I’m driving a Strida 5.2 but I’m wondering if it’s possible to fit different brake callipers. Because mine are quite damaged during maintenance.
Or do all callipers fit, like the main brands, Magura, SRAM, AVID, Shimano, etc?
Does the rotor size matter, concerning the callipers?
I prefer mechanical disc brakes, easy maintenance and stopping power is okay now.
Via VanMoof you can order replacement callipers, however I’m wondering for some upgrade of my Strida and improve the brake callipers. Levers is a next step, not necessary.
Hi Pablo! As I understand you can’t do anything to the rear caliper which is reflection-symmetric on Strida, while normal front and rear calipers are identical. You may try replacing, however, the front caliper by, say, Avid BB7. But you should use front mounting adapters for +20mm rotor size (i.e. 160mm rather than Strida’s 140), as suggested in this thread. I tried using Avid’s rear adapter for 140 mm on Strida’s front, but the break power was very weak, plus the the caliper was nearly rubbing the spokes, so I gave up.
This is right. The front is a standard IS2000 socket. The rear is mirrored.
A standard bike has both disk brakes on the same (left) side. If a bike has a disk on the right side of the wheel the caliper is rotated. Most trike brakes are mounted this way. Another example for is the IF Mode.
Here might be one slight and expensive chance to put a different rear brake on the Strida. Magura has a special high performance disk brake called “Big Twin”. This has the possibility for two disks on one wheel - one of them mounted to the right side. Unfortunately this brake is not distributed by the bicycle branch of Magura.
More information:
http://www.controls.magura.com/en/products/clutch.html
Welcome Pablo!
Strida manual-0617 revised (2010) page 17
How to adjust outer disk brake pad?
@cubicapple and Tom__
Many thanks for the infos!
To achieve more braking power it will be also useful to try different rotor/brake pad combinations (appropriate brake pads are here).
Using 160mm instead of 140mm rotors at the front wheel requires an IS2000 + 20mm adapter;
cubicapple wrote that Avid’s adapter did not work properly -
read here, that it might be tricky to make the Hope adapter HBIS20 (and some rotors) fit.
Another adapter, Brake Authority A20IS, compared to the Hope’s:
It seems that this adapter will not fit (not tested by now).
My suggestion: Use new Strida calipers, maintenance them carefully and correctly.
Try different brake pads at Original Strida and other (Hope, Ashima, DirtyDog,…) rotors.
Please note that most common rotors do NOT fit at the rear wheel (some can be modified to fit, but not all).
If you want a 160mm front rotor use the Hope’s adapter, but be prepared for some filework.
(That must not be necessary, it might be…)
Good luck!
Thanks for all the answers!
However I think I will leave the original calipers or might buy some new ones from Strida. These modifications are to much work for me.
I found the compatible pads already on this forum, and lots of other info also. Great knowledge place here.
Thanks again!
@Pablo:
Thanks for your reply!
@All
Meanwhile we have really tons of informations here -
but to find the one you urgent need might be a challenge.
If you’re unsure - please feel free to ask.
@All of technical interest
A common mechanical brake caliper cannot be used “backwards”.
(Admittance of the brake hose and brake caliper lever would change position).
BUT:
At some hydraulic brake calipers it should be possible to change the direction of the brake hose banjo:
What do you think? 
Since this forum is actually a reference knowledge base, let me make myself clear… I did not try front Avid’s adapter on Strida – it might work (+20mm to the rotor size of course) for the geometry must be identical to the Hope’s, is it?
I didn’t have 140+20=160 front Avids, so I decided to try the rear 140mm Avid on the Strida’s front – normally they must be interchangeable. It was not a complete failure – it fitted more or less, so maybe it might work with some shamanism with a file.
Thanks for clearing that cubicapple,
to avoid misunderstandings it should be said also, that we are speaking about two different types of adapters.
Maybe there is a third type, which supports both functions suitable for Strida?
The first type, which you have shown above, supports calipers with bolt holes which are parallel to the rotor, meaning the adapter cannot be used for Strida calipers.
The second type,like HBIS20 or A20IS, supports the Original calipers (bolt holes are cross the rotor) and is needed for bigger (front) rotors only.
So, for the use of a non-Strida caliper together with a 160 mm Rotor at the front wheel there will be two adapters useful.
Let’s say, one for the rotor size and one to bring the caliper bolts “around the corner”.
(I want to try it that way, but am still waiting for some parts…)
Or might it be that a third type is not fiction?
How should it look like?
Maybe front for 180mm?
Maybe some sort of block (simple bearing fastened to the frame) could help reroute the cable?
While thinking of upgrading brake calipers, I came to the same conclusion.
I guess that even calipers with fixed hose direction could be used - hose bending should not be a problem on hydraulic brakes…
If you see something like that as an additional challenge…
Maybe it is enough challenge to find suitable adapters.
To be honest: Few days ago I’ve ordered hydraulic calipers and adapters and got them today. 
Good. Waiting for full report =)
A full report might need lots of patience, I’ve discovered today…
Therefore a short report:
(Strida upside down)
At the front there was no problem to mount a Shimano Deore XT BR-M785 caliper, using a 180 (!) mm front IS to post mount adapter.
(Shimano SM-MA-F180P/S).
But at the back wheel it is simply not possible to mount the reversed caliper with standard adapters.
The reversion does change the position of the rotor cut of the caliper (in relation to the rotor).
Logical, no reversed caliper will fit at the right side of the wheel, it must be a mirrored caliper!
The last chance to fit a reversed caliper at the Strida’s back will be a custom adapter only.
(It has to be L shaped and relatively big, I mean…)
The adapter shown below is a normal front IS to post mount adapter,
(Shimano SM-MA-F160P/S)
which would fit perfectly for the rear wheel;
if the caliper would be mirrored 
,
the angle of sight makes that visible (better 1024x768).
If Shimano, or any other company, does not supply a mirror caliper, this might be a long-term project…
Found a picture of a right side mounted Magura Big:
http://www.industrialbicycles.com/GreenspeedMaguraBigDiscBrakes.htm