I wrote to the Editor in Dorchester (UK) in August - saying it was high time for a review of the Strida 5, preferably the Schlumpf version - he agreed. ‘A to B’ has previously reviewed the Mk 2 (1998) and the Mk 3 (2006), they specialise in folding bikes and electric bikes.
My favorite lines from the review come in the last few sentences of this 4 page report:
“It’s not a bicycle, it’s a triangle, and a masterpiece of industrial design. Normally you’d have to pay just to look at something like this in a gallery. For less than five hundred quid you can ride it to work…”
That might have applied 3+ years ago when ATS were tooling up.
But now they are reliable and affordable. Even Pacific-Cycle use them on their Carry-Me DS.
There is always the choice to pay much more and have the super engineered schlumpf - original version.
Thanks to Minkair, thanks to Amuro for the “magnifying glass”
Has anybody noticed the aluminium holding part for the bottom bracket of the new MAS is much different to the older version?
The older version is made of three parts, a tube for the bottom bracket and two “carrier”, which connect the bottom bracket housing to the frame tube. The connection occurs via four welding seams, two of them from bottom bracket to the “carrier” and two seams connect the arms to the frame tube (visible far better on Amuro’s reply below).
The new versions seems to be one part, the distance of the two “carrier” together is much smaller, additionally there is an (amplifying?) base between the “carrier”. The position and shape of the welding seam has changed, now it looks like there is only one seam.
I would like to know why this part has been changed, for design reasons only?
Hard to believe…
That cast bottom bracket doesn’t look so wonderful - judging by the amount of weld material required, there could be long term fatigue issues in the bottom tube for the new version. The EN test may just have required less deflection under static load?
EN 14764 for City and Trekking bicycles
EN 14765 for Bicycles for young children
EN 14766 for Mountain bicycles
EN 14781 for Racing bicycles
EN 14872 for Bicycles – Accessories for bicycles – Luggage carriers.
EN 15194 for Cycles - Electrically power assisted cycles - EPAC bicycle
EN 15496 for cycle locks
EN 15532 for cycle terminology
The preparation of standards for bicycle trailers and BMX bikes is on the way.
