I don’t know if this is a common experience for everyone else, or if it’s a result of the culture in my city, but one unexpected reaction I get nearly every other day when I’m going about my daily commute with my Strida SX is “How much did it cost?”
I mean… at first I was honest and people either (1) looked at me like I was crazy or (2) understood and went about their days. The second reaction only happened once though, from someone who knew bikes and had bought a fixie for $2k. Usually people act shocked. And some will keep making comments or looking incredulously at me until one of us leaves the train. It’s uncomfortable.
So then I stopped being direct and honest. I would say “It’s surprisingly mid-range as far as many decent folding bikes go” and leave it vague. Or I’ll even sometimes lie, “I don’t know, it was a gift.” That usually redirects the conversation.
I love my Strida. It’s handy, dependable, and the design suits my tastes and needs perfectly. It just strikes me as odd and a bit rude to get asked about the cost and I don’t like being grilled about my financial decisions by total strangers. I’d say this is the only downside to owning a Strida… in my city, anyway. They’re pretty rare in the US.
I wonder where in the world people are so much focused in prices, cost of items.
At least here in Helsinki the question of price of my Strida is rarely askel, and then only later during the discussion. Maybe I am just too eager to demonstrate all the novel, smart details of my Strida EVO. If the price is asked I refer to price of Brompton although folding bicycles at 200-300 Euros are sold.
As a second thought I have been wondering: why are there hardly any European Strida riders posting on Instagram? Mostly from Far East and Russland, well one living in Netherlands while I myself the only Nordic rider.
Hi all STRiDA owners we know the unique qualities of this bike and I thinks its strange why there are no more around everywhere i came upon STRiDA some 20 years ago when I had my own bike shop in Melbourne Australia and was hooked now I’m the importer wholesaler for almost 8 years and still struggling to get this wonderful folder on to the market, yet when i see and talk to a STRiDA owner there is always such an enthusiastic responds they all love the bike…do they want to keep it a secret??
Yes, it is a common experience. I’m outside of US and $1K (or more) bicycle is like a diamond exposed compared to mass $200 multispeed MTBs around. People tend to think this bicycle is a joke and should cost $300 at most.
The latest iPhone priced higher on a local market would not get such a reaction as Strida.
“A gift from a foreign company” does the trick in most cases.
