Mike, thanks for the encouragement and I am delighted that your son could make the Strida work for him. I also attacked the problem with the same positive attitude, moving the seat up and back, assembling the bent handlebars and the 18" wheels. After all that, I was forced to accept the obvious - it just don’t fit me (or maybe I just don’t fit it). So I have had to disassemble the bike and put it back in the box to be shipped to the vender. But I haven’t given up yet, I have “We shall overcome” running through my brain and the internet at my fingertips. How can I possibly fail to find a solution!