I am looking at a Strida 5.1: addone.tw/tw/products/?method=detail&aid=70.
If cost was not a factor, of the two bikes, which bike would you buy, and why? I am looking for a bike that will have as little maintenance as possible. I believe the LT tires are more maintenance free than the spoke wheel on the 5.1. Is there anything else I should consider between the two?
Any input would be appreciated.
Thank you.
Maybe you can get some hints from this thread: 
[url]Strida 5.0 vs. LT Same Price Except 5.0 is Black]
When people refer to the 5.x, do they mean 5.1?
Thank you.
“Besides the wheels, some parts of the LT and the 5.x are different, e.g. the eccentric BB, the brake levers, the handgrips and the saddle, etc. Furthermore, the latest 5.x comes with Kickstand, QR adjustable seat mount and aluminium rear rack but the LT doesn’t.”
I am guessing those are the differences.
Thanks!
The reason I ask is because I don’t live in Asia and the closest place that can service my bike is 2 hours away.
I like the extras on the 5.1, but prefer the LT wheels. From reading the other thread, places don’t sell the wheels individually. I think on another thread there was a talk about a plastic or nylon freewheel(?) on the LT, but metal on the 5.1?
Is it possible to install 18" wheels on the LT?
Sorry, I am thinking out loud and looking for input at the same time. I will keep reading though.
Thank you.
The so called Strida “5.1” is a Taiwanese domestic version which is only sold inside Taiwan.
[url]Strida 5.1]
There’re some minor differences on specifications of Strida 5 which vary from different regions/countries as well as from different batches manufactured by Ming Cycle that the distributors name the versions themselves as 5.0, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3… whatever.
http://stridasingapore.com/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=08a0c5023865c84af6aa09c50e015dd1&topic=2934.0
This is the reason why we use Strida 5.x to refer to those different “versions” of Strida 5.
The extras on the 5.x are sold as accessories seperately which are available at or can be ordered from your local distributors/dealers of Strida.
In Hong Kong, both the 5.x and LT come with plastic freewheel while the SX and SD come with metal freewheel at the moment. However, I heard that all versions of Strida will come with metal freewheel in the near futher.
Yes, it is possible to install 18" wheels on the LT.
Ah, I see. That makes so much sense now, since I have been reading and then I see these 5.2s and whatnot and wonder if there are even newer versions now. Okay, it looks like the LT is actually a Strida 5.0 too, just version LT.
I am going to try to get an LT now.
Thanks for all your help!
You’re welcome.
I should just add that my new LT (received a few months ago) did come equipped with the alloy freewheel, not the plastic freewheel. I am in Europe.
Furthermore, Strida Europe does not even offer the 5.x anymore. The LT is marketed as the successor to the 5.x. Also sold here are the SX and MAS. stridaeurope.com/english/products.php?subpage=sx
The Strida I bought last year in Denmark (called 5.2) came with the alloy freewheel as well.
And my LT, purchased last month in the USA, came equipped with an alloy freewheel.
Both bikes are very reliable and maintenance free, but you are correct, the mag wheel is quite bomb proof. There have been absolutely no issues with the wheels, and quite frankly it is a better value at $600.
The trade off is a little more weight, but not much.
Hope this helps.
I am the National Sales Manager for the company that distributes the Strida’s, and maybe a bit jaded, but it is an elegantly simple and functional bike!
I’m bumping this instead of making a new thread about it…
savedbybikes.com is currently clearing out their 5.0 stock and has priced both the 5.0 and the LT at around $700. Since both the 5.0 and the LT are the same price, which one is the better buy? I e-mailed Mr. Steve Inniss (the proprietor) and he responded with:
We do have the LT available, it is $670.50 CDN. Technically, it does not
replace the 5.0, it is just a less expensive version. The LX has components
that are less expensive to manufacture than the 5.0. Many retailers have
therefore decided to carry only the LX. Actually we have just reduced the
price of the 5.0 to the same $670, since we cannot say how much longer we
will be able to get the 5.0 version. So, there is an opportunity to get a
better bike and save $250 or more.
However, reading up more on the 5.0, I noticed that people have complained about broken spokes on the back wheel, so the “less expensive” wheel on the LT would actually be more durable. Other than that, is the 5.0 actually better than the LT in any significant way? If not, then I may purchase the LT regardless of the discount on the 5.0.
Thanks for your time!
I have a 5.0 from two years ago and yeah get the LT you will thank yourself with no spoke management. My 16 inch wheels needed to be checked every month cause I was losing a spoke a month, but once I got my 18 inch wheels there’s been no problem with it at all for 1/2 a year so far ,and I made sure they are kept true and tight. not sure if it is because it’s a bigger wheel or something. But i’ve never broken a spoke in my life on my 26inch wheels on my mtn bike and i’ve abused it offroading and let it roll down some slopes while jump off and grab a tree on the side yeah old style cantilever brakes really suck.
Thanks for your response. I guess I’ll be getting the LT then. I’m sticking with the 16" wheels because I have no need to go faster than 20km/h on a sidewalk or a bike lane. Any faster and I won’t be able to react in time if someone (or something such as a car door) jumps out in front.
20km/h is about as fast as a world-class marathon runner, so that’s good enough for me.
I just purchased an LT myself and couldn’t be happier. Well actually I could but that happiness will come in time when I’m able to modify and pimp out my Strida. 
I second the advice on getting the LT. The only possible advantage I can think of for the 5.1 is being able to true the wheels by yourself. I suspect that my LT rear wheel is subtly warped, but damned if I know how I can do anything about it. 
Might this help?
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tooltips/truing.html
http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/wheel-and-rim-truing
Hi BSA,
Thanks. But my point is that the LT wheel doesn’t have spokes that I can adjust. These methods that you have linked rely on being able to adjust the tension on the individual spokes, no?
StridaD
there doesn’t seem that you can do much to an LT wheel if it warps unfortunately. You can try put some heat to the mag spoke that is off a bit and then try bending it. But you would need alot of heat and that might affect the structural integrity of the wheel unfortunately and would be risky to use afterwards incase it cracks. that’s one advantage for the metal spoked wheel is that you can relace the entire thing if it’s bad but not the LT. But the LT wheel should be pretty much bomb proof like the strida 3 wheel. first time I’ve heard it is warped, maybe contact Ming they might be able to send you a new one if the wheel is defective. Don’t try to fix the plastic wheel yourself it might be very hard to straighten the plastic spokes when you are tuning it to millimeters difference.