Bride Gias/Stradia or other, lower reclinable seat for Track/AutoX?

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05-13-2020, 06:01 AM

#21

Chris_Lum

Join Date: Sep 2006

Location: Irvine

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Tsxtx

Guys would you say the stradia II is a bit wider than a pole position? Also what’s the most economic vendor/place to get them besides used?

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoxheadTim

I wouldn't really compare the Stradia (reclinable sports seat) to a Pole Position (bucket seat) unless you like comparing apples to bananas

. I don't have any personal experience with the Pole Position, but I've owned Recaro SPGs in the past, and those are more "snug" than the Stradias, but that's due to their bucket seatedness. The other thing to keep in mind is that something like a Stradia works a lot better with stock seatbelts compared to a bucket seat, so you'd want to keep the intended use in mind also.

Define "economic vendor" - I bought my Stradia from one of the official dealers in the US (Evasive) because I wanted to be 100% sure that I got a genuine seat for genuine money. There are tons of fakes about and they're getting better (in the "avoiding the typical tell tale signs, not necessarily better quality wise), so buying used is a minefield unless you're buying from someone who can prove the provenance of the seat.

I've owned both pole positions and stradias multple times. They area actually very comparable. The Stradia is a tad bit wider. the Stradia is my favorite seat for a reason--because it feels like a bucket seat. If you ignore the fact that it reclines and just sit in it, it feels like a bucket. You sit "in" the seat, not on top like other reclining seats. Typical reclining seats from Recaro (and even Bride's other reclining) are constructed like a normal seat, a tube frame with large amounts of cushioning. The Stradia/Gias on the other hand, is created like a bucket seat, just with a hinge in the middle. They have fiberglass shells (no tube frame) with thinner cushions, just like how any other bucket seat is constructed. I've owned multiple recaro reclining seats, SR7/SR6 and the huge cushioning feels like stock seats with slightly higher bolsters. The feeling that you get being enveloped by a bucket seat is the same feeling you get with the Stradia. Of course the feeling of being 'squeezed' by the bucket seat is dependent on how wide the seat is and how skinny the person is--I don't like Recaro RSG because they're too narrow for me, which is why i've always gone with Recaro PP or Bride Stradia. The only reason i've traded in my PP's for Stradias in the past (twice now) is for the same reason each time. I thought i could deal with the fixed back, but i like to sit a touch more reclined than the PP allows.

But yes, as OP says, just buy from a reputable vendor. these are $1500ish seats. If you find a seat for $300 or $500 it's probably too good to be true. There are a lot of fakes. I've commented on multiple 'how to tell a fake bride seat' threads on S2KI so i urge anyone interested to do the research and read those.

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512S2k (05-13-2020)

05-21-2020, 01:02 PM

#22

.eric.

Join Date: Feb 2006

Location: Ellicott City MD

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Sorry, didn't see your question until just now. Hope you enjoy the seat!

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoxheadTim

Definitely sounds like the Stradias are the way to go.

@.eric. any recommendation for a source on the East Coast? I know I can get them from a few retailers on the West Coast but closer to home would be better.