yangmusa

Do you have personal experience with it? I tried to do my homework first, but could only find one lengthy review of the Phoenix hub (in Velovision) and that was quite complimentary. Apart from that I could just find "hear-say" on the web. An interesting snippet from the Velovision article is that Sturmey Archer have apparently constructed Phoenix in such a way that they relatively easily double the gears in the future - giving 16 speeds with a 610% range. Now that would be something!! (Wav: I hope I don't sound defensive; as I wrote I am impressed by the Phoenix and am happy that it does what I wanted. I'm just curious!)

The SRAM iMotion 9 speed does indeed look like a nice bit of kit. It's heavy though, I think the first version they will release weighs 2400 g with coaster brake (again, from Velovision). Contra the Sturmey, at 1400 g..

Wavshrdr

I have a SA 8 on one bike. I bought it after market. I didn't really care too much for the shifter though. Most people don't realize but you can even get trigger shifters for the Nexus 8spd.

In all reality I have adequate range on my Swift. I have the dual chainrings up front and coupled with the Nexus in the rear I have more than adequate gear range for about 99% of my riding.

When I bought the SA I didn't pay attention to what gear was the 1:1 ratio. Had I done that I wouldn't have bought it for that bike. My thought was to have the 1:1 ratio in the gear you will use the most. On the Swift and with the dual rings up front I have 2 good choices. I pretty much factor in how I plan to ride and then move the chain up front to the ring that will most likely keep me in 5th gear as much as possible on my ride.

I am rarely in first gear and usually not for long so the improved efficiency there wouldn't buy me much. However if you are in San Fran that might be a good selling point.

I think if more people tried the 8R25 Nexus, more people would buy internal hubs. It really is that good. I love being able to shift when stopped. The way it downshifts is better than almost any other bike I have except for one bike with Campy. Sure it's not the ultimate hub for a weight weenie but it is a great all around hub and has worked great for me.

A 16sp SA hub wouild definitely be of interest to me. I would like to see something to compete with the Rohloff but a greatly reduced price and something that is far quieter.

Fear&Trembling

@yangmusa - very nice work.

I am starting to think that I will have to join the ranks of the Xootr club.

BruceMetras

I'm in!!... Since location is everything, maybe rumored Swift owner (nothing confirmed due to no pics... haha) maunakea can extend us an invite to the islands... I'd love to take in some of that gorgeous scenery and bike those roads on my Swift..

Bruce

ps .. Yangmusa!! really nice job on yours.. maybe I'll get over across the Bay some weekend and the Swifties can go for a ride along the coast...

commander_taco

Here is my fixed gear xootr swift. I am using 451 rims (about 2 inches bigger than bmx ones) I got from bike friday. Rear hub is surly with axle swapped for a longer one. Front brakes are paul bmx ones. All else is fairly standard. Note: old style QR for handlepost is better than the stock ones.

big boy phil

Thats Awesome!!! Commander Taco I salute you, that is a great looking swift. The lines are so simple and clean. I hope you don't mind, but when I pick up my swift, I am going to use yours as a model to gain inspiration from.
How is the clearance with the 451 rims and tires? Any major modifications needed to run them?

commander_taco

Thanks! There is no issue with 451 rims and tire clearance. The biggest tire I could get was comet 1-3/8 (from bike friday), and there is tons of clearance. Stock brakes dont' work. I used paul brakes with pads setup high enough to be in line with the rim. This reduces leverage at the brake pad, but it is mitigated by using a brake lever meant for canti/caliper brake (not v-brake). v-brake levers pull a lot of cable and therefore have less leverage at the lever. Brakes work great, lots of stopping power. There is another option as well. You could use long reach caliper brake. Here is what Peter Reich wrote to me:

> On the aluminum frames, 451s will fit both front and
> rear, but you need an
> extremely long-reach rear caliper- I can't find a
> releable source, but you might
> have better luck. Front will just barely work with
> a 68mm Shimano, so you
> can only do a brakeless rear/fixed 451 with
> off-the-shelf components.
>
> The new steel one will work with 68mm calipers front
> and rear.
>

p.s. I measured the rear reach on my alu swift. A 68mm caliper should work.

yangmusa

Hey Commander Taco - sweet looking bike!!

It's hard to tell from the photo - is your bike a silver Swift with the stickers removed, or have you stripped the paint completely? As has been commented previously, the paint quality is not great. After only a week of fairly light use the paint has almost as many scratches as my 30 year old Raleigh (Ok, a slight exaggeration, but not much...)

Wavshrdr

One of the reasons I went with the Swift and not the Xootr painted (Swift) is mine is powdercoated. No problem with that finish so far. When I saw the Xootrs in the shop I was concerned enough to go with the powder coating even though I really liked the silver.

On CT's bike it sure looks like the bare aluminum color and not the silver it comes in. A little polishing and it could be an almost mirror finish. I'm thinking bare aluminum due to the "splotchiness" of the finish and what appear to be oil prints from possibly gripping it.

james_swift

CT: very nice! I like the riser bars.

Nothing like the clean lines of a fixed Swift.

james_swift

Broke the 2k mile mark on my Swift...

commander_taco

Wav and yangmusa, your guesses are close. Mine is silver xootr swift. I didn't like the decals, so I tried to peel them off. But it left a gaping hole in the clearcoat. I then started to peel off all the clearcoat from the entire main tube. It was a mistake. It felt easy until I got to the edges and near the seat tube, where the silver paint started to come off leaving bare metal. I then tried to remove silver paint from the rest of the main tube but it did'nt come out uniformly. At this point I got fed up. I smeared some touch up paint to cover up the splotches and then applied a coat of clear enamel (another bad idea). Enamel is shiny but it is not as uniform and hard as original clearcoat. All in all, the top tube looks hedious. I removed the decal from the seat tube and that was a disaster as well. I will eventually get the whole frame powdercoated. I was in favor of buying a frame directly from Peter but he ran out of frames and I was not willing to wait 2 months. In retrospect I should have waited. Now I am left with all these parts I don't need (anyone looking for unused swift wheelset, tires, brakes, derailers, shifter, levers, cassette, handlebar, crank, anything, send me an email).

commander_taco

Thanks James. I am very impressed with the ride quality of Swift, esp. after a bad experience with Dahon (handlepost and seatpost flexed too much for my comfort). This thread has been very helpful in making my decision.

maunakea

IMO the most amazing thing about the Swift is the complete lack of tuck-under. On my other 20s (Dahon and DT), I have to have constant vigilance if I am out of the saddle ... but on the Swift, I can enjoy the climb.

matucanna

Dumb question: What's 'tuck-under'?

maunakea

The tendency of the front wheel to deflect sharply to the R or L, or tuck under, the bike, when the rider "stands" on the pedals (aka "dancing" or "out of the saddle").

matucanna

Oooohhhhh .... I get it! Thanks!

yangmusa

Creaks & groans...

I find the joint between the headset and the riser creaks and groans quite loud. Especially bad when I'm climbing or hammering out of the saddle, but even riding over a rough road (ie. anywhere in SF ) it makes noise.

I think I've set it up right: I have the quick-release on the front side, and it's tightened pretty much as tight as it's going to go.

Any good ideas?

Thanks, Magnus

(PS - apart from that I'm still enjoying my new bike enormously!)

spambait11

I thought the creaking on my Bike Friday also came from the headset and stem. Turns out it was the seatmast hinge area. Perhaps tightening the quick-releases holding your seatpost may do it?

dubes

I had this problem as well (though admittedly not of out of the box). Try removing the riser and tightening the headset. Mine had worked its way pretty loose, courtesy of all the potholes around town, no doubt.

zepi

hello folks. my debut here.

I am crazy about the wonderful swift-folders and I am going to buy one.
I like the slick black look of the Brooklyn-Swifts and would rather go for the steel-swift for my project.
My plan is to use classic 70-ies campagnolo-parts to build a nifty retro-race-style bike. Also I would like to use the classic breaks, front and rear, but I fear that is not possible with the original frame and fork. Is it? (I Think I found some pictures of customized swifts in the net using a race-bike break in the front, but I am not sure as the pictures where blurry)

Also I would like to ask you friendly folks here, if you see any other problems fitting retro italian bottom-bracket, head-set, crank, hubs? Bottom-bracket and headset will most probably not fit, right?
Any suggestions here? I really want to get the retro-look.

Also I intend to use a set of track-bike hubs and switch the rear weel, according to requrements, to one fitted with a classic sturmey archer "racing" gear-hub. I guess that will work great with the swift frame.
Does somebody use a setup like this?

Thank you all.

z.



This is sort of what I want to do with the swift. (I am aware that the pic shows a moulton)

zepi

ebay: 150015467148 US $689,00 final bidding for a used steel swift-folder with Titanium seatpost and Nexus gear-box. cool bike.

yangmusa

I'll check that - I'm tall, so the seatpost is looooong. I've noticed that sound carries really well in the frame, like the brake cables slapping the main tube will make the whole frame go GOING! Still, I really suspect the riser joint, because when I consciously flex the bars with my hands it also makes a noise. Of course, I'm sitting in the saddle at the time, so the force could equally well make the seatpost creak..


I can't say I've noticed any play in the headset, but I'll ask someone with more know-how!

Thanks

james_swift

Same here. I simply greased the quick-release ends and also put a bit of grease at the point of contact where the 2 halves of the seat tube meet.

yangmusa

Big THANK YOU to the various suggestions!

I sprayed silicone lubricant on the seatpost and tightened the quick-releases. I also put silicone lube on the front riser stub. Hey presto! No more squeaking! It makes a big psychological difference, the bike feels much better to ride without the chorus of squeaks and groans

(I wasn't very scientific, since I did all 3 at once to save time. Hence, I don't really know what was causing the noise. For my money, it might have been the quick-releases. The lower one is a little awkward to get to and was probably looser than it ought to have been. But hey, silicone lube was only $4 and now all my closet doors fly open too!!)