Tricks & Gadgets
- Tricks, hacks, alterations, additions, ideas

Strida menu

       Make your Strida cooler or more functional.
This page is meant as a place for everyone to inspire others - and to show off! Additions, alterations, creativity, artistic, hacks - you name it!
I am
counting for others to supply ideas, pictures and explanations to how they have created something new: Please
E-m@il.me.
Jump to:
Bells, Carrying, Electrified, Folding, Frame protectors, Gears, Grips, Hand-brakes, Handle-bars, Lights & cat-eyes, Locks, Luggage-storage, Mudguard, Parking, Pedals, Pumps, Saddle-sticks, Tools, Valves or Wheels.
Have a look on this page regarding Repairs.
Check-out the social network-groups for more ideas:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/5553684279
BELLS:
Markku Salonan found this great looking Australian Knog bell, so fitted for a Strida!

 


 

I went for the black one, and placed it in-between brake and grip.

 

 

 

 

CARRYING:
If the Strida is carried un-folded, this little bag doubles as a shoulder protector, and it is said it works well.

 

 

 

 

 


The lock-chain doubles as a perfect handle, if I carry my bike un-folded.

 

 


 


 




Folded and placed this way, the back-frame make a great handle and the balance is perfect, but:

 

 



As I carry my bike "up-side down" when folded, I need a strap to keep the button-frame in place. It loops around the frame, when not in use.

ELECTRIFIED:
Luca Luciano "Tesla'sied" his Strida, and can add:
"Bafang 350W 36v, Aku 14AH, range 50-80 km, Impossible is Possible"
(and I'm impressed and envious).

 

 

 

 

FOLDING:
I find this to be the most compact way to fold my bike. Rear rack have gone long time ago, and the saddle-stick have to be shifted to the front-frame. The belt holds it together. The balance and "handle" for caring it, is great.

I have heard, some have a problem getting the wheels apart, when unfolding their bike.
The magnet can be adjusted, or you can use another way:
While holding the rim with my fingers, I push the other wheel with my thumb.
 


 

Or; you can hold the button-frame with right hand, and turn the handlebar with the left, while all three frames are almost parallel in an upright position.

 


 

FRAME PROTECTORS:
Issac Lee got the cool leather frame protectors made in Hong Kong.

 

 

 



 

 

 

After I saw those, I had to make my own. I got the leather from a second-hand handbag, and an hour later, I had my own set.

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

GEARS:
Like many others, I found the black plastic-chain-wheel a bit "cheep-looking", and exchanged it with an aluminium. It turned out to be hard to find, and I ended up with an used one - without saving anything. And the pedals was not for an Evo3. The right-side crank-arm from a one-gear model may not be attached to the chain-wheel on a Evo3 - unless you want a Evo1...
GRIPS:
Mine came with some great leather-grips, but lets see others...

See how to adjust them here.
 

 

 

HAND-BRAKES:
I did not appreciate the flapping hand-brakes, and made them self-retracting. It is quite simple: An elastic connects the two loops the bike is borne with, through the handle-bar. The buttons prevent the loops from disappearing into the hole.
The elastic does not have to be that strong (3mm), but it have to be able to extend 20 centimetres at least. You don't have to take apart the handlebar, just remove the end- plugs.
I adjust the brakes to fit the loops.

 

 

If I don't use the handbrakes for the brakes, they are real good at keeping the handlebars tight, when the bike is folded. 




 

 

 

HANDLE BAR:
Some have short sticks, other bended and wider handlebars. Lets see some...

 

 

 

LIGHTS & CAT-EYES:
Markku Salonan found this great looking Australian Knog front-light, a perfect match for a Strida!





 

Issac Lee have found the perfect headlight for his retro-style, racing green/leather Strida.

 

 

 

 




My own, rather tiny lights, stored away under the saddle, when not in use. €4 no-names.
They are surprisingly bright!

 




I eventually went for a retro-headlight too, and it not only looks retro; it is just as shitty to light! Well, a new interior can easily be incorporated.

 

 

 

 

 

It sits perfect, when the bike is folded. Protected and out of the way.

 

 

 



As I embrace the Retro-Racing-style, I wanted a small cateye, with a chromed encasing.
I ended up making my own from a stainless napkin-ring, a square reflex, some of a foam-floater and a stainless bolt and nut, along with some glue.

 

 

LOCKS::
I use a rather thin chain with code-lock. I twist the chain around the back- or upper frame, or the button frame between the back-wheel and chain-wheel, to make it tight. It is stored under the saddle (and might look like a tail). 

 

Other great ideas?

LUGGAGE STORAGE:
There are so many cool looking bags and alike: Lets have some photos!
I went for the small Wild Man MK2 bag for the handlebar. Great for the essential tools and my GPS, sitting soft and safe.

 

 

There are many fancy mug-holders, but I only had some skin left from the bag, supplying frame-protectors.

 

 

 

 


 

MUDGUARDS:
As I started folding my bike another way, the back mudguard got bended time after time. Hot water fixed it, but a more permanent solution was needed. 

I ended up cutting a corner - literally. That solved that problem, and it is hardly seen.

See how to pull them off here.

PARKING:
There are many ways to park your Strida, but I only show a few here. Please share your unique idea.
There must be some cool ways to hang it on a wall.

 


 

 

 

Folded, upright.


 

 

 

 


Unfolded.                         

 

Unfolded.

I ended up designing my own, made in 8 mm plywood for a folded bike. The bike stands surprisingly stabile, and the stand is foldable, and can easily be stored away. Folded: 41*29*2 cm.


 

 

 

 

 

 




 




My next idea was a stand, made in sticks, which can be folded to 50*29*4 centimetres. Made in 4 millimetre aluminium, it would be 50*2,5*4 centimetres.
This is a prototype, and have no finish at all! But it works great.


 

 

 

 

 


Then I tried with steel. They actually work real well, and fold even better: 43*4*4 centimetres. The feet are dices, connected by a cord with nuts within the dices. The wood is polished oak with leather, the legs stainless steel.
The sticks measures 44 centimetres, it covers 24*24 centimetres on the floor and the weight is 500 grams. It fits both 16" and 18" wheeled Stridas perfectly.


 

 

 


Realising someone might want a even smaller and lighter bike-hang, I developed this BikeHang.
It can't be moved around that easily, but you can vacuumclean underneath it, and the weight is only 23 grams with one meter of cord!
Stainless steel, nylon cord, rubber for protection and a stainless hook in the sealing with a rawplug.

 

 

PEDALS:
Ernani Garcia have found these MKS detachable pedals model Panamax EZY Superior. They are wider than the original ones, and provide better grip.

 

 


 

 

 

I went for the ultralight Promend pedals with extra holders. When the bike is folded, the pedals sit under the saddle. 

 

 

See how to change them here.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I started placing them at the springs, but that collided with my mug-holder, and I shifted them to the saddle bolt, changing it to one centimetre longer and unbrako.

PUMPS:
I have found this 10 centimetre long PCycling Mini Bicycle Pump made in aluminium, which can be placed under the saddle. Neat, but not that efficient.


You just have to remove it real fast - or start all over....

Read about fixing a flat tire here.

SADDLE-STICKS:
Where the rest of the bike is a great design, I think the saddle-stick could do with an upgrade. This is unfortunately only my idea on the drawing-board.
It should be able to alter the height and to shift it to the front frame for folding, without tools.
Looking forward to see someone's finished design.

Remember; the saddle-stick is part of the suspension.

I sure like the carbon-saddle-stick!

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

The quick-fix turned up to be a leather-cover. It still looks clumsy, but now, the plastic don't collide with the retro-racing style. Just wished I had lighter leather.

 

 

Read about the adjustment of the saddle here.

TOOLS:
You don't need much tool for normal maintains. 2, 2,5, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 mm unbrakos, a 10 mm and two 13 mm spanners (or one, if you have a unbrako for the saddle, like I have) and a x-screwdriver (unless you change the three x-screws to unbrakos, like I did).
You might add a narrow 15 mm spanner for the pedals and the special tools for the freewheel and the spider. Removing
the the crank- arms take a trigger.
The gearbox on a Evo3 takes a 100 mm hook wrench, and it have to be loosened to adjust the belt. See how on This Page.

This is my toolkit for the road. It is not enough to fix everything, but most. 2-8 mm unbrakos and a tube-patch-kit along with a 4" universal spanner, a narrow 15 mm spanner- and folding reading glasses!

Realising, the toolbox might be a tough neighbourhood for the vulcaniser, I inserted it into a hard plastic-tube.

Find Mark Sanders' manuals here:

Tips for mainly MK3, Manual MK1, Manual MK3 and Manual MK5.
And my manuals on Repair.

VALVES:
My bike came with car-valves, and that can be problematic. I bought a little valve adopter, morphing them into ordinarily bicycle-valves.
I placed a car-valve in the hole under the seat for storage.

 

 

 

WHEELS:
This is Jimmy Wai's great looking, home-made disc wheels.