Anyone have a Strida?
 

They are lightweight, cute as a bug, and seem like the perfect bike to ride to someone's house or a store where you don't want to leave a bike outside. I'm surprised I don't see more of them.

The saddle height can be altered, and while many people replace the stock saddle with a sprung or cushioned saddle, the one on the bike is an ordinary one. Plus I have no jewels.

I have one that I bought several years ago just to see how they ride (I own the Origami Bicycle Company and sometimes purchase competitors' products for comparison). I think that the geometry takes some getting used to, but I just didn't put in the effort to reach a comfort level. Its now collecting dust.

The concept is really cool, and the quality is very good. Overall, its a very interesting approach.

Paul your bicycles are pretty cool too! Please message me if you might consider selling your dust gatherer.

I see used ones for sale in the SF Craigslist all the time. So I think maybe the idea is better than the reality?

i don't know, that's why I started the thread.

BFold of New York City let me test ride one a while ago(2 years?).
Handling takes a bit to get used to; even by folding bike standards.
Geometry is really weird. One advantage is you can remain seated when coming to a stop;
red lights, stop signs, etc. And the umbrella fold might work better for some than the box
fold(Brompton, Birdy, etc.).

Another bike with an umbrella style fold is the Pacific CarryMe. This bike has smaller wheels;
but the geometry seems to work.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1a20eba8ff.png

They've been in continuous production for longer than almost any other folder. The designer seems to be considered something of a rock star among the owners' clubs. Despite a 'bimodal commuting' design brief, folks have made epic tours on them.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4f81169362.jpg

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d4b67424b4.png


Danger, Will Robinson: inexpensive copies are made of the Strida and some (including most of the ones on the local Parts Unknown Craigslist and some on Ebay) are falsely advertised as the real genuine article, so be aware and savy. There are websites that delineate the differences between the real bikes and the copies.

(Images borrowed from the 'net. I'll put 'em back after you've seen them.)

So my LT just arrived a few hours ago from Amazon. It is beautiful. My happiness in getting it is somewhat clouded by the fact that the hardware sent with it does not seem to work and I wonder if it is genuine. I thought to order a QR kit but there don't seem to be many places in the US that provide Strida parts. It is cute as a bug though.

spot real and fake is not hard.

see:
How to authenticate your Strida?

It does appear authentic after reading your article, and it is simply that the hardware set/clamps appear to be defective.

Congrats on the Strida! I had one for a few years that I used to exercise my dog with. Cool little folder.

There is a forum member here (Bill Wilby) who is a Strida dealer in Canada. Wealth of information and might be able to walk you through any issues.

After I just looked at it for a while, I found the defect. There was a little square piece of metal at the base of the clamp that was slightly off center. I was able to straighten it with a pair of pliers and the screw went through successfully. It isn't something I was looking for so I can see how it was overlooked by whoever packed the hardware bag.

Thank you. Bill is a wonderful person and very willing to help.

Buys bike off the Internet.

Complains there aren't post-sale support dealers.

BFold in New York City might/should have some parts/accessories.

Thank you. But Bill in Canada is wonderful and very patient and I just ordered a bunch of stuff from him. It is well worth a wait due to shipping when you find someone like that.

I have a Strida 2, my first folder, which I bought in 2001. I put 1000 miles on it before moving on to two Dahons and finally a Tern.
It took a little getting used to, mostly because of the *extremely* quick steering. What killed it for me was the constant service requirements for the wheel bearings... literally every hundred miles. I believe this problem was due to my weight (210; under the design max) and has been resolved in later models. I have never seen a faster-folding folder: literally 5 seconds. One of these days I would like to upgrade the wheel bearings and pass the bike on to my kids.

I have two of these.
Good quality. Fast folding. Fun to ride. Easy maintenance.
Low speed. Unstable. Strange geometry.

Naturally I'm doing a lot of reading about the Strida. There are interviews here and there with the inventor Mark Sanders. He is brilliant but he is also 'real people'. He has all sorts of inventive ideas from the Strida to kitchen utensils. Fortunately for us, he relates in one of the interviews that he is a cyclist and prefers working on the things he likes.

I have three of them. Two newer models and a second generation. Fun riders although the 2nd gen suffers from very flexy plastic bottom bracket.

I've always thought these were nifty - easily the most distinctive bike in production right now. I'd like to give these a try sometime, but there are no dealers near me and I know no owners. I've only seen these in person maybe once, somewhere in DC.

I see no reach between the saddle and handle bar. How do you make it fit?

The only one I've ever seen in person was in Istanbul!

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...3f9ba8dbb5.png


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0006d64b1e.png

I tried the 3 speed model out a few years back. I had to pedal backwards to change gears. It was a strange ride. Not my cup of tea,...regardless of how compact it can fold.