FAQ

How fast is the bike?
For a given amount of power delivered to the pedals, this bike is faster than most mountain or "hybrid" bikes. At 15mph (25kph) on a level road, this bike requires about 3% more power than a racing bike with narrow high-pressure 700C tires.

Do I have to pedal faster because of the smaller wheels?
No. The Swift is set up with a larger front chainring, so that the bike pedals just like a bike with large diameter wheels.

How easy is the bike to fold? The Swift bike has the simplest folding mechanism on the market. Just slide the seat up a little way and fold it up. With practice, you'll be able to do this in 5 seconds. This page provides more details... Can I ride the bike off paved roads? Sure. The photo to the right is some single-track we recently rode on the stock Kenda tires. The path was pretty smooth, but with some roots and a few sandy spots. The Swift did just fine. If you do a lot of riding off pavement, we suggest you put on a set of 1.5inch (37mm) BMX-tires. This is not the right bike, however, for riding on trails with big obstacles like boulders and logs. Stick to your full-suspension mountain bike for that. What does the bike feel like to ride? Pretty much like an average "hybrid" ride. It's more stable than a racing bike and a bit more responsive than a mountain bike. Any new bike will feel a bit different for the first few minutes of riding. After a few days, the Swift bike will feel like you've ridden it all your life.

How does the riding position compare to my "regular" bike? First, let us point out that the Swift can be your "regular" bike. Unless you race or do narly mountain biking, the Swift can be your "one bike." The image to the left is an overlay of the Swift on the outline of a Trek hybrid bike. You can see that the wheelbase is essentially identical. The seat-to-handlebar distance is also nearly identical. This explains why the Swift has such a solid feel and comfortable ride. This is not an itty bitty toy bike like some folders...it feels like riding a high-quality 700C hybrid bike.

Are there any disadvantages to a compact-wheel bicycle?
Only two. First, smaller wheels have slightly higher rolling resistance than larger wheels. This is not a noticeable effect for anyone but racers. Second, smaller wheels handle large obstacles (boulders, logs, curbs) less readily than larger wheels. This will also not be noticeable in most applications. See our discussion of 406mm wheels.

How do I make sure I get a good fit?
We set up your bike at the factory based on the size selection you provide during the order process. If you're between 5 ft tall and 6 feet 4 inches tall, we can fit you with high confidence.. If you need to make an adjustment afterwards, that's easy too. If you prefer, you can buy the Swift bike from a dealer, who will have a factory-certified fitting system.

Where can I buy the bike?
Right here. We offer a 30-day no-questions-asked warranty, so if you don't like it, just send it back. If you'd prefer to buy from a dealer, check out our featured dealers. If you'd like to buy from your favorite bike shop, just have someone at the shop call or email Steve at the factory (sales@xootr.com, +1 (570) 558-4969) to place a dealer order. We're happy to accommodate your preferred purchase mode.

What options are available for the bike?
We currently offer the Xootr Swift in one standard version. It is highly likely the standard product is going to perfectly meet your needs. If you wish to make some minor tweaks, like swap the saddle, pedals, or tires, you can probably do that just fine on your own or at your bike shop.. If you'd like some other option, say a fixed-gear set-up, or racing handlebars, you can get pretty much anything through our partner Design Mobility, Inc. We believe that most of the variety offered by other manufacturers is just plain confusing and adds not much value at all. We travel with the Swift, commute on it, and use it on country roads. (We also race on it...which we admit is a lunatic fringe activity.) You can accommodate all of these uses by changing tires (and maybe the stem if you are fussy about riding position for these different uses). We've made the hard choices so you don't have to.

Where did the Swift design come from?
Peter Reich created the Swift Folder more than 10 years ago. He refined his design over the last decade and built and sold hundreds of bikes to New Yorkers. In 2004, Xootr LLC evaluated dozens of different bike designs and decided that the Swift Folder was the most elegant design on the market and licensed the Swift Folder from Design Mobility, Peter's company. We at Xootr worked with Peter to make some additional patent-pending refinements, such as an all-aluminum frame design and a modular dropout system, that were only possible through higher-volume production techniques. More details on Swift history here.