When I've ridden my Strida lately, it's been feeling increasingly floppy and unsafe, which has been the main reason why I haven't ridden it much for several months. And until yesterday I had only made half-hearted attempts to diagnose the problem. I checked all the hinges and joints, and they all seemed tight; but when I rode it, I could feel something shifting at every pedal stroke. That's what finally tipped me off: it was the pedals getting loose! Now that's a little odd, I thought, because I've been working on bikes for 25 years and never had that happen before. So I started to tighten up the right side pedal... it was really hard to turn... but then, suddenly, it started turning easily, and after two revolutions it came off in my hand! The threads were full of aluminum shavings, too. Not a good sign. So as I was cleaning them out with the point of my jacknife, I notice an L stamped on the end of the spindle. Doh! So I check the other one. The left pedal, that is... and yes, sure enough, it's got an R stamped on it. Great. I rode 2000 miles that way.
Okay, okay, I just know somebody is going to say I perpetrated this boondoggle myself, but I plead innocent. I bought this bike fully assembled from Strida; this is how they put it together. I'd be curious if any other Strida riders have encountered this problem... or even checked.
Rudi
invisiblehand
10-29-07, 07:46 AM
When I've ridden my Strida lately, it's been feeling increasingly floppy and unsafe, which has been the main reason why I haven't ridden it much for several months. And until yesterday I had only made half-hearted attempts to diagnose the problem. I checked all the hinges and joints, and they all seemed tight; but when I rode it, I could feel something shifting at every pedal stroke. That's what finally tipped me off: it was the pedals getting loose! Now that's a little odd, I thought, because I've been working on bikes for 25 years and never had that happen before. So I started to tighten up the right side pedal... it was really hard to turn... but then, suddenly, it started turning easily, and after two revolutions it came off in my hand! The threads were full of aluminum shavings, too. Not a good sign. So as I was cleaning them out with the point of my jacknife, I notice an L stamped on the end of the spindle. Doh! So I check the other one. The left pedal, that is... and yes, sure enough, it's got an R stamped on it. Great. I rode 2000 miles that way.
Okay, okay, I just know somebody is going to say I perpetrated this boondoggle myself, but I plead innocent. I bought this bike fully assembled from Strida; this is how they put it together. I'd be curious if any other Strida riders have encountered this problem... or even checked.
Rudi
Man ... that would irritate me to no end.
Sammyboy
10-29-07, 08:51 AM
How the hell did they even manage to assemble it? I've got a crankset with a slightly damaged (very slightly) thread on the right side, and yesterday it took me 20 mins to get a pedal to thread into it. How the hell you could possibly do it with an opposite threaded pedal I do not know.
SesameCrunch
10-29-07, 09:08 AM
How the hell did they even manage to assemble it? I've got a crankset with a slightly damaged (very slightly) thread on the right side, and yesterday it took me 20 mins to get a pedal to thread into it. How the hell you could possibly do it with an opposite threaded pedal I do not know.
+1. That's what I'm trying to figure out too.
RHM, did you get your belt problem fixed also?
BruceMetras
10-29-07, 09:14 AM
+1. That's what I'm trying to figure out too.
Maybe the crank arms were installed left to right.. pedals could be installed and tightened easily but would loosen with use..
brakemeister
10-29-07, 09:16 AM
I do have helicolis and cutter ...if you dont find a store who has them already ... ( they are a little too expensive to buy for just one bike .)
thor
Sammyboy
10-29-07, 09:55 AM
Maybe the crank arms were installed left to right.. pedals could be installed and tightened easily but would loosen with use..
But, but, but.....then the chainring would be on the wrong side!
Fat Boy
10-29-07, 10:13 AM
Just get a thread to catch and reef on the sumabtich until cuts it's own threads, I guess, huh?
OK, knowing this is the mentality of the person who put your bike together, I think it's high time to _really_ check it over well from top to bottom.
rhm
10-29-07, 10:13 AM
+1. That's what I'm trying to figure out too. ++1. Yep, the mind boggles. But where there's a will, there's a way. The idea that the crank arms were originally put on the wrong sides, and that this lead to the pedals being put on wrong as well, would explain it,
(But, but, but.....then the chainring would be on the wrong side!) since on the Strida the chainring and crank arms are not attached to one another. No way to know now, of course, since I had to take the crank arms off when I replaced the freewheel years ago.
+1.RHM, did you get your belt problem fixed also?
Yes, I got replacement parts from Strida. That, too, was a fiasco, and I advise anyone who's ordering from them to make dang sure of what you're ordering. Double check the part numbers and the number of each that you're getting. But after all the parts I replaced, the whole thing still felt all wrong, like I said; so it didn't really matter, at that point, that I'd fixed all the problems I knew about, since there was still the pedal problem.
I just screwed the old pedals back onto the old crank arms (but correctly this time). I haven't ridden it. I suspect there'll be enough metal to hold them, though. If not, I'll just replace the crank arms; I'd like to try shorter ones, which should be easier to spin really fast, which is necessary on the Strida.
Simple Simon
10-29-07, 11:59 AM
Nice 1 Rudi :D ...
Yeh.. its weird .. possible to get both LH & RH cranks and pedals on the wrong sides or 2 x LH or 2 x RH. But even if you have LH pedal and crank on RH side ...IF... you can get it tight, it should be OK.
I've not had that one, but similar ... I thought the bike was getting a bit sloppy (and creaky) ... turned out the main BB bearings (like in a BMX) had gone out of adjustment... normally you'd notice, but the belt tension seemed to pull over the whole BB assembly and mask the free play. It was only when i slipped off the belt that i found a really loose BB .. about 6mm play at each pedal !!!
Its nice when its an easy fix - just annoyed about riding like that.
staehpj1
10-29-07, 01:47 PM
I just screwed the old pedals back onto the old crank arms (but correctly this time). I haven't ridden it. I suspect there'll be enough metal to hold them, though. If not, I'll just replace the crank arms; I'd like to try shorter ones, which should be easier to spin really fast, which is necessary on the Strida.
Helicoils or new arms is the right answer, but many years ago I had a stripped out thread on one crank arm and slathered "red loctite stud and bearing mount" on it and assembled it. Once dry I used it for years. There is no taking it apart without a torch once you do this though.
spambait11
10-29-07, 02:28 PM
I don't think you'd want to loctite pedals in general. Or if you do, at least use the blue stuff.
rhm
10-30-07, 07:12 AM
I don't think you'd want to loctite pedals in general. Or if you do, at least use the blue stuff.
Hmm. I was actually thinking of using some Elmer's Glue. That's not overkill, is it?
spambait11
10-30-07, 09:13 AM
Hmm. I was actually thinking of using some Elmer's Glue. That's not overkill, is it?
Don't know about overkill, but it does wonders for construction paper. If you're really concerned about the crank arm threads, you can always reinforce them with chewing gum.
rhm
08-12-08, 08:27 AM
Time to update (and bump!) an old thread.
Ever since I started this thread, my Strida looked like this:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3047/2755976947_4c6f24f4fd.jpg?v=0
But recently I noticed that Niagara Cycle Works was selling these unicycle arms in 4", 5", and 6" lengths!
http://www.niagaracycle.com/product_info.php?products_id=5542
I ordered a pair of 5"ers. Here's what they look like next to the Strida's OEM crank arms:http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3295/2756080331_9870646de2.jpg?v=0
And now the Strida looks like this:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3189/2755977919_0c5b1a10d3.jpg?v=0
I rode it around a little, and it's good. I can still get enough leverage to flex the chain wheel, but not as bad as before. Another benefit is a lot more room between knees and handlebar. Best of all, it's easier to spin the pedals now; it remains to be seen whether this will increase average speed.
trueno92
08-12-08, 08:36 AM
oh wow, thats pretty cool. I wish i could find something like those for the strida5.0 but 170mm is the SHORTEST i had found for the 4 bolt chainwheel.
spinning should be pretty good as that bike looks like a lot of fun! lol is that all reflective tape?
i want more speed.. omg do i want more speed. my bike is riding awesome now.. so awesome that i haven't taken pics for a while.....
BUT A LITTLE BIRD SHOWED ME THIS ON THE INTERWEBS
PR release in korea, so its not official yet. and damn no words on pricing..
It's a Schlumpf. No mistaking the cranks and if you get out your magnifying glass you'll clearly see the word "Schlumpf" printed around the BB.
Simple Simon
08-13-08, 11:11 AM
Want !!!! price ?
trueno92
08-13-08, 02:45 PM
yah i need to know how easy this is to install.. and how hard it will be to pay for...
and i THINK the overall size of the chain/beltring is smaller.. so i need to know if it will work with existing belts..
spambait11
08-14-08, 06:49 PM
I rode it around a little, and it's good. I can still get enough leverage to flex the chain wheel, but not as bad as before. Another benefit is a lot more room between knees and handlebar. Best of all, it's easier to spin the pedals now; it remains to be seen whether this will increase average speed.
You're a genius, rhm.
I've always hated the knee clearance issue with the Strida but never thought of using shorter unicycle cranks instead. I'm going to pull the 114mm's off of my starter uni first thing tomorrow morning!