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Strida 5.0: Out of box experience
December 20th, 2007 by Fritz
I tried a Strida 3.2 folding bike on the show floor at Interbike 2007 last September and looked at the early pre-production 5.0 models. I liked it enough that I put a Strida on my Christmas wish list. Santa Claus arrived a little early to my household in the form of the FedEx man dropping off a big brown box labeled “Strida” and “DESIGNED IN THE UK” in big bold letters. My Strida 5.0 folding bicycle had arrived!
The distinctive features of the Strida 5.0 include its triangular frame, light weight (19.4 pounds), a clean belt drive, incredibly fast folding, and compact size both folded and unfolded.
Assembly required
Areaware in New York is the U.S. importer and distributor of this UK designed folding bicycle. While they’re working on developing their US dealer network, most purchases right now will be through online purchases over the Internet. That means you’ll receive your bike in a box just like I did and some assembly is required.
The Strida bicycle comes “folded” and partially unassembled in the box. While folding and unfolding the Strida is amazingly fast and easy, the first time was a little tricky. I’d say it’s helpful to read the instructions first, but to be honest, the instructions are non-intuitive illustrations. It might be handy for some people to find a YouTube video and watch that in addition to looking at the instruction book. Beware when folding the bike for the first time — the first time I tried folding this Strida, I did it completely wrong and popped the top part of the triangle out of its ball joint. It took some spirited whacks with a mallet to get the pieces back together. (Don’t worry, Areaware — I put padding on the tube to protect the finish!)
The bike comes with almost everything attached and adjusted. Handlebars, brakes, pedals, tires and wheels and belt are already put together. It’s up to the end user to install the saddle and rear rack. On a conventional bike, saddle adjustment is trivial: you just loosen the seatpost binder and slide the saddle up and down. The saddle attachment on the Strida folding bike is somewhat less trivial and involves four bolts and quite a bit of wiggling, so you want to get it right the first time. It might be helpful to set another bike next to the Strida so you can compare saddle heights.
After installing the saddle, you install the plastic rear rack. With a 5 kg / 11 lb weight limit the rack’s utility is limited, but it’s a handy place to hang a rear light and stash a lock and rain jacket.
Design engineering
The engineering and quality on the 5.0 is a big step up from the 3.2. Besides the minor issue of saddle installation and adjustment (a one time ordeal), I was frankly very impressed with how smoothly everything just goes together on this bike. The brushed TIG welded aluminum frame looks very sharp and sleek. All of the mechanical engineers at my office are oohing and aahing over this bike right now (one of the guys literally sniffed the frame!) and absolutely love the design. These same designers won the Industrial Design Excellence Award in 2006. Another design engineer, James, gives his impressions of the Strida design on his Bicycle Design blog.
Other features of the 5.0 include Kenda Kwest 16″ tires with reflective sidewalls on 24 spoke aluminum wheels, disc brakes, folding handlebars and folding pedals. Strida is manufactured in Taiwan by a contract bike manufacturer. Strida folding bikes are reportedly the best selling folding bike in Taiwan.
More to come
I’ll put the Strida 5.0 folding bicycle through its paces over the next month and let you know how it goes in this Strida category. You can also view my photos of this bike on Flickr. So far, I’m impressed with the looks, the engineering and apparent practicality of this folder.
More information about the Strida 5.0 and other models is available at Strida’s website.
December 20th, 2007 at 4:24 pm
Sweet bike! I’m interested in knowing whether it’s a solid enough performer for a daily commute. I’ll be following your reports!
December 20th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
“Made in the UK” on the box, but really made in Taiwan? Is Taiwan a part of the UK?
Very intriguing…one of my engineering friends saw these on a website and immediately geeked out. It has that effect on folks, I guess. Looking forward to more reviews and your thoughts on this device!
December 20th, 2007 at 5:10 pm
Ahh, I mistyped — “DESIGNED IN THE UK.” I’ll correct that in the article. Thanks for catching that Ghost.
December 21st, 2007 at 12:12 am
Fritz,
According to UPS, my bright yellow Strida 5 is due to arrive tomorrow. If I can’t find a YouTube video showing seat installation, I’ll post one.
Larry Lagarde
RideTHISbike.com
December 21st, 2007 at 8:03 am
Interesting review. As a Chicago dealer, perhaps we could do something about that assembly video. I’m looking forward to your review of the ride.
December 21st, 2007 at 12:45 pm
Good review Fritz and great Panda shot of the drivetrain.
If I recall correctly, the box did say “Made in Taiwan” in bold letters underneath where it said “Designed in the UK”. It is good that they give both bits of info equal treatment on the box.
December 22nd, 2007 at 4:27 am
I was on one just this week. The Seoul Bike Show last weekend had dealers selling them and my friend picked one up. He and I met for lunch on Thursday and I got to ride it home while he zipped by me on my Long Haul Trucker.
Overall, it’s a good bike if you don’t like going fast (which I do). As a single speed (which you may be able to upgrade to a shimano internal hub if you’re dedicated and have a spoke threader) you top out at around 12-15 km/hour unless you’re doing some serious cadence. I wasn’t very impressed that the connection between the saddle and the saddle platform (it’s not really a seatpost) is plastic and has a fair bit of give on it. I would love to see it upgraded to aluminum or something equally sturdy.
Otherwise, it performs well as a short-distance alternative to walking and on multi-modal commutes. I certainly wouldn’t want to use it on my short (3.5km) trip to work. It’s just too slow. Zipping around town from the office, campus, or from the bus to a nearby destination is certainly easier on a Strida.
December 22nd, 2007 at 4:29 am
Oh, I should have mentioned he got it for about the equivalent of $500 dollars here, too!
December 23rd, 2007 at 11:32 pm
Just posted a series of photos of the Strida 5 as well as an explanation of the assembly process and some initial impressions…
http://ridethisbike.com/2007/12/strida-5-folding-bike-unboxed.html
December 26th, 2007 at 11:55 am
Here is the Chinese carbon copy
http://longwise.en.alibaba.com/product/50162097/200703514/Electric_Bicycle/LW_B02_bicycle.html
December 26th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
While it may appear to be a carbon copy, you won’t find me riding a fake Strida. Remember, the Strida is a precision machine; redundancies found in standard bikes have been stripped away to save weight. For this reason, I’d be very concerned about the longevity of the Chinese version’s joints, wheel hubs, etc. Any failure could be catastrophic.
January 13th, 2008 at 1:41 am
The Strida is an fine example of original design, thoughtful engineering and superb workmanship. A “carbon copy” possesses none of these qualities. Save a buck and break a neck.
May 1st, 2008 at 1:17 pm
I did some searching, and even Authentic Strida bikes are manufactured in China. So it turns out that all Strida’s are from China. :p
July 27th, 2008 at 6:36 am
I am in China and just got one (clone?) direct from the factor in Yongkang, Zhejiang (the only practical option available to me). Fun to ride but a bit under-geared for flat Baoding. The belt seems over tight but the fully forward position of the adjustment screw suggests there is no scope to give it slack. After a couple of hours riding the bearing seems rough and a little noisy (btw it is 33C here and I understand the belt shrinks when hot?). Any suggestions?
July 27th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Umm, John. I’d like to see some proof with your statement. I just picked up one here in Taiwan and it clearly stated “Made in Taiwan”. Unless, your information has it that Taiwan is China. But, that is for a completely separate discussion.
July 27th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Ian, sorry but I don’t have any ideas about the overly tight belt. Have you tried the Asian Strida forums?
July 29th, 2008 at 1:39 am
True, they are all manufactured in China. Ming Cycles bought the rights to produce them when the patent expired.
July 29th, 2008 at 1:51 am
My misatke.. Ming Cycles is in Taiwan, ROC
August 20th, 2008 at 7:29 am
The kevlar belt on Strida shrinks in hot weather and gets longer (loose) in cold weather, so it needs readjustment between seasons. The less tension on the belt it is, the less the resistance is, so it is better always keep it as loose as possible. Bigger tyre on the rear wheel (like 16 x 1.75) will make Strider a little faster.
August 20th, 2008 at 7:59 am
The bigger tyre is a great suggestion. Thanks Mic. I put soap on my belt and made it much quieter. Now the peddles click. Ironically, silence was the stern reply to two attempts at some after-sales technical advice from the factory in Zhejiang. So “buy a clone and your are on your own.”
August 20th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
No such problems so far over about 350 miles on my 5.0 though I read on bikeforums.net from a Strida owner whose cranks were installed on the wrong sides causing them to almost fall off and also stripping the threads. The Strida 5.0 is substantial enough in build quality for daily commutes over short distances. I addressed cosmetic damage to the frame being caused by repeated folding and installed two of those rubber-Velcro band frame protectors made by Ming. Also got a handy kickstand, lights and a seat bag. I’m all set.
March 7th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
“The belt seems over tight but the fully forward position of the adjustment screw suggests there is no scope to give it slack. After a couple of hours riding the bearing seems rough and a little noisy.”
I had a similar problem with my Strida 5 clone - I used a hammer to strike the bolt on the bottom of the bottom bracket, with a small piece of wood in between to protect it and the frame. I thought that my belt was too slack, because of the rough noises that were coming out of it, but I realised it was too tight. I partially undid the bolt on the bottom of the bottom bracket, then hammered it gently until it was halfway across, and the belt was quite loose, but it runs fine- I went up the steepest hill I could ride up, and the belt didn’t slip, even though it’s easy to push the belt to make it touch the frame.
I’m very happy with my Strida 5 clone - I sincerely doubt that the quality will be any different to an original Strida - they are made in the same sort of factories, in China…
March 7th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Albert, the noise in mine finally went away when the peddle bearings failed. I replaced them with folding peddles that are used on electric/peddle scooters. These are heavier but the only available in Baoding. Four spokes in the rear wheel broke but in Baoding no one stocks the correct length replacements. Also the plastic luggage rack cracked in Beijing’s sub-zero weather. Anyway, coming back to Oz the baggage handlers must have thrown it out for the cargo hold onto the tarmac and destroyed the ball joint socket along with some other less critical damage. Re quality, different factories make things to very different QA standards even though the intended specs might be similar. I feel the clone is a little below par, and it wouldn’t be my preferred choice had it not been the only available option in the PRC.
June 16th, 2009 at 10:31 am
That’s true Ian even though the factories are across the street from each other there’s very difference QC standards in each factory. Even the fake and real apple ipods they are night and day both from a factory in china.
I’d rather just order a real one cause a bad ipod and i’m just out of money. But a bad bike I might end up in a neck brace!