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38-409: Strida is a portable belt-driven folding bicycle with a distinctive A-shaped collapsible frame, designed by British engineer and designer Mark Sanders . The first model, Strida 1, was released in 1987 and the latest, Strida 5.2, in 2009. The Strida folds into a "wheeled walking-stick" that can be pushed along, much like a folded pram /baby-buggy whose folding concept provided the inspiration for

76-534: A Portuguese Manufacturer. At this time Strida Ltd. was developing a baby buggy as a second product. By 1992, 25,000 Strida 1s had been produced. In 1993, the British Technology Group BTG , a company that licenses and commercializes medical innovations and other UK technology, controlled the rights to Strida until 1995. In 1997, Roland Plastics, a UK firm, purchased the rights to produce Strida and moved production back to Wickham market in

114-489: A bicycle which could be folded in two and carried on the soldiers' backs; the weight was "between 22 and 26¼ lbs" (10–12 kg). The first time the Gérard portable bicycle was used, it "gave complete satisfaction and justified all expectations". The bicycles were manufactured by Charles Morel who commercialised the type. In 1919, Charles Haskell Clark of New York City filed a patent (granted in 1921) (patent US1381281) for

152-592: A design award at the Taipei International Bike Show. A 2-speed gear option was added in 2009, based on the cableless, Schlumpf front crank operated epicyclic gearbox. The Strida 5 includes an upgrade kit of the Strida 3, and adds disc brakes, eccentric belt tensioner, metal spoked wheels and high pressure tyres. The Strida is made by Ming Cycle in Taiwan. There was a key patent which covered

190-869: A nylon injection moulded rack, which latter remains in production. In 1988, production moved to Long Eaton in Nottingham (near the Raleigh Bicycle Company factory, which by then was in decline). Sturmey-Archer developed a 2-speed, front-mounted gear which was prototyped and tested but never made in production. The Strida won all three UK Cyclex Bicycle Innovation Awards in 1988 (Best New Product, Most Innovative, Best British Design). Approximately 17,000 Strida 1s were made in Nottingham. Most were sold in Japan and UK, with smaller quantities in USA, Australia and Germany. In 1991, production moved to Casa Hipolito,

228-412: A portable bicycle that was easy to carry onto trains or street cars. Additional advantages of small wheels, described in the patent, were the reduced interference with skirts and the ability to dodge in and out among the crowd. The December 1919 issue of Scientific American had an article describing Mr. Clark's "city bicycle". The riding performance of portable bicycles is challenged by the need to make

266-670: A range of foot stretcher systems for rowing called SRD (Shimano Rowing Dynamics). The system consists of individualised rowing shoes and a foot stretcher to affix the shoes to. Shimano has 13,000 employees (2017). Shimano runs fabrications in Australia, China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Shimano

304-716: Is publicly traded , with 93 million shares of common stock outstanding. They are also the official neutral support for most of the UCI World Tour . Shimano sales constitute an estimated 70–80% of the global bicycle component market by value. Its products include drivetrain, brake, wheel, and pedal components for road , mountain , track, and hybrid bikes . The components include cranksets comprising cranks and chainrings, bottom brackets , chains , rear chain sprockets and cassettes, front and rear wheel hubs, gear shift levers, brakes , brake levers, cables, and front and rear dérailleurs . Shimano Total Integration (STI)

342-514: Is Shimano's integrated shifter and brake lever combination for road bicycles . The Italian firm Campagnolo as well as US-based SRAM are Shimano's primary competitors in the cycling marketplace. When the 1970s United States bike boom exceeded the capacity of the European bicycle component manufacturers, Japanese manufacturers SunTour and Shimano rapidly stepped in to fill the void. While both companies provided products for all price ranges of

380-957: Is a Japanese multinational manufacturing company for cycling components, fishing tackle and rowing equipment, which also produced golf supplies until 2005 and snowboarding gear until 2008. Named after founder Shozaburo Shimano ( 島野庄三郎 , 1894–1958) and headquartered in Sakai , Osaka Prefecture , the company has 32 consolidated and 11 unconsolidated subsidiaries , with the primary manufacturing plants based in Kunshan ( China ), Malaysia and Singapore . In 2017, Shimano had net sales of US $ 3.2 billion, 38% in Europe, 35% in Asia, and 11% in North America. Bicycle components represented 80%, fishing tackle 19%, and other products 0.1%. The company

418-444: Is a now-defunct pedal standard. SPD-SL is basically a copy of the standard Look clipless pedal system. It has a wide, one-sided platform and a triangular cleat that is Look three-bolt compatible. The marketing term for the integration of shifting into the brake levers for road bikes, enabling the rider to shift without taking the hands off the brake levers. This made it possible to shift during uphill passages that require getting out of

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456-480: The 1988 Giro d'Italia , Andrew Hampsten rode Shimano to its first Grand Tour victory. In 2002, world championships in both the road and time trial disciplines were won on Shimano equipment. Alberto Contador 's 2007 victory in the Tour de France on a Shimano-equipped bicycle represents the first official General Classification victory in that race by a rider using Shimano components (Lance Armstrong originally won

494-578: The Series 3 to Series 5 machines are interchangeable but other significant components and sub-assemblies are not. Series 5 and Series 4 (Mini) machines have a freewheel mounted in the conventional position on the rear wheel (In Series 3 the freewheel, a commonly available Shimano 18t model, is part of the metal and plastic bottom bracket/crankset assembly) and a metal bottom bracket shell which incorporates an eccentric housing to adjust belt tension. Alternative folding handlebars which give more knee clearance for

532-453: The TDF with Shimano in 1999 but was later disqualified due to drug use). "VIA" ("Vehicle Inspection Association") is stamped on all Shimano parts. It is an official approval stamp used to certify parts of Japanese vehicles – including bicycles. This mark signifies compliance with certain quality standards. (RD-1051, SL-1051) 7-speed 9070 : 11-speed Di2 The first Shimano MTB groupset

570-685: The UK. It released the Strida 2 a year later. In 2000, the Strida won I.D. Magazine’s Annual Design Award, Sail Magazine’s Pittman Award for Innovation and Safety, and the British Design Council Millennium product Award. Steedman Bass, of Boston USA, purchased the rights to produce the Strida. With Mark Sanders, Bass began development of the Strida 3 as described by The Open University course 'Design and designing' (T211). In 2002, in order to meet increased demand, Bass moved production to Taiwanese manufacturer Ming Cycle. Strida 3

608-432: The bicycle has to be able to ride in crowded city sidewalks . Many European city streets are paved with cobblestone , so portable bicycles marketed in Europe need to cope with such a pavement. The smaller the diameter of a bicycle wheel , the higher the rolling friction and the rougher the ride, which is a challenge for portable bicycles as well as for kick scooters . New technological solutions are being studied to offer

646-588: The bike as small and as light as possible. Rider body weight and size, and road conditions have a strong impact on design and on performance. Typically, portable bicycles intended for the East Asia market ( China , Japan , Korea , Taiwan , ...) can be designed for riders lighter than 80 kg and shorter than 174 cm. Northern Europe and America require designs for riders up to 120 kg and 200 cm. City roads are generally smoother in Asian cities, but

684-455: The correct Shimano gear levers, cables, freehub, and cassette. SunTour tried to catch up, but by the end of the 1980s they had lost the technological and commercial battle, and Shimano had become the largest manufacturer of bicycle components in the world. Shimano's marketplace domination that developed in the 1990s quickly led to the perception by some critics that Shimano had become a marketplace bully with monopolistic intentions. This viewpoint

722-568: The design. Other notable characteristics include: The single sided wheel mountings and belt drive make fitting gears (e.g. dérailleur or hub gears) more difficult than on chain driven bikes with conventional forks. The use of front mounted Schlumpf gear gets around this problem. Hobbyists in Japan have fitted 5 and 7 speed gears. The Strida was the major project for Mark Sanders's master's degree 1983 to 1985 at Imperial College London , and Royal College of Art . The course, IDE, (Industrial Design Engineering, now called Innovation Design Engineering)

760-602: The design. The name 'Strida' was suggested by the 8-year-old son of one of the company directors; this was adopted as it was preferred to the suggestion 'Blake' by a PR consultancy. Production of the Strida 1 started in 1986, originally in Springburn, Glasgow. The Strida was launched in Harrods , London in 1987. Approximately 3,000 Strida 1s were made in Glasgow - these can be recognised by a welded steel rack, later replaced by

798-554: The early Strida 1 onwards. The U.S. version of this patent was filed in 1986 and expired in 2006, which means only the mechanism used in Strida 1 and 2 of the product is now in the public domain. Several other aspects of the latest Strida 3 to 5.x versions are currently covered by patents in various countries, including the folding handle bar system US7243573, hub and locking system US7367632, front joint system US7681900, with other patents pending. The Patents, Trademark, Copyright and other IP are owned by Ming Cycle, Taiwan. Some components of

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836-518: The highest quality level (Dura-Ace for road bikes and XT for mountain bikes), then trickled the technology down to lower production levels as it became proven and accepted. Innovations include index shifting (known as SIS, Shimano Index System introduced in 1984), freehubs, dual-pivot brakes, 8-9-10-speed drivetrains, and the integration of shifters and brake levers. Also, these components could only work properly when used with other Shimano components; for example, its rear derailleurs have to be used with

874-715: The integrated "Dual Control" components, a move to satisfy riders that wished to use Shimano shifting with other brands of disc brakes. Shimano in 1990 introduced the Shimano Pedaling Dynamics (SPD) range of clipless pedals and matching shoes, designed so that the shoes could be used for walking. The shoes have a recess in the bottom of the sole for fitting the smaller cleats and therefore it does not protrude, while conventional clipless road pedals are designed for road cycling shoes that have smooth soles with large protruding cleats, which are awkward for walking. The SPD range, in addition to other off-road refinements,

912-411: The large penny-farthings . The pioneering inventor, W. H. J. Grout of Stoke Newington , invented a portable version in which the large front wheel could be dismantled into four pieces so that they would fit into a carrying bag. In the 1890s, Captain Gérard of the 87th Regiment of French Infantry was an advocate of bicycles for military use. To enable his troops to operate in rough terrain, he devised

950-534: The lowest end of the bicycle market, using lower cost and often heavier and less durable materials and techniques, only moving them further upmarket if they established themselves in the lower market segments. In the 1980–1983 period, Shimano introduced three groupsets with "AX" technology: Dura-Ace and 600 (high-end), and Adamas in the low-end. Features of these components include aerodynamic styling, center-pull brakes, brake levers with concealed cables, and ergonomic pedals. By 1985 Shimano introduced innovation only at

988-402: The market, SunTour also focused on refinement of existing systems and designs for higher-end products, while Shimano initially paid more attention to rethinking the basic systems and bringing out innovations such as Positron shifting (a precursor to index shifting ) and front freewheel systems at the low end of the market. In the 1980s, with Shimano pushing technical innovation and lower prices,

1026-428: The more traditional European component manufacturers lost significant market presence. During this period, in contrast to the near-universal marketing technique of introducing innovations on the expensive side of the marketplace and relying on consumer demand to emulate early adopters along with economy of scale to bring them into the mass market, Shimano and SunTour (to a lesser extent) introduced new technologies at

1064-529: The opportunity to mix and match componentry. In 2003 Shimano introduced "Dual Control" to mountain bikes, where the gear shift mechanism is integrated into the brake levers. This development was controversial, as the use of Dual Control integrated shifting for hydraulic disc brakes required using Shimano hydraulic disc brakes, locking competitors out of the premium end of the market. However, with their 2007 product line, Shimano moved back to making separate braking and shifting components fully available in addition to

1102-417: The reach of public transportation as part of a mixed-mode commute . Portable bicycles often can be used also by children and so can be kept for a lifetime. Many portable bicycles are or have been commercially available; they include: Shimano Shimano, Inc. ( 株式会社シマノ , Kabushiki-gaisha Shimano ) , originally Shimano Iron Works ( 島野鐵工所 ) and later Shimano Industries, Inc. ( 島野工業株式会社 ) ,

1140-437: The risk is that the bicycle is too heavy for easy carrying, or takes an inconveniently long time to fold. Folding and unfolding has to be easier than is needed for ordinary full-size folding bicycles, because portable bicycles are used for shorter trips than full-size folding bikes. Frequent uses for a portable bicycle include: Bicycles can reduce fossil fuel emissions by shortening or eliminating car trips, and by extending

1178-461: The saddle and added general convenience for the rider. Although the first generation of STI was unable to downshift multiple cogs which was not a problem in downtube shifters. Alexi Grewal used a bicycle equipped with Shimano DynaDrive chainset and pedals (the remainder of the components on his bicycle were primarily Suntour and DiaCompe) to win the 1984 Olympic road race in Los Angeles. In

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1216-636: The same rolling friction at smaller wheel diameters. The point at which a folding bicycle can be considered a portable bicycle is not precisely defined, and depends on the user. A benchmark for portability are the Brompton Bicycles , medium-size bicycles that fold well and are the world's most numerous built on a single design. A bicycle easier to carry than the Brompton C3 can be considered portable. Many portable bicycles weigh below 6 kg and fold in less than 20 seconds. Above these figures

1254-559: The taller rider are available for the Series 5; these may be retro-fitted in place of the standard folding handlebars on Series 3 and Series 4 (Mini). A number of unlicensed copies of Strida are manufactured in several countries (China, Thailand), and are sold with names such as "Folding bike Strida" or STRDA. Ming Cycle continuously prosecutes importers of these non-genuine and intellectual property right infringing products. In 2021 Mr Sanders said fakes greatly outnumber genuine Stridas. Portable bicycle The first popular bicycles were

1292-602: Was Deore XT in 1983. It was based on a 1981 Deore derailleur built for touring. Mountain bike groupsets include: C20 : 6-speed M9050: 11-speed Di2 M8050: 11-speed Di2 M5100: 11-speed M4100: 10-speed U6000: 10-speed U8000: 11-speed Other current and previous groupsets include: Groupsets no longer offered include: Shimano offers a range of fishing tackles including reels , rods , lines , lures , as well as various fishing accessories, apparels and electronics. Among them, their spinning reels are their top-selling product series globally. Shimano also offers

1330-625: Was a joint course by both institutions for engineering graduates to specialise in combining creative engineering with creative industrial design. The project is recorded in detail in the master's degree thesis. The aim of the project was to simplify bicycles and especially folding bicycles. It was inspired by the Maclaren baby buggy which folds into a thin form, with its wheels together at the end, so that it can be rolled instead of being carried. In 1985, Industrial Property Rights Ltd, (run by James Marshall, former manager of golfer Greg Norman ) licensed

1368-522: Was based on the fact that Shimano became oriented towards integrating all of their components with each other, with the result being that if any Shimano components were to be used, then the entire bike would need to be built from matching Shimano components. The alternative perspective is that by controlling the mix of components on the bicycle, a manufacturer such as Shimano can control how well their own product functions. Shimano's primary competitors (Campagnolo and SRAM) also make proprietary designs that limit

1406-732: Was designed to be used with treaded soles that more closely resemble rugged hiking boots. SPD pedals and shoes soon established themselves as the market standard in this sector, although many other manufacturers have developed alternatives that may be less prone to being clogged by mud or easier to adjust. However, the SPD dominance in this sector has meant that alternative pedal manufacturers nearly always design their pedals to be usable with Shimano shoes, and likewise mountain bike shoe manufacturers make their shoes "Shimano SPD" compatible. SPD has spawned two types of road cleats that are incompatible with standard SPD pedals and some shoes – SPD-R and SPD-SL. SPD-R

1444-530: Was launched, with an inaugural shipment of 2000 units to Italy. Ming began to establish distributorships in Korea, Japan, Netherlands, France and the U.S.A. Development of the Strida 5 started. In March 2006, Ming Cycle took over ownership of Strida rights. In November 2006, a Strida 3 was featured on the UK television programme The Gadget Show , alongside the Sinclair A-Bike . In 2007 the Strida 5 won

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