I know chariot seems to be top dog, but we use a Croozer, the big one that seats 2. We have used or rented many others all of lesser quality, but are happy with the Croozer. Why did we like it?
Genuine ebay bargain – someone wanted to sell fast and was local, so we did the deal 😀
Folds flat – and I mean flat. pop wheels off, remove tow arm, realase safety catch in frame, voila. no problems getting flat, sideways or longways, into boot of saab 9-5 estate or V70
Fast from flat to ready in 1 minute – push on the wheels, connect the tow bar, click the frame into place – voila.
Comfortable – kids love being in it, nicely angeld seats, good fly screen and waterproof cover
Sturdy – once clicked into place there is good solid protection for the kids all round
Reliable – no problems, ever, and it gets a lot of use. 4 years and counting, one kid really tooooo big for it now. lazy bugger.
Adaptable – wee castor front wheel is a good quick fix for town trips, but the big jogging wheel on extra arms is amazing.
Space – there is a lot of luggage room! this is also a downside as you can end up with 2 kids, plus all accoutrements, plus BBQ stuff, litres of juice/water/beer + a kids bike and scooter strapped to the top. Oof!
Connection – axle block slides over QR skewer, attach tow bar to that for strong connection + safety strap. dead easy. HAve spare mounting blocks for multiple bikes.
It is the easiest pram we have owned to push about for long distances, and if we are going somewhere that requires schelping some kit about (like a big park for the day, or the beach), it is awesome. Even if we are not going by bike we tend to take the trailer in the car as it gobbles
negs/wish list-
a bit heavy,
no suspension,
straps for kids are thin, would be better to have something a bit wider to increase comfort,
might be good not have accessories rattling about the trailer when going somewhere (e.g. jogger front wheel + arms or the alternative shopping trolley front wheel) and I think chariot has them permanently attached and you just swing it into use?
It has a strong spring between tow pole and where it connects to the bike, and this is a good thing, but ours is getting a little slack now, when you are trying to get up a hill you better be spinning those pedals, not stomping, as it start bouncing back and forth and if you get the frequency wrong…. kids love it, but makes things a bit trickier!
No bike-like brakes – it has 2 levers at each wheel to lock them, but when you are using it as a pram, and going down a steep hill, would be nice to have a brake lever on the 'handlebars' to control velocity somewhat. Definitely need to strap yourself to it in this scenario.
Tilting seats? when the wee one nods off (which she always does in it!), would be good if seats could be titled back somehow as she gets that terrible broken neck look, although does not seem to bother her any.
Wow, that was a lot of feedback! I think the chariot is the best in use, except, i think, for flat folding, so if we had to buy again, I would go for the Croozer again.
Hope this helps!
Kev
