Hey All,
I'm new to Strida. Got my 5.0 this past March and have been riding it to work daily. It's a 8.9 mile commute one way. So far I LOVE LOVE LOVE my bike!! Easy to ride, portable, can go anywhere. Longest ride I've done so far is a 40 mile trip. Not bad, needed to do some serious streching after though :smiley:. Strida is my only bike and major means of transportation so it gets heavily used.
My question for those more aquainted with Strida is how it handles in winter weather? I'm a year round/rain or shine kinda gal living in Chicago, IL. We get some seriously nasty winters. How does the Strida stand up to it? Do I need to worry about the belt icing or snaping in the COLD ( I store it inside when I'm not on it)? Should I think about getting a set of tires with more tread? I've also noticed the belt skips a bit more readily in wet weather, any helpful tips? I'm also thinking of uping to 18 in tires, will the mud guards still fit if I do (gotta have my mud guards :slight_smile:)?
Anyway, love my Strida (I’ve dubbed him Optimus Prime 
I’m a dork I know) look forward to hearing from those with more experience.
Cheers,
Spaceangel
Hi Spaceangel, welcome to the all-weather club! (a.k.a. Freaks on Ice)
I rode my 5.0 all last winter. While the weather where I am (Germany) is certainly not quite as cold in winter as where you are, we had our fair share of snow and ice.
My experience was that fresh, cold, powdery snow makes a fairly good, stable surface for riding on. But as soon as it gets a bit wet and clumpy, you might as well put on skates instead. Same goes for black ice, but that applies for pretty much any bike!
Regular rain is fine. You can tighten the belt a bit to prevent slippage. But you do have to watch out for situations where there is icy rain/sleet/wet snow. The issue is that the ice/slush tends to build up in the teeth of the cog wheel on the rear wheel. You may have to pause every so often to clear it. I learned the hard way that you should not try to just power through it. This is because the ice, and any grit that might be present in it, causes severe wear on the teeth of the cog. It is basically a “sandpaper-effect”. Towards the end of winter, I noticed that my belt was constantly skipping, even in dry conditions, and even though I tightened it several times. Finally I looked at the teeth on the cog and saw that they had been worn down into a “u”-shape. So I had to get the cog replaced on warranty.
Generally, try to rinse the dirt and salt (if used in your area) off your bike on a regular basis. Mainly due to the above mentioned issue with the cog, as well as to preserve your brakes and your tires. I never noticed any wear or corrosion on the belt itself, so that component seems quite robust.
With regards to tires, I believe the word on the street is that the mudguards do not fit if you put on the 18" wheels. I haven’t tried tires with a different tread specifically for winter riding. I figure that the Mad Mike from Schwalbe (47-305) might be one option that I will consider trying next winter, although again, there might be an issue with the mud guards (due to the extra width in this case).
Happy striding!
StridaD