Hi Charlie,

I can't imagine they would work for a tall person such as my self. Seems that the higher you raise the seat, the closer it moves to the handlebars, which would afford a taller rider a very awkward, inefficient, and tiring riding position... The key to my Helios' stability and good ride for me, is the relatively long wheelbase, even on such a tiny bike. Also, I haven't checked the specs on all the Strida models, but from the pics I've seen, looks like most of them feature 16" wheels - which in my opinion, places them more in the 'toy' category... There's a huge difference between 16 and 20 inch wheels, greater than the difference between 20 and 26 or 27, I believe...

The folders from Bike Friday are generally considered to be the ultimate folding bike, those are the choice of really serious cyclists for traveling. They are VERY expensive, however, and apparently can take quite some time to assemble. They don't seem to be designed for 'commuting', for taking on trains or busses, like the Dahon and Strida are...

You might search the archives, there have been other threads about folding bikes in the past... Perhaps Charlie Stillman will weigh in, he's definitely one of the experts on the subject around here, he has a lot of experience with a variety of bikes - including recumbents, if memory serves...

best regards,

Jon