As an internet buyer, the experience was simple. I chose, I clicked, I bought, it arrived the next day, I unpacked, unfolded, fitted the seat, and rode. And nearly fell off. But although your first ten seconds on a Strida are bewildering, your brain quickly reprograms your senses. It’s short, rigid, nippy, and surprisingly comfy. My wife at 5′ 7″ thought it was great, because the riding position really is very upright, and the clever adjustable seat slides up and down the rear of the ‘triangle’ (after loosening three bolts), making it comfortable for both the short and the tall (six foot is probably the maximum though).The handlebars are placed very close to your body, which is unnerving at first, but quickly becomes very natural. It’s sort of steering from your stomach – none of this stretched-out-racer-style lark. I imagined I’d be thrown out of the seat upon mounting pavements and bumping over long grass, but the frame changes (see below) must have worked, because it feels far more rigid than a Brilliant Micro on the road, but is still compliant enough to tackle towpaths.

Anyone doing their maths will have realised that this bike is not without limitations. A single 52″ gear means that long distance tourers, off-roaders (a sticker on the frame forbids wheelies), nor racers will find satisfaction here. But if you’re in no hurry and don’t mind riding a sliver of Dairylea, one gear can be enough. Settle yourself into the bike’s comfortable 10mph cruise, enjoy the gentle flex still present in the plastic crank wheel, and let the world enjoy the spectacle of an adult riding a shiny silver coat-hanger.

Accessories

You can spec your Strida out with a whole plethora of accessories at www.strida.com. I settled for a small plastic rack, a pair of rather short plastic mudguards, some nicely engineered folding handlebars, and a pair of folding pedals. All models come fitted with a natty Allen key tool which fits snugly under the seat (why don’t all bikes have built-in tools like this?).

The Strida is likely to appeal to those who want a bike without all the messy, ‘technical’ bits. If you like to just unfold and ride, you’ll appreciate the drum brakes, which along with the Destruction testing by belt drive are Stephanie, largely Ethan & Sam maintenance-free and laugh in the face of wet weather.The complete lack of grease means you can chuck it around without fear of soiling your clothes, and the Strida 3 doubles as an entirely safe climbing frame for small children. Nice. It’s also a doddle to keep clean, unlike more fiddly folding bikes, as the cables run inside the frame, and both wheels are fitted to monoblade forks, making wheel, tyre or tube changes much easier.

The Mark 3

Strida have made several improvements to the third generation bikes, claiming that the new folding handlebar reduces folded dimensions from 45″ x 21″ x 20″ to 45″ x 21″ x 9″, which reduces folded volume from 309 to 139 litres (10.9 to 4.9 cubic feet)!

They’ve also increased overall frame stiffness by using 7000 series heat-treated aluminium (which certainly sounds cool), and aluminum now replaces plastic in the front stem and bottom tube, which helps direct pedal-energy into the drive belt, which is where you want it. My friend with a Strida 2 claims his model is unwillingly to climb even the gentlest of hills, something that A to B also observed in June 1998 when testing the Mark 2.

…sufficiently entertaining to make you want to jump on and ride…

Range

To find out if it can cut the commuter mustard, I draped a sheet over my 24-speed Dahon, hung up my pannier bag and resigned to cycling my 11-mile round trip commute on the Strida for a week. I (luckily) don’t have to rely on public transport for any part of my journey, so no news there I’m afraid. First morning out, I allowed an extra 20 minutes, but the ride took only four minutes longer than normal, which surprised me. No drama. No stress, and no obvious flexing from the frame. Every morning for the rest of that week the thought of riding it to work became an exciting challenge.The simplicity of the bike – one gear, drum brakes, and not much else – made me feel like a little kid again.

Conclusion

The Strida will never replace my day-to-day Speed Pro, nor will it carry great loads long distance, but it’s sufficiently entertaining to make you want to jump on and ride it. Really steep hills are out of the question and the top speed is only 10-12mph, but do you know what? These things seem trivial when I stand back and look at the bike. It is a one- off, a design icon, and something truly different in a world of conformity.Who would have thought it possible to create a truly enjoyable bicycle from three aluminium tubes and a pair of plastic wheels? It’s one of those beautifully simple inventions that delivers more than you expect.You’ll just know if you want one. In fact I want another one.To keep on the coat rack at work, just for emergencies.

Strida Mark 3, from £345 according to spec.
Strida (UK) Ltd tel 01728 745000
fax 01728 747707 mail uk@strida.com web www.strida.com