cosmodc

Hi James, thanks for the advice. While checking out potential riser bars, I've noticed that several of them are sold at varying lengths. I have a Nexus 8-speed twist grip shifter; do I need to be concerned about bar length, or can I just buy something on the longer side and have it cut down if needed? I am going to do the upgrade during one of my class sessions, so my LBS mechanic will be there to supervise this and the cable replacement, in case I screw anything up.

Edit 1: Nix my question about bar length -- you've already covered that. Thanks again!
Edit 2: Pricepoint.com is where I've been spending a lot of time looking. I'm a fan of options and all, but oy, what a selection!

The Swift is still treating me very well, and I'm glad I spent as much time as I did researching here before buying one from Peter.

james_swift

Just keep in mind that you won't be able to cut risers down as much as flat bars (because of the bend). What you can do is install the bar, then the brake levers (push them towards the stem until they meet resistance against the bend), then your gripshift. You can now lay the grip across the remaining length of exposed bar and measure (preferably twice), then cut. Cut the same length of remaining bar from the non-gripshift end. You might also want to take into account leeway for new grips. I know the stock SRAM grips are not standard MTB size, but not sure about your Nexus setup.

flea

Maunakea--thanks for the advice.

Tightening worked for about 100 miles and now the clunking has returned with a vengence. I've tightened it down more than before (40 foot lbs vs 30 foot lbs). Apparently there's a risk to overtightening if I believe some of the threads out there and I have no documentation with the bike to know what the torque should be. Any idea of the correct foot lbs for the crank bolt?

Thanks!

jur

flea: Sounds like your one crank is toast. This will happen if a crank bolt was not tight enough and was ridden like that. The square hole wears out and no amount of tightening will get it right once it is worn. This is a new bike, right? Dealer must fix.

flea

Yeah, only 6 months old. A new Xootr Peter modified (dualdrive and new paint) for me. I'm surprised to have this happen after only 500 miles or so. I'm assuming regular serious hillclimbing exacerbated this but I'm still pretty shocked to hear that it would be in bad shape so soon. I guess I'll contact Peter and see what he says. Not what I wanted to hear as I really hate to stop riding at this point while I wait for it to be fixed

jur

It's not a question of something wearing out under normal processes - it is something that was not assembled correctly and damage resulted riding it that way. No way you could know that there was something wrong. Not saying it necessarily is the crank-bottom bracket interface but symptoms do point that way.

flea

Thanks, Jur. Yeah, I understand--looking through all the forums I agree the symptoms are most likely there. We'll see what Peter has to say. Now the long wait--this was my one functional bike!

hulagun

Hey, James et al-

I've been lurking awhile because not riding much. Long story - but in the last 6 weeks I've had knee surgery, an emergency room visit, and set two Bonneville land speed records (motorcycle). Phew!

But the best news is my fixed wheel set is 99% done. Surly large flange hubs. Sun CR168 rims. All silver. I just need to pick up a lock ring and new inner tubes, and fit my new Nitto handlebars and my Swift will be a Swixie!

Need some advice... I want to run a chain tug... what's a good one, and where can I get it without ordering it from the UK?

Also, I plan to run the stock Xootr front brake. Want to replace the Xootr lever with a more elegant-looking lever, preferably with a very narrow bar clamp like a Deore V-brake lever. I want it in silver, not all black. Any recommendations???

Lastly, I need a 100mm (10-degree or so) stem in silver alloy... I bought one on ebay but its temporary, I want to find a hollow welded version if anyone knows of a source. I have a beautiful 130mm one but its too long! So if anyone needs one like this lemme know...

Ivan

james_swift

In the Swift Gallery thread, I have a pic of my Surly chaintug. It's more expensive and heavier than the aluminum BMX chaintugs, but it looks cool and matches my Surly rear hub. If you want to go cheap, here is a BMX chaintug that works really well on the Swift (you can get it in silver).

What model Nitto bars do you have? The reason why I ask is because most V-brake levers won't fit even the 25.4 Nitto bars without grinding/prying the brake lever mount (I broke my Deore lever trying to do just that on my 25.4 Nitto B105 bars).

While on this subject, I'm getting a set of canti brakes to replace the V-brakes on my Swift so that I can use my bar-end TT brake levers (on my bullhorns) and cross-lever (on my drops) without having to use a travel agent and/or to deal with the lever-to-brake leverage mismatch. Pics to follow.

The Xootr Swift accessories page has a 100mm silver stem (25.4mm).

james_swift

Pics of my new cantilever brakes installed: (Nashbar Deluxe canti brakes and cable hanger)










Ride report to follow.

kb5ql

when will the madness end James????

james_swift

The only things left stock on my Swift are the stempost/seatpost, seatpost QRs, and headset (that's next to go).

It's why I chose the Swift in the first place....so that I'm free to connect with the mad-scientist in me.

Oh yeah, I have a Tranz-x zero-drop bullhorn handlebar on order (for a more useable flat bar top instead of the sloping bar top of the Nashbar one I have on now).

mosquito

Whoa I was going to do the exact same thing the canti brakes. With the V brakes/diacompe setup i have now, the cable gets in the way at the front, intruding with a front rack I'm about to install. By the way, I read that V brakes have more stopping power than cantis, which is why I went with them in the first place. How does it compare with your former V's?

I also got a Delta Postporter quick release rack with a plastic basket zip tied to it. I can't believe I went so long without a basket! It's so convenient! No more bungee cords or sweaty back.

Also getting freddy fenders next. The apex fenders I have now do not get rid of enough road spray. I read xootr's tip on ziptie-ing them to the bike, but where would I zip tie them?

james_swift

The first thing I noticed (and looked forward to) in comparison with my Avid SD-5 V-brakes was their silent operation: no squeal, no squeak. Yes! Even with their cheap cartridge pads, they stopped silently at all speeds. With the Kool Stop Salmon pads on my V-brakes, they squealed at low speeds and under hard braking. Annoying as hell. The cantis are smooth and silent.

As for braking power, they remind me a lot of my old Shimano 105 caliper brakes. In fact, the cantis work and feel just like road brakes. Although they don't have the sheer clamping power of Vs, the action and modulation of the cantis (like road brakes) is smooth and predictable. They work perfectly for "feathering", in situations where you need to make only slight adjustments to your speed such as cornering or riding in a group.

These Nashbar brakes (which look suspiciously a lot like re-branded Tektro Oryx brakes) have come a long way since the cantis on my '90 Specialized Rockhopper. They were really easy to set-up. They use standard threaded replaceable cartridge V-brake pads. The yoke has a clever alignment indicator and a guide housing for the brake cable.

I like the look of cantis on the Swift...kinda retro.

Paul Braithwait

This is what "Butterfly bars look like on a Swift. They are very comfortable and coupled to an adjustable stem give a huge variety of positions. No more stiff neck, sore back or numb hands!

levity

i replaced my flat nitto bullhorns with sloping ones after the former got bent in a crash, and you know, i kind of like putting my hands on that bump where the slope begins.

hulagun

James et al-

Thanks for the chain tug info.

I'm unsure which Nitto bars exactly I have, they resemble Dove bars but are not as wide. I specifically wanted a narrow riser bar in alloy, and my friend had these lying around used for $20. I'm running them flopped. Might be these? https://store.somafab.com/nib3allro.html

The standard Xootr lever fits fine, but I just don't care for how it's big fat clamp creases my hand while riding.

I also found a beautiful 100mm welded alloy stem on ebay for $5.

Right now the big question is whether I should run Presta or Schrader tubes? My CR18 rims seem to be drilled for Schrader but the holes are a really tight fit. The holes seem too big for Schraders so am I missing something? Do I open the holes up a bit or is there a Presta adapter for the holes I need to get?

Any non-obvious pros or cons to one type of valve vs the other? I will be running Schwalbe Marathon (Racer?) 1.50 tires at the highest pressure that rides well.

Bacciagalupe

I used schrader for awhile, just switched to presta kinda by accident. I don't see any difference, there certainly isn't any performance or pressure difference.

james_swift

I think Paul is referring to my handlebar madness:







My new TranzX bullhorns (slightly modified by removing 2cm of length from the ends). This latest incarnation of my Swift is what I call the answer to all those who question the ability to sprint/climb out of the saddle on a folding bike.

james_swift

Edit: I installed my Kool Stop salmon pads on the cantis, but this time I swapped-out the washers on the brake pad studs so that the pads are pushed out a few millimeters further from the cantilever arms (increasing the cantilever angle). Massive difference in braking power! Just a minor adjustment has transformed these brakes from a road-bike caliper feel to an entirely different beast. Better than the V-brakes ever worked on this bike. Only a small amount of input at the lever is required to effectively bring the bike to a halt. Great for riding in tight traffic. Now I see why a lot of cyclocross bikes still come with cantilever brakes.

mosquito

That's awesome! Going to order canti's asap. One more question though: Do the cantis have more or less clearance for fenders compared to V brakes?

jur

Yeah the geometry on canti's is enormously important. You can have a crappy performance or a super-power stopping power performance, depending on how close the bridge is to the wheel.

As the pads wear, the power will diminish. With the older type cantis with smooth stud you can adjust throughout their life. But I prefer the type you have - less hassle.

I like the black bar tape better.

mosquito

James, I just noticed that you have two brake levers, but only one brake. Are they both for the front brake? I thought about how cool it would be to have that, but I didn't think it was possible.

james_swift

Yeah, I have 2 cross levers pulling one cable to the front brake. Trick-looking and works seamlessly. Just make sure you measure your brake cable twice (and cut once).

I get a bit more clearance with the cantis than the V-brakes (fenders would rub against the V-brake cable).

pismocycleguy

Paul;
What is the width of your butterfly bars? Are they wider, narrower, or the same width as the stock Swift bars? They look nice, can utilize the v-brake levers and sram shifting gear, and give you multiple hand positions.
Thanks
PCG