Introduction and question

Hi All,

Just to let you know that I went for the SX in Champagne for routhly 650€. This is a bike used for few demo tours in Denmark. This one:
https://www.strida.dk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/17-06-06-STRiDA-shoot-DSC_9099.jpg

Soren, was kind and very patient. He has a lot of second hand models (they are not all displayed in the second hand page of strida.dk so you might want to get in touch with him by email).

Of course you need to add 50€ for shipping here.

Thanks a lot to everybody for your advices. I will do some follow up to keep you posted.

Regards,
Victarion.

Very nice bike indeed - I like the look very much

Three things I’ve noticed at the image:

  • The elder seat molding is not at all a disadvantage - except you answer “Yes” to the following question:
    Do you plan to share your bike with other persons regularly?

  • The bike has no kickstand.
    (I mean that’s a matter of flavour only, but it has to be mentioned.)

  • This Strida is not street legal in Austria.
    The wheel reflectors have to be white, moreover that - as there is a reflecting area of at least 20 cm² per wheel required - there should be two instead of one.

Many thanks. I like the look a lot.
I don’t plan to share it. For sure my wife will want to try it when I will receive it but that’s about it.
Yes I have noticed that there is no kickstand. At first I wanted to add it but I can do it myself later if needed.
For the reflectors, I don’t even know if there is legal framework here in Luxembourg about that.

Sure; more important than a law is the way how it is handled by the local authorities :laughing:
If you don’t even know I’d conclude that your local police doesn’t take that much care about these things. I’m living in a big city and I do know that our cops here can be nasty if they want to.
So we try generally not to give them any chance to attack a biker.
“No Sir, my bike DOES comply 100% to “Österreichische Fahrradverordnung” - but well, I’m referring to the version from 07.10.2018 - which one are you referring to if I may ask?”
That’s a good start to argue with them :smiling_imp:

Well here, situation is different. For the moment at least.
Like a friend used to say :“they’ve switched directly from the tractor to the BMW”.
Bicycles never have been a point of attention here. Not that there is no bicycle lanes. They’ve covered the whole country with bicycle lanes and when not available the roads are always in smooth/very smooth conditions.

But people are fed up about traffic jam. Really fed up. That’s insane. Not very surprising given the amount of person (and I am polite) that takes the last Audi & BMW leased by their companies to cover <5km. And the worst is that they are f@@@@@g alone in their vehicles !!! So people are really fed up because even the buses are stucked in the traffic. The consequence is that you see more and more people riding to work. Skaters, electric skateboards, bicycle, electric bicycle, solowheels… It is everywhere. Politicians do they best to push people to go for public transport and “soft mobility”. They made a tramway, built a funiculaire, elevators, autonomous mini-buses. It is ineviatble. They will have to regulate. Not even talking about the real estate that is sky-rocketting and pushing people to the surroundings. Regulation and strict framework will come here very soon.
In the meantime I can still enjoy passing by riders with my electric scooters and riding it a freeking snowboard until I can’t (I remove the seat so I ride in standing position). Not convenient to hop in the train but what a joy when I hit the road.

Anyway, we are off topic. My strida will be shipped tomorrow. That’s the most important no ? :laughing:

Hi,

I’ve intensively read many thread and posts regarding the proper maintenance of the bike. I have noticed several important things and I wanted some advice regarding the basics to get :

Regards,
Victarion.

Hi Victarion - I am excited for you on the Strida purchase. Of all the bikes I own this is one unique bike for me.

Correct.
For me when I purchased my Strida EVO’s I got the frame clip with it. I was silly and didn’t know what it was and threw it away as the local Strida distributor “crosses” their Stridas as well! I would NOT be surprised if you get the frame clip with your Strida so wait and see. If you do not - just buy one. Alternatively like me, who threw it away and then bought a new one - only to MIS-place it… what I do not is fold it and simple NOT criss-cross the frames to an X-shape. I leave mine loosely folded on the Strida bicycle stand.

Just use the current one till it is worn out or you are having issues. A free wheel when new should have really high tall distinct teeth. When worn it gets smooth on the edges and the size of the teeth reduces (from the wear). I actually purchased extra freewheels - 2 x plastics and 3 x metal. Honestly I think this free-wheel is over-hyped. I ran my original free-wheel for atleast 5,000km before it had any signs of wear. (metal one!), I am now approaching 14,000km and I am still on 2nd free wheel.

Just to compare my Strida EVO to my 8-speed chain bike. I wore out the 8-speed chainwheel in 3.5 months and had to replace it. My Strida EVO has been with me for almost 2 years with one free wheel replacement.

Like all bikes, you should carry either a bicycle tube patch kit (to patch punctures on the roadside, or carry 2 tubes (ideally) and a small hand pump. The beauty of the Strida is you wont need to take the wheel off to repair a puncture - and if you do it’s so easy as it’s only attached to one side of the fork of the bike (not 2 sides like regular bikes). If you new to bikes, you should learn how to repair punctures in the event you are far away from a local bike shop.

Check out this guy on youtube and his 16" Strida - he changes his tube with bare hands :smiley:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV8rr4OI9hg

There are ONLY two 18" tyres you can choose from:
Kojak: stridacanada.ca/product/schwalbe-kojak-tires/
Innova: stridacanada.ca/product/strida- … inch-tire/

The Kojaks are the high pressure slicks (110PSI if I recall - need to check my bike). They cost 2x the price of the Innova and has a better ride IMO. As it’s a slick tyre (no treads) - take care when riding in the wet. The Innova is better for wet weather, is fatter and softer (at 85 PSI)

You need a HEX key set to take the wheels off, etc (not that you need to!). But off memory this comes with a Strida hidden under the seat.
stridacanada.ca/product/strida-allan-key/

I never adjusted my spokes. They just sit there on my wheels…

Get use to the ride - it can be twitchy at first but you get used it quite fast. I honestly believe it’s one of the LOWEST maintenance bikes there is since I own 5 bikes. Because it has no chain - there is no chain cleaning and lubing, no deraileur cleaning, no cassette cleaning, if you ride in the wet I wipe it down in < 2 mins ready to store / fold. I not had ANY flats using both the Kojaks or Innova’s in the 14,000km but that comes down to the road etc and luck sometimes! (I have had flats on my other bikes - so could be luck). I ride up to 70KM in one cycle outing … NO PROBLEMS. It’s the MOST comfortable bike to ride compared to my road bikes etc… because it’s up-right “Dutch seating” and the Kelvar belt makes it effortless. Disclaimer - the one speed may see you top out on a max speed and spin. I have the Strida EVO (3 gears) and it keeps me going to some degree. But however as you have the SX which is single speed - it’s even LESS maintenance or items going wrong because you do not have the KS3 gear box. :smiley:

If I owned an Strida SX… I would see myself atleast 5 years of good ownership (I owned my forst Strida EVO now for almost 2 years and I ride the crap out of it!) with minimum maintenance except wear and tear items such as :

  • free wheel replacement (hard to say - probably 4000-7000km mark??
  • tyres (they last for ages as you wont be skidding on those tyres and burning the rubber compound :laughing:
  • tubes if you get punctures…
  • adjust handbrakes every now and then… and replace brake pads once in a blue moon.
  • not sure what “type of bike” owner you may be… what I mean by this is I tend to wipe my bike down every ride (1-2 min job) of mud etc as I keep the bike indoors. I seen other owners ride in muck, wheels caked in mud etc and they NEVER clean. You may want to simply wipe down and keep the “Free wheel” clean of muck and dirt. Pebbles etc will wear out the free wheel. I am not saying hose it and clean it - just make sure there is no caked mud, pebbles etc… for me I rarely even wipe that as the flanges of the free wheel prevent most of the gunk even getting in. But I do read strange stories of free wheels wearing out in < 2000 km on this forum which is beyond me…

On the part of maintenance…if you took this Strida SX to the bike shop for the full service THEY ONLY will:

  • tighten nuts/bolts, lube a few points to look busy(?)
  • check tension of kelvar belt (this lasts for ages !)
  • check brakes - replace as needed or adjust
    I think that is it. There is no gear shifting, derailment or chain adjustments etc. It’s a very simple bike.

THAT IS IT! It’s the lowest maintenance bike I own.

Hi Victarion,

yes, a frame clip is actually a good idea.
Just I think it is more the rear hinge which benefits and less the belt.
In fact is the rear hinge the Achilles heel of your Strida - and sometimes even the real cause of belt issues.

On the SX shown above there is already an aluminium freewheel mounted.
The signs of wear on the freewheels teeth can be seen easily - is there still a narrow rectangle visible on top of each tooth or is it just a line, moreover that one can see a more or less pronounced corner at one tooth side.
The signs, without using a sharp eye, are:

  1. Belt gets loose
  2. Jumping, Skipping
  3. Twisting (often combined with rear hinge play)
  4. Torn

Tubes/tyres:
You may have noticed already that this is an enourmous advantage on your Strida; compared to most of the other folding bike brands - nothing more easy than to change tubes or tyres :laughing:
Sure, as long as it is not a burden for you I’d recommend a spare tube anyway.
I had the feeling in the past that Schwalbe tubes combined with Sclaverand valves are the best choice if you don’t want to pump air each few days.
Yes right, there are just the original Innova tyres, Schwalbe Kojak and another slick, the Strozzapreti of Joseph Kuosac.
Tubes are btw interchangeable between Innova and Kojak - but not Strozzapreti.
Counterquestion:
Do you want to ride in rain or on sand or cobblestones?

For the spokes you need a spoke wrench of your choize in size 3,2 mm plus a piece of wood (that can be a stolen old cook spoon of Mom or even a piece of branch) - and your ears :wink:
Just knock on each spoke after another (separate; for example first the inner and then the outer).
Do you hear a clear tone (ignore the tone height)?
Yes → That spoke should be Ok.
Do you hear a dull noise?
Yes - > That one is loose.

By today I’ve got perhaps 8 or 10 original wheels in hands - usually there are between 1 and 3 spokes per wheel loose. But I think that’s better the newer the wheels are - maybe you find not a single one loose :smiley:

Cheers,

Chris

Chris…

Ah the 3rd tyre – the Strozzapreti of Joseph Kuosac… I never seen this in Singapore. Let me re-read your post of that and the Efeno drive! :smiley:

That tyre must be relatively new and it’s from Japan…guess that you could order it directly?
(And buy it much cheaper than we here in Europe.)

@Victarion:
Yes, sorry, again OT, shame on me :blush:

Whoa guys. That’s a lot of adivces in very few posts. You are great !

I summarize:

  • Frame clip is higly recommanded. To get quickly if not included in the box.
  • Freewheel is already aluminium. No worries until first symptomes show anyway.
  • Regarding Tubes and tyres. I am new to bike so I have to learn every bit. I will carry at least one tubes and a pump. And I will get patching kit for home (I never did it, so why not learning it now ?). In that way I could change the tube outside and get to home easily to patch the punctured one - .
    -What about tyres ? Do they have to be replaced at each in case of puncture ? My guess is that unless it is a big hole (damage coming frrom big screw, big nail…) or tube petrudes when inflated , tyres will be OK. At least to cover the <8km per day of daily riding. Right ?
  • Clean the bike frequently especially after use in bad weather and focus on belt, freewheel, rear hinge…
  • To get a spokewrench. Not emergency.

Rain yes. When feasable of course. For the terrain, only macadam and very few pavements portion. Why ?

Hi Victarion,

I think this is your choice and the distance/route you ride in and depends on your roads. For example to consider:

  1. do you ride on really clean roads? Does it have sharp nails, broken bottles eg., sharp glass, etc? These will cut your tyres or cause punctures. For me in Singapore we are lucky to have clean roads and I NEVER had a single puncture on my Strida for approx 14,000 km… (I did on my other bike though)
  2. what route will you take, how far will you go out of the city areas, will you be riding in areas with NO taxi?
  3. check out my rider’s report and you see I have a pump and a small bike saddle bag (where I carry a cheap patch kit and spare tube inside). I ride up to 70KM and I love riding in the really early hours of the morning - in roads where there is no street addresses or people aka Nature Reserve.

Basically what I am saying is if you are doing short trips in the city - and have a problem with the bike, you can simply FOLD you bike - call a taxi - put the bike in the boot of the taxi like luggage and go home. Fix it at home or a local bike shop. A punctured tyre is cheap to fix – in Singapore it’s approx 3-4 Euro. I was once out 45km from home on my Strida and a thunderstorm rolled in – I did JUST that. A taxi home.

Depending on your country - you can even bus/train it with the folded Strida. For me it is allowed in Singapore on all buses and trains. When folded it is smaller than a baby stroller or pram!

If you are like riding in secluded areas with no taxi coverage etc… get a saddle bag, patch kit, spare tube (x2 preferably in case you roll over glass or nails and they burst both your tyres). The Strida bike is the easiest of bikes to repair tyres because the frame only attaches to the wheels on ONE side (not both like in a conventional bikes. You do not even need to take the wheel off. (refer to my youtube in past post).

So you got some options :laughing:

You do not need to replace the tyre UNLESS you ran over something super large and sharp that it cuts your tyres. Tyres are generally really tough! You need to be super unlucky - like run over a sharp blade or shard of glass that it cuts your bike tyres open. Usually most punctures is a small nail that just protudes in… in which assess the tyre. If no gaping hole you are fine just replace the tube and you are all set. (A set back of some time to replace tube, and cost of tube). Or as I mentioned in Singapore it costs 3-4 Euro to replace by a bike shop (maybe more in Europe??).

Unless your roads are really strewn with litter and nails/glass - you be unlucky to get punctures. Think of all the people walking especially ladies with open heels - if that cuts your bike tyres - what does it do to people…? So generally I would not expect a puncture especially on clean roads or if you are allowed to ride on paths in your country.

If you ride on the road (wear a helmet! And have bright lights for visibility) and do not ride in the “gutter”… where most of the rubbish is pushed aside to (sharp nails, etc).

I say this only because in my country the general maintenance of bikes is almost ZERO. A simple wet rag (I used an old bath cloth cut down to size), wipe in < 2 mins all the road dirt, and DONE. No more than 2 mins. Don’t let road muck, grime, etc dry and cake up on the bike. It will save your investment and keep things clean and moving. If I rode my conventional chain bikes in the rain, I need to degrease my chain and drive train (cassette, crank, etc) and do a total re-lube - takes 10-15 mins for me) and is a messy affair. This is the beauty of the Strida low maintenance bike.

This is important as it can determine which tyres are best for you. The Schable Kojak is a tyre I used currently but because it is a “high pressure racing slick tyre” — it has NO treads. I hate this tyre when in the rain as I slip (and it’s dangerous) when I ride over WET metal plating like manhole covers. I avoid them at all costs when wet. The Kojaks excel in dry weather in my personal opinion. They are good quality tyres - just not great in wet or snow. This is the tyre you are getting.

The other tyre I have on my other Strida is the stock standard Innova which is lower pressure at 85PSI and has a tread pattern. It rolls less well than the Kojak marginally, and makes a bit more noise due to the tread pattern but is fine.

I do not have experience with the Strozzapreti.

For now I say enjoy your NEW bike and get to ‘know how it handles’.

All the best on your new Strida which I assume arrives today. :wink:

Willie already nailed it :smiley:
For our area here I’d say Kojak (or Strozzapreti) for summer season and Innova for winter - that’s it.
You will notice very soon that the Kojak’s traction is very limited on wet surfaces or sand; please watch out!
Also you won’t feel well with 7 bar or more on cobblestones :wink:

And the taxi/public transport flat tyre fixing “method” is also my first choice :laughing:

Got it.

On Strida.fr, which is official distributor for Luxembourg, I can get the Innova for 44€ each + pair of 18’’ tubes for 4€ each + shipping cost for a total of 108€.
I will try to ride as it is first, with the Kojack, as weather is great currently (amazing post-summer here, I guess it is the same for you BSA ?) and forecast are still optimistic. I want to feel it before to do some “mods”.

Willie, regarding quality of the road. Luxembourg is quite good. Especially Luxembourg-ville, the capital. Where I live this is bit less smooth because it is more rural but still very good when comparing to close neighbours such as France (where I grew up), Belgium (even worse)… And I will limit my interaction with the “gutter”. Basically, my road are as follows:

From home to train station :

  1. option 1 : 100m on the road. Then join a park, crossing tramway rails. To ride along the park (1.5km) on a long straight line that is large enought for a big truck and a bike to cross. It is smooth. No poteholes. It is used by bicycles and pedestrians and frequently cleaned.

  2. option 2 : just reach the train station via normal road (but in that case there is a bridge to cross with a steep hill)

Train : +/- 20 min.

Then from train station to work:

Option 1) Take the funiculaire, join a long, flat and new bicycle lane (around 1km). Then join a park and (this is in my opinion the “trickiest” part) ride with leaves covering the ground during fall, humidity and even fog (slippery) for around 1km. Also the road isn’t as flat but that’s again very acceptable. My office is a villa in the park.

Option 2) Stay down in the valley, ride until elevator (smooth road and few paved) for about 1km. Take the elevator, and join the same park than option 1) but at a different entry point.

Option 3) Take any vertical moving vehicle to join upper city (funiculaire/elevator) and join the road instead of the park.

As you can see I have many choices. Let’s wait and see. Anyway, my birthday is only the 19th of October. So it is possible that I have to wait to use the bike. AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH :confused:

Yes, you’re right; here also a wonderful autumn :smiley:
Just, to be honest I preferred recently most of the time my motorcycle, a 32 year old single cylinder Yamaha :sunglasses:

Edit: That type…

Now we are talking! :wink:

I’ve just received the strida. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
It is gorgeous :open_mouth:
My wife loved it right away.
They call this champagne but it actually closer to a gold mate paint. But not in a mate way. :unamused: . Don’t really know if I am clear…

I haven’t had the time to try it and won’t be able to do it before next Saturday as I am leaving fro Paris 2 days for the Auto Show tomorrow.

I had the time see that : kickstand, ringbell, fenders, mud flap, aluminium freewhell where present but no frame clip. 2 small keyring that act as blinking light
Light scratching visible on the frames but totally acceptable for second hand. No sign of wear on pedals or freewhel, tyres are in very good condition. The bike is nearly mint.
Try to fold and unfold it. OK. Need to get the “snap the left handbar” trick.
Changed the seat height. Twice because I was way to low the first time. It is not the easiest system. Anyway once set, this shouldn’t change.
Wheels don’t wooble.
At first everything seems in perfect working conditions.
I lied, I’ve tried but in my dinning/living room :laughing:
Positions seems comfortable. I am surprised.

I am happy men.
I post an update after testing this weekend.

Hello guys,

After few days of daily commute, I want to share a quick feedback on my Strida SX.

As already said before from an aesthetical point of view, it is beautiful. The black and gold color is a net combination. Not low profile for sure but hey, this is not a low profile bicycle from the start. I wish all the Chrome parts would have been colored in black (handlebars, break lever, crank arm, brake calipers are not black). Anyway, all the black version of these parts exist in accessory parts if needed. We will see later for the customization because nothing is cheap.

Never used a folding bike before, but I was able to feel the qualitative aspect of the moving part. The cinematic is nice and everything click into place with a satisfactory sound.

First thing was to change the seat height. Apparently, there is now an easier version of the seat mount with quick adjustment. Mine is the old version. It is the third time I change the height. It seems that I have long legs in comparison to my size. Now, I have found my setting so I should not move it anymore.

First ride was hazardous. Especially to set off. The small size encourages setting off anywhere, even on a crowded sidewalk, which is not a good idea finally. Once you understand that you do not put your weight on the arms to ride it is much better.
Now that I have the right height and the 18’’ kojack properly inflated, it rides wells. Set off is quick. On flat, I reach quickly the max speed. On small hills, you need to push on the pedals but no problem with that I have good legs.

The bike started rapidly to make some squeaking noise going uphill and when pushing on the pedal. I have tightened the bolt of the locking latch and the noise disappeared this morning. One of them was a tiny bit loose.

As already underlined everywhere, breaks are powerful. I had to loosen them a little bit.

Overall, that is a wonderful piece of engineering. Fold is quick. Bike is comfortable to ride (not comparable with more traditional bike of course especially on cobblestones). Where the bike shines the most, it definitively in the train itself or in the stairs of the train station. No need to wait for elevator anymore if train is already here. It draws a lot of attention especially during the fold/unfold process. Strange feeling is that I don’t have the impression to carry a bicycle with me. It is like I feel lighter when I am hoping in train. I can sat and put the strida under the luggage storing area or even next to me in standing position. Very strange feeling compared to my heavy-duty electric scooter or even to other commuter in traditional bicycle. You do not annoy other commuters. I kind of forget about it. Which is much appreciable but weird in a certain way.

The little thing that is bugging me, but that is really a little thing is the angle of the seat. This seat is lightly tilted toward the front (the front part of the seat is pointing down while the back is pushing me upward) Moving the seat forward does not help (it is on the rearrest setting for me). I found that a French user had the same problem on the net.). Changing the seat by the gel version have not solved the issue for this person. I am thinking to upgrade the spring-loaded version or the very lightweight one such as:
https://www.strida.dk/en/product/strida-leather-saddle/
or
https://stridacanada.ca/product/strida-light-weight-saddle/

But that’s a minor issue. Really. I am sure that I’ll get used to that fairly quickly.

other than this I have ordered spare tubes and frame clip. I should get them quickly. I will wait for the “winter” tyres as road isn’t slippery yet.

At the end, it is a very nice little thing. Ride are fun and zen as you don’t look for speed. Very nice birthday gift.
Regards,
Victarion.

Hi Victarion,

regarding black parts; I mean for some it does make sense to rework them instead of buying new parts. Anodizing aluminium isn’t that expensive (as far I can tell due to years-long experience with a local company) → Black anodized Strida parts
Sure, there is some disassembling work to do (which can be a little tricky, for example reassembling of the brass rods of the steering bars) but with a few hints no big problem I guess.

Yes there was a tilted saddle in France, too.
Unfortunately we didn’t find the cause if I remember correctly - my suspect is still a faulty saddle with rails which were bent the wrong way.
(That is, for my personal meaning, easy to explain: Ming cycle’s quality control department doesn’t work always the way it should.)

Overall; really great that you like her :laughing:

Thanks BSA for the tips regarding aluminum anodization. I haven’t thought about it. I will look for companies when the time of the mods will come.

Other than this, yesterday I have tried to go back home with the Strida without using train since we have still some good weather. 18km in total. I was a kid again :laughing:

Bottom line: totally feasible. People who says that this bike isn’t a bike, well… :mrgreen: No muscle (quadriceps) soreness at all and no (too much) butt soreness. What is true is that I need to change my seat. The extended stearing bars could be a nice addition too but aren’t mandatory to me. By the way the black version you’ve shown would be terrible on my bike :wink:. What is certain is that I need to find a solution to sat higher and more at the rear. No emergency, but this would considerably improve the ride in my opinion.

And the choice of seat is so vast that it is difficult. Race-type/lightweight, spring loaded or even noseless…?
:sunglasses: