strida 5.2 + upgrades for older stridas
 

I was googling and I found that strida has incorporated some of the ideas I contributed via email to areaware.. some of these products will be available to upgrade older strida 5.0 models!

1. Ever find the handling of the strida a tad too twitchy? My suggestion was riser bars, and spread them a bit wider.. so the end result was risers that extend a bit wider than the original bars.. with the hands wider apart, turns feel a bit safer for those that don't want to slice and dice thru traffic and just want to enjoy a cruise

2. 18" wheels. Now, the existing strida wheels can be REbuilt on larger diameter rims. just use the existing hubs and have a bike shop source rims that are 18" and have the correct hole count. rim tape + tubes + tires and ur good. If you don't want to go thru that hassle, wheels will be available as a 15min upgrade in early march.

3. speed kit. the 2speed shcumpfh drive will also be available and this SHOULD consist of the front crank + front belt ring as well as a shorter belt to accomodate.

who's gonna be first!?

I'd need the Schlumpf gadget if I had 18 wheels. I have hills around here and the 56" gear is almost too high at times for my terrain. There are some routes where I need to dismount for certain stretches as it is. A rise in gear of about 15% would not work for me without having a low gear option available, although I'd love to have 18" on the downhill bits.

Do you have to throw out the mudguards with the 18" wheel, or are there a suitable set available. The original ones would not work with a larger wheel, I think.

Fitting the speed drive is not a simple swap over exercise, a cone-cutter is required (can be hired, I believe)
I find the little change buttons quite difficult to operate & they've caused me a wobbly moment or two (well two last night actually!) I would recommend using the type with the paddle that extends down the crank arm (this type was fitted to the one I saw in Strida NL) These paddles can be engraved with your own design.
Don't quite understand how 18" wheels will fit without rubbing on the mudguards or the screws that hold them.

Safe Strida-ing!

Have you seen the SRAM truvative epicyclic 'thingy' Chop? It has a lever for changing gear. looks like a great system. You get a 1:1 and a 1:1.6 overdrive with it. To be fair, I'm not sure how it would work with the strida front pulley. I'm really mentioning it because of the lever gear changer you can fit on the handlebar.

As far as I know the only way to get 18" wheels and mudguards is with the bigger XT

http://www.strida.us/model-xt.asp

On the regular Strida you had to remove the mudguards to fit the 18" wheels.

What I want is that fast locking system for the seat that was posted somewhere. Maybe for Strida 5.3.