How does trikke compare to streetstrider?

Asking how they compare is like comparing a snowmobile and a 4 wheel ATV. They both serve a purpose. Each have their followers. I've only ridden a T-12 Trikke so to compare. I too am at a loss. If you are familiar with cross country skiing you can get the motion of the Trikke. An elliptical exercise machine on wheels is a streetstrider. I can tell you the twisting of the core muscles along with kicking out as with cross country skiing or rollerblading with the working of the arms, shoulders gives one heck of a workout. Both machines are low impact. The pounding the joints get from running are not there with the Trikke or the Streetslider. Either machine should be a good source of exercise. I'm just partial to one, because I own one and I know it works. I can ride for miles and miles and enjoy the time on my 3 wheels. Good luck with your decision. I know the Trikke has a cult following of some great people. I suggest you try both out and make your own decision. It is your health you will be improving. Maybe be making some new friends at the same time.

FROM MILTON CROW 4-11-2010:

I recently purchased a StreetStrider. It is much faster than my Trikke 12″ Roadster, which I've been riding for four years, but the motion is completely different...more akin to running or stair climbing than the gentle rocking of trikking. Both are a lot more fun than cycling due to the vantage point, and I believe this makes them safer than bicycles in traffic. To compare:

Speed: I consistently trikke at about 2/3 the speed of my 26″ mountain bike. My strider can match the speed of my mountain bike, but with considerably more effort.

Learning Curve: I learned to ride the strider in about twenty minutes. The trikke took about the same amount of time, but it took weeks to really get the rhythm down for cruising. Then again, I learned on a first generation T8 with tiny straight handlebars and urethane wheels. The air-wheeled T12 and T8 are much safer and easier to learn, but I still think the strider requires less rhythm and grace.

Portability: A trikke folds like an umbrella, and I can carry my T12 aboard even a crowded city bus and have one hand free to pay the fare. If I remove the front wheel by loosening two hex bolts, it will fit into just about any car. At home my trikke hangs on the wall and takes up no space. The strider can only be folded by loosening bolts on the main mast and unscrewing the crank. You would then need a five-door auto or pickup truck to transport it. It cannot easily be carried up stairs, so I keep mine locked beneath the exterior stairway at my apartment.

Cost: Both vehicles are made with top-of-the-line components, but the strider has a lot more parts. This makes it three times as expensive as a trikke. I consider both to be more reasonably priced than high-end bicycles or autos, and both the trikke and strider are designed for very low maintenance.

Ride: Both the strider and air-wheeled trikkes give a very smooth ride, mainly because human beings are designed to absorb shock better while standing than sitting. As I've mentioned before, the view is amazing.

Gears: A strider has an 8-speed Shimano Nexus. A trikke has no gears, but it does have different torque states. A trikke's "1st gear" is as a push scooter (kicking the ground with one foot), which I often use for initial acceleration, sudden bursts of speed or on busy roads where I don't have room to carve safely. Carving at low speed, such as against the wind, involves a lot of arm strength, while the power for regular cruising is mostly in the legs.

Hills: Trikking up a gentle grade is no problem, but a significant grade is a challenge requiring a very wide path and a fair amount of time. The same holds true for wind. The strider can power up hills like a mountain bike in low gear.

Maneuverability: A trikke is a much more nimble vehicle. An experienced trikke rider can easily maneuver down a crowded sidewalk without hitting pedestrians. A strider's turning radius is similar to that of a bike when properly ridden, but cyclists have a tendency to attempt steering with the poles rather than by leaning, which has led to the myth that striders are difficult to steer.

Perceived Fatigue: I can trikke for hours without getting winded or feeling fatigue, because it travels at a relatively constant speed and uses shifting body weight as a motive force. It is easy to get winded on the strider, because it requires a lot more up and down motion and can be pushed to considerable velocity.

Impact: Neither vehicle has much impact on joints accept for the ankles when riding a trikke. A T-12's decks are 13" off the ground, so it is easy to strain ankles/Achilles tendons when pushing off if one is not careful.

Rider: I think people who are into dancing, walking, distance swimming and/or yoga would enjoy a trikke more. People who are into running, race swimming, stair climbing, futbol and/or Basketball would enjoy a strider more. If you are trying to build upper body strength, the trikke will do more for you. If you want to strengthen your abs/core, the strider will probably push you harder in that area. Both are much, much better exercise than a bicycle, which is designed to be as efficient as possible over a given terrain and really doesn't use any muscles from the hips up.