Kid on the way. Took my niece out for a spin on the ice on Monday and wasn’t impressed with the way the pram handled the messy, icy pavements.

My wife has bought a very similar pram (mamas & papas).

Looks to me like the front wheels are too small for rough stuff and all the good walks near me will require a bit of offroading.

So gents, which pram do I need and has anyone got one they need rid of?

I’ve got one I might be able to let you have.
It’s seen better days but it’s got decent sized wheels and a robust (heavy) steel frame.
I’ll mail you some pics and more info later if you’re interested.

We used a couple of Mountain Buggy puschairs with our kids – they’re pretty good offroad but still only have 10″ wheels (ish) so you do have to be careful on very lumpy ground.

I have a Croozer kid for 2. Its great

Wheels and tyres are key – many have big “offraod” tyres and wheels that fall to bits immediately.

Look for metal spokes and rims and tyres made of actual rubber. Many have some dreadful plastic/rubber stuff that are worse than useless.

Out n About 360 is strong, light, has proper wheels and is pretty cheap compared to most.

We got a Jane Slalom from ebay for about £60 its done really well in everything we have used it for, bridalways, footpaths, woods, fields lots of mud etc.

The demands of traveling over rough ground are completely at odds with popping to the shops. You need bigger wheels, longer wheel base and a wider track to offer good stability, a nice stiff frame and a bit of weight low down helps. I am not saying that you can not use the Jane to go shopping but we have bought a second much smaller britax buggy for general town duty.

It amazes me hoe much people are prepared to spend brand new.

+1 for the out & about 360 – its been completely unfazed by the ice and snow round here

I’m about to buy this one – looks pretty good for off roading with suspension, etc.

Silvercross Surf

Jase, I’ve emailed you.

Chariot CX 1

Took the Beamlet out in hers on the snow and ice was great. Bought our for half price in Canada but would be prepared to pay top whack for it, it’s that good.

Quick google suggested Instep Nipper with the fixed front wheel.

Flogging one on here.

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fs-ot-jane-power-twin-double-pram

It’s a twin though.

I’m about to buy this one – looks pretty good for off roading with suspension, etc.

Just check the wheels out very carefully – they look like the ones on our Mothercare my3 which while useful, is on it’s third set of wheels and tyres already. Honestly pram tyres are SUCH a PITA to repair when they puncture. Poorly made, poorly seated and often not even properly rounded. That’s quite a pricey system with little front wheels. Silvercross make good kit but definitely check it before buying.

Keeping our my3 for the next one as it’s a good travel system but the chassis and wheels are very flimsy.

The Out n About 360 is rock solid in comparison and handles far better.

Chariot Cougar. Not cheap but by a million miles the best handling pushchair ever. And it’s a bike trailer.

Got 20″ wheels so you can fit these definitely ftw:

Chariot wheels are perfectly round and the tyres go on an off a treat. Having cartridge bearing at their centre the spin very smoothly too, which is handy if you are jogging with or pulling it along behind your bike.

The Beamlet was a great training partner for a while. Once you get it a Chariot up to speed it surprising what little difference it makes when you are riding, on the flat anyway. Great training opportunity.

They are great talking point too. I routinely go shopping with the Beamlet in her Chariot, choosing that mode of transport over the Maclaren XLR pushchair. The Chariot isn’t really that much bigger when the small “shopping trolley” style wheels are on the front.

all the good walks near me will require a bit of offroading.

What you need is a Baby Bjorn sling.

For little trb #1 we bought a travel system that did everything and was compromised in vitually all areas
For little trb #2 we bought a city jogger for trips on smooth ground and loading into the back of the car, plus one of these for proper country walks
http://www.babybjorn.com/us/products/baby-carriers/baby-carrier-active/active/

trb speaks wise words – we used our LOADS (and the pram/buggy not a lot) for the first 8 months or so, then the little one got a bit big for it.

The Active is better too. Decent back support.

Indeed, I’d definitely have a baby in a sling until they were too big. Nothing like having a lovely lil baby cwtched up to you and resting their head on your chest… better for you and much ebtter for them.

A good sling is no bother to carry either – no back strain at all – like this:

(you don’t have to hold the head like this guy is)

But don’t forget to slip a puke collecting rag between you and babies gob!

A sling/rucksack for when they’re older will be a million times better than a buggy at anything even vaguely resembling an ‘off road’ footpath or bridleway.

Croozer Kid for offroad and a cheap silvercross buggy for town duties. I still get annoyed whenever I go into the loft and see the stupidly expensive “travel system” that was shockingly bad at just about everything!
For #2 (due this month) we’ve not bothered with a buggy at all. We’ll use the sling until it’s big enough to go in the croozer.

A sling/rucksack for when they’re older will be a million times better than a buggy at anything even vaguely resembling an ‘off road’ footpath or bridleway.

That’s also true.

Tell me, how much protection do those baby slings provide when you slip over on an icy pavement and land on the contents?

The OP is after all describing those types of conditions underfoot.

I’d agree though that in normal conditions a baby sling is a great way of transporting the nipper about off road, as is a backpack when they get bigger. Just make sure they are wrapped nice and warm in the later as they don’t get any body warmth from you like they do when they are in a sling.

Sling on the front, then baby backpack on the back once they are too big. Then you can go on proper offroad walks anywhere you want (over rocks, up steps, through stiles etc.), at pretty much normal speed.

Unless you want to run, in which case you want something with wheels, as it doesn’t feel safe running with a kid on your tummy.

I have a Croozer kid for 2. Its great

I love my croozer as a bike trailer. It is too wide for most good walks, and way beyond the weight where you’d ever want to put it over a stile. Also a big old chunk of weight to push up any hills. Be good for running on very wide tracks (High Peak Trail, Tissington Trail etc. near me are good for this sort of thing), although I’d usually choose to stick a bike on it personally for much more fun.

I also have a quinny. It is just about narrow enough for some decentish walks / off road runs (I’ve taken it on a run over Loughrigg in the Lake District alright), but it is almost always better to use the sling so you aren’t limited by stiles and narrow gates, and a lot less effort than pushing the buggy. It is also a bit shonky for something that cost so much – we got ours second hand for free, I don’t think I’d buy one new.

Oh yeah, tyres – if they are 12, 16 or 20 inch diameter wheels, you can get Schwalbe City Jet tyres which are very very puncture protected – our Quinny has had no punctures, despite a fair bit of off road walking, whereas the original tyres that it came with were apparently a complete puncture fest.

Oh and a Mclaren buggy or similar for any time you aren’t going to go offroad and want a buggy rather than a sling (down the shops or whatever). We use the sling mostly for going around town, but the buggy is handy to have (and good for grandmas etc. to have a push).

Joe

Quinny Zap kicks the crap out of any thing by Maclaren.

+

Little Life back carrier for a bit older. We have a Baby Jogger pram, but not recommended for the very wee as they need to be able to hold their heads up themselves.
4 wheel prams seem to be much more stable for day to day use, but the Jogger is the 29er of prams and rolls over most anything.

Thanks for the advice Surf-Mat but I’m still going for the Silvercross Surf – tried it out in the store & it felt the business. Don’t think I’ll be off-roading loads to be honest. I’m also paranoid about 3 wheeler buggies tipping over, Robin Reliant style.
Have also got a baby carrier for shorter, ice-free, trips (am expecting my first in January).

Chariots have a baby sling that supports little ones completely from birth. Although they tell you not to use it when they are tiny babies, it’d be okay if you were on something very smooth.

Thanks for the advice Surf-Mat but I’m still going for the Silvercross Surf – tried it out in the store & it felt the business. Don’t think I’ll be off-roading loads to be honest. I’m also paranoid about 3 wheeler buggies tipping over, Robin Reliant style.
Have also got a baby carrier for shorter, ice-free, trips (am expecting my first in January).

Sorry I wasn’t trying to dismiss it, just didn’t want you to end up with something that needs constant wheel replacements like ours did!

Sounds like it’s suitable though so should be good.

Mol – just try to avoid getting all competitive over prams. Some McClarens work fine for certain purposes. Some Quinnys don’t. Depends what you need.

We got a Maxi-cosi mura 3 – quite burley but yet to be tested properly – due in just over 3 weeks. We got the carry cot to make it a pram and the car seat. It all works together.

Trying to think what bike it would be – not cheap, but not ugly (no orange five), strong, not too popular Trek Remedy maybe?

Nothing like having a lovely lil baby cwtched up to you and resting their head on your chest

aaaahhhhhhh, I remember those days well, missus in bed to catch some ZZZs before the all night feeding frenzy, Me & the baby doing laps of the town, until she eventually goes to sleep then into the pub for last orders (just don’t still beer on her head). Couple of pints before she wakes up then back home to hand her back to mum

We got one of those, carbon. It’s good, but utter sh*te compared to the Chariot 🙂 Only advantage of that is that the babe can face you.

What you need is this. We have one that was previously used by my sisters three kids. Its brilliant, fixed front wheel, big wheels good, clearance, light.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/PEGASUS-LAND-ROVER-BLACK-ALL-TERRAIN-SINGLE-PUSHCHAIR-/190476688298?pt=UK_Baby_BabyTravel_Pushchairs_GL&hash=item2c594b9baa

No-one who’s ever used a Chariot would recommend anything else.

Another vote for Jane Slalom.

Its capable enough for anything that you want to be pushing the baby along, small enough to go it the boot of a fiat panda, manoevurable for around town and can go through airport scanners.

perfect for what we wanted basically.

First caught my eye due to the disc brake on the front wheel.

No-one who’s ever used a Chariot would recommend anything else.

You cant do the whole travel system with them though can you – car seat etc.

No, but those are always naff. CoG too high.

No-one who’s ever used a Chariot would recommend anything else.

You can’t do the whole travel system with them though can you – car seat etc.[/quote]

True. But then you can’t jog cross country, ride on fire roads pulling your baby / toddler or even attach cross country skis to a pushchair/car seat combo device. That later functionality may well come in handy if these winters persist.

The whole travel system are a compromise in my opinion.

As mentioned above we also have a Maclaren XLR which we could attach our Recaro car seat to. Whilst it has the advantage of being able to transfer the Beamlet to the pushchair and back again without waking her I still preferred using the Chariot for its easy rolling, low centre of gravity, huge storage capacity, waterbottle holder on the handlebars, etc.

Here’s our rig in action:

IMG_9313 by Mark and Kirsty Beaman, on Flickr

And

_MG_4945 by Mark and Kirsty Beaman, on Flickr

And

We’ve had two of these, been everywhere with our two boys, deep now in the alps, pebble beaches, deep mud etc etc

Urban Detour