411 on replacing Strida 3 actual freewheel? Local bike shop?

My Strida 3 freewheel died.
I just followed advice in whichever of two threads described unscrewing things to get the freewheel out, up to a point, i.e.

(And I’m wondering why the forum software thinks “freewheel” is too common a word to allow search. Maybe because the part seems to be often misidentified on a Strida.)

Symptoms:
(1) Occasional “clunk” and failure to drive bike when pedalling hard. I thought at the time it must be belt tension, and maybe it is.
(2) Complete loss of drive from pedals, relieved by pedalling to “catch up” with the inside workings. Then usually okay until allowed to freewheel.
(3) As case 2 but doesn’t get better.

And when I got the belt pulley away from the actual freewheel, which looks like an ordinary bicycle cogwheel but is unusual in being fitted between the crank axle and the inside of the pulley, it clearly turns freely both directions, which is wrong. I tried dousing it in light oil as suggested, some of which may even have got inside it: no good.

one comment is that changing the flywheel on Strida 3 means taking the whole bottom bracket apart, like the diagram in the manual. That’s beyond my ability.

The questions:

(1) Can a local bike repair shop cope with the Strida if I give them the manual with the diagrams? They are all right usually working on my main road bike, although I have once found on the way home that the brakes were disconnected (necessary when changing a wheel but I want 'em put back). They also sold me a 16 x 1.75 inches innertube for Strida 3 itself, which amdmittedly worked so far and seems to be the closest available anywhere locally to the official 16 x 1.5. (It deflated overnight after fitting, but not since. Huh.)

(2) Should I try to get the authentic Strida 3 freewheel part (and how do I do it), or can a standard bicycle part be used, that the shop will have on hand anyway? Is that something that I’d regret doing?

I forgot to say… thanks?

Hi Robert.

I pulled my mark 3 apart, and it’s fairly straightforward. Your local bike shop should be able to do it because the bottom bracket is very similar to those fitted to most children’s bikes, and the freewheel is a standard 1/8th inch freewheel as fitted to BMX’s. I recommed the basic Shimano freewheels, which are cheap, pretty smooth, well sealed and pretty reliable. The bizarre “belt always turning” arrangement on a mark 3 generates so much friction it’s not worth wasting your money on anything fancier!

If you’ve already got as far taking the bottom brakcet apart, you might as well finish the job - it’s just a case of unscrewing the freewheel and putting a new one on. Make sure the threads are clean and go gently, because they are easy to cross-thread. Leaving the removal tool attached when you screw the new freewheel on will prevent it getting jammed if you do.

You need a C spanner for the lockring and also a freewheel removal tool.

Hope this helps. Any chance you could have a look at my last post please? It should only take a moment:-
[url]Head bearing size on mark 3]

Kind regards,

Simbo