IKEA Sladda Bicycle - What Went Wrong?

[@EveryDayaCleanSlate]

Nice job. You're a Pro. You need your own TV Show.

[@JimmyB_Bikes]

Keep it! In twenty years in the final season of American Pickers, Mike and Frank May show up at your door to follow a hot tip on a guy that has a complete, fully original IKEA Slada (with the original belt)!

[@KevCentral]

😂

[@lowryder3209]

Yos

[@TheFullKanani]

This will happen

[@sickmak90]

You’ll have to play hard to get when they show up though.

[@_jonnyscustoms_995]

🤣🤣

[@pedrofernandez3893]

That's a keeper. Why couldn't IKEA just change the drive system to one that was reliable? Seems like a real shame.

[@jochenkraus7016]

I saw them at Stadler in Germany. They converted it to usual chain and sell it for much less than a grand. Unfortunately the frame doesn't look very versatile concerning (rear) brakes and drivetrain.

[@ap0lmc]

Shimano makes internal gear hubs. IKEA should have bought the patent and manufacture the parts using contractors

[@turtleh]

Especially with bikes all sold out now due to covid and extremely high demand

[@TheSilversurfmonkey]

Cost. The Gates system is considerably more expensive.

[@Minecraftrok999]

Uhm quite clearly because a change in drive system would generate massive costs which are not covered by the profit margin...

[@kristiandawe85]

I wish IKEA would bring back this bike, I really wanted one, they could outfit the bike with a shimano Alfine drivetrain and up the price and I would still buy one. It's a beautiful bike. It's the nicest bike in a class of it's own,definitely a work of art.

[@BlvckIce93]

I think it’s a collectors item

[@MissingLinkMTB]

Such a good looking bike. I would hold onto it. Not big into "collectors" but big into "I really like it and it's unique".

[@dopandasreadbooks6039]

I'll give ya $20 and a high five for the Sladda.

[@KevCentral]

😂

[@RealStealthyNinja]

@@KevCentral I'll give you 2 high fives and $21

[@tylerr676]

@@RealStealthyNinja ill give ya 3 high fives and $25

[@waynejones3428]

$ 50.000 and that's final!👍 😂

[@goclunker]

This isn’t craigslist, choosingbeggars

[@PGRFN]

Never get rid of that bike ... Even if they release a new version don't get rid of it

[@themikeey5230]

That's a good collectors item. I'd definitely keep it

[@KevCentral]

Hi

[@EditioCastigata]

Keep in mind it'll lose value if you hold for too long, or when a similar model gets released.

[@antonioporras5161]

Found a Sladda today, 2/10/20, in like-new condition (with racks) on Craigslist. Thank you Kevin for planting the seed to hunt one down. I've got plans to ride my Sladda, including a 26 mile American Lung Association fundraiser ride in May. Not going to abuse the belt! Your mileage may vary.

[@KevCentral]

Nice. Was that you that sent the pic of the Sladda today?

[@antonioporras5161]

KevCentral Yupp. You ready to start a Sladda club? 😄

[@TheMrFishnDucks]

It is a very cool design and now very cool collectors item. Nice video. Keep up the good work.

[@adiscourse9489]

I would not have known, if you hadn’t shared. Thank you!

[@oliversutton2266]

That belt drive is so coool, keep up the great work Kev

[@amirulrashed]

Nice video Kev! Keep it up!

[@seattlegrrlie]

I think it's beautiful artwork. Worth keeping.

[@pellepaltnacke6018]

We know that the Sladda bike itself has been discontinued since long, but when I went to look for the accessories (trailer and the bike lock) on the swedish Ikea website, they were no longer there, I remember seeing them just a few weeks ago but now they are gone. So you ended with saying that there is still hope for the Sladda, sadly tho I don't think there is.

[@captmoa]

A great addition to your bicycle museum.

[@EditioCastigata]

There's parts on it that appreciated in value. For example, I've purchased several of those Sachs/SRAM Automatix for bikes of friends and family, at about 60€ a piece. Now they go for 160€ on Ebay. I even got offered a bit more by an enthusiast who wanted it for his fixie of sorts. As for the belt, you can still get them here in Germany. The bike itself is super nice if you lived in a big city like Den Haag or Hamburg, without a car.

[@KevCentral]

I haven’t found any belts. Can you send me some links via my website?

[@antonioporras5161]

EditioCastigata

[@m6105-u8c]

Hey kev, old guy here again. It is art. Just the photo you took makes it look great. Park it in the living room & stare at it while sipping a smooth single malt.

[@KevCentral]

It sits in my living room currently like a coffee table between chairs 😁

[@m6105-u8c]

Perfect!

[@meamjustme]

When your initial review came out i commented about the hub and the belt choice. Both were known to have problems. Here in the Netherlands, i had to replace quite a number of Continental belts for Carbon Gates. You could convert as well if you want. Needing a front and rear Carbon Gates sprocket as well as a belt of course. It would be able to fit the bike as long as you can calculate the sprocket and belt sizes. Or.... Just sell the darn thing :P

[@etact8888]

forgive my ignorance what is wrong with the belt system? Not explained in the video so in a haze here

[@meamjustme]

@@etact8888 the conti belt can start to make noise and develop a crack. With use, the belt will snap. For a coaster brake its really problematic.

[@dougfrommaine]

@@meamjustme A little late on my reply here, but... It's not like the bike ONLY has a coaster brake - it's got a disc brake in the front. So if you break your belt you are not going to die. You'll still be able to stop, probably stop better than a lot of bikes with fully functional rim brakes. It's the kids bikes that have ONLY a coaster brake that ought to be recalled - chains break too, just like belts, but with the kids bikes, more likely, the chain will come off the sprockets - definitely not a good thing. Anyhow, I bought one of these Ikea bikes for my wife, with the cart, and matching Ikea lock, helmets (one for me, one for her), and panniers. She's never used the cart, but she loves the bike. It's perfect for around town, not even a worry about getting grease on your pants. My wife has an aversion to "shiny bikes", and this one, even though it's brand new with high-tech components, with its dull gray paint and complete lack of flashy graphics, attracts no attention. If anyone has the specs for the Gates replacement belt and sprockets, I'd love to see them.

[@willardbuchanan9122]

I think it could be collectors items

[@willardbuchanan9122]

I think we look really cool if it had a motor on it it would be one of a kind either way

[@Icantfindtheanykey]

I very much dislike the cruiser type bike but I really like the Sladda for all the reasons you pointed out. Simple and elegant = appealing to me.

[@codywilliams987]

Yet another great video

[@TheJaysonlyrics]

Love you’re reviews keep em up 😎 👍

[@Catladybug]

I liked the bike and frame shape feel. To bad they couldn't modfiy the chain. I saw the blue print of the different frame shape they wont through. Was hoping they would bring it back..maybe they thought they thought it wasn't worth to bring back. Or they could make a 2.0 version.

[@dougfrommaine]

I realize this is a year-old post, but just thought I'd mention this point anyhow, because I didn't see it in the comments: Ikea has been seriously impacted by product liability lawsuits and safety recalls - notably the "dresser tip hazard" lawsuit/recall. So I am pretty sure their taste for risk is very low, which no doubt factored into their decision to pull this bike entirely, and sadly, will probably discourage them from releasing another one. Sad. My wife has one, and loves it. The whole system - bike, racks, trailer, helmets, several types of panniers, locks, pump - was reasonably priced and well-designed, as you'd expect from Ikea. :(

[@jonathanmtb9330]

Definitely a collector's item! Sure looks cool!

[@nommchompsky]

Obviously you have to keep it. It can be the centerpiece of the eventual "KevCentral museum of big box bikes"

[@3Dsjk]

nom chompsky The question about a big box bike museum is, do you make the building look like a big box store, or an actual big box?

[@nommchompsky]

@@3Dsjk It would be hilarious if it looked like a walmart inside. Also It could have a pile of rusty frames out back with weeds growing through it to show the typical fate of big box bikes

[@svelobikes9049]

0:30 the bike won a Red Dot award for styling. And 1k for a used sladda!? Geez, that’s expensive. With that money, you could probably ship the Ikea Folkvänlig e-bike directly from Sweden to the US. Great video, and I think that you should upgrade the sladda, with a Gates carbon belt drive and a NuVinci CVT. And please, more videos on the sladda!

[@jonlouis2582]

I wouldn't be in a hurry to get rid of it. I have a neighbor that has a collection of European bikes going back to the 1950's all unused. They still have the nubs on the tires. Pretty cool collection. On another note I have had nothing but trouble with Continental tires on both bikes and cars.

[@MichaelRei99]

That would be your first entry into the Kev Central bike museum!

[@antonoudenhoven7573]

You can instal an other hub on it and replace the front kranks for chain drive my recommendation is a coaster hub or a 3speed coasterbrake nexus system works fine. I see a lot of them on the bikes we sell and repair. Ty for youre great vids

[@kiletaylor94]

I say keep it. It's a great looking bike and seems to work well for you.

[@brandonjones2225]

It will be extremely popular and exotic as an interior decoration piece. Between the powder coat, design and wood features it would be a great center piece that could work as a center piece in many situations. Ranging from rustic to modern and even loft style

[@brandonjones2225]

Do a room or garage featuring the bike as a center piece well and start the trend to raise its value

[@a.i.privilege1233]

That's so close to what I've been looking for.

[@stevehardy6125]

Collectors item for sure. I've looked for one at a reasonable price for a while now with no luck. I do have a hard time believing it would be that hard to mod the drivetrain if you did want to use it though.

[@effyleven]

I had a Slada. I too was very disappointed when it was recalled, even though I got all my money back. Now I ride a Scott electric, and a folding Brompton. Of the two, the Brompton I like more.

[@antonioporras5161]

It's a beautiful bike. 👍 Someone needs to come up with a replacement drive system for those that refuse to move on to the Priority line of bikes.

[@johndef5075]

Cant drivetrain be replaced with a chain drive or Gates system?

[@LawrenceSeetoh]

I'd love for the sladda to return, it is a bike that represents like what Ikea is like, perfectly utilitarian

[@jonathanwilson1380]

I was confused about the drive train thing till I heard coaster break, yea now a total recal makes sense

[@chriswatson2407]

That bell is cool

[@dwightwild6017]

It's a shame that my employer was short sighted on it. Would been nice with some support from IKEA. We had some in the store at one time was thinking about buying it But the belt drive from continental was the thing that put me off on it, figured that it would end up in same boat as Ford s merkur . No support and messing with the consumer. Kev keep up with your content you do a fine job

[@wouterh5729]

I also had a bike with the continental drive system and my local bike shop replaced it for free with a gates one.

[@GTIMAN2010]

Nice bike. Keep that one.

[@jimscales8054]

I agree.. it's a definite keeper

[@brv002]

Keep it! It will only go up in value.

[@peterluft9908]

Collector's item... maybe in the US. In Germany you can still buy these things for 200 €, slightly altered (chain instead of belt) under the name of Dynabike. Google it. Obviously a big bike reseller bought all the sladdas for an apple and an egg, as we say in german, and is trying to sell them now as cheap city bikes. And for 200 bucks, it's a fair deal. The original IKEA price was way too high.

[@sitflyer2661]

That bike and trailer will find their way into a museum.

[@martinjurik6067]

I think that was already taken out of a museum.

[@paulsit3624]

My Ghost urban bike used the same Continental belt which out of the blue, suddenly snapped on me a few months ago. It gave no warning signs of imminent failure and I was completely stunned as I had probably only actually used the bike for about a year. So I looked into it and then found out about the recall for these Continental belts which was repaired by REI with Ghost reimbursement whereas Ikea allegedly gave refunds even without a receipt. The shop converted the belt, front and rear sprockets to a Gates system which wasn't too much trouble as it has a Shimano Alfine hub. I'm thinking it may be possible to do the same thing with the Ikea bike but the unknown factor would be whether the Sram hub would have to be changed to a different manufacturer.

[@briancuello3019]

Looks like a good design piece for your house

[@hupermanett]

"Sladda" means drift in swedish, so you know what has to be done ;)

[@lindatisue733]

Never seen on for sale on blocket or traderia. Is it illegal to sell an item that has been recalled in Sweden?

[@aleskis5089]

Collectors item for sure i wound say. Hold on to it and keep it fresh and new for The BEST value.

[@FrancescBlandino]

The Sladda bikes were rebranded in Germany as under the Dynabike brand of Stadtler (a big bike store chain) and are sold with a chain drive

[@willo7979]

because belt drive could not withstand stress from coaster brakes.

[@Ishizkos]

Ive got the trailer I use it alot as a hand cart and trailer. its a very good trailer, also got second set of wheels and hitch. also own four sladdas brand new in parts minus the frames. I bought all the parts before the recall. the ikea I work for got rid of the trailers for very cheap. sladda is dead here I really wanted a compleat one. but now I have several in parts and at the time over 100 tires from them lol

[@KevCentral]

Have any belts you want to part with?

[@Ishizkos]

@@KevCentral I have four of them in the stash somewhere

[@micahb.1122]

Please review the 29in Schwinn taff

[@markvonwisco7369]

I hate to see a bike not get ridden. What about switching out the rear huh and the crankset for a Gates belt drive system?

[@lazmotron]

The people want more Sladda video!

[@HomesteadOC]

The trailer is the best thing about it, they were smart to keep selling it.

[@AyBee9725]

The bike Sladda outta IKEA's DM's.

[@johndent8813]

Can't you simply swap the supplied belt out and replace it with a Gates system? Belt itself, rear cog and front chain ring?

[@mike88wt]

Kev, first of all thank you. Your vids have started my path to mtb. I think im going for the salsa tj slx 27.5+ shops cant get it untill the end of the month and the shop i like has recommended i put a deposit on the bike. Its true i cant find one for many hours worth of driving and thats if its relly in stock and not just bad online updating. Anyhow, do you think its a bad idea to buy it at this point in the year because maybe they will go on sale soon or maybe the 2020 will be better and devalue my new. Bike?? Any thoughts are appreciated.

[@willo7979]

Weakness of belt drive is its peak tension is a fraction of chain drive. It’s sufficient for driving forward, but it’s dangerous if being used as a mean of braking, for what ikea chosen to go with coaster brake on the rear hub.

[@Simcore999]

I think you can get other belts to work with it, at a reasonnable cost( Change the geared hub)

[@AndresGonzalez-bg8uk]

Kev's retirement unicorn!

[@Sparkjumper59]

Probably made of steel and heavy by itself add two racks a trailer (also steel)and gear or whatever one may haul and the thing would weigh so much you’d only be able to travel down hill.

[@wangdangdoodie]

It's actually made out of aluminium, but it obviously must be a very low grade, plain gauge metal as it weighs 16Kg (35lbs), and that's without it's accessories. An interesting entry in the annals of cycling history but ultimately best avoided. There are much better choices.

[@stephenkillin9730]

So sad that happened, it seems like they really put some thought into it and pulled it off well overall...

[@jackl7778]

just like all other ikea products, cheap and focused on aesthetic instead of reliability

[@sebastianfs3825]

A precius bike that deserve to be again on the market, a complete collectors item

[@jesperhagstrom]

I recommend expanding your collection of failed Swedish bicycles and get an Itera bicycle as well! Haha 👍

[@KevCentral]

I’ll have to look that up. What happened with it?

[@jesperhagstrom]

@@KevCentral It was a completely plastic bicycle made in the early 80s. Interesting design but somewhat non functional since the frame and handelbars where not rigid enough.

[@fehrcarlo2381]

Keep it and keep using it… If it come to, change the drivetrain and the hub to any other system you can adapt.

[@paulwuzhere]

Sladda means skid. Here's hoping that they will release it with an updated drive train and release the Strimla!

[@wreckingopossum]

Keep it, definitely collector grade and you seem to like it a lot

[@michaelmcgill2581]

Hey Kev. Just wanna day great vids. I’ve recently went back and re watched ur review of the carbon cannon dale trigger 3. And I noticed on the rear brake calliper the brake hose is bending out of shape. If u loosen the bolt in which the hose is attached with u can bend it down straight and tighten it again to keep it flush with ur frame 2.27 on ur review of the trigger three is where I noticed it mate

[@mallugasify]

I work at Ikea , and we have piles of them shrink wrapped in pallets . I'm not sure what quality will make us do with them but most likely scrap them like we have done with the dresser recalls. SAD.

[@KevCentral]

😳

[@billsexton8073]

Keep it. Forever!

[@Tonycalvo1991]

Please do a Bikesdirect bike video. They have some really cool bikes.

[@BruceChastain]

I think they should have kept it around and just fixed the issues. As for yours, you should just ride it, I'm sure it can somehow be fixed or refitted to keep going later.

[@mrN3w7]

Is a very beautiful bike... love it. Too bad they don't make anymore - this thing is actually very tempting :). The belt could of been changed, not such a big deal in my opinion... I don't remember seeing it here in Canada though :(. I'd keep it if I were you...

[@BassSwirls]

A nice usable rwal world bicycle. What a shame the belt let it down. Surely worth releasing again with a different drive train. I'd buy one .

[@grumpynerd]

Unless you have a lot of free storage like an old barn, it makes no sense to collect bikes because they'll appreciate in value. You should ride them. A belt that snaps isn't dangerous because of braking; rear brakes are auxiliaries at best. Most braking force happens in the front. It's dangerous because it's most likely to happen if you're standing on the pedals, because this thing has a two speed hub. On the theory that bikes should be ridden rather than stored away as an investment, what you should do is retrofit this bike with a Gates belt drive, which should be possible because people *have* used it with the SRAM Automatix on other bikes. I'm curious about the actual wheel sizes. Ikea's catalog says the bike is available with "26 inch" or "28 inch wheels". However these terms are ambiguous since they refer to a wide variety of rim sizes which when road tires are mounted yield a final diameter of 25.5 inches (for '26 inch' wheels) or 27.5 (for '28 inch' wheels). The most common "28" inch rims are the French size 700c, which in the mountain bike world be called a '29ers' (because of the extra tire diameters). If it's a '28 inch" and that's really a 700c, this opens up a lot of interesting customization possibilities,e.g., upgrade to 8 or even 11 speeds, or an ebike conversion. Believe it or not an 11 speed upgrade would cost more than a full ebike conversion, battery and all.

[@thiosemicarbizidebenzoylal2921]

Definitely collectors material. If you have been to Europe then you have seen this design before. They are still very popular in France and Italy. Those bikes didnt have a belt drive.

[@junboo8730]

Collectors by far. That bike is so nice.

[@barterchimera1abrams229]

Do a review on a huffy scout

[@oldfrend]

like a baseball card with an error. suggestion; keep making videos about it so people know how unique and rare it is. kinda your own little pump and dump scheme. might take 20 years, but what the heck right?

[@dalezapple2493]

Keep it, it's at least a better long term bike than many of the others you have

[@richardmccombs617]

I really thought that they would come out with an electric, chain driven version. Come on ikea ,save the world!

[@jinyeow9951]

The trailer seems solid and could be fitted to any other bike.

[@willo7979]

i'm waiting for mine to be shipped back for me. as of now, ikea took this bike off the shelf, for a simple design flaw. belt driven drivetrain should not be coupled with a coaster brake, as this combination creates tremendous stress on the belt a few times higher than normal.

[@johng7105]

This and Max’s bike have both gone up in value and I think you should hold on to them.

[@KevCentral]

What’s the Max bike going for? I wonder how long it took them to sell out.

[@johng7105]

KevCentral I’ve seen them go from $400 to $1000. Very desirable. I got mine on sale for $170. They have sold at at most locations but have gone on sale in my area so I lucked out.

[@johng7105]

KevCentral I constantly see 10+ bids on each bikes so people must want them a lot.

[@craigm9133]

Page 165 in the 2020 Ikea catalog shows a yellow bike that looks like a men's sladda bike.

[@jesperhagstrom]

Wow! Looks like the same handlebar and also a belt drive :o

[@KevCentral]

The frame is vastly different, but it also has (on top of what Jesper mentioned) the same headlight and rear rack mounts. Does the bike appear anywhere in the catalog other than just in the picture? Can this be bought?

[@mopar_dude9227]

One man’s collector item is another man’s pile of parts, and vice versa. If you have the room, you should keep it in your house as you have been doing, it makes a nice decoration and suits you well.

[@waynejones3428]

Definitely a collectable!👍 😁 💥 🚴💨

[@aaronmcdaniel5893]

It's a true collector's bike

[@j.bmillennial3988]

Yeah that’s a beautiful bike. It’s like a Faraday. Just a simple beautiful and useful bike.

[@willbennett7107]

Why am I watching this I’m a downhill rider

[@KevCentral]

Lol

[@iMadrid11]

Is there any available Sladda bike clones available in the market? I personally won’t mind having a regular chain drive instead of belt drive.

[@KevCentral]

I found Priority Bicycles looking up Sladda info. They marketed directly against the Sladda.

[@trainroomgary]

I would like to see an E-Bike 😎

[@sebi_palgino8875]

KEEP IT!!

[@nastythomashobbs]

Maybe they will make an electric version. That would be a much more useful bike then.

[@harrygrimley4352]

It's pretty. My wife would love it. They still carry them?

[@KevCentral]

I believe I mention that in the video.