Pinigis 

Yes, it is chromoly, and yes, that describes the steerer tube pretty well.

BikeLite

Montaguebikes dot com has the folder rack that doubles as a stand. Take a look at it.

Pinigis 

Thanks for the recommendation. It is a good point of reference.

Darth Lefty 

My brain won't stop doing this stupid stuff

Ron Damon

Thanks.

Wheelbase is 101cm for the rest of the world. I guess that's not too bad. Some here, though, may balk and think it not "stable" enough. 😉

Ron Damon

Yeah... You should get that checked out by a professional. 😂

Pinigis 

We are at 100.9cm. If anyone notices 1mm I will be shocked.

Ron Damon

Check your rounding off. Seeing the predilections of a few here, you're better off rounding up. 😉😉

Joe Remi

The rear rack in black would be fine, I don't think it "uglifies the bike" and I don't care what bikepackers do. I like the painted wheels, it's not common for the average rider to be swapping 20" wheels with other bikes.

Ron Damon

I ain't taking the bait. 🪤
​​​​​​🙄😂

jfouellette

101 is enough to keep it stable. Longer means going to another type of frame and wheel size. Folding bikes with 20 inch wheels and smaller, have by their nature, short wheelbases. That’s the fun factor.

joey buzzard

What about a decal or graphic on the frame indicating the material it's made of?

"4130 Chromoly" written near the bottom of the seat tube if that's what it's made of?

Pinigis 

yes, we will add that.

Ron Damon

That's exactly right. But others here accustomed to and wedded to 104.5cm wheelbase ocean liners may balk and protest. 😉

Schwinnsta

The Swift and the XootrSwift were 104 cm. Less is fine with me.

anga

Hope it is different now.
Threadless to make disassembly and assembly easier.
1-1/8 straight for easy availability of rigid forks. If 1-1/8 to 1 tapered rigid forks are widely available, I don't care about about 1-1/8 straight.

anga

Removing the pivot boot:
Is there enough clearance for a regular socket to fit? Or do we have hunt for a thin-walled socket?
Prefer sufficient clearance for a regular socket.

Jipe

A longer wheelbase doesn't mean a more stable less agile bike. The Brompton has a longer wheelbase and is not really stable.

But it may reduce the reach and make the bike less suitable for taller riders.

About the painted rims, one major drawback is that painting is fragile and is easily damaged when riding off-road or while changing a tire.

Pinigis 

Neither. It is a 5mm Allen fitting.

BikeLite

Jur needs to come back from banishment and comment on the new Swift.

tds101 

Self imposed banishment,... LoL! He'd definitely have some positive input.

gleearch

Thanks for sharing photos of the prototype. How a bike looks is very personal and no two people will likely share the same opinion. It's a folding bike and there are many who refer to them as clown bikes, and I have had my share of people making snide comments and others than have shown interests and complimented my folders.
I like that you are client-centric and trying to keep the costs reasonable and at the same time offering amenities like a bike specific folding rear rack. That says something about you, your company and is impressive and not easily found these days.
That said while I like the idea of the rack, this particular design is a bit chunky. Tern (I know not a favorite of some forum members but to each their own) has some fairly well designed racks as a point of inspiration.
The Birdy rack is simplicity, folds with the bike and you can add roller wheels for ease of pushing it around. A black rack to match the stem and other black parts would tie the design together.
Black wheels to match the other black parts would round it out but then, beauty is very personal and some will like the matching painted wheels.
You already mentioned that the rack is easily removable. Provide the rack and those who do not need it can remove it. It's better than the opposite. Not providing it and having some owners either have to purchase your rack separately or find a third party rack that may not fit the bike as well.

I know having different color choices will increase manufacturing costs. Maybe keep it simple and see what the take up is and then if successful, roll out other color choices. The green is interesting but not a favorite color for me. If you have someone who can do a Photoshop color study of various color combinations, you could provide a poll or survey and see which ones have the most votes.

The overall fold isn't the smallest but that is the design that matches the original. Since the handlebars do not fold down, have you considered a quick release handlebar stem like the Pacific Reach. It's not a true folder either, but removing the handlebar and stem helps pack it tighter.
Have you considered an adjustable stem extension for the handlebar? Something like what litepro does or Tern with it's Andros stem? That makes the bike a tad more customizable for the variously shaped riders. I know it increases costs.

For a prototype this looks good and you are local. I'm still looking for the perfect folder that provides a decent fold, has good riding characteristics, is reasonably fast and does not break the bank. This might fit the bill.

Pinigis 

The rack will be black, we just took the photo prior to painting. Additionally, we are redesigning the rack now to make it a bit more aesthetically pleasing, and so it will function as a stand in the folded position. We are also adding wheels to the rack so the bike can be rolled in its folded position. Give us a week and we should have new photos to share.

The green rims probably won't make production, they are a bit divisive. We will be offering the bike in a gloss white with matte black trim (trooper white) and in gloss back with matte black trim and silver logo (Vader black). We will do the green, and a fourth color that I still haven't chosen yet.

There is a quick release on the handlebar stem so you can turn it 90 degrees, or simply remove it.

Once I have the prototype complete and ready to ride, you are welcome to come by and test it out.

Jipe

I fully agree with Gleearch: providing the bike with the rack that perfectly fit for it is much better than letting the buyer find a rack that won't perfectly fit and will need ugly adapters to be mounted on it.

Those who don't like/need it can easily remove it.

gleearch

That sounds cool. Yes, I would love to test ride, though I'm just a regular person who happens to like riding folding bikes. My opinion doesn't mean much. My friends do not understand my fondness for folding bikes. I just like the concept of folding bikes, the engineering and design behind them. I appreciate the offer.