Folding Bicycle

Areaware STRiDA 5.0 Folding Bicycle

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1SZZPTCH9GQ0B You dont need to maintain this bike. Just unpack and bike :)

I personnaly recommend to buy Strida SX instead of 5.0. It is slightly bigger and you knees doesn't touch frame. -- No maintanence needed.

Can't help but smile when I use my Strida... It really is an amazing piece of engineering! The last time I felt like this was when I got my Audi TT. Kudos to the designer - Mark Sanders! -- Amazing piece of engineering!

I hesitated on the Strida. Yes, it's sexy, but the cost! I justified it to myself by costing it out in terms of public trans trips, and the bike's now paid for itself in less than a year.

For an urban commuter in a relatively flat city, this is the ultimate transportation. The fold is super quick, and once folded, it is easy to hop onto a bus or a train (or throw in someone's trunk). That actually makes me more likely to ride it instead of fretting about what I will do if it rains. Plus I'll haul it with me when I'm going out to the suburbs where there are less transportation options in order to get around more quickly.

I do have some caveats:
1) the ride feels a bit unsteady the first time or two someone rides it because the geometry is different from other bikes. I don't think you could ever ride with no hands, but once I got the feel for it, it's more stable than it initially seems.
2) accessories are a bit tricky. You'll want to replace the rack with the aluminum version (the plastic version is pretty much useless). There's no good place to put a standard back blinker light, so you'll either need to make sure your gear has a loop for one or wait until you have the bike with you to go to a shop and find something that will work. Any seat bags, rack trunks, panniers, handlebar bags... same deal. Get a big messenger back if you want to run errands on this, or some good bungee nets for the rack.
3) A lot of commuter rail systems have bike restrictions during peak hours. This will get you around them BUT in Chicago, the bike has to be cased. Unfortunately, the Strida bag is $100 and not easy to pack. I found a better option: I got a Monk golf bag rain cover for about $15. The bike fits in it perfectly, the conductors find the cover adequate, and I can keep it rolled up and bungeed to the rack.
4) This is a single gear bike. It's easy to accidentally pop a wheelie starting from a dead stop, and it is also easy to go faster than the gear.

All that said, I still love this bike. My friends are all jealous of it, and it is a conversation starter everywhere I go.
-- Best purchase I've made in a long time

I've owned my Strida for about 3 years now, had it shipped directly from England. Couple gripes which I realize now, the first, no fault of the bike, I live in Taos New Mexico which is very hilly and I find it a struggle to peddle wishing always for flatter terrain, when I hit flat paved terrain, cycling is a joy. Another problem that I have experienced is a constant problem with getting flat tires. What I love about the bike is that it is easy to fold and very portable in that I can just throw it in the back of my Jeeep and go anywhere. Also, it never fails, whenever I'm out riding my Strida, strangers express their astonishment, with their expressive compliments when they see me ride by. -- strida

I have looked at folding bikes on and off for a couple of years and never found myself excited enough about any of them to seriously consider making a purchase. I needed something that would fit easily in the car, fold and unfold quickly, travel with me easily when walking and climbing stairs in the parking garage and inside a building, and then fit unobtrusively on the elevator and under my desk at work. I also don't want black stains on my pants from the chain. This is exactly what it gives me. It seems to me that it folds much faster than advertised. The single gear is also more than adequate for my needs. I was worried that it would be a pain on the slightest incline, but I rode it to the top floor of an empty six story parking garage without any kind of undue effort before getting kicked out by the security guards.

I was convinced that this bike was the one I was looking for after seeing several videos online, and reading about how the bike got started. I was not excited about the price, but I immediately fell in love with the design. I've been riding it for about a month and I could not be more satisfied. I find myself looking for excuses to ride it.


Critical comments / room for improvement:

-I would say that this bike would have to be problematic for someone who is very tall. I'm 5'11", and I may be pushing it with the knee vs. handlebar room, although what seemed like it might be a problem at first, I don't notice anymore.

-I find that the mechanism for folding the handlebars is not as elegant as the rest of the design, and can lead to some jiggling, but I also don't bother to fold them when it's not necessary, as when placing the bike in the trunk. I do fold them when getting on the elevator and for saving space under the desk.

-It's possible to pinch yourself by holding the bike too close to the top joint when unfolding. I don't think there's a warning about this in the documentation which is graphics-only. I learned to hold it in the right place (closer to the handlebars) without seriously pinching myself, but I can certainly see where someone might self-inflict some real pain.

-The seat is definitely not easy to adjust, which is fine unless you want to share the bike. I imagine it makes the seat more difficult to steal as well.

-Standard front and rear blinky lights that I bought for the bike didn't come with mounts large enough to fit around the frame which must be stockier than a normal bike for structural reasons.

Otherwise, my silver bike is gorgeous and rides amazingly well. -- Exactly what I have been looking for