After 500+ miles on my StreetStrider, I'm addicted! And super fit.

This may sound strange, but it's true: at the age of 65, I can't remember when I've ever felt in better shape. (Note: my memory is pretty damn good, so this isn't senility talking.)

Reason is my bright yellow StreetStrider Summit 8r -- an outdoor elliptical bike.I got it last  December. I rode it through Oregon's wet and cold winter. I've continued riding it in Oregon's dry and hot summer. 

The StreetStrider is a super enjoyable exercise. I must have gone about 560 miles by now, mostly on multi-use trails at Salem's Minto Brown Island Park. Almost always I do my thing three days a week, usually riding about 7.5 miles in 45 minutes or so.

There's uphills, downhills, and flats. All fun on the StreetStrider. Along with the fun comes an amazing workout. After I'm done I feel like every part of my body, from toes to shoulders, has gotten some great exercise.

I'll confess to feeling superior to the many bicyclists who also use the Minto Brown trails.

Yes, they can go faster than I can. And yes, it's easier to ride a long distance on a regular bike. But the full-body workout of the StreetStrider is way superior for building core strength. Plus, the lean-to-turn steering of the StreetStrider engages my entire body in a way that bicycling doesn't.

I'll repeat one of my usual lines when someone says "Wow, that's cool!" and I take a few minutes to stop and talk with them about my ride.

At first I was worried that the StreetStrider was akin to a late-night TV merchandising ripoff, since it is only sold online and I hadn't tried it before I bought it. Believe me, it isn't. This is a quality piece of equipment.

And I'm getting zilch, nada, nothing, for saying that. I believe StreetStrider has a referral program, where you get $50 if someone you talk to ends up buying one. I haven't signed up for this. When I extol my StreetStrider, its because that's how I feel about it.

I've written three previous posts about my StreetStriding:
StreetStrider -- my new fun non-traditional exercise
My StreetStrider riding tips -- after 35 fun miles
Slomo explains why the StreetStrider is so fun

My only recurring problem with the StreetStrider so far is a couple of flat tires.

Two flats (both on the front tires) in seven months isn't a big deal. I'd like to have zero, though. Today, after getting my second flat, I got around to putting on a Schwalbe Marathon replacement tire sold by StreetStrider. I've ordered another one for the other front tire.

The Schwalbe looks and feels more substantial than the stock tires. Reading some reviews of it on Amazon, I'm expecting that it will be more puncture-resistant. 

The flats have spurred me to get more competent at changing a tube. I now carry extra tubes, tire levers, and a CO2 inflator in a pack when I ride. It's tough to use a hand pump to get a tube up to the 70 pounds of pressure I like to ride at.

I keep intending to get out my GoPro camera and make some videos of me doing my senior citizen StreetStriding. Before summer is over, I vow. I want to show the uphills I'm now able to handle, since this was one of my concerns early on: how well does the StreetStrider go uphill?

Not as well as my 24 speed mountain bike, for sure. But good enough to make it up almost all of the slopes I encounter at Minto Brown Park. Anyway, this is first and foremost a fun exercise machine, not a touring bicycle. 

(That said, recently I got an email from someone who told me he rode his StreetStrider 108 miles in Florida. I told him that I was impressed. Yeah, Florida is flat. But 108 miles! The farthest I've gone at one time is 10 miles.)

Comments

[tucson]

The StreetRider looks like fun. I imagine there will be races, if there aren't already, like a StreetRider Tour de Clackamas.

[Richard]

I just road the longest miles ever documented on a streetstrider (21.17 miles) in one trip.

[Peggy Hendrix]

I enjoyed reading this article while I was sitting and catching my breath after the longest ride so far on my streetstrider.. That being said, this ride was only about 9 minutes long lol. When I bought my streetstrider from a person on Facebook they had assembled it incorrectly so my husband and I had to look at the videos on YouTube and pretty much reassemble it. The gears and the brakes wouldn't work. From what you said about previously riding a mountain bike I'm assuming you've been in pretty good shape most of your life. Which is not my case. I played softball when I was young and jogged for a while but gained weight as I got older and now I'm out of shape. I'm almost 64 and determined to change things around! I'm about 50 pounds overweight- how long do you think it might take me to like and ride without dying?? This thing is kicking my butt! But I figure that I will ride up-and-down my street until I can build-up my stamina. Now I'm gonna go read your article about when you 1st got the bike. Have a good day- I've been to Oregon once and it is absolutely beautiful! Thanks for sharing. 🙂

[J Rich]

I purchased mine before Corvid hit -
have done 5 miles every morning almost 3 years - new knee last year delayed my riding
73 now and back at it slowly, but not as far everyday yet
front tires wore quickly - pretty sorry quality - used another set from Strider - terrible - they said the quality wasn't what they were used too due to Corvid, but offered no other help - local bike shop resized all 3 rims to use "standard" sizes - still front tires lucky to get 400 miles - on my 5th set now.
get exercise -