I hope this is an improvement, as older Stridas were only usable for very short journeys. I'll stick to my Brompton, thanks -- it folds smaller, and rides excellently.

i've seen several of these in the past week riding around nyc whereas i used to only see them once every 3-6 months. they seem to be much more convenient than others (clean and quick fold-up) for going in and out of buildings however they don't seem very efficient for actually riding 7 miles to work.

I think the key here is not going into buildings but getting onto Public transportation. Down in DC they fit on the Metro, and are perfect for the 1.5 mile commute from a metro stop to the job in Virginia.

i think they are intended to be folded up and brought into wherever you go... be it a train or an office tower. if you bring it on the train, what are you going to do with it when you get to work? we can't leave bikes on the street in nyc (that is if we expect to keep them) yet most buildings don't allow them inside however fold-ups are usually ok.

Solutions to the question as to why fewer people are cycling these days?

Electric Bikes Tame Vancouver's Hills and Bridges

http://www.geocities.com/vancyclist/ELECTRIC_BIKE_VANCOUVER.html

http://www.geocities.com/vancyclist/myebike.html

http://www.geocities.com/vancyclist/ebikes.html

And, you'll also need some self-defense front and rear bike lights to "tame" nasty automobile drivers.
Here are two examples of lights that might just do the trick for us cyclists:
see Ebay Item number: 7156511519

Now, here's a light that appears to be useful for pedestrians being assaulted by SUV drivers with
cellphones glued to their ears..or perhaps cyclists who want a hyper-headlight, so they don't get doored
see Ebay Item number: 5197378394