Mobile 155

I am seriously thinking of getting a Strida LT folder for coffee shop and short store runs. I have tried the MTB and trailer route and every minute I am in the store I worry the bike will be gone when I come out.

I have tried the Strida and I know it can be twitchy compared to my road and MTBs. But is there anything else I might consider about the Strida?

towndock

So this isn't a storage issue at home / work. You want a bike that will fold small & easy enough to take into a coffee shop - to avoid the fear of theft?

The Strida certainly does that. It's light. But it's hard to get enthused about. One rides a bicycle... does one really want to ride a Strida LT?

The following may be blasphemous on on the folding bike forum (and I like folding bikes):

A bicycle that would ride better / smoother, and be at least $500 cheaper. Any "beater". I paid $150 for a cherry old Schwinn Surburban. A tank. It is a great coffee & bagel seeking machine. Mine may be too nice for your purpose. Get the $100 or $75 bike. And a good lock. It won't attract theft, and will ride wayyyy sweeter than a Strida. Bumps and sidewalks that would be painful on a Strida - no problem.

Other option - spend up. Get a Brompton. Minimum twice the price of a Strida but a folding bike that is actually pleasant to ride.

Perhaps someone else can provide some Strida love.

Mobile 155

Towndock:
I have a good lock, in fact I have two or three of them.

The Strida will not be my only bike but the N+1 rule only goes so far when you are already storing three full sized bikes on the sun porch.

I am not all in on the Strida yet but there are three coffee shops I go to within 1to 3 miles from me. There are two stores I use within 1 to 2 miles.

I just want something that folds quickly and is easy to take inside with me. If something might work better I am open.

jur

I now live close to some shops and can nick in to the shops in 5mins. So now we do our shopping almost exclusively on the Bromptons. We just wheel them into the supermarket and use them as shopping trolleys. I don't even take my helmet off any more. The trick is to not ask for permission - don't give anybody an opportunity to refuse. So now the shop owners are also used to us and see that we don't cause problems with the bikes.

BruceMetras

Nothing wrong with a Strida for that purpose.. I had one for a couple of years to exercise the dog with.. cool folding bike and a converssation starter.. pretty basic, folded in stick form, no maintenance, clean to store anyplace.. prices have escalated, but that isn't an isolated instance.. light weight also..

Mobile 155

Are Bromptons as easy to fold to take into a coffee shop?

towndock

BruceMetras

The Strida will fold faster, if that is a concern, but the Brompton folds small, and is just an ingenious fold compared with most.. I use mine for shopping (as a trolley with front bag attachment) and for restaurants (easy to fold and put under a table) .. the ride is less quirky than a Strida, but a Strida rides well enough for casual use .. a Strida would do what you want, but if you wanted something that was more versatile and still was easy to get into establishments, then you could spend more and get a Brompton..

Mobile 155

BruceMetras: the Brompton sounds like I should take a look. I tend to use a back pack for shopping but lately after getting a new MTB I haven't felt comfortable parking it outside. Even when I meet friends at the coffee shop I tend to need a table or spot close to the door if they don't have out door seating.

BruceMetras

Worth taking a look .. they turn up on c/l from time to time.. feebay also .. this is what I like most about the bike.. I ride to the grocery store, I fold up enough to wheel it in with bag on the front and push it through the isles and load with food, unclip the bag for the checker to check the food, clip it back on the bike, then unfold and ride back to my shop.. here's what a Brompton copy (no longer available) looks like, but same idea with a genuine B..

Ultralight

Not a bike, but you are looking for a solution that serves a FUNCTIONAL purpose for 1-3 miles, and is small/easy to take in store. For that type of short distances, I would use a Xootr Scooter. Probably just as fast or faster. (10mph is not hard) Cheaper. Less than half the weight. Smaller. I think that would serve the function you need best.

UL

14R 

Test ride a Brompton and a strida. I feel the cockpit space on stridas very limited, even for the bagel run.

ttakata73

I like my Strida, but I would suggest a Brompton even if its used.
The Strida folds faster but it doesn't rest without taking up the length of the bike.
It rests on its rack and will take up lots of floor space that patrons will get annoyed by.
The Brompton can rest under a table or in a shopping cart where no one will care.

Clownbike

Another contender is the Carryme. From what I remember, most said it was closer to riding a larger bike than the Strida. Have been contemplating one myself. Pacific Cycles

When I lived in the Bay Area I had a Bart bike, a Butt ugly $15 yardsale English 3 speed to lock up at the station for the day. In two years the only problem I had was someone ripped the grips.

Azreal911

if you really want very little maintenance and almost next to no grease to deal with since you are only going 1-3km and would still like a strida you can wait and go for their carbon fiber version which i think will come soon. Weighing in at 17.5 lbs it should be easy to lug that anywhere. But as for fitting in the coffee shop you should be using those loops on the handle bar to lock up the brakes and just pick a table next to the wall and lean it against it. that should take up no more than 1.5 sqft of space. If you have to lay it down across the floor then you are not utilizing it correctly. When I owned the strida I just lock up the wheels and just stand it up like a stick which takes less space than a standing person.

The carbon strida is definitely a conversation piece and would attracts alot of unwanted attention if you are a introvert, but it would probably be cheaper to go with a typical brompton.

invisiblehand

After owning both a Brompton and a Strida, I kept my Strida for Metro commutes, short distance riding downtown, and restaurants/doctor appointments/etc..

Brompton does have an excellent fold and it's awesome at carrying stuff. The ride is OK. I think generally, it's well thought out. It's hard to go wrong with owning one.

The Strida is the best rolling while folded bike I've ever tried. The Brompton is like rolling a sack of potatoes compared to the Strida. (Just to be clear, the Brompton rolls OK) I've rolled it down long flights of Metro stairs, dragged it behind me while going up stairs, it's relatively light, and it's really well balanced.

As for the fold, to be honest, in a lot of ways the fold is better than the Brompton. It takes up very little floor space. Because it's shaped like a stick and quite secure while folded -- make sure you adjust the magnets appropriately -- it's pretty easy to tuck away in a corner, squeeze into a crowded metro, manipulate, and so on. I saw the comment about resting it while folded. I use the bands to secure the brakes such that it stands while folded. With the bands securing the brake and resting it against a wall, I've had it fall zero times over the past few years. In restaurants and doctor/dentist appointments, it's always accepted in coat check or put into some corner. The fold is quick and easy, too.

Because of the belt drive and fenders, it's pretty clean and really low maintenance as well.

The ride is mediocre at best. So it's a pure utility bike, IMO. Note that bumps are really not an issue since the triangle frame is relatively flexy. But I went downhill once on one, hit 20+ mph, decided that my teeth were best left in my mouth and started using the brake to slow down.

Anyway, decide what you want to do with the bike. If you want a bike that's super close to zero maintenance for little utility rides, multimode travel, and so on, it's great. If you want something with a tiny fold for 10-mile rides, you need gears, and/or you want to carry a lot of stuff then a Brompton.

Good luck.

Dahon.Steve

+1

I have my Xootr and use it more than my Brompton! The Xootr is more dangerous so be careful where that front wheel goes.

The Strida was a bargain years ago at $295.00 dollars. I can’t believe how expensive it is today but they did make it better and stronger. It doesn’t ride bad at all and much faster than a Xootr. I find that rolling that bike everywhere gets a bit tiring after a while. It’s easier to roll a Strida than a Dahon bike any day of the week.

The Strida is not the bike you take into a mall where rolling long distances gets old fast. In a supermarket, the bike would go inside a shopping cart.

Ultralight

Dahon.Steve,

So you find the Striada much faster than the Xootr? On the Xootr, 10mph is not difficult. Would the Striada do 15mph comfortably? Genuinely curious as I have the Xootr and am looking for a folding bike. I don't think the Striada is in our list of bikes to look at but I am still curious.

Thanks,
UL

BruceMetras

I've had a Xootr Magnesium for years .. I use it all the time .. I also had a Strida .. stock on 16" wheels, you get around 48 g/i .. so to hit 15mph, you'd be approaching 100 rpm.. I ran the 355 wheel option on mine, that put the g/i around 55 and would let me reach 15mph at around 90 rpm .. one thing for sure, if the pavement, sidewalk, or street is not really smooth, the Xootr ride suffers compared to the Strida.. and the Strida is much easier on your body than a Xootr .. my Xootr trips are all around a mile or less .. of course now there is a 3 speed Strida, so more versatile gearing available, for a price...

invisiblehand

I'm trying to think of the longest distance I rolled my Strida. I'd say ~100 yards adding up the stairs at Metro Center. So definitely less than biggish malls. And the folded stick does not neatly fit into a shopping cart.

I have noticed that how you hold the bike matters. I hold it by the top of the seat keeping the "stick" close to vertical. You have less control but it's close to zero effort ... thinking about it more, I suppose this also depends on your height somewhat. Holding the Strida by the top with the wheels in front -- where the folding handlebars connect -- at say a 30-degree angle gives you the most control; but your arm/shoulder will get tired after a while.

They're hard to find for a test ride, but if possible, I'd try one beforehand since it's quirky by regular-bike standards. I think most folks will get used to it in short order. I don't see it as a fun ride type of bike; but I'll putz around with the kids while riding it and the au pairs would grab it for various occasions.

Mobile 155

Had to look up a Xootr and it looks like a sidewalk is more for what the scooter is designed for. Not sure it is bike lane material.

My trips on the folder will be under 3 miles. I have other bikes for anything longer. Most of the suggestions I am willing to take a look at and all I want is something easy to use, easy to fold and easy to stow.

Dahon.Steve

The Strida certainly rolls betters and faster than a Xootr. You can’t maintain 10 mph on a Xootr too long. On average, you’ll probably travel 5-7 miles per hour on a Xootr. Strida is more like 12 - 15 mph and that might be pushing it.

Ozonation

Yes. Very.

Caveat. No folding bike is going to be *super* easy to haul around - it is at least 20 lbs or more of metal, rubber, and plastic. That being said, Bromptons are nice, and they are self standing when folded.

keyven

The Brompton's versatility is pretty much unparalleled. Sure a Strida may be smaller and more convenient in some concrete ways, but a Brompton covers - with some adjustment - just about all common scenarios one can think of (other than off-roads, obviously).

- multi-modal
- urban
- shopping
- day rides
- touring

Personally, I've taken this versatility to make a long-term commitment to my Brompton, which is to say each upgrade - however expensive - ups the comfort and rideability and luggability for years to come. A $180 saddle works out inexpensive if the bike is ridden almost everyday, and brought overseas regularly to tour. Since the bike is with me all the time, I don't worry about expensive parts (grips, saddles, pedals etc) being stolen or damaged either. It's also a great conversation starter.

Contrast this to my $2k MTB which I don't dare to leave locked outside a mall for more than 2 minutes. I'm sure the Strida are great machines for their purpose, but you can't really go wrong with a Brompton (unless you hate the ride).

d00fck4ns

I own an earlier version of the Strida (3.5). You can take it into a shop or resturaunt that has a coat check area and use a planter hanging hook to place it with the other coats (with a poncho covering it). The comment about a beater is why i use a cheap folder like the Schwinn Loop, you can park outside and remove the screw-plug that tightens the middle latch; no one could ride it even if they broke into the bike lock. (I have a Chinese Phoenix Folder of the same type). The Brompton Bike can go under most dining tables but is $1,200-$1,700. A bike I bought on ebay (12'' Super Folding City Bike, Portable Smart folding bike, bicycle) for about $500 can fold into a roughly 1' cube, can be carried in an army surplus dufflebag and no one would even guess it was a bike. The Strida's main advantage is its 'get on it and go' low maintenance and the 'rolling stick' ease over carrying the bike with one hand (an advantage if walking in a slow line at a subway or train station). The Strida needed soft springy seat to compensate for less suspension.