Folding Bikes - This has got to be one of the oddest looking bikes I've ever seen.

But "the proof of the pudding is in the eating"--has anyone ever ridden one? (http://www.strida.us/home-page.asp)

This is a wind-up surely, especially from a senior member? You trying to stoke up the Strida lovers on this sub forum lol?

Unless of course you are new to the world of folding bikes and a member of the other sub-forums specialising in our larger wheeled brethern?...............................................

Re. the Strida, I think 'odd' is the wrong choice of word. I think 'quirky' is more apt. This is the beauty of folding bikes and the innovation that has gone into them over the last 20 years. I can assure you the Strida folds very neatly vertically and has quite a decent ride for urban commuting purposes. The designer Mark Sanders is also the brains behind the new IF fold design for larger wheeled bikes that Pacific Cycles of Taiwan are due to release.

Yes, Stridas have been around for awhile.

A-Bikes and micro-bikes (or whatever they're called -- the kinds with 8" or smaller wheels) look even weirder.

Strida has been around since the 80's. Yes, I ride one and keep it tucked in the vehicle for whenever I feel like taking a spin. The look is unique (and clever when you think further about it) but it's not that odd compared to examples in the Alt Bike Culture forum - now those are some truly odd bikes.

Yes, Stridas have been around for awhile.

A-Bikes and micro-bikes (or whatever they're called -- the kinds with 8" or smaller wheels) look even weirder.

Or quirkier? :D

You guys need to see this video:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=kVVgsQt1DK4
Fast fwd a little bit.
You will see the Strida actually works very well. The A-bike is really only suitable for a couple of miles and not in the wet! The Strida is also a great workout as well!

I have a folding bike. It is a Montague Paratrooper. When unfolded, it looks like a real bike, not something that a circus clown might ride.

Thanks for that insightful comment Elkhound. Blinker much?

I have a folding bike. It is a Montague Paratrooper. When unfolded, it looks like a real bike, not something that a circus clown might ride.


Back in the early 60's, I wonder how many "normal bike" riders thought that Alex Moulton's silly little clown bike was a joke, until they got soundly trounced by them in TTs, track and road races.

Way back about '87 when my dad retired, he bought a very strange folding, single speed bike with a belt drive. It was a terrible thing and after about a week, one of the cranks worked loose and he took it back and got his money back. I'm wondering if it was an early strida, as I recall, it looked a bit like that shape. I thought it was a horrible thing at the time. What were the first ones like? As I recall, this one had a number of hard plastic parts, but I was so contemptuous of it that I refused to have anything to do with it after riding it down the street and back. At the time I was into road bikes and my Dawes Galaxy.

I have a folding bike. It is a Montague Paratrooper. When unfolded, it looks like a real bike, not something that a circus clown might ride.

And only a clown would call the Paratrooper a true folding bike :lol:

http://watchingtheparade.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/scary-clown-2005.gif

Strida has been around since the 80's. Yes, I ride one and keep it tucked in the vehicle for whenever I feel like taking a spin. The look is unique (and clever when you think further about it) but it's not that odd compared to examples in the Alt Bike Culture forum - now those are some truly odd bikes.

I note in the video mulleady linked that the woman can put both toe tips down when stopped. The Strida looks to me like it has crank-forward geometry. Does it have enough to allow proper leg extension, seeing as how you can't hop off the front of the saddle when stopping?

I have a folding bike. It is a Montague Paratrooper. When unfolded, it looks like a real bike, not something that a circus clown might ride.

This from someone who owns an XtraCycle.....
.
.
.
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But then, the OP is from West Virginia - and proved Cheney right...

And only a clown would call the Paratrooper a true folding bike :lol:

:lol:

That is funny. Although there really is nothing wrong with a Paratrooper. I recall that some people have done mods that make them quite nice.

I have a folding bike. It is a Montague Paratrooper. When unfolded, it looks like a real bike, not something that a circus clown might ride.


Back in the early 60's, I wonder how many "normal bike" riders thought that Alex Moulton's silly little clown bike was a joke, until they got soundly trounced by them in TTs, track and road races.

Ouch! I'm getting spanked in this thread - I have a Strida5 AND a 1970 Moulton MK3.

<curls up in fetal position, sucks on thumb>

;););)

I have a folding bike. It is a Montague Paratrooper. When unfolded, it looks like a real bike, not something that a circus clown might ride.

Ooooh a Montague Paratrooper. Real bike huh. It's mediocre as a folder, mediocre as a full size bike, I guess that makes you mediocre as well. Who's the clown now?

http://www.dezeen.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/rca-ide-1st-prototype.jpg

i don't know if this one ever made it into production.. but i think the first run of them were similar..
there was a strida 2 on montreal craigslist just a couple of weeks ago.

plastic bits included the head/neck, bottom brackets etc etc.

they aren't that odd.. great fun, very city and leisure usable due to the well-thought gearing.

I note in the video mulleady linked that the woman can put both toe tips down when stopped. The Strida looks to me like it has crank-forward geometry. Does it have enough to allow proper leg extension, seeing as how you can't hop off the front of the saddle when stopping?

The Strida is the folding bike equivalent of "relaxed fit" jeans. The design does not try to squeeze every potential watt of propulsive energy from your pedal stroke nor does it try to look like a sleek, fashionable road bike. For what it does, it just fits right - no frills , now worry, no complications. It's pure, simple, cycling joy with an ingenious utilitarian aspect that extends its value to those riders who can look beyond the image of the clowns who deride its shape.

Yes, it can be crank-forward for shorter riders but if you are taller (like the inventor Mark Sanders) it is very upright and perhaps even cramped in the "seat to stem" department. You can set the seat height to where you like it but it is really meant to be mounted from a flat-foot, push-off position. Dismount is off the rear - very relaxed and without a care. The Strida is the most sans souci bike I ever rode.

But "the proof of the pudding is in the eating"--has anyone ever ridden one? (http://www.strida.us/home-page.asp)

I know I shouldn't feed the troll, but oh well...

I finally got to ride the Strida a couple of weeks ago. I think I've now test-ridden most of the folding bikes on the market (except the internet-only ones like the Downtubes). The Strida has to be the worst handling folder (or bike, for that matter) I've ever tried. I rode it for 4-5 miles in San Francisco, and it was slightly terrifying. In retrospect I should have taken a shorter loop near the bike shop, but I had already committed to try it out going to a meeting for work. Strida claim it fits riders to 6'4", but that's patently wrong. I'm "only" 6'3", and I had nowhere near enough leg extension - and I couldn't steer and pedal at the same time, or my knees hit the handlebars!! The only positive thing were the brakes - probably the best I've ever seen on a folder.

I'd certainly concede that it's a really brilliant idea, seems well executed. So if you're short enough to ride it, and you're happy with the way it handles then good for you.

http://www.pacific-cycles.com/upload/product/2007124112415.jpg

Definitely beyond "quirky" and into "downright weird."

http://www.pacific-cycles.com/upload/product/2007124112415.jpg

Definitely beyond "quirky" and into "downright weird."

Oooooh, you're going to get Makeinu mad at you.... :twitchy::D

I know I shouldn't feed the troll, but oh well...

I finally got to ride the Strida a couple of weeks ago. I think I've now test-ridden most of the folding bikes on the market (except the internet-only ones like the Downtubes). The Strida has to be the worst handling folder (or bike, for that matter) I've ever tried. I rode it for 4-5 miles in San Francisco, and it was slightly terrifying. In retrospect I should have taken a shorter loop near the bike shop, but I had already committed to try it out going to a meeting for work. Strida claim it fits riders to 6'4", but that's patently wrong. I'm "only" 6'3", and I had nowhere near enough leg extension - and I couldn't steer and pedal at the same time, or my knees hit the handlebars!! The only positive thing were the brakes - probably the best I've ever seen on a folder.

I'd certainly concede that it's a really brilliant idea, seems well executed. So if you're short enough to ride it, and you're happy with the way it handles then good for you.

I'm 6' tall and can't quite get the classic full leg extension. But the Strida is not designed for long rides. It's for a short, flat commute after the train ride. For its intended purpose, the Strida is elegant and well executed solution. I also love the looks of it.

The ride is indeed different, no different than the first time you get on a small wheeled folder. You eventually get used to the ride and it's great fun after that...

But the Strida is not designed for long rides. It's for a short, flat commute after the train ride. For its intended purpose, the Strida is elegant and well executed solution. I also love the looks of it.

I just rode my Strida in the Toronto Becel Ride for Heart, 50km up and down the Don Valley Parkway, with lots of hills, this past Sunday. I also use it for my daily 12 mile round-trip commute to work each day.

Because of its simplicity - no gears, belt drive, light weight - it's a wonderfully efficient ride and very Zen-like - no extraneous extras or frills, just a bike in it's simplest form. I own 5 bikes, all high-end, and the Strida is usually my first choice for rides.

So don't knock it until you've tried it.

Way back about '87 when my dad retired, he bought a very strange folding, single speed bike with a belt drive. It was a terrible thing and after about a week, one of the cranks worked loose and he took it back and got his money back. I'm wondering if it was an early strida, as I recall, it looked a bit like that shape. I thought it was a horrible thing at the time. What were the first ones like? As I recall, this one had a number of hard plastic parts, but I was so contemptuous of it that I refused to have anything to do with it after riding it down the street and back. At the time I was into road bikes and my Dawes Galaxy.

The original Strida was all black, sleek & cool looking, it was advertised in colour supplements, mail order, then it was picked up by ''Innovations'' type catalogues and trendy technology emporiums in shopping malls, where they would hang one on the wall. There was one on ebay a few months back, but for the life of me I cant seem to find a photo of one right now.

Don't take Elkhound too seriously guys, he's doing what I call Beavis & Butthead clown act to try to get a reaction so he can snicker away at the delusions of his own wit. His bike is not a true folder it just partially disassmbles and does a frame fold for stowing away or putting in a vehicle and limited at the latter. While it is OK he can hardly wind people up about a Strida! The Paratrooper wouldn't hold a candle in versatility to a full sized bike like the Dahon Cadenza 08 or for partial folding diassembly to the Pacific Reach, Xootr Swift or Airnmal range of bikes. You are out of your depth in this sub-forum Elkhound :D

Just thinking about the belt drive. Why haven't other commuter manufacturers used a belt? The worst feature of any bike is the chain as far as nuisance and maintenance goes. I'm just trying to imagine a Brompton with a belt driven three gear hub. Why not? Maybe the under folding rear triangle would cause problems of belt tension. There may be width issues for the belt line, but the advantages of an almost wear proof belt without dirt and grease would be huge.

The original Strida was all black, sleek & cool looking, it was advertised in colour supplements, mail order, then it was picked up by ''Innovations'' type catalogues and trendy technology emporiums in shopping malls, where they would hang one on the wall. There was one on ebay a few months back, but for the life of me I cant seem to find a photo of one right now.

Thinking about it, I bet it was an early strida. He bought it at a John Lewis store, and when he took it back and complained, the manufacturer phoned him, apologised for the problem and tried to get him to have another one. No luck though, it had been an impulse purchase and he'd lost interest. He was never a serious cyclist, aside form using a Raleigh Superbe to get to work in the early 1950s. I wish I'd taken more notice of it now.

Just thinking about the belt drive. Why haven't other commuter manufacturers used a belt?


The Strida's belt tends to break when under 'proper' loads. A friend fitted the Strida belt and chainwheel to a Moulton and always carries a spare belt to replace breakages.

I understand that another version of bicycle belt drive has popped up recently and is noticeably stronger. The 'innovation' might stick this time.

A full chaincase is a viable option for avoiding chain maintenance and dirt.

other than the belt snapping, it can also skip a few teeth if not adjusted correctly. i am curious to see what belt-wear is like with the schumph speed drive modification.

to get some speed, as another owner mentioned, you really need a smooth pedal stroke. the seating posture makes you want to push down, instead of down-and-back.

for the twitchiness, just think of urself being adult height, but sitting on the bmx you grew up with. ur posture is more upright so ur bars are higher, closer. i'll try to super impose an image later.

most ppl adjust to it pretty easy. i haven't ridden a full size for a while, but im 5,7" and 30 yrs old, and got it with 2 rides around the block.. only got better after that.

Snapping belts! Wow. I'm glad that doesn't happen on the cam belt of my VW diesel engine. That would cost about £4000 to put right.

Maybe the case and oily steel chain is a better option after all.

http://www.dezeen.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/rca-ide-1st-prototype.jpg


...I remember when my wife looked like that...all those years ago :(

Snapping belts might be a relic of the past. Recent Stridas use kevlar belts. When I think of the punishment these kind of belts take under my car hood (bonnet), I think it can stand up to my pedalling.

I do agree that slippage is a bigger problem. I find that happens when I stomp on the pedals on my Strida.

And only a clown would call the Paratrooper a true folding bike :lol:

Why? It is a bike, and it folds.

The Strida's belt tends to break when under 'proper' loads. A friend fitted the Strida belt and chainwheel to a Moulton and always carries a spare belt to replace breakages.

I understand that another version of bicycle belt drive has popped up recently and is noticeably stronger. The 'innovation' might stick this time.

A full chaincase is a viable option for avoiding chain maintenance and dirt.


My 1st Strida 2 has changed hands a few times & is still on the original belt. I don't know anyone who has had a belt snap. Nor do the newer models (3.2a up) have problems with the belts skipping as they have a snub wheel which traps the belt against the pulley.

The only way that I can see that you could break a belt is if you kick up a sharp stone & trap it betwixt belt & pulley.

All sounds like another batch of people with no personal experience Chinese whispering

Just off around Bristol on my Strida 5 with, shock, horror! No spare belt!!!!!! LOL!

Happy Stridaring!

Why? It is a bike, and it folds.

Kinda. It dismantles, anyway. I think this is the reaction to you acting like a bit of an ass about the bikes which are closest to people's hearts in this forum. It'd be like me going to the road forum, and making a post about "why do you fools ride those ridiculous plastic bikes which look like the handlebars have melted? The spandex makes you look gay". It'd be asking for trouble, which is what you've done. And folding or not, Montagues are a bit pish, aren't they?

And folding or not, Montagues are a bit pish, aren't they?

I have been quite happy with mine, thank you.

Why? It is a bike, and it folds.

I agree! I can confirm that the Paratrooper is a bike, it does fold and it is on my list! DOH!

I have been quite happy with mine, thank you.

And many here are happy with their "bikes that make you look like a clown", thank you.

My 1st Strida 2 has changed hands a few times & is still on the original belt. I don't know anyone who has had a belt snap. Nor do the newer models (3.2a up) have problems with the belts skipping as they have a snub wheel which traps the belt against the pulley.

The only way that I can see that you could break a belt is if you kick up a sharp stone & trap it betwixt belt & pulley.

All sounds like another batch of people with no personal experience Chinese whispering

Just off around Bristol on my Strida 5 with, shock, horror! No spare belt!!!!!! LOL!

Happy Stridaring!

I hope to never experience the belt actually breaking, but I have read it happened to a couple of internet users (literally, two) and it could be from over tensioning, etc. I have noticed that the belt is of higher tension when the bike is FOLDED (yes I do realize the pully lengths don't change, but heck, feel it for urself!) so maybe that could be stressing out the belt a bit.

The slippage doesn't occur from the rear, mine has that snubber bearing that keeps things grounded and very much does help in 80% of the situations (such as steep hills, but already in motion), but in the other 20%, the front pulley causes a skip from a hard-take off, or so. I've only caught it when I have been pedaling hard from a stop.

Ouch! I'm getting spanked in this thread - I have a Strida5 AND a 1970 Moulton MK3.

...

;););)

You and me both, I have a Strida 3.1, a Moulton Stowaway, and an Xtracycle! I've never ridden a Montague; my neighbor used to one, but he put it out on the trash one day, and it went to China for recycling.

I'd be happy to race anyone with a Montague Paratrooper from my house to my office at rush hour. The Montague might get to the station before the Strida, but don't count on it. And when you try to take the Montague on the train, the conductor will tell you to get right off again. S/he won't even notice the Strida!

Glad to see so many Strida fans gathering here... I was a Strida fan until my 3.3 developed a noisy crank that could not be fixed - plastic dont make good crank housing/BB material. So I sold it. Prior to that unbearable problem, it was a quirky bike that I truly enjoyed riding. Simplicity at its best.

This little Strida ride we did last year with over 10 Stridians for lobsters may interest you, or not...

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=3Tzut&doc_id=2786&v=3C&term=alvin%20lee&context=all

Have since changed to Makeinu's fav quirky 8" terror :) - which arguably, pips the Strida as a multi-modal single speed bike. 8kg, smaller folded package & strollable, chain driven, luggage racks, easy seat adjustment but 8" tires and pot holes are not best of friends.

well, the strida has its audience.... its city-centric where u can't really carry too much speed cuz of traffic, and its really good to roll into a grocery store, a train, or where carrying a bike would be a problem..

i'd be the first to admit i'd like a little more speed out of the bike, just don't know what to replace to achieve that and still retain the foldability.

what was prob in those catalogs back in the day:
http://homepage2.nifty.com/MrsKatoh/bikes/other/strida/970906113205.jpg

Glad to see so many Strida fans gathering here... I was a Strida fan until my 3.3 developed a noisy crank that could not be fixed - plastic dont make good crank housing/BB material. So I sold it. Prior to that unbearable problem, it was a quirky bike that I truly enjoyed riding. Simplicity at its best.

This little Strida ride we did last year with over 10 Stridians for lobsters may interest you, or not...

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=3Tzut&doc_id=2786&v=3C&term=alvin%20lee&context=all

Have since changed to Makeinu's fav quirky 8" terror :) - which arguably, pips the Strida as a multi-modal single speed bike. 8kg, smaller folded package & strollable, chain driven, luggage racks, easy seat adjustment but 8" tires and pot holes are not best of friends.

Excellent account of your trip to eat lobsters. Very appetising and cheap too, if I don't count the air fare to get there.

Glad to see so many Strida fans gathering here... I was a Strida fan until my 3.3 developed a noisy crank that could not be fixed - plastic dont make good crank housing/BB material. So I sold it. Prior to that unbearable problem, it was a quirky bike that I truly enjoyed riding. Simplicity at its best.

This little Strida ride we did last year with over 10 Stridians for lobsters may interest you, or not...

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=3Tzut&doc_id=2786&v=3C&term=alvin%20lee&context=all



Great pictures :) An adventure on 3 aluminium tubes, 2 small wheels and 1 fixed gear (and a decent distance too ! especially in the heat .. I'm guessing). You must have got a dud plastic bit !! - I've been trying to kill a Strida3 with aggressive riding for about 4 years :D and yes its not as tight as it once was - but I like the way its plastic bits just take the hammering. Strida5, with its metal wheels and metal crank mounting is tighter, and probably a tiny bit faster (its also newer), but when I have to choose which one to throw in a car or lend out after a trip to the pub - its usually the 3.

I like the look of the OP's montague - the solid frame reminds me of the great looking Klein Mantra mountain bike of the 90's ... (looked and went well XC - except downhill). But having to remove the wheel before folding, and still ending up with a bulky package would just not cut it on the train. ... IF Mode, looks like a much better fullsized bet.

I hope to never experience the belt actually breaking, but I have read it happened to a couple of internet users (literally, two) and it could be from over tensioning, etc. I have noticed that the belt is of higher tension when the bike is FOLDED (yes I do realize the pully lengths don't change, but heck, feel it for urself!) so maybe that could be stressing out the belt a bit.

The slippage doesn't occur from the rear, mine has that snubber bearing that keeps things grounded and very much does help in 80% of the situations (such as steep hills, but already in motion), but in the other 20%, the front pulley causes a skip from a hard-take off, or so. I've only caught it when I have been pedaling hard from a stop.

You canna change the laws of physics Jim! The belt tension cannot possibly change! The geometry is such that the back pulley stays exactly in the same place folded & unfolded, same goes for the front pulley, therefore the tension cannot change. Seldom in the annals of human folding cyclery have so many talked so much about a bike that few seemed to have actually tried. (present company not included!)
If you are getting a change in tension it's because :-
(a) you are South of the Equator
(b) you should be South of the Equator
(c) Margaret Thatcher's fault
(d) You bought it on E-Bay & it's not a Strida
Have you noticed that the suspension starts playing up when you break a spoke on the 32" wheels? BTW!
At times like this I'm so glad I gave up drugs! LOL!

its not from ebay, but its not a 'genuine' strida either!

but really, the tension does change!! (albeit i know that distance stayed fixed)
(how it would differ in a copy, i have no idea)

maybe it IS madam Thatchers fault..

its not from ebay, but its not a 'genuine' strida either!

but really, the tension does change!! (albeit i know that distance stayed fixed)
(how it would differ in a copy, i have no idea)

maybe it IS madam Thatchers fault..

Maybe the thing isn't rigid enough and when you sit on it or load it in other ways, something bends a bit or that there is play in a joint. It wouldn't take a lot of movement to alter the tension on a drive belt. A couple of mm would be enough to make it go slack or tight depending on the geometry and what exactly was bending.

nono, i'll take a look tonite, i couldn't figure it out either, but when its unfolded, everything is locked, no play, nothing. when its folded tho, the belt is a touch tighter taunt. not huge.. i'll take another look at it tonight, but yeah, i don't get it! rode it pretty hard that if there was play, something would have broke already! the snail cam is locked.. weird!