaps one of the aftermarket front derailer clamps for another folding bike would work. I know that there is a clamp for the Brompton and Birdy. The Birdy has an oversized seat tube so it might be your best bet. I don't know the precise measurements; but I am sure that someone here could help.

Just in case you are looking for that Birdy front derailer, here is a reference page

http://onohiroki.cycling.jp/bike-bd-1.html.en.iso8859-1

invisiblehand, thanks for the link. The FD clamp on that Birdy was custom made by Kataoka-san, whom I will email if I can find the current URL. At present, I plan to use a large hose clamp on a hacked 34.6 mm clamp, and when the position is optimized, a braze-on.

Hmmm, that sounds like an interesting idea. If you have time, I would be interested in the result regardless of success or failure. Good luck!

I have a 5 year old steel frame and Peter said it was 32mm although I think he meant 31.8mm. Needs front derailleur clamp on.

Definitely not 40mm.

Newbie Swift Questions
 

Hi All. I've been lurking here for a long time, and now I have some questions. I love the idea and looks of the Swift, and I'm trying to decide if I should pull the trigger. I don't know much about bikes, so bear with my stupid q's

I'm a commuter, either 6 or 14 miles each way, depending on whether I ride the whole distance or take the train. The ride is a flat straight shot (chicago's lakefront path). Right now, I do it on an old, light mtb with slicks. The whole ride takes me about an hour on the way there. A little longer at the end of the day.

1) Will the Swift be faster? I'm in decent but not superb shape and I'm tired of being blown past by people who look even less fit than I am, especially in stupid lakefront headwinds.
2) Not a dealbreaker, but can you put a rack and child seat on a swift?

The longer version of these questions has me going back and forth between the Swift and something like a Bianchi Castro Valley. I could probably get away without the fold, but the fold helps for a variety of reasons (not least is small storage space at home). I just don't want to feel like I'm paying a big speed penalty. Thanks for your advice.

I was riding both the Lakefront Trail and the Des Plaines River Trail (full length of both) last week on my Swift. I typically stay near ORD on Chicago trips, and take CTA trains into the Loop. Did so with the Swift... just fold it and carry it through the turnstiles, holding it over the turnstile spokes. Several pax on the train asked about the bike. I saw no other folders ... the Loop is a bikeshop desert. The only riders faster than me on the LF Trail were all-out roadies... no MTBs were faster. I was alone on the DPR Trail except for a few trail runners. So ... the Swift is the bike for the Windy City.

Racks: seatpost
Childseat: wouldn't try it

Apples and Salsa
 

Thanks for your recommendation. I got the Big Apples, and they deliver a really plush ride. The bike, already stable for a folder, is now incredibly so. Suspension? Fuhgeddaboudit.

The Big Apples have the reflective stripe on the sidewall. I thought I saw some Big Apples on a full-size bike that did not have the reflective stripe, so this was a nice surprise.

While I was at it, I made another great upgrade -- 2 Salsa seatpost QRs. Expensive ($25/each), but worth it, IMO.

UK import tax on a Swift...
 

Sorry about the delayed reply - I've been travelling (sadly without the bike) for the last few weeks.

I got hammered by customs importing my Swift and paid about £180 in total I think...but with the decent dollar exchange, it was ok. and obviously Peter @ Swift didn't charge US sales tax.

Buying it out there would be ok, but obviously you would be 'breaking the law' if you bought it back into the UK and didn't pay sales tax.

If you do shipping, pay the extra and get Priority US Postal (insist on a tracking number(, or even better, use UPS, Fedex etc. - I don't rate the USPS service - my Swift was severely delayed, and I couldn't figure out where in the system it was (to be fair, this was probably a UK postal issue, because of the tax -but I couldn't 'find' the bike)...

Let us know how you get on.

Found out that there's a place in the netherland doing them!

By the way, for the people looking for the 40mm front derailer clamp ... here is the shop that sells them.

http://translate.google.com/translat...en-US:official

What is the seat tube diameter for a Dahon Helios? Here is the link for the front derailer clamp for that bike.

http://translate.google.com/translat...en-US:official

Alternate Handlebars?

Anyone have suggestions for different handlebars for the Xootr Swift, that can use the original grip shifter and brakes? I'm planning to do a century in a few weeks on my Swift, and I'd like to get some more hand / riding positions.