Comments | pocket1: Stroller Drama

pocket1

Stroller Drama

Nov 16, 2009 12:19

It’s time to get a stroller and I am confused. I’d been all excited about the Baby Jogger City Mini (BJCM) because of the one-hand fold. Now I am reconsidering. Here’s our deal - Pita and I both run but we probably wouldn’t take Lilah running since that’s each of our special time with Ari. We go to several parks with gravel trails regularly and we ( Read more... )

Comments 37

carolc November 16 2009, 21:01:51 UTC

I don't jog, but we're pretty outdoorsy. We had a jogging stroller for this reason (to take on trails) and I found it to be a total hassle and just not worth it. You had to take the wheel off to put it in our (small!) car and it just was so big. No way would I have taken it on public transit. It was not a fancy one, though--Baby Trend, maybe?

In the end we just used baby carriers (Ergo, especially) on hikes till the kids could walk. This summer I hiked up a smallish mountain with Owen in the Ergo. Even a great sroller wouldn't have made it on that trail.

carolc November 16 2009, 21:04:12 UTC

BTW, I do have a stroller--a Maclaren Quest. It's really easy to steer, but other than that I am not crazy about it. I generally tell people who are not big stroller types (you don't seem like one) to just get a nice, light, high-end umbrella stroller. If you travel at all, you really want something as light and small as possible. The only issue is that most of those don't have much recline, for before they can sit.

prudies November 16 2009, 21:34:23 UTC

Yep, that's my feeling too - high end umbrella stroller that folds up easily and is light.

emmawoodhouse November 16 2009, 22:21:59 UTC

Ditto this. We used the Snap n Go until M outgrew her baby carseat and now have a Maclaren Volo, which I heart and cost something like $70 but weighs only 8 lbs!

Thread 7

nostriliza November 16 2009, 21:02:59 UTC

BOB Revolution rocks! I had that plus a Maclaren, and used the BOB 95% of the time. I even traveled with it, and it wasn't that much more difficult than the Mac.

carolc November 16 2009, 21:06:24 UTC

Yeah? Could you get it through doors easily, when solo? I didn't dare even try to go into stores with my jogger. It was just so freaking massive.

pocket1 November 16 2009, 21:30:42 UTC

This is my basic question about the bob. How large is it really? Can you imagine, say, taking Bart to the city with it to go to a concert in GG Park? Would a bus be completely out of the question?

mayap1025 November 16 2009, 21:57:29 UTC

i love my bob but it's not an easy stroller to fold up. i think it would be tough to get on and off public transportation (quickly, at least). plus, it's heavy so if you have the stroller and the baby it would be hard.

Thread 10

sandia212 November 16 2009, 21:06:21 UTC

We have the BJCM and I actually do run with it occassionally, and it makes a nice all-in-one stroller for us. Good for the train to the center of Athens, good for a (slow!) on roads & sidewalks, good for trails as long as they aren't TOO too crazy (we took our Phil n Ted on a crazy rough steep trail with steps, and the tires haven't been the same since).

That said....are you thinking about another baby? Because if I had it to do all over again, I'd have got the Phil n Ted single back when I bought the BJCM. The fold is a major PITA compared to the one-hand BJCM fold, but I ended up having to buy the PNT as the base for our double-stroller, and now I have *two* 3-wheel, pseudo-running strollers, and that just seems....wasteful. If I'd bought the PNT back when I bought the BJCM, I could have snapped on the doubles kit and had a double stroller for only $99 more.....

sandia212 November 16 2009, 21:08:15 UTC

In that second, sentence, I meant to write "...good for a (slow!) 5k on roads & sidewalks...". Tired!

pocket1 November 16 2009, 21:33:11 UTC

I am thinking about number 2 but have infertile-anxiety about getting anything that might be a sign to the universe to send bad ju-ju my way!

Did you look at any of the other BJ strollers? The City Elite and City Classic have the 1-hand fold and are pseudo joggers.

portlandbride November 16 2009, 21:35:09 UTC

I have several strollers since I rent them for my business. I have a BOB (although it is a double, but man that thing is huge and weighs a ton, not sure about the single), a P&T, a Combi, the Maclaren Triumph, and a Peg Perego P3.
I use the Peg the most, it is a really well-made stroller and sturdy. I also like the P&T, but it has a pretty crappy fold I'd say. But if you are going to want a double I'd probably go with that one.
As for hiking and stuff I recommend the Ergo or a Kelty. We took a trip to Portland this weekend and only brought the Kelty. It was super easy to use. The only problem with it on public transportation is that it sticks out pretty far off your back and you have to watch out for people when you turn.

polarama November 16 2009, 22:13:57 UTC

Oof, this is a hard question. I think you will get a million different answers. :)

We have a Peg (P3) and a light MacLaren (I think the Volo). For city maneuvering, I would go with the MacLaren. Even my P3 which wasn't wide and really easily steered would have been annoying to me in the city. Esp. in DC with Metro elevators being unreliable and all, I wanted a light stroller.

I used my carrier a lot in Natalie's pre-walking days. I spent a whole day in San Fran after my sister's wedding with just the BabyHawk.