Wow, what an excellent bike. This thing is my idea of what a perfect bike rides like. It's not great for rough terrain, in fact it's pretty bad, but that's my only complaint. I can't even enjoy my Bike Friday anymore after buying my silver swift. This thing is so smooth and talk about FAST.

:) :thumb:

Smithfield Nocturn!
 

I'm in! Hoorah! Just two Swifts and a mass of Bromptons: http://www.nocturneseries.com/smithf...ngbikerace.php. All I'm looking to do is get into the final... no chance of a podium position for a fat git like me.

By the way, I owe an update on my jumping chain. The problem was, in fact, a lose drop out. Yes, the drop out was seriously wobbly (a first for me... never seen that before) so a quick tighten up and all was OK again. I still can't use 8th because the chain snags the frame, but I have a larger front ring to slightly compensate.

I'll post some pictures, maybe on the day if I can get the iphone working in the city.

JL

Oooops! The Swift thread has dropped off the front page, we cannot let that happen!

I've been looking on the Xootr web pages and was wondering whether anyone has fitted the front derailier (bet I've spelt that wrong) kit. If so; was it easy to do and how do you find it?

@Paul: I just bought the front derailleur mount from Xootr this past week, but haven't yet gotten around to buying a front derailleur and second chainring to go with it. I'll let you know how it goes once I do.

Those of you have have fit Big Apples on your Swifts -- have you been able to do so with the rear axle all the way forward in the track ends, or have you had to pull it back slightly? I just bought a single Big Apple to find out whether it fits, and it rubs (just barely) if the axle is all the way forward, but fits if I pull it back a little (less than halfway). The rim is still within the range of adjustment of the brake pads, so I don't see a major drawback to this, but still...I'm a little bit picky and wonder if I got one of the "not quite right" frames mentioned in this thread (it's a blue frame ordered in May or June 2009). :-(

Also, if I decide to go ahead and run Big Apples with the rear axle pulled back a little, I'd like to get a "tug"-style chain tensioner like the Surly Tuggnut, to keep the axle from sliding forward and to quickly return it to the exact same position if (when) I have to fix a flat. Has anyone had luck with the Surly or any other brand?

Anyone else had a problem with their swift creaking terribly? My bike is creaking constantly, especially when I go over bumps or stand up and pedal. I started to experiment and noticed when I push up and down on the seatpost it creates the noise. It's pretty damn loud too. I got it checked at 2 neighborhood bike shops and neither had any idea what it was. In fact the second guy said it had to be the frame. The first guy lubed the area around the seat post, which did nothing.

Yes, that is coming from the interface between the upper & lower seat tube sections. Put some wax-based lube there.

PS Make sure BOTH seat clamps are well tight. Clean & lube the cam surfaces.

Agree with Jur: keep those QRs tight. You'll find that with a bit of oil on the QRs you can make them much tighter. I am on my 3rd set of QRs on my 2 year old Swift... I find that the plastic washer eventually gives up.

JL

hello!

got my custom swift yesterday. haven't taken it for a real ride yet. alfine 8, marathon plus, flat bars. i'll add photos to this post when i have them later.

mostly trying to get the commuting accessories, setup down. 10-18 miles round trip. small hills, rural, suburbs, and small cities. carry in/on my car, maybe fold and carry into library or fold at office. frequent trips for chores. 95% of time will involve car/bike combos. 20% on front of city bus as well. monthly fold and put under regional bus or on amtrak. some urban "exploring" around boston/cambridge.

i'm transitioning from a brompton, so going through a bit of small folding withdrawal. but the small fold was overkill for what i needed, and i wasn't happy with reliability issues i had with the sturmey archer hub i had. the reliability i'm told was more bad luck on my part, but oh well.

so my first impressions from a folding and commuting perspective, after having fiddled with the luggage setup (25 lbs of food, work and all-weather gear) i've come up with and trying out folding, messing with options for carrying in my 2 door civic coupe:

-it could almost fit in the back seat (and trunk) of my car without detaching stem (like my folded brompton), if i had less wide handlebars. decided quickest method will be unfolded on a typical car rack.
-definitely annoyed by the trying to carrying the bike with detached stem. will buy velcro straps or read more on forums for prefered approach soon (done, wide velcro strap does decent job)
-i miss the brompton front block. my klickfix mount to the stem with 11 lb in backpack makes steering less comfortable. (less noticeable, but will address this when i can afford it)
-like the crossrack, but wish it detached into smoother shape like brompton frames. (irrelevant, takes too much effort to detach frame on a daily basis anyways)
-i hate the xootr folding pedals relative to brompton ones, way to slow to fold. will switch later.
-like the light weight of frame for carrying
-strangely, i shift very infrequently, i wouldn't mind if the shifter was on the top bar instead of handlebars, to reduce cables running to stem when detached and potential damage from frequent folding. also, along that minimalist vibe, i would give up the rear brake and cabling, but doubt i'll get around to either.
-like the crossrack's bag for price. probably, just skip it and buy a real pannier from your favorite company instead
-rear fender seems awkward with fold and seat post. (minor)
-i miss the standing position on brompton ):, i'll get over it

So, I added a front derailleur to my Swift this weekend using the Xootr mount and my own shifter (Shimano bar end), front derailleur (Nashbar/Microshift), and 38t chainring (Sugino, no ramps or pins, smallest size that'll fit the stock 130bcd crankarms). It wasn't especially hard, but was a bit fiddly. The instructions on Xootr's website aren't quite right -- the derailleur mount I got seems to be a newer design, with fewer bolts involved. You only need to remove one bolt, rather than the three shown in the photo. The same bolt that closes/tightens the clamp now attaches the cable pulley post also, so contrary to their instructions, you need to re-attach the post as soon as you close the clamp, rather than wait until you're ready to attach the cable. Also, the instructions didn't say to slightly loosen the bolt that attaches the pulley to the post so the former can rotate freely, but I think that must have been the intent -- the shifting feels much easier if the cable turns the pulley rather than sliding across it.

I took a trip to Vermont over the weekend and did some riding while I was there, so the new 23.75" low gear (that's w/ a 32 cog in the rear) was MUCH appreciated. :-)

So I am dead set on buying a swift after trying it out today. Been reading this site and I am concerned about one thing. Steel frame versus Aluminum and why everyone is trying to get the steel one. Should I do the same. I am not a "serious" biker...well not yet. Can someone explain this to me?

I live in NYC, does anyone know if you can go to the factory and buy one?

The original designer of the bike is Peter Reich of Design Mobility in Brooklyn, in collaboration with Jan VanderTuin of Human Powered Machines in Oregon. Human Powered Machines builds and sells the steel version; Design Mobility builds (built?) and sells (sold?) a steel version as well as an aluminum version (it's not clear to me if Peter Reich still does a steel version; a phone call would clear that up) in their Brooklyn factory. Since these are hand built, you can get them with all manner of component customizations.

Xootr licensed the design, has a factory in Scranton, PA, and uses economies of scale to have the aluminum frame produced overseas (if I recall correctly - someone please correct me if I'm wrong), and produces one ready-to-ride (but easy to tweak) configuration. I think you can make arguments in favor of either frame material, but I believe that the use of the two differing metals for the frame have as more to do with practicalities of manufacturing (small scale vs. large scale) than with the superiority of either material.

In New York, you have three very well respected dealers who carry the Xootr Swift (bfold, Bicycle Habitat, and NYCE Wheels), as well as Design Mobility -- you're lucky, I'm in San Diego, and had to drive up to Los Angeles to get to the only Xootr dealer in Southern California. FWIW, I've had the standard aluminum Xootr Swift for a couple months, and I'm thrilled with it; I can't imagine the steel-framed version being much better.

One more Swift
 

Hi everybody! I got my Xootr Swift a month or so ago for my birthday (my wife suggested we get each other bikes this year); first bike I've had in a looong time.

My silver Swift, which was the demo model for the only SoCal Xootr dealer we could find (my wife reasonably insisted I actually ride one before buying), came all stock except for the extended stem (which is perfect for my height).

I proceeded to upgrade a number of the stock components: Salsa Moto Ace 11-degree-sweep handlebars (cut down to around 560mm), Ergon GR2 grips, SRAM X.4 Trigger shifter, MKS Exim (quick-release) pedals with PowerGrips, and a Brooks B.17 Imperial saddle.

The trigger shifter and Ergon grips made riding a lot more comfortable than the stock configuration (lovely bike but the cylindrical handgrips on such a short bar were abominable, especially with the grip shifter taking up half the right handgrip - I occasionally shifted accidentally, or lost track of which direction was up vs. downshift - the triggers are much more precise/definite), then adding the slightly (~2") wider and more swept-back handlebar made the steering MUCH less squirrelly/twitchy.

Then I added a kickstand, and a Carradice SQR Glentress quick-release seatpost bag (which mostly carries a Kryptonite New York Lock, and the MagicShine and RADBOT 1000 lights, when they're not in use). The bag stays home (dropping noticeable weight) if I'm just doing laps around the neighborhood.

I've got a tiny fold-up backpack inside the seatpost bag, so I can lock the bike somewhere, then put the seatpost bag and pedals into the tiny backpack, if I wander away from the bike. Or, if we're out around the neighborhood, and buy something unexpected, it gives me a hands-free way to carry it home. And the seatpost bag/contents normally stay home (quick-release is nice) if I'm just out riding for exercise, without plans to stop.

I also bought a dozen feet of 1" silver Reflexite V82 Conspicuity Tape, along with a 7/8" hole punch, and proceeded to "decorate" the rims and a few key spots on the frame (and my helmet) with little circles. They mostly blend in on the silver bike during the day, but light up a lot when they meet headlights at night.

And one special mention to the Steady Eye clip-on helmet mirror, which seems far more robust, and far less in-the-way than any of the other helmet-mounted mirrors I considered.

Possible things to add in the future include a Sigma BC1609 computer (wired, because I've read of trouble with signal interference from lights, etc.), Schwalbe Marathon Plus or Big Apple tires, when the stock tires wear out, and Kool Stop MTB brake pads, just because everyone keeps recommending them.

This is my only bike, and I plan to keep it that way -- the Swift seems like one of the few bikes where you can have just one for every purpose. Plus, folding means it can fit in a very small corner of a very small house (as well as easily storing in the car's trunk on occasion).

I've noticed that a big upside for this bike is that, with its mostly off-the-shelf parts, you can do lots of upgrades. The only downside seems to be... you can do lots of upgrades. Plus, bikeforums.net should be arrested for "aiding and abetting"; I've gotten all sorts of dangerous ($$$) ideas here :)

Two pictures, taken too late in the day; tried to fill in the shadows and ended up getting a bunch of the otherwise-stealthy Reflexite dots to light up.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4139/...0dd986291b.jpghttp://farm5.static.flickr.com/4080/...5f99624fe6.jpg

CarlRJ
Very nice posting about your Swift. That was great to attach the website and item when describing the upgrades that you made to your Swift. Gave me some good ideas.
Thanks again. :thumb:

bump- Can anyone help me out on this?

I haven't had any problem getting my front wheel out, so can't answer that precisely, but I can provide some close-up pictures (click through for bigger images) of what the brakes look like on my Swift -- you can compare to yours to see if the geometry looks substantially different (e.g. if you've got considerably less "slack"); if nothing else, presumably you could (temporarily) loosen the screw on the top of the right (in the pics) arm, that holds the (nearly) end of the cable, to get the wheel out.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4121/...ca633e38_m.jpghttp://farm5.static.flickr.com/4073/...d7d50671_m.jpghttp://farm5.static.flickr.com/4142/...c960baf2_m.jpg

Greetings, Swift owners! I have just joined your club.

I've been riding folders for the past two years and during that time my needs have evolved. Initially, a compact fold was my biggest concern but as time has progressed, I have found myself less and less concerned with compactness and more and more concerned with speed and performance. Part of this has been driven by a longish commute (10-12 miles each way) and part by the fact that I started riding a full-size touring bike a year ago for long road trips, so I've gotten used to (and appreciative of) how powerfully a big bike can perform. And at the end of the day, I want to ride my bike as much as possible, so I want a bike that's going to encourage me to do that--a bike that feels effortless and joyful to ride, not one whose inadequacies I have to struggle against.

To show you the evolution, I have ridden in succession over the past two years a Downtube 8H, Downtube Mini, vintage 80's Peugeot, Downtube Nova, and Dahon Speed P8. As nice as the Dahon is, I was still feeling dissatisfied with the ride, and the folding was complicated and fiddly. I had heard great things about the Swift's performance, but I kept resisting because it seemed like the fold wasn't particularly good. Then--flash of insight--it occurred to me that as long as the fold was "good enough" to fit in the trunk of a taxi or car, it didn't need to be super-compact. At this point, I started seriously fantasizing about the Swift. Finally, I broke down and yesterday I went straight after work to a folding bike specialist, took the Swift on a test ride and, well, you know the rest... the credit card got handed over and I had a fantastic, zippy ride all 12 miles home--and passed several folks on "big bikes" along the way!

I love the simplicity and elegance of this machine, the beauty of the frame, the lightness of the bike, the slenderness of the footprint, the quickness of the fold, the power of the ride. And I love the fact that it was created by a local designer. I think I may have just found folding bike nirvana. It makes me wonder, what took me so long?

Guess it's time to sell the Dahon...

So, on to modding... I don't have the mechanical ingenuity and skill of just about everyone else on BF, and I don't want to needlessly clutter up the elegant simplicity of the Swift frame, but there are a few things I am planning on changing on my Swift:

* Replace the stock Kenda Kwest tires with Schwalbe Marathon Racers
* Add a water bottle cage to the headset
* Add lights and a bell to the handlebar and a rear light to the seat post
* Kickstand (possibly--will wait and see if I really need it)

The shop had already replaced the stock pedals with a very elegant pair of folding pedals (not the cheap plastic kind), which makes the fold even nicer.

Question: I am thinking about cargo-carrying options and what kind of rack might work. While I love the classic horizontal rear rack, it seems that this solution would interfere with the fold. I've looked at the cross-rack, but I'm don't like the vertical orientation (harder to strap random things to it) and that its weight is supported by the seat post. At the moment, I am seriously considering the Dahon Front Traveller Rack, which seems like it would provide the benefits of a standard horizontal frame-mounted rack without interfering with the fold. (I also like its look and price.) Your thoughts?

Aargh! I managed to swap the front tire but I am having an impossible time removing the rear wheel from the horizontal dropouts. I set the shifter to 8, unhooked the brake, and removed the spindle per the instruction manual, but I can barely get the wheel to budge. I guess it's time to go to my LBS. I wonder if everything's snugged too tightly in there. Sigh.

Removing the rear wheel of the Swift is a bit of a tricky task. Take the chain off the chainwheel as this will give you more room to work with. Pull the rear mechanism back and the wheel should slide out backwards. You will need a degree in juggling and a broad vocabulary! Once you've done it one it gets easier.

You have to re-set your pads and bolts by moving the fat spacers on the outside of the V-brakes and move the thinner spacers inside of the V. This way you will have the sides of the V more parallel between them, so stronger-better feeling brakes.

Hi Paul, thanks for your advice. I will say that even though I am no bike mechanic, I have removed plenty of rear wheels and this was the first time I was unsuccessful. I am taking it to the folding bike shop where I brought it and will sit with the mechanic while they remove it so I can see how it's done. At this point, I'm too frustrated and I don't want to inadvertently damage my beautiful new bike.

Do you (or anyone else reading this) have any thoughts about a front rack for carrying stuff? To me it looks like a better solution than the cross-rack. Also, I am very pleased with the water bottle cage I installed on the stem. It makes a convenient hook by which to hang the handlebars off the top tube when the bike is folded.

I like my Crossrack. What don't you like about it?

Hey neighbor! Are you still hauling your kids up the hill at the GWB?

What I don't like about the cross-rack is that it (1) just out the back, adding to the folded profile, (2) is vertical, so would make it more difficult to strap random objects on, unlike a horizontal rack (there's gravity to contend with), (3) hangs off the seat post, which both limits the distance with which one can push in the post (an integral part of the locked fold, no?) and seems like it could stress the post?

But if you've had positive experiences, please let me know! Any and all cargo-carrying solutions are being considered right now. Thanks.

If you're looking at "any and all" cargo solutions, it's worth considering Carradice's SQR ("Seatpost Quick Release") series of seatpost-mounted bags; there's the Tour, Slim, and Trax, which are all 16 liter bags of varying dimensions, and the Glentress 5 liter waterproof bag (which is what I have), as well as the SQR System, which basically gets you mounting hardware and a frame to which you can attach most any bag (or what have you). Capacity is 10kg (22 pounds), nearly that of the CrossRack, and much more than any other seatpost mount I could find (and the mounting is very secure and hardware is very high quality).

Yes, these are all seatpost mount, like Xootr's CrossRack, but the SQR mount is pretty low profile, and can be mounted right under the seat, so the seatpost can still go down almost as far when you fold (end of standard length seatpost gets within about 2-1/2" of the rear wheel.

(BTW, if you or anyone else do end up going with Carradice SQR, be sure to select "Size: large", which gets you mounting rings that will fit around the Swift's 34mm seatpost -- the "Size: standard" rings are too small.)

I've got a Crossrack and I like it too. I tried lots of rack/bag combos for my Swift and this one has worked the best for me. I use it on the front and the back. The back has proved best for heavier loads - as Noteon would attest - but the front is more convenient and it doesn't get in the way on the seatpost for the fold. The front is also better for getting the carryout BBQ home in some sort of order.

Hi tblott3, where/how on the front do you mount the crossrack? Can you describe or include a picture?

Nope, not hauling them up that one anymore. Now we go from Dyckman up to 181st on that long hill on Broadway most mornings. And occasionally up to the Cloisters on the way, for no rational reason.

I can't quite tell from their graphics how the bag mounts on the SQR. I have a Carradice Nelson Longflap on my randonneuring bike (not the Swift), and I'm looking at it, then back at that graphic, then back at the bag... Do you have one of these? What happens with the leather straps that usually go through the saddle loops?

Urbanis, if you're thinking of something like a Carradice bag, would a Bagman do what you want? http://www.velofred.com/product_info.php?products_id=38

I have one. It's a little under-engineered, but a little blue Loctite has held it together over half a dozen brevets.

Have you seen a Crossrack in person? We could rendezvous...

I have a "CarraDry SQR Glentress", which is a comparatively small (5 liter) waterproof bag using the SQR mount; the bag is essentially built around a frame very similar to (mostly a bit smaller than) the one you're looking at.

The leather straps for attaching the top of a normal saddlebag would go on the crossbar at the top of the frame, near where that carrying strap is attached (okay some of this is educated guesswork, I haven't seen that frame close up).

All of the Carradice SQR bags share a common frame, made of 6-7mm steel(yes?) rod, bent and welded so there's a long thin triangle frame on either side, with two crossbars connecting the triangles at one end, forming a rectangle roughly 2 inches on a side; this rectangle attaches to the SQR block on the seatpost. The picture shows roughly how things attach. All the SQR bags have the frame built in; they also sell a "SQR System" (or "SQR Uplift") which is essentially the system minus any bag (bring your own).
http://carlrj.com/images/SQR.png

For what it's worth, the Bagman, as far as I can tell, doesn't quick-release in any way -- if you put it on a folder like the Swift, then you've got this sort of oversized coat-hanger thing sticking out behind the seat all the time (though I'm just going from pictures, haven't seen one up close).