Hi Kelcon, the pilots that I have spoken with are also concerned with weight. This may also be a reason for you to consider a single speed Strida. If you are not concerned about the extra weight then I would consider the EVO if, I wanted the extra speed, or I needed a lower gear for hills. For the road conditions you describe then you may consider a 16 inch wheel so that you can use a wider tire. The Schwalbe Big Apple is a wider softer tire that some of my customers like for rough roads. I have them but I have not tested them yet for myself. These tires will only mount on the metal spoke 16 inch Strida wheels so they will not mount on the Strida LT plastic wheels. If the extra weight of the EVO is not an issue then I think you may consider a EVO with 16 inch wheels and wider tires. There is also one other issue with the Big Apple tires on a Strida and that is the distance between the wheels when in the folded position and the wider tires. For the wheels to lock together correctly there needs to spacers installed behind the front wheel magnet and the rear wheel magnet keeper, I plan on having a kit available that will do this.
I hope this helps, Bill