What suitcase is that?

pretty sure it's the vertical 30" Samsonite hardshell, the one described on the Xootr packing instruction page:

http://www.xootr.com/swift-suitcase-...tructions.html

I got it from the previous owner. it's pretty well beat up, so I have to tape one of the hinges shut. but it does the job...

I carefully measured/calculated the fork offset at approximately 28mm. I also confirmed the other specs and they're all spot on.

Here is the Redline Flight R6 Expert Fork with the Rans B75 stem riser (which has 3.25" of forward reach):
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=195245
total weight = 675g + QR seat clamp vs 750g + stem for the Airnimal J-Stem configuration
...which is probably almost three pounds lighter than the stock Swift fork+riser+stem arrangement.

Similar inexpensive 1 piece stem risers for 1-1/8" steerers are available from various recumbent dealers with the following amounts of forward reach: 2.5", 3.25", 3.5", 4.5", 5.5", 6.5".

Nice research Chucky. Those stems are huge though, any smaller sizes available? I only need 12" rise x 3" reach on my Swift.

Do you recall any of the names of the recumbent dealers stocking other sizes?

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=195377
(My homebrew riser w/80mm Ritchey 1" stem)

RANS makes parts which aren't in their online catalog such as the B-75 I purchased which is 13" long with 3.25" of reach. I got mine from RANS because I needed some other unlisted RANS stuff, but these guys stock everything and reputedly have the lowest shipping fees:
http://www.easystreetrecumbents.com/

Alternatively you could always cut a longer one down with a pipe cutter and add your own stress relief slot. IMO this is actually preferred because I think the relief slots are too long on my B-75 riser (which limits how far I can trim the fork steerer).

Be careful though...I haven't even ridden mine yet so I can't say whether it might snap off on the first ride (although it feels strong and rigid). Also remember that the stock fork tapers to 1" (vs 1-1/8" for replacement forks) and that replacement forks need a method for retaining headset tension like this:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/handsup.html#threadless

Just returning to the subject of bottle cages on the Swift for a moment. I have had the bottle held in a Rixen/Kaul bag on the front of the stem riser which was fine except that I like to use a bar bag and the bottle got in the way. I dug out an old Blackburn bottle cage and tied it to the seat post using Velcro straps.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=195393

The cage is held in place very well and does not move. It is also easy to remove when folding the bike. A standard bottle fits fine but I have not yet tried a taller bottle. It does not brush against my legs when pedaling. Might be a solution for some people who do not wish to spend lots of money on specialist brackets.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=195394

bad luck today. hit a pothole and my CrossRack bag went flying. luckily the laptop wasn't damaged, but it landed on one of the hooks which broke off. I doubt it is repairable, so will probably need to get a new one. it was indeed attached to the rack with the holding pin, but perhaps not tightly enough.

on the subject of water bottles, I used the Minoura but found i couldn't get it tight enough to keep from sliding down the riser. so I will probably order a new riser with the mounts for a holder. too much of a pain otherwise.

Just joined the Swift club...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30684316@N08/5575370123/

Thanks to the info Chucky. I've contacted Easy Street Recumbents about one, they're going to check their stock to find the best fit.

IIRC some Swift owner here (Jur?) uses an aluminum riser tube clamped to their stock fork's steerer. They said it was a bit flexy but not too bad. I'd imagine these alloy risers will perform as good or better. We'll see.

New convert - Swift with Doves
 

Hello Swifters,

I joined the club last December, motivated by an old house with no garage and undesirable outdoor storage, which made the basement the only storage option. Over the last couple years that hassle factor cut our riding way back, especially with the S.O.'s heavy, unwieldy hybrid.

This is her bike. It gets far more use than her last bike just because it's so easy to get up from the basement. I really love it too. When we ride together I'm on a Breezer Ziggy, which is also new to the household in the last few months after I finally quit hording my old Bridgestone that never really fit me that well. Every time I grab the Swift I'm super impressed with it. There's enough bike there to keep me very happy. On the Breezer I'm always aware of the compromises. But I do like it for my multi-mode commute and tooling around when I just want transport and as long as I'm not thinking like a critic I have a good time on that bike, too.

The stock Swift configuration was a bit too sporty for her tastes :(. At 6' and leggy, she's at max seat post extension and even with the taller Xootr riser stem the bars were below seat height. Fitted with Doves the bars are about level with the seat and the the Swift is still, well, Swift! And comfy. An awesome heads-up, responsive city rider. It a fun, fun bike.

Pickup in Illinois pretty good deal http://cgi.ebay.com/VERY-NICE-XOOTR-...44859222336576

That's one strong wheel!
 

I hit a nasty pothole in Boston last week. The CrossRack bag went flying (wasn't strapped quite tightly enough). When I got home, I noticed that I had also broken I spoke. I suppose it's possible the spoke broke later, but my guess is it happened at the pothole ... which was 6 or 7 miles from home.

The amazing thing: when I took it to the LBS today to get a replacement spoke, they said that pretty much all the other spokes still looked true. I'm amazed because every time I've broken a spoke on other bikes, the wheel has gone way out of alignment.

That's one strong wheel!

wow mtalinm you're one lucky guy! - been a bit the opposite for me.
my rear rim failed. not sure when. it's been rubbing the brakes for a couple of days now. pretty silly but i just assumed that it just needed some truing. and when i finally got around to it today, i realized that the rim has cracked. im really lucky i didnt get a blowout as a result. i think what sealed the coffin was riding in to the market with about 30kg of stuff to sell (i weigh about 70kg)

a bit disappointed as i've only had my swift 1.5yrs, but i have ridden through 2 winters, and have probably got a bit of grit wearing through those rims.. would really like to get some of those calipers to see if rim-wear was the problem.... No idea the distances i've covered. work-home is only 3miles. though i do use it for all of my transport..

anyway, as it happens, i'm planning to go on a cycle tour to portugal in a couple of weeks and need to get this fixed. and my problem at the moment is in finding a 20" wheel with a hub so i can swap the 8spd cassette over to it.... and i just cant find any? do i need to get one built? am in london so appreciate if anybody knows where to get these?

my girlfriend is always giving me sh*t for my "ridiculous" bike so i have to get this fixed quick smart ;)

Dang! I almost put a bid in on this thing (only 3 minutes left) then realized they won't ship. Too bad.

UPDATE: sold for $312.77. Somebody got a deal!

There a couple of places in London that deal in recumbents and other small wheeled bikes that should something off the peg that would work... I've never dealt with any of them directly. I bet these guys could help: http://www.bikefix.co.uk/shop/index.php

You'd probably be best off getting a new wheel built up around your existing hub, provided it's in good shape.

That's an awesome build!

Why the double brake levers if you only have a front brake? You can remove those brake bosses by using a crescent wrench on the flats (at least you can on a Xootr Swift).

finally, someone else on here with swept back/upright bars! i'm using ones from civia. i really want to get the handlebars, and handlebar height, angle, seat setback, etc, right this summer. will probably buy a few different upright bars. i'm pretty confused as to which shops to approach for a "professional" fitting. i'm leaning towards taking a trip to trophy bikes since they are most likely to know how to do fitting with regards to a folder as well

falling out of love with CrossRack + bag
 

maybe this is of more general interest, but I haven't heard of many non-Xootr customers using the CrossRack so I thought I'd put it here.

I was excited to pick up the CrossRack + bag given the description on the Xootr website. And when I first got it, it seemed like a terrific setup. Over time, though, I've become much less enamored with it:

1. if your seat isn't perfectly straight -- as is sometimes likely to happen given the Swift's pull-out-the-seatpost folding structure -- the CrossRack easily gets off-center and can do weird things to your balance, especially at high speeds.

2. also when you need to fold the bike, the CrossRack with much of anything in the bag makes it difficult to lift the seatpost out. so you either have to take the bag off the rack or detach the pieces. The latter takes a lot of finger stretch, and the former while not difficult is a pain esp. because I worry I will lose the clip that holds the bag in place.

3. not to mention the clip that holds the bag in place is completely necessary. even a small bump can send the CrossRack bag flying (as has happened to me too many times).

4. maybe this is not a huge problem for taller people, but with my inseam (29") the CrossRack bag is hard to fit without creating heelstrike or digging into my admittedly-fat thighs.

5. even though at first I though the CR bag was a cool design, I don't like not having compartments.

so I've removed the CrossRack and installed a regular Topeak rack so I can use my DXP bag with it. I ended up having to set it back a ways to avoid heelstrike, but I think it is going to work out well. if not, i'll report back.

I've got two crossracks and none of the bags. Seems all of your problems except for the off-center balance issue (which is user error and will occur with any seatpost mounted rack) are a problem you have with the bag. I have no idea what the bag Xootr sells is like, but the crossrack with standard Arkel paniers is pure win.

I'm getting these guys to put in a 5-speed Sturmey on my Swift! They're pretty friendly & is really nice to go into a shop that has many more folders & small-wheeled bikes than just bromptons. Will let you know how it goes.

sounds awesome.....can you post a review of that set-up when done?

ack, a standard rack prevents the Swift from folding properly (well, the connector arms that hold it into place). looks like I'll be getting another bag and sticking with the crossracks.

jakub.ner, when you say "standard Arkel panniers" do you mean this? http://www.arkel-od.com/us/all-categ...-panniers.html

You could use any good pannier with that cross-rack. I used a Deuter in NZ. Never a whimper. :)

I use the following "utility basket" from Arkel: (http://www.arkel.ca/ca_e/all-categor...ty-basket.html)

I've also use Axiom bags (something similar to this but not exact: http://www.axiomgear.com/products/ge...rs/monsoon-lx/)

When folding I take the bags off. The Arkel bag is *much* better than the Axiom bag for quick lifting off of the rack. Since I take the seat post and handlebar post off, the rack itself doesn't interfere with the fold (I bag all of these separatelly in the usual case).

I've had the rack in the front and in the back in the past (see pic). Currently I only use the cross-rack in the front and have a normal seat post mounting rack in the back.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=197997

oh, crossrack in the front? how well does that work? I'm heavy, so that would be a great idea if it doesn't present too much wind resistance

[QUOTE=mtalinm;12509270]ack, a standard rack prevents the Swift from folding properly (well, the connector arms that hold it into place). looks like I'll be getting another bag and sticking with the crossracks.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=198162

The connector arms will need to be bolted to either the rear triangle via 'P' clips or secured by the lower of the two seat Q/Rs otherwise the bike will not fold. You may need to experiment with the "arms" to allow the seat post to slip between them.

indeed, I had it on the lower QR, but then the once folded the connector arms -- at least the ones i have - block the seatpost from resting on the wheel to keep it from unfolding. sorry i was not more precise....


[QUOTE=Paul Braithwait;12515769]

It's like a fairing ;). j/k.

Yesterday did a ride with 40km/h-50km/h winds and 70km/h gusts. I got pulled to the side sometimes but didn't loose control. It must affect things but I'm sticking with the setup.

[QUOTE=mtalinm;12516242]indeed, I had it on the lower QR, but then the once folded the connector arms -- at least the ones i have - block the seatpost from resting on the wheel to keep it from unfolding. sorry i was not more precise....

The "arms" on the rack in my picture are round but I have tried another rack with "flat" arms and they prevented the seat post from slipping through so I know what you mean. If you use the Q/R to secure the arms there will not be much room between them. Using 'P' clips on the rear triangle gives you more options and space.


[

[QUOTE=Paul Braithwait;12518889]I just rest the seatpost on the rack's connector arms. It makes the folded package kinda tall, but not unmanageable. Other than the extra height, it doesn't affect the the fold / locking the rear triangle in position at all.

Also, if I'm popping in to shop or cafe, I tend to lock up the bike (folded) and carry the seatpost in with me. I've never liked the idea of having to carry a rack with me too when I do this which is why I opted for a conventional rack over something like the Crossrack.