Doesn’t tell you logical mind that the freewheel and the crankwheel should have the same teeth profile when you have one equal belt?
For me it’s also clearly where’s your problem when I read the declarations from the other forum user’s. If you’re really, really, really… sure that your crankwheel’s teeth profile looked like that when you bought it (what i don’t think) and only that matters what’s in the box than i have to say sorry for you because your dealer or Ming Cycle sold you a used strida.
The users of this forum want you to help you and invest their time to solve your problem but you don’t want to take this help or believe them. So mabye you should take your problem and ask in another forum or fly to another planet. Maybe there you can find the help you want. I don’t know.
But I am pretty sure that you won’t get another solution from other strida riders.
Actually, Blackstridaaustria already helped me by pointing me to ECCS. Awesome. Now I’m waiting for a reply from them.
This freewheel discussion is more of a debate than asking for help. Something broke my Strida, but I’m more inclined to believe it was a combination of 1) dirt getting in the freewheel and 2) the wheel not being trued, that broke it, simply because the Strida is now working after repairs. The plastic freewheel doesn’t necessarily require its teeth to be as tall as the crankwheel’s because the belt touches it at a curve and doesn’t wrap around it entirely.
At no point did I say that the plastic freewheel is better than the alloy freewheel, nor did I say that the plastic freewheel could not be worn down. The hypothesis that my plastic freewheel is worn down is valid… if my plastic freewheel had sharp teeth when new. What I’m saying is that my freewheel never had sharp teeth to begin with, and so we might figure out something from that. If that supposedly “offends” you, then agree to disagree. Europeans are so sensitive.
Thanks to everyone for the excellent and detailed technical tips in this thread, but let’s just accept disagreement on certain points and declare that part of the discussion over, thanks!
Well, I am able order a new alloy freewheel and belt for $85 USD + shipping from Areaware. Not cheap at all, but hey, it’s still cheaper than buying a new Strida.
$60 - freewheel
$25 - belt
$30 - customs and duties because it was shipped from the USA
$55 - installation @ Curbside Cycle (tax incl.; Eli did a phenomenal job!)
$170 later, the alloy freewheel is on my Strida. Um, wow. It’s pretty good, though for $170 it better be. Combined I’ve now sunk $1175 on this bike:
$670 - Strida 5.0
$60 - Specialized Expedition Gel seat because the stock seat sucks
$90 - Schwalbe Marathon Racers because the stock tires suck
$16 - Schwalbe tubes because the stock tubes suck
$109 - Tax for the above
$170 - Alloy freewheel because the stock freewheel sucks
$60 - Tuneup
I guess this thread is over, though I guess future Canadian buyers are screwed because savedbybikes.com is dead. While the base Strida seems cheap at first, the upgrade and maintenance costs are just too expensive and inaccessible for it to be a recommended option over the other folders in Toronto. Anyone else can just buy a Brompton with that money and save a lot of headaches.
It’s a shame, because whenever anyone asks about it I’ll respond, “you’re better off not getting it… go to Curbside Cycle and buy a Brompton.” I now understand why Curbside Cycle bowed out of being a Strida retailer.
I feel your pain! Im using my strida daily for 15 minutes, 4 years old.
I dont know what austria mean by expecting too much bit here in holland we make bikes that lasts 30 years.
The problem with strida is that they are always under development, i have a strida 5 and still its a bike that doesnt live up to quality. The frame is no problem, its the parts , plastic freewheel i had to replace, 2 times change rim due to broken spokes. Everything not allow rusts like crazy. I take my bike apart and try to lube and clean it up.
We are just test bunnies for them, they dont even care…only if you pay.
Anyway im waiting for a reply again from strida.
Actually i want to get rid of it and put
My hopes on a strida evo3, when is that coming out?
Everything on the strida 5 is plastic or messed up steel, they all changed that and why you think?
Guest: Now you know exactly how I feel. But at least you have some dealers in Holland, whereas I’m sh!t out of luck when it comes to support.
The Strida 5’s metal spokes are actually good because it means the wheel can be trued or fixed by a mechanic. The Strida LT’s plastic wheel is proprietary… if it breaks good luck! So at least I’m thankful for that. I’ve never had a broken spoke, but then again I only put about 165lb max on the Strida, and I always make sure to have 80psi on my rear tire. I suspect the weight limit is closer to 180 than the 200 they advertise.
Anyway, it’s time to revive this thread. Anyone know where I can get a cheap tool that unscrews that silly bottom bracket? I went to MEC Co-Op and their bottom bracket wrench doesn’t fit. I’ve scanned the threads here and apparently you need a special 60mm spanner wrench or something, which of course wasn’t included. I found it on Amazon, but it’s shipped from the USA, and I don’t want to pay $60 for a tool when the equivalent at MEC is $20. None of the hardware stores in Toronto have the spanner wrench, either.
Awesome job, Strida… not only do you make proprietary parts, but now you force us to use proprietary tools, too. ~_~
As mentioned in this thread ([url]seat height]), I used a wrench coming from an old BMW motorbike tool set and which is used to adjust the spring preload of the rear shock absorbers.
It is similar to this one:
I suggest you to go to a motorbike/snowscooter dealer and ask him for such a tool. But prior to that, measure the diameter of the nut as well as the width of the notches.
I bought a 1 year old 2nd hand Strida with a plastic freewheel. Even being 2nd hand the plastic freewheel doesn’t have worn-out teeth like those in the photos. I had it changed to alloy ever since I saw the exact same photos.
Kevlar belts tend to expand on cold weather as stated in Tips by Mark Sanders. Perhaps this might explain the root of the problem. As the belt loosens during cold weather the belt skips. When tension is set to maximum the freewheel takes more grinding. When the the freewheel is worn out then more belt skipping.
I live in the tropics by the way so I haven’t experienced having to ride a Strida during cold weather and see if the belt really expands. So it’s up to fellow Striders in the northern hemisphere to confirm this.
But I do brush off the belt teeth to remove grits that may eat away even an alloy freewheel.
I ride mine in the winter up to -5°C. I never experienced that the belt skipped, and the snubber should prevent it anyway. But a worn-out freewheel will definitely make the belt skip.
To rescue this old thread, I’m putting in my 2 centrs about my belt skipping Toronto Canada based Strida 5.0.
I’ve struggled with skipping belts (among many other issues) and have found a few culprits:
After a couple months of folding and unfolding the Strida, the rear bolt will loosen enough for the rear axle to jog with pedal pressure. Tightening that bolt with a nice long-armed 13mm wrench helps take out the jog.
Tightening the rear bolt also helps the Strida stay folded. As that bolt loosened, I found the bottom tube would pop out when I’d carry my Strida down a flight of stairs
The OEM belt is substandard. Very stretchy! I replaced the OEM belt with an aftermarket belt and that helped a lot!
It’s nice to meet you all! I don’t know why I didn’t join this board sooner. With so little support from Steve, I could have benefited from this community and save a lot of effort troubleshooting on my own.
Yay, a fellow Strida user from Toronto. I haven’t had any of the bolt issues you mentioned, though I should probably tighten them now that I’ve had the bike for a year and a half.
I am still using my Strida almost every day, but when anyone asks me about it, I just say “it’s a prototype, you cannot buy it” and that shuts them up quick. I have no intention of promoting a product that can’t be easily bought or maintained. The allure of a curious person coming up to me has long since vanished.
Updates:
Savedbybikes is officially dead, because the site is now gone, and the North American distributor no longer mentions them. The new Canadian distributor is all the way out in British Columbia, so the distributors in New York City are actually closer. If it weren’t for the mechanic at Curbside Cycle having experience repairing Strida bikes, I would’ve tossed mine out by now.
I still have yet to shell out the money for a bottom bracket spanner wrench, which will cost at least $60 on Amazon because no bike shop in Toronto sells it. Will probably do so by Christmas because I also need to buy new brake pads.
The alloy freewheel hasn’t skipped once. I guess it’s an essential expensive upgrade after all.
I’m not riding the Strida in heavy rain anymore; only in light showers.
It feels as though my top speed isn’t as high as it was with the plastic freewheel because I can no longer “run out of revs” when pedaling.
Expecting the worst in a few months, as we’ll see if the Strida survives a second Canadian winter, and the first with the alloy freewheel.