Xootr Swift
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Male
99 years old
West Coast
New Zealand
Last Login: 10/5/2008
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http://www.myspace.com/xootrswift |
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Xootr Swift's Details
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| Status: | Single | | Here for: | Networking | | Zodiac Sign: | Cancer | | Smoke / Drink: | No / No | | Occupation: | Personal Transportation | | Income: | $100,000 to $150,000 |
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Xootr Swift is in your extended network
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Xootr Swift's Blurbs |
About me:
Xootr Swift
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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race.
~ H.G. Wells
Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving... Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as [bicycling and] the evolution to a vegetarian diet.
~ Albert Einstein
This is not a Xootr.com sanctioned page, but a place for me to send people who ask questions. I received my original Swift as a gift from dear friends after I spent an early spring in a valley in Utah helping out.
Changes:
I disassembled the whole bike and stripped the paint off the rear triangle, and then polished the raw aluminium back to life. I'm waiting to hear back about a set of "Xootr Swift" decals from Xootr, before I strip the main frame top tube and polish it up.
I added a Velocity Aeroheat 32 hole 406 rim laced onto a SRAM Dual-Drive 3 x 9 rear hub, with a 990 SRAM 11-34 MTB cassette and 991 SRAM hollow pin chain. The short cage SRAM X-O series derailleur never gives me any grief and I prefer Twist Grip Shifters over finger clickers. I also picked up a pair of Ergon Performance Grips for use with Large Hands and Twist Shifters. No more need for padded gloves and no dead hands or fingers.
The Rotor crankset with a 53t chainring rides up a gear or two (11t spins as easily as 13t did before the Rotor crankset, that is, there is more velocity for less effort) on the same hills or straights before I installed Rotor Cranks. I'm less fatigued on long rides and mainly my knees are always happy. The knee bit is worth it in itself to me. I won a set new on eBay (where I get most of my stuff) and it was well worth the price there. I had a local machine shop cut me a custom chain guard from 5051 sheet aluminium, and installed it on the outside, moving the chainring inside.
The Swift aluminium truss frame is stronger than any frame I have ridden, bar none! There is no flex or give and the ride is solid. I added a pair of Greenspeed Kevlar TR 20 x 1.5 Scorcher 100psi low rolling resistance tyres, and at first I thought someone was pushing me. They were that much faster. As it was in switching to Rotor cranks, I couldn't believe the increase in ease and velocity all around with the combo of the tyres and cranks. The 406 wheel/tyre series is lighter and quicker than the 26" mountain bikes I had been riding, even with skinny high pressure slicks. On the Swift I can make tighter turns than my old 700 series road bikes. I also like being able to quickly hop off/over the low frame.
With the internal 3 speed SRAM Dual-Drive rear hub and the 11-34t cassette, I have 27 gears, with 22-127 gear inches of go go. That means it climbs like a mountain bike, right up steep grades like San Francisco hills, and does ok offroad up steep grades on dry earth even with the slicks. I put a pair of 1.90 BMX knobies on once for off roading in the Swiss Alps. I had to slide the rear hub back in the horizontal mounts so the wide tall tyre would fit. I also had to remove one of the factory rear brake pads to take the tyre/wheel on/off, but a 1.90 fits if need be. But any tyre from skinny slicks to knobby bmx tyres work. Versatile!
On top speed, I've come up on pelotons of 700mm razor thin tyred road bikes, and I am not only able to keep up, but also take the lead on my "little wheeled" bike. They see an greying middled aged guy on an unusual bike. They don't tend to notice the Rotor cranks, 100+psi Kevlar low rolling resistance slicks, or the 27 gears, passing them by.
In touring mode, with other bikers on mountain, road, Amsterdam uprights and hybrids, I have found that the combo of the lower mass 406 series wheels with the Greenspeed Kevlar TR Scorchers roll faster, relativity wise, then the rest. I'm faster off the line and many times I am gliding along while others were pushing it for the same speed. One rider was so disgruntled that I coasted past her so much, while she was always pedaling, that she wanted an exact copy of my bike for the next days ride.
Also, with the internal SRAM Dual Drive 3 speed hub, I can change gears while stopped. So if I'm forced into a quick stop, I can downshift into low while stopped, without the cassette grind or needing to stand up on the pedals to get going, even if in 9th (11 teeth), on the cassette. It took a moment to get used to using an index shifter with the Dual Drive, but now my mind counts the X-O twist-clicks, to catch second of three, without thinking.
I had thought originally to use a triple chainring front and Pantour rear hub to take even more of the road-offroad lumps out, but I like the SRAM Dual Drive range and change-gears-when-stopped bit. The rear tyre shreds quite faster than the front because of lack of rear suspension, especially off road and at 100 psi+. But hey my tyres are designed for low rolling resistance and not Swiss Alp singletrack downhilling. I can't see a way to suspend the rear wheel and keep the truss triangle, short of a Pantour hub. I would like a rear disc mount if the Swift frame is ever upgraded as my rims get glow hot on the downhilling. If my Dual Drive wears out I'll get another with a SRAM i-brake roller hub and brake to hold me over.
With the Rotor cranks I am always pushing. There is no dead spot nor do I pull up on the back stroke. There is no need for special shoes with special pedals that cleat into place. This is great for me because I only have one pair of shoes, Teva Terra-fi 2 sandles. I wear waterproof socks when it rains or snows, and coolmax socks when it gets below 60 or so. I found MKS EZ-MT E Quick Release pedals at Calhoun Cycle (just click any photo to link to where I found something). They have a great bunch of parts and were helpful with ideas. Through them, I also found a way to smooth out the wonderfully stiff, 100psi tyred ride.
Calhouncycle.com makes several pieces under their Evolution brand. Their Evolution conversion Cane Creek Thudbuster suspension seatpost for Swifts, along with a Serfas Hybrid R/X saddle, has given me a very happy back and great range of adjustment. Xootr now carries an all black Cane Creek Thudbuster suspension seatpost made just for the Swift in the accessories section. I prefer a polished raw metal over black.
The roads here in small villages of south France are not glass smooth, and the tractor trails in general that I ride, to the next village through the vineyards, olive tree groves, wheat fields and garrigue (a French word for scrouchy scrublands that can have pinon pine woods on the high end and razory briars the low end) are "paved" with big hunks of gravel and potholes. Even on the road, the wonderful stiffness of the truss alunimium frame, along with my choice of the 100psi tyres, and my aging body, demanded suspension relief.
On eBay, I also won a Mecs Saso 1-1/8" 20" recumbent/tandem fork, but it is available elsewhere. It has oil on one side and spring on the other and both sides are adjustable, rebound and impact. Dial it up for the road, and soften it for the goat trails. It's carbon fiber on alunimium, has both disc and v-brake mounts. I use a Cane Creek sealed berrings 1-1/8" aheadset.
I added a matching 32 spoke Velocity Aeroheat front disc wheel with an Avid Mechanical disc brake (no photos yet). A pair of Problem Solvers Travel Agents one in-line (pictured) and the other 90 degree, make for an ultra-responsive front brake. I also use a 90 degree Problem Solvers Travel Agent in the rear with the Swift "factory" Tektro rear V-brake. Other than the frame, pivot bolt and rear brake arms I've changed everything. The only thing I have left to change are the cables; Avid full metal jacket coming soon.
This suspension/brake set up is bomb proof (short of the rear rim overheating on extended downhills). I weigh 190lbs, 200-220 with my pack, 3 litre camelback H2O full and day's supplies loaded. I curb jump and race high speed down Swiss Alp walking-bike trails without over-heating. For extended off-roading, I drop the pressure in the slicks to 45psi or swap in knobbies.
I found a polished silver Dimension Trekking Handlebar that I like above all others, even my old favorite Nitto albatross three speed bar, and the butterfly bar I found used in Paris. Weight 342g, nice and wide 640mm, just enough rise 80mm and bend 25deg to offer plenty of hand grip options. The lower bar is great for mounting lights and computers (I'm using using a Lowrance iFinder GO2 GPS $37 on eBay). This leaves the entire top bar arch open for different hand gripping points, especially useful while touring.
I am using a 45deg. 110 stem until my new Humpert Quick Adjustable Stem arrives. The Humpert stem allows 0-50 degrees of adjustment with a quick release. So I can lower for "race" mode and extreme hill climbing, and raise the stem/bar for sprinting around heads-up in Paris or downhill on the steep mountain singletrack trails in the Swiss Alps.
Calhoun Cycle also metioned a neato 1 1/8" threadless aluminium Airnimal J-Stem Riser. The factory Xootr Swift comes with a steel riser for the 1 1/8 threaded fork, that is milled to 1" threadless, at the last few inches, to accept the 1" steel factory stem riser. This Airnimal J-Stem riser also Q/R's and is polished to match the bar/stem (and soon the whole frame).
Saftey. Reelights use no batteries and the 120 series has a capasitor, so they flash for a few minutes after stopping, long enough for most stoplights. I have sent for a pair of 150 series, always on version. I will make an extended bracket double mount, so that I can have both the 120 and 150 sets at the front and back; one blinking and one on to see by, for four lights total. I use red and white reflector tape on my helmet and on the frame along with a flashing red LED vest, that has lights spaced out up the back and front. I am clearly seen at night, as well as in the day, just for riding a Xootr Swift.
If I want my Swift even more compact, than just a fold and toss into someones car trunk or for the metro, then I pull the seatpost and fold; pull the Q/R stem-handlebars; Pull the Q/R front wheel; and drop it all in a soft folding bike bag. The great deal with the soft bike bag, when it's not holding the Swift, is it rolls up and attaches via the sleeping pad straps to the back of my Osprey Atmos 50 pack, which holds everything else I own.
So, in less than 5 minutes, leaving the rear wheel, gearset, front forks and all cables in place, I have a nondescript black bag, where my Swift used to be, to carry-on, at no extra cost, for the TGV, Swissrail or long haul Amtrak trains.
Yet, the real trip is watching people watch me "Presto!", turn a black bag into a full suspension bicycle, and ride away.
I sold my last car at the time of the first Gulf War and mainly use my Swift or my feet to get around. I usually only fold my Swift when I "park" for more than an hour or two. I take the seat/seatpost and pedals with in my pack, and lace the flex cable lock through the wheels, rear frame triangle and a lamp-post, sign-post or what have you bike rack. This way the bike is secure and looks mainly useless to thieves, because of the folded form and missing seat and pedals.
To fly, I shrink the Swift even further for a used 29"x20"x11" hardcase (found in a thrift shop in Houston Texas for $15). I also chose the Swift because the frame breaks down into two small parts. Pull the pivot bolt with a 10mm long socket on one side, and a bike allen key on the other, and voila, the frame pops into two bits. I keep extra 10mm lock nuts in my bag to rebolt it back together. Then, I un-allen the headlock under the Airnimal J-Stem Riser, and the front fork pops loose. A couple of old rags to wrap the bits in, to prevent scrapes, tuck my-bike-as-parts all in a old suitcase, and b-bye continent.
As you can read I don't mind chatting about my ride, or going first by bicycle, to take the load off the planet, and to keep myself fit. The Swift makes a good rallying point for living in Green ways, as so many people stop me and just want to look and ask questions, beyond the mechanics of the bike itself.
I hope this answers most questions. I am completely happy with my Xootr Swift's versatility. The capasity to universally change all parts and to fold or disassemble and shrink into a small space or bag quickly, are just grand extras. To me, what is most important is the responsiveness, agility, lightness and long haul comfort of the ride.
If I must fly, or to offset the train CO2, I go to
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Xootr Swift has 3 friends.
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