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).

Congrats on your purchase. How much carrying capacity do you need? I've found that the cheap Gnashbar front rack for forks with canti-posts work quite well for my needs, and doesn't interfere with the fold unless you're trying to flip the front wheel all the way around. If you want something nicer, you can always spring for the Nitto M12.

Here's the way I do it. The cockpit setup is a bit different these days but that's where I mount the Crossrack.

Hope this helps.

tblott3, thank you!

You're very welcome, Urbanis.

Hi Swifters, thanks for all your advice so far on cargo-carrying solutions. I am so sick already of hauling heavy things around on my back that I went ahead and bought a Dahon Traveller Front Rack from our beloved Thor and Ergon GR2 grips. Noteon and I will schedule a date for me to check out his crossrack soon.

I should be doing a bike photo session in a few days since I need to sell my Dahon, so pictures are coming...

Also, this was my first morning taking the Swift on the subway during rush hour. Even though the fold is less compact than my Dahon, it actually was easier to manage and took up less room in the car, due to the slender footprint. And it was refreshingly quick to fold and unfold it, and light enough to carry easily up and down stairs in the station.

I'm seriously in love with this bicycle. What an amazing design!

I have been preaching this to whoever is within earshot. :thumb:
I have also preached this. :D

Just wanted to share that I hit 40mph downhill this past weekend in an organized ride with the Swift Folder. I felt secure on it and even passed some roadies on their high end bikes (must have been the steel frame, IGH, and all the other misc accessories :lol: )

Bumping up the thread with a question...

So I was riding home last night and about 4 miles from home bailed and took the subway--I was pooped! I was feeling both annoyed by carrying things on my back (can't wait for that rack to arrive!) and tired by leaning over so far to reach the handlebars. If I wanted to achieve a more upright position, should I consider getting the taller riser (12"/300mm) or shorter stem (60mm, 5 deg) or both? I'm 5'8" (173cm) tall with a sleeve length of about 32" (81cm).

Thanks for your input.

You should probably get both. But don't get rid of the other items - as you gain riding experience, you may want to resume the more forward reach position again.

Hm, looking at the stems again, the standard and short are both 60mm; the only difference is the angle (standard is 35 deg, short is 5 deg). Since the length is the same and the stem angles upwards, I'd actually have a shorter distance to the handlebars with the standard, rather than the short. Correct?

In any case, I'm going to do so more riding with the stock set-up to see if I was having a bad moment or whether I'd really prefer a taller riser.

Note also that the stems can be mounted "upside down", changing the resulting handlebar position somewhat.

And, if I'm not mistaken, while the riser tube is a part manufactured for the Swift, the stem is a common off-the-shelf component -- I expect there are many choices of "1-1/8inch threadless stems" that would work on the Swift, with varying lengths/angles/materials (some even with adjustable angles). You may find a 3rd party stem that does better for you than the particular ones Xootr offers.

Xootr has more information on the seatpost, stem, riser, and resulting distances for various combinations, on their Frame Geometry page. They also point out the risers can be trimmed to shorter lengths (so you could make an intermediate length by trimming the longer one).

For what it's worth, I found that replacing the stock handlebar with one a couple inches wider, and slightly swept back, made a substantial positive difference in the bike's handling for me (and that also changes the distance to the handgrips).

this is me thinking out loud on my eventual optimal rack setup (a little scatter brained):

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...=#post11010422

if you look at the photos from my post a few above yours, you will see crossrack doesn't interfere much with fold. sometimes it is a little more annoying to stuff into the trunk of small car with crossrack protruding, but not that much more.

i emailed peter to see about welding something like the dahon luggage socket on the front head tube, he said it wasn't a possibility but would think of other ideas.

as for being able to strap random objects to a vertical rack, the crossrack bag is huge, most likely could fit random object inside or buy a bigger single pannier and stuff inside that.

when purchasing the bike, we tried fitting the bike friday rear rack, but the seat post seemed too thick to fit between the stays when folded. still brainstorming a solution to that.

@sqynt

how does this ride in terms of steering? can you notice the weight in the steering

As with any front load that is attached to the steering components (handlebar, stem, forks), the heavier the load, the greater effect it will have on steering response. Even a load as little as an U-lock is noticeable. How much you can handle will depend on how the load is carried, and how comfortable you are with the results. Your best bet is to keep the weight as close to the steering axis as possible, where the weight will have the least angular momentum. Putting the weight lower, on a fork mounted rack instead of a handlebar mounted one, will also help.

Beyond that, you'll just have to try it out to see. It really bothers some people, and not so much for others.