by Chloe Scott

Standing out from the crowd: You won't go unnoticed on the Strida with its unconventional design.

One Cycle ride: six comments. With its eccentric triangular design, a rubber belt for a chain and the Victorian posture required of its rider, the Strida attracts attention. And rightly so - it is one of the simplest (and cheapest) bikes in town. But it was not only its idiosyncrasy that drew me to the Strida. On Monday, Thameslink bans conventional bikes on London-bound weekday trains between 7am and 10am and 4pm to 7pm. Similar rules are being introduced on South West trains.

Tube-Friendly: The Folding bike. The only solution is the folding bike... and the Strida folds superbly. Unlike its competitors, whose owners reel like clowns while the bike folds and flips, Strida has only three moves to master. After five seconds' folding, the guard on the Jubilee Line lets me on the busy Tube network without a blink. Likewise, shopkeepers and bus drivers accept the contraption as hand luggage. 'Eetz like a pram, innit,' wheezes the Cockney-Italian waiter at my caff. Although the Strida is light, I find its greatest advantage over its competitors is that I can trundle it like a trolley.

Simplicity is key to the design: one T-shaped Allen key fixes everything, including the saddle height; it has only one gear speed and not a speck of oil to its name. To my surprise, the peculiar belt drive is more sturdy than it looks. Made of Kevlar, a polymer used for bulletproof vests, it lasts 80,OOOkm. Should it break, putting a new one on is - yes, you've guessed it - simple. The machine is almost maintenance free. The warranty offers a 60-day return deal.

Uneasy Rider. But there is a price to pay for simplicity. An initial glitch is the sensitive steering, making it wobbly, although this is easy to get used to. But after pedaling 11km across London, my nether regions are not happy. And its single-speed gear is low. Although this makes acceleration from traffic lights excellent arid the pace romantically civilized on long stretches, the low gear is frustrating for speedy Gonzales on a mission. The Strida is more for relaxed riders - train and Tube users - than avid cyclists. You arrive without sweating. You feel secure as you are not far off the ground. This is the Renault 4 of the bike world: it's fun for short trips and good value. It's not perfect but, with so many plus points, who cares?