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Originally Posted by khuong
(Post 13685379)
I bought a Swift on ebay hoping to enjoy it when I came back from a November vacation. Unfortunately it came in two packages, the second package never came with the front wheel :(
Does anyone have any recommendations on front wheels? The standard front wheel on the Xootr site is temporarily out of stock. I know most people have their own wheels built for weight + performance reasons, but I am just looking for a quick fix. Thanks! Maybe you could get a Dahon wheel from Thor since you are in the US? http://www.thorusa.com/accessories/wheels.htm Edit: Also look around. If it is for just a few weeks maybe there is a 20" childs bike (that is not being used by a child of course) you could get hold of and use the front wheel? I had problems with my 20" folder on a biketour this summer, started popping spokes. I found a 20" childs bike by the dumpster at the camping site and managed to use that wheel approx one week until I got home and could fix it permanentely. This really was an eye opener on the fact tat standard wheels (spoke lenght, spoke count and so on) and standard gear solutions (shifter) can be really important. If you need to buy something at full price to solve your problem maybe buy a wheel with a dynohub? Not the cheapest but you get something that many would find wery useful. Can be used for lights and for charging a cellphone. |
Originally Posted by mtalinm
(Post 13660739)
I put an avid shorty ultimate on front and it just wouldn't grab enough for my liking.
Funny thing with all this talk about drop conversions is that I'm planning on reverting my conversion. The Swift is a brilliant bike, but I simply don't ride it enough. To sum it up, I'm just afraid to lock it up anywhere. Every time I do, I think someone would have quick released the entire cockpit and walked off with half the bike. I find my anxiety level to be much lower if I just lock up one of my lower profile, "normal" bikes. I hate to part with it, so I'm converting it back to flat bars (well sort of, I'll be using Euro touring bars). This will at least allow me to justify having it in the garage as a very adjustable guest bike. |
Good point on the drum brakes, which are designed to work with short-pull road/canti levers. I may consider a rear drum if I ever get tired of bar-end shifters and decide I want to go back to STI. Fortunately Sturmey-Archer now makes a cassette hub with a rear drum brake.
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Go to page 78 and look for my post from a few years ago. We had a quite extensive discussion on disc brakes and disc brake forks for the Swift.
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Originally Posted by red5un
(Post 13557271)
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=229233http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=229231http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=229232
been lurking on this thread for months now and finally built up my own custom swift. after riding a birdy for the past 9 years i wanted something simpler with 406 wheels. kinda went crazy making a super light (super as in not bank breaking ultra) single speed swift. still considering making it into a fixie, but frankly, i love coasting. so i picked up the frame personally from peter in Brooklyn on a business trip. that man is a saint. aluminum frame custom painted white with suguino cranks and single speed conversion kit. the fork is the Trigon carbon fork that kaito used on his swift. got it from performer.com.tw and they powder coated it white for free. the first one actually got crushed in the mail and cracked. george and nellie from performer sent me a new one right away, again a pair of saints. picked up the pair of kinetix wheels and white kojaks from dahon spares. they are incredibly light. the 74mm to 100mm axle nuts are from speedmatrix depot. the stem, guidonnet lever and cabling is from velo orange. nitto rb-21's, white brooks-esque saddle, titanium QR skewers, crazy light kcnc seatpost and white tektro 556's are all trawled from the ebay. funny thing about the front brake, it was about 2mm too short on one side and i thought i could get away with it. well, i didn't and popped the front tube and tore out the side wall of the front tire. the guys at my local (urbane cyclist in Toronto) fixed me up with a little hand milled front brake extender that dropped it down by a cm. they also dug up an orange stelvio tire that looks pretty damn sharp. finally the pedals are from fyxation and a set of straps are on the way. as a final touch peter told me that tradition is you can only put on the swift folder label after your first ride. decided instead of just putting on the decal horizontally i'd wrap it around the top tube on an angle. has a nice swiss design touch to it. now the only problem i have is that there isn't much more i can mess with the bike. had a really good time building this one up, guess i'll just have to ride it. or get another. oh forgot to mention, it weighs just under 17lbs. I was planning on using the same Trigon fork that you guys have on your Swift. If you could help, please tell me how you both got it to work. -Did you guys have a long spacer made to go over the steerer tube? -How did you pre-load the headset? -Did you use a 1-1/8 standard threadless headset or was it integrated (I can't tell by the pics)? Thanks a bunch! |
Nevermind, I figured it out via Sheldon Brown's seat collar technique.
I just picked up a Xootr on Craigslist for a really good deal and can't wait to get this project rolling. Anyway, Anyone have luck on finding a lighter replacement for the Xootr seatpost (34 mm IIRC?) Thanks |
Nevermind, I figured it out via Sheldon Brown's seat collar technique.
I just picked up a Xootr on Craigslist for a really good deal and can't wait to get this project rolling. Anyway, Anyone have luck on finding a lighter replacement for the Xootr seatpost (34 mm IIRC?) Thanks |
Originally Posted by NamSF
(Post 13732210)
Nevermind, I figured it out via Sheldon Brown's seat collar technique.
I just picked up a Xootr on Craigslist for a really good deal and can't wait to get this project rolling. Anyway, Anyone have luck on finding a lighter replacement for the Xootr seatpost (34 mm IIRC?) Thanks |
Originally Posted by BruceMetras
(Post 13732587)
You can run the Kore 34mm post from Dahon.. those are pretty light in comparison to the stock post.. I ran a carbon Dahon XX post on my Xootr, but really wouldn't recommend a carbon post as the integrity of the Xootr frame relies so heavily on the seatpost and its two seatpost clamps.
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t..._bullhorns.jpg |
Originally Posted by BruceMetras
(Post 13732587)
You can run the Kore 34mm post from Dahon.. those are pretty light in comparison to the stock post.. I ran a carbon Dahon XX post on my Xootr, but really wouldn't recommend a carbon post as the integrity of the Xootr frame relies so heavily on the seatpost and its two seatpost clamps.
I've owned 700c wheeled bikes in the past, and this will be my first 20"er. I was thinking about building a light fixed gear commuter. Sorry for all the questions, but has anyone on the board built rear wheels with skipped spokes, i.e. 36h w/ 18 spokes? like this one...http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2004/walter.htm (was thinking of a similar setup, 36h surly x aeroheat) I was worried about spoke breakage and truing, although I'm 150lbs wet. I wouldn't normally build something with such little spokes, but 406 wheels tend to be stronger than 700c wheels right? Also, best lacing for this set up? Thanks! |
Yeah I built a skipped spoke wheelset for my wife's Moulton APB. I basically skipped pairs because skipping every second one results in all spokes going to one flange being stressed at the rim due to the angled nipple holes.
On my Swift (pic above) I skipped every 2nd spoke on the non-drive side and laced that side radially as well. |
I am over 6'4" and had a problem at first with flips over the handlebars. One was with a pothole. The other was instant braking to avoid a collision with a car. By putting on a three inch extension to the steerer tube, the problem was solved.
It is a very good bike and this little tweak made it safe for taller riders. |
Originally Posted by ginojames
(Post 12931867)
Ok all ordered up after a lot of uming and talking to my local bike shop about fitting the hub
The main thing I was worrying about was the axel length on the s2c as it 162mm, so it would only leave 7mm either side to get a lock nut on, the guy at the shop insured me it will be ok..... I will post some pics when I'm finished I'm trying to figure out if the S2C, with its 162mm axle length, would indeed work on the Swift. Has anyone actually done it? I haven't found any concrete evidence anywhere. Advice? Comment? Thanks much! |
lexm had a Swift built for his wife with the S2.
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Found it! Very nice. I note that it's a custom. I wonder if the rear dropout dimensions are the same. Sir, if you're out there, could you chime in with the particulars? I was just going to order a stock model from Xootr and change some parts.
Thanks! |
You could also buy just the Xootr frame from designer Peter Reich (contact via Xootr) and build it up as you want.
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Originally Posted by jur
(Post 13796749)
You could also buy just the Xootr frame from designer Peter Reich (contact via Xootr) and build it up as you want.
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The Sram Duomatic has spacers so it can be out to 130mm.
http://www.universalcycles.com/shopp...&category=2713 |
Originally Posted by Dynocoaster
(Post 13797593)
The Sram Duomatic has spacers so it can be out to 130mm.
http://www.universalcycles.com/shopp...&category=2713 |
Originally Posted by Dynocoaster
(Post 13797593)
The Sram Duomatic has spacers so it can be out to 130mm.
http://www.universalcycles.com/shopp...&category=2713 Another question that I haven't been able to find the answer to (it's not on Sram's site) - What's the chain line for this hub? Thanks again, all. |
Hello. I've been enjoying an 8-speed IGH hub on my swift, but I'm thinking of switching to a fixed gear (I'll keep the old wheel, of course). Looks like 20 inch complete wheels with fixed hubs are hard to come by, so I assume I'll have to get something built. There are a number of great fixed swifts on the forum, but any suggestions for setting up the swift as a fixed?
In particular, I'm wondering if it's worth getting 451 rims given the expense and limited tire selection or if I should stick with 406s. |
Originally Posted by nstone
(Post 13809038)
In particular, I'm wondering if it's worth getting 451 rims given the expense and limited tire selection or if I should stick with 406s.
others' mileage varies |
hey well this is very interesting. I just got a quote from HPM to weld a disc tab onto my fork, but I'd of course have to pull it off the bike and ship it to them and wait. if I can just do this with a jubilee clip (and new wheel, of course) it would be days not weeks.
performance question: I have drums on my Trek Soho and they suck rocks. equally bad wet or dry. so I am nervous, though I've heard that the Sturmey-Archer version is much more effective - some say they are as good as disc brakes. is that possible?
Originally Posted by bendembroski
(Post 13678714)
I'll just toss one more option out there:
A drum brake. I don't know what the weight penalty would be compared to a disc conversion, but they pull the same amount of cable as road levers. They stop well, and a new wheel much simpler solution than trying to get a disc fitted. I used drums on my Swift and was extremely happy with them. They stopped fine (on par with a good set of v-brakes IMHO), weren't affected by weather, needed no maintenance, and I didn't have to worry about the rotor getting bashed while the bike was folded and in transit. It doesn't really jive with the 'high prefomance' feel you are looking for, but that's probably a matter of aesthetics more than function.. |
Originally Posted by mtalinm
(Post 13833102)
hey well this is very interesting. I just got a quote from HPM to weld a disc tab onto my fork, but I'd of course have to pull it off the bike and ship it to them and wait. if I can just do this with a jubilee clip (and new wheel, of course) it would be days not weeks.
performance question: I have drums on my Trek Soho and they suck rocks. equally bad wet or dry. so I am nervous, though I've heard that the Sturmey-Archer version is much more effective - some say they are as good as disc brakes. is that possible? |
nice to hear, nice to hear
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Just wondering if anyone with experience on their Swift has any caveats/general advice on my potential build. I've done some research to come up with this. This is for primarily having a "performance" bike I can take with me and ride when I travel, and ideally commuting as well. Potentially even some group rides:
I definitely want drops and something that has reasonably high gearing so I'm thinking of 451 wheels, a wide cassette 11-32 with a large front chainring (~56 teeth), and no front derailleur (to reduce weight/maintenance). I don't really want to have to go with Capreo because of it's expensive/exclusive parts. I've read 451 wheels have fewer tire choices, but I won't need studded tires (I have a 26" MTB winter bike for bad conditions). I ride a lot of hills so I want wider gearing. Obviously it doesn't have to be a small fold - I just need it to fit in a suitcase occasionally. Any advice/tips appreciated! |
IDC, I imagine you'll get a ton of responses to this question. I'll weigh in as an owner of two Swifts, one the standard config and the other with drop bars.
The Swift is a great bike with drop bars. I wouldn't say it's quite as fast as my road bike, but it's not a huge difference. If you want drop bars you will need to do 451 wheels unless you want to adopt 1) cantilever brakes 2) non-rim brakes like drums or discs 3) extra-extra long reach sidepulls, or 4) Travel Agents (as I have, because I prefer 406 wheels). If road tires are sufficient then you should be fine with Primo Comets or Panaracers, neither of which is to my liking though many folks swear by them. I second your idea of avoiding the Capreo setup. I have it on two rear wheels, a 451 and a 406, but I had to literally file down the derailleur and hanger to get it to drop into the lowest (9-tooth) gear. It's an ugly hack and while it works, I like your idea of a wider cassette with a large front chainring and wish I had done the same. My main caution to you would be that the Swift may not fit eeasily into a suitcase with drop bars. I haven't tried it, but I'm in no hurry to either because I can barely get the flat-0bar version to fit. Mine is a 30" hardshell Samsonite that confirms to airline specs, so I never pay a surcharge. A bigger suitcase might fit drop bars, but check whether your favorite airline charges extra for oversize (many care only about weight, in which case you'd probably be ok). good luck! |
I have mostly what you spec: For a long time I rode my Swift with 406 wheels, a 60T chainring and 11-28T cassette or when I need the extra range, 11-34T cassette.
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t..._bullhorns.jpg Because I found I wanted slightly higher gearing and also don't like the ide of Capreo, I went 451 wheels. The bars are bullhorns but with the upturned front portions sawn off. I eventually installed a FD because I do the Alpine Classic and need the low gears for when my legs are stuffed near the end. But for years I didn't have the FD and I primarily ride in the mountains here. When I installed the 451 wheels I rode with a small chainring fitted and would shift by hand if needed. So, ignoring the FD, I currently have 451 wheels with 60T ring, a 11-28 cassette, bullhorns with cross-top brake levers and barend shifters, an XT Shadow RD. You would need a MTB RD because a road RD does not have enough large cog capacity, especially if you went for a wider range cassette. With a 56T ring you might not need to worry about getting lower gearing especially if you are reasonably fit. But you might find you lack enough top end on fast rides ir slight downhills. That is what I found - on slight downhills, I would tend to end up spinning too fast for my liking. When taking downhills, I like to pedal at lower cadence compared to doing a fast ride on a flat road, mainly because downhill I am resting and don't want to bounce in the saddle. I do ride with the lycra gang from time to time and have no trouble keeping up. My own impression is the Swift is indistinguishable from a road bike in terms of speed, but due to the smaller lighter stiffer wheels it accelerates quickly and really carves through corners; with the bigger wheels the BB is also higher and I can pedal through most corners. I just love the feeling of tucking tight and zooming down descents while pedalling through the bends. http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t.../aaac_2011.jpg http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t...swift_2012.jpg I haven't packed my Swift in a suitcase, but others have and it's not impossible but I understand it's not as simple as some other bikes. To increase the gearing range, you could pair a 10-sp 11-36T MTB cassette with 10-sp road levers. |
[ If you want drop bars you will need to do 451 wheels unless you want to adopt 1) cantilever brakes 2) non-rim brakes like drums or discs 3) extra-extra long reach sidepulls, or 4) Travel Agents (as I have, because I prefer 406 wheels).
You don't need to do any of that. Just get a pair of drop bar brake levers that work with V brakes. There are several around and they are not expensive. I've just had a pair of 406 wheels built for my Swift, using Ultegra hubs and Sun rims with 32 spokes per wheel. They look fantastic but it will be some time before I can fit them as I'm working six long days a week at the moment and the weather is bad. Still, something to look forward to! |
Originally Posted by mtalinm
(Post 13833102)
hey well this is very interesting. I just got a quote from HPM to weld a disc tab onto my fork, but I'd of course have to pull it off the bike and ship it to them and wait. if I can just do this with a jubilee clip (and new wheel, of course) it would be days not weeks.
performance question: I have drums on my Trek Soho and they suck rocks. equally bad wet or dry. so I am nervous, though I've heard that the Sturmey-Archer version is much more effective - some say they are as good as disc brakes. is that possible? The Shimano front roller brake has a widget that is supposed to prevent the brake from locking up. My understanding is that what it really does is hinder the performance of the brake significantly. Sheldon Brown had much to say on the subject if I recall correctly. |
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