Bought a used Strida. Overall in good shape but when I tried to fold it up the ball came out of the socket. Had to use some but not really that much force to push it back in.
How worried should I be? Should I look for replacement of the socket? Is there some way to tighten it?
You say it is used - I guess that happened to the previous owner too - and it is more loose than normal.
If you ride the bike, the socket and the ball are pushed together, I think it is very unlikely that it pops out during riding.
Yes, better to replace it (but there are problems to expect - the small Philips screw is glued into the claw nut inside the socket and it likes to get stuck).
No, there is no adjustment possible.
Alright. I think I will ride a bit longer and collect some “complaints” and then dedicate some day in the future to do some repairs and tuneup.
Thank your for your advice.
Hello!
I have just bought an used Strida bike and have the same problem. Did you use any type tool to press i back? Or a heat gun. I am not able to press it back by hand.
Hello jonedw.
welcome at Stridaforum 
Naaah, no heat gun here! 
Search for the document “Tips from Mark.pdf” - and see how that works with a belt and a stick 
- which you might have I guess? 
…and regarding safety; the plastic part should be changed once it popped out… 
Cheers,
Chris
Thank’s a lot. Great document.
This is a past article from mixi, a closed community in Japan, but I hope it was helpful…
https://mixi.jp/view_bbs.pl?comm_id=19957&id=96371637
Although it is a machine translation, I have attached the English translation.
I will attach the image from the above article, but I will delete it if there is any problem.
I ride a Strider, and sometimes the joint at the base of the handle comes off and it’s difficult to fix. This time, it was dislocated for the third time, and this is how I fixed it, so please use this as a reference.
First, turn the rear wheel side of the main body upside down and place the rear wheel against the wall, and place the joint socket side on the floor and secure it. Then, place the front wheel with the joint ball on the socket and push it in, and the weight of the wheel will allow it to go in smoothly. Please use this as a reference.
Doranine
A dislocated joint in a human can be healed, but a deformed plastic joint can never be restored to its original shape (except by replacement)… 
