There's the rub. I am trying to see if my homeowners' insurance will pay for it. Then, maybe. My wife even brought up buying a Moulton while we're in England this summer (She knows I have a thing for them, and no, you can't have her.). But with the mountain bike still here, and a new SS/commuter bike under construction (started in January, waiting for wheels), there isn't a need for more than two bikes, so maybe not. We'll see what the insurance co. says.

But in the 1700ish miles I spent on the Swift, it was awesome. (Allow me to eulogize for a moment.) It came with a dent in the frame, so they sent me another frame. I got to reassemble it myself. I really appreciated the acceleration and handling. It was a lot of fun, and if I don't get another one, I will be a little sad.

Coincidence...I'll be in London this Summer as well (wife on business trip...me and the kid the tag-alongs) ;) . I'm contemplating buying an A-bike while I'm there (for sidewalk-surfing and those occasional no-bike-allowed-onboard multi-modal trips in the city via Muni rail and cable car).

[Some of this repeats what I sent in a p.m., but for the purposes of general interest....]

-32 spokes are plenty--the smaller wheel is much stronger than a comparably built 700C. I would have like to build mine with 28/24 spokes, but that makes component selection much more difficult, and expensive.

-Personally, I don't think large flange hubs or deep rims look right on small wheels--unbalanced, I guess. Offhand, I can't think of any aero rims in that size, either. One key issue in selecting rims is tire width. If you want to try some fat tires, you probably shouldn't go with a narrow rim, and vice versa. If price is an issue, I got Sun CR18s through my LBS for $23 each. They're perfect for my needs--a touring extrusion that's medium width, strong, eyeletted, and not too heavy.

-I run the IRO small flanges on my fixed Swift, and the large flange Formula's (which are the same as IRO's) on my 700c fixed. They're great hubs. Bearings should be easy and cheap to replace. While cheap, I don't see these hubs as a compromise. I also like that you can get a q/r front with a nutted rear, at least in the small flange. I take my front wheel off when putting the bike in the small trunk of my wife's car.

-Finally, I got a good price on custom cut spokes from J. Gaerlan at www.gaerlan.com, a good place to turn to for folder parts if your LBS can't set you up.

Jack

My recumbent came with 20-spoke front and 28-spoke rear 406/559 SpeedMax wheels, with blade spokes and deep-V rims.

I was initially very concerned that they would instantly be trashed on the craters of San Francisco, err what passes for roads around here. Especially because on the 'bent I'm lower down and seem to see the potholes later, and also because I can't stand and "offload" the wheels like I can on my Swift.

So far, I've put about 400 miles on the 'bent and the wheels are still true. Phew! But I'm still slightly concerned about such a low spoke count. As Jack says though, smaller wheels are stronger..

I hadn't noticed these before, but there is indeed a Velocity Deep V MTB that comes in a 406 size. A big plus, from my perspective, is that it's 5mm wider than the typical road Deep V. That looks like a great rim for a Swift running relatively wide tires, esp. if you like the aero profile. Black only, though.

See http://www.velocityusa.com/default.asp?contentID=567

Jack

I have a Surly 130mm flip-flop hub laced to a 32H AeroHeat V rim with 14ga Dt spokes. Light and super-strong. It's 24mm wide so it accommodates a 20x1.50 and wider tire nicely.

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p...ixed_wheel.jpg

James-

That photo was taken at Pier 14 off Howard Street!

I'm leaning heavily towards a Surly hubset, and the Sun CR-18 rims, I like the polished alloy look. My reading says that 15g spokes are stronger, but are they overkill? Also the CR-18's are supposedly "midwidth" rims at 22mm. I don't see myself running anything fatter than a 1.50 tire but if I ever want to try a 1.75, am I gonna regret it?

IRO re-badges formula hubs so they're pretty good. Tons of praise in the SSFG section if you search.

I think wavshrdr runs sun cr-18 rim with schwalbe big apple 2.0 inch tires with great results.

15g spokes are smaller diameter than 14g, the most common gauge. In one sense, they're less strong, since there's less material, but they should be slightly more elastic, which may make them more fatigue resistant. Double butted 14/15 spokes are generally accepted as less prone to breakage than straight 14s. I'm really not sure how straight 15s compare, but don't worry, they're plenty strong in this application. I'm not sure you can get double butted spokes this short, but even if you can, the weight savings would be minimal. I'm convinced 15s are the way to go unless you and your gear are very heavy, you're using very few spokes, or you plan on treating your folder like a bmx trials bike.

I'm not sure what tire is too wide for the CR18, but I wouldn't worry about 1.75s. If you were sure you wanted to run Big Apples, especially the wider ones, it might be a little different.

Jack

You're right. I misspoke (pun intended). :) Should have said what you said. Altho I read that the 15 g spokes have a bigger bend radius in relation to their diameter, which makes them a more fatigue resistant spoke.

Yup, that's the pier. I live near the first tower of the Bay Bridge.

I got the Surly hub because it takes a standard axle (easily replaceable with a longer axle if need be, or even a hollow axle should I decide to go with a QR), comes in a road 130mm width (only takes 2 x1mm spacers cannibalized off of the stock Swift cassette freehub), and because I think Surly is a great company that does great and innovative products. The bearings are buttery smooth, but require a bit of attention every now and then. Just make sure you have a a 15mm and 17mm cone wrench on hand to make occasional fine adjustments. The Surly cog is a bit noisy, so I might get a EAI or Dura Ace to replace it when the time comes.

So I rode my Swift to work today (for the first time ever). My route took me past Pier 14 and the Bay Bridge. My thighs and lungs burned for an hour after I arrived. Later I rode it to lunch (where I ate a ton... cycling sure makes ya hungry!) On the way home I almost ran smack into another guy riding a silver Xootr Swift. We exchanged greetings and as we both pedaled along I asked him if he was on the Bike Forums here... he said not often but he read about the Swifts here which is why he bought his. Wow! He turned off towards the Ferry Building and I continued on. Fifteen minutes later I was nearing home and braked for a random pedestrian. He turned, looked at my Swift and as I pedaled past, he said "Wow, cool bike!".

Just a typical day riding a Swift in The City, I guess.:D

oh yeah I promised a photo...

I think I've met that guy. He's on a Silver fixie Swift (custom built by Peter) and commutes the Ferry Plaza/King street area from and to to the Caltrain station. I see him on the northbound Redwood City Caltrain platform in the mornings.

It really is a small world when you're on a Swift.

Nope! :) This guy's Xootr was rocking a derailleur... a lower longer stem was the only mod I saw.

I'm sure I'll see Swifts all over the place now!

I sent an email to Peter asking him about how to care for the seatpost on the Swift. Here's what he said:

Recommendations on a tire pump?
 

I needed a tire pump and wanted one that would fit in my courier bag.

Bought a Crank Bros Mini "Power Pump Pro" with built in gauge... got a blister from it. It's nicely made but just too dang small. It took several hundred pumps to get my Kenda Kwests up to 70 lbs.

If REI will exchange it, I'm looking at a Topeak Morpho G Road pump.

But I thought I'd ask here in case anyone had found the ultimate tire pump solution.

There is no ultimate anything. I like the Topeak Morph pumps for trips where I absolutely have to be self-sufficient. However, for in-city use on my Swift, I bought a Buzzy's Fruitfly pump. It is really small and light. Fits nicely in a seat wedge. I wouldn't want to pump up several tires in succession, but for emergency flat repair it is more than adequate and the rest of the time, takes up very little space and weight. On those occasions when you flat, repair, then flat again...TAXI! That's part of the beauty of riding a Swift.

Hey MillCreek, somehow I missed your post. I live in Redmond and have both an older 3-speed U-frame folder that I'll take out when I'm with the kids and a custom Swift I got from Peter 2 weeks ago. The Swift is a lot of fun and I've been using it to commute and for riding the Sammamish Slough/Burke Gillman trails on Saturdays and Sundays. Did about 35 miles this weekend and it was very comfortable, even with a brand new Brooks saddle. If you can get down to Bothell some Saturday or Sunday morning I'd be happy to show it to you.

I got a dualdrive and it's proven perfect for the 10%+ climbs on my communte. Downgrade I've gotten up to 34mph, but with the seat so high and the small wheels it feels like I've been shot out of a cannon. On the more level trails I can easily maintain the 14-18mph "speed limit". If I only rode the trails I would've opted for an 8-speed hub as the derailleur seems particularly exposed to damage.

I haven't seen ANY other folders being ridden around the Seattle area in the 7 years I've been here, though there is a store in Fremont that sells them.

I actually ended up buying a Dahon Mu XL, which will hopefully be arriving early next month. After I costed out the specs of the Dahon vs. what it would cost to equip the Swift equivalently, the Dahon proved the more cost-effective option by a few hundred dollars.

And yes, the Electric Bikes Store down in Fremont stocks more folders than anyone else in the Seattle area. They routinely have a few Dahon models, and a Birdy, Reach, KHS folder and Giant Halfway. I actually ran into Eric, the owner, at the recent bike expo, and he said that the Giant Halfway is proving pretty popular in his store right now.

When I get my Dahon, I will send you a PM, and perhaps we can meet up at Marymoor or Bothell Landing to look at each other's bikes.

Millcreek,
I will look forward to your post reviewing your new Mu. Especially how robust that lighting dynamo system is. I ended up buying the Downtube IXNS, but my heart is in the Swift. I will be test riding the steel version in Eugene in two weeks. I just wish there were more options for us to test ride these bikes before investing
the money. It does help that there are several forum members that have bought several bikes and have
been great in posting their experiences.
Lyndon
Millcreek IN Salt Lake City

Yeah, it's kind of funny how we gravitate to one model or another. I actually got excited by the Bromptons I saw last summer in London, found this forum, and then fell for the Swift, sight-unseen. Read as much as I could on all the makes and still wanted a Swift. James is definitely to blame there. I'm happy at this point and hope longterm I made the right decision over the others.

Definitely. If before then you see a black Swift around Redmond or on the trail wave me down!

I'm here to pump you up!!!!
 

I'm here to pump you up!!!
Stop being such a girlyman and carry a full sized Zefal or Topeak frame pump. Nothing pumps as well, other than a floor pump or one that runs on electricity. You can also use one to wack dogs should that be neccessary. A tiny pump is almost as useless as no pump! And.......don't start whining about how much extra weight you'll be carrying! Don't eat that extra cookie and stop drinking so many mochas!:D ;) :beer:

Prolly old news but I just stumbled on this rather lovely Track-legal Swift over at bikecult, whilst researching for my upcoming Twenty Wiki pages.

http://www.bikecult.com/works/archiv...olderPFGfv.JPG