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(Xootr) Swift Folder - frame or complete?

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(Xootr) Swift Folder - frame or complete?

Old 01-15-15, 12:04 AM
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Dan515
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(Xootr) Swift Folder - frame or complete?

I'm looking at getting my first folder, and the Swift seems to be the one to get! I don't need a super-compact fold (or the price) of a Brompton or Tikit, and the price of other Bike Fridays doesn't appeal to my wallet. I just need something that can fold enough to make multi-modal commuting more convenient, rides well, and isn't super expensive.

However, I've ridden some lower-end folders from China and I wasn't too impressed, so that's why I'm writing off stuff like Downtube and Origami. Dahon and Terns don't seem like they're specced that much better than the Swift for their price. Another thing is that, should I ever desire to take a bike abroad (which I plan to do in the near future), the Swift can disassemble/assemble relatively easily into a airline-legal sized luggage, whereas I dont' think Dahons or Terns can do that.


Anyways, I'm wondering if it's better (mainly more economical) to buy the Xootr frame and build it up, buy a Xootr Swift complete and modify it, or just order a custom Swift? How much more does it cost to get a Swift customized vs. sourcing and installing your own components (the same components... e.g. Alfine 8 hub)?

Also, steel or aluminum?
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Old 01-15-15, 09:16 AM
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Have my modded one for sale on ebay in the UK, its my daily rider and its nice, quick and solid but I have other bikes to build and finish that float my boat more so this has to go to fund those! Xootr swift Folding bike | eBay
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Old 01-15-15, 12:00 PM
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You may not want to write off Origami so soon. The newest Crane model now sports an 8-speed Shimano cassette and Acera derailleur. Also, we will soon have custom polypropylene 29" suitcases which will hold the Crane with limited disassembly. The cases won't be available for about six weeks, but the new Crane 8 will be available in about 2 1/2 weeks.

We have made some very impressive improvements to the ride quality and feel of the Crane.

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Old 01-15-15, 01:38 PM
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BruceMetras
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Originally Posted by Dan515
I'm looking at getting my first folder, and the Swift seems to be the one to get!
Also, steel or aluminum?
Titanium!
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Old 01-16-15, 10:51 AM
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We have too little information to answer your question. The choice between buying a complete bike and modifying it versus getting a frameset and moving forward on your own or getting some custom job depends on a lot of things. For one, how much are you modifying the bike and what components do you already have?

Anyway, if you're seriously considering a custom Swift folder or heavily modifying a frameset, I suspect that you're not going to save much (any?) money from picking one up over a Bike Friday or some other alternatives. In your shoes, I'd spend additional effort test riding a few bikes to get a sense of which frame fits you better before thinking about modifying a stock bike versus getting a custom job.

FWIW, I thought that Dahons and Terns did pack up in roughly the same amount of time as a Swift folder.
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Old 01-17-15, 02:34 AM
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Originally Posted by Pinigis
You may not want to write off Origami so soon. The newest Crane model now sports an 8-speed Shimano cassette and Acera derailleur. Also, we will soon have custom polypropylene 29" suitcases which will hold the Crane with limited disassembly. The cases won't be available for about six weeks, but the new Crane 8 will be available in about 2 1/2 weeks.

We have made some very impressive improvements to the ride quality and feel of the Crane.

That's pretty interesting actually - looks a lot better than the bikes I saw years ago!



Originally Posted by BruceMetras
And I thought a Bike Friday or Brompton was gonna be pricey!

Originally Posted by invisiblehand
We have too little information to answer your question. The choice between buying a complete bike and modifying it versus getting a frameset and moving forward on your own or getting some custom job depends on a lot of things. For one, how much are you modifying the bike and what components do you already have?

Anyway, if you're seriously considering a custom Swift folder or heavily modifying a frameset, I suspect that you're not going to save much (any?) money from picking one up over a Bike Friday or some other alternatives. In your shoes, I'd spend additional effort test riding a few bikes to get a sense of which frame fits you better before thinking about modifying a stock bike versus getting a custom job.

FWIW, I thought that Dahons and Terns did pack up in roughly the same amount of time as a Swift folder.
Fair enough. I do think you're right in saying that I should test out some bikes before diving right into a Swift. I wasn't thinking about doing anything super crazy in terms of upgrades - just a dynamo hub and disc brakes. I'll play around with the BF bike builder thing again and see if I can get something to my liking. I've mainly been looking at the Tikit and Pocket Rocket, both of which are a bit pricier, so perhaps if I expand my horizons a bit I'll do better.

I didn't know that Dahons and Terns could pack up at all, actually, as most of the reports about packing up bikes seems to be about BFs and Bromptons, occasionally Swifts.


Thanks for the insight!
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Old 01-17-15, 08:36 PM
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Originally Posted by Dan515
Fair enough. I do think you're right in saying that I should test out some bikes before diving right into a Swift. I wasn't thinking about doing anything super crazy in terms of upgrades - just a dynamo hub and disc brakes. I'll play around with the BF bike builder thing again and see if I can get something to my liking. I've mainly been looking at the Tikit and Pocket Rocket, both of which are a bit pricier, so perhaps if I expand my horizons a bit I'll do better.

I didn't know that Dahons and Terns could pack up at all, actually, as most of the reports about packing up bikes seems to be about BFs and Bromptons, occasionally Swifts.
Here is Gaerlan's old page on packing a Dahon. I'm sure that there are more up-to-date sources around.

Packing a 20" Wheeled Dahon Folder for Air Travel

If you're willing to drop disc brakes, unless you're an unusual size, I bet you'll find a lot of used Bike FRidays out there.
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Old 01-19-15, 10:02 PM
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Here is a good looking stock Swift on ebay (not mine)
Silver Xootr Swift Folding Bike | eBay
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