Archive-name: misc-kids/joggers/part2
Posting-frequency: monthly
Last-modified: 1995/07/12
Version: 2.2
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*JOGGING STROLLERS FAQ PART 2*
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BURLEY BIKE TRAILER/JOGGER
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We have a 7 month old right now. He was born in December and
I knew I wanted a jogger, so I went out looking. I decided
to get a Burley bike trailer with a jogger attachment. Even
though this was the most expensive choice, I am VERY
satisfied with my choice. The unit is great for pulling
behind a bike, (up to 45 mph down hill so far) and it
quickly converts to a jogger by turning a wing nut which
drops the front wheel (which is attached to the trailer
tongue). The front wheel is about 8 inches in diameter and
pivots, so you can turn much easier than the baby joggers
with fixed front wheel.
The Burley fits two kids, or one kid and lots of groceries.
It is rated for 100 pounds of load. We often ride our bikes
to the store, stroll through the store with the stroller,
buy groceries and ride home again.
We purchased a double fly which has a screen, or a plastic
see through cover. My wife recently ran a 5 K and it was
pouring rain. Our baby was the ONLY person at the race to
stay warm and dry.
The Burley also completely collapses and the wheels come
off. My wife can collapse the trailer and have it in the
trunk in less than 60 seconds.
I was concerned about the pivot wheel on the front being
stable enough to run at high speeds (certainly a relative
term). You know what I mean if you have ever run with a
shopping cart. Well we take it out when we rollerblade,
and push it at 10-12 miles per hour. This is a 6 to 5
minute pace! I will go out on a limb and say that it
appears very stable.
There is one more thing that I need to say that has been
very important to us thus far. The trailer is big enough to
put a car seat in. So we bundle him up inside (when it is
cold) and just set the car seat in. When he was younger (2
months old) he slept most of the time, then we would come
home and transfer him to his bed. So I can go for a run any
time, day or night. If I am tending and I am the only one
home, and the baby is asleep, I just scoop him up, put him
in the jogger in his car seat, go for a 5 or 10 miler, come
home and put him back in bed, and he never woke up!
I have already mentioned that it will hold 2 kids, or 100
pounds. We would like to go on a long, (cross country) bike
trip, and we will most likely use the trailer also.
This was a hard decision to make when we bought it. It was
$450.00 out the door with the jogger kit, but it is the best
decision I have made in a long time.
We are very pleased with this product. I would be glad to
answer any questions anyone has concerning the subject of
baby joggers.
(did I mention that it collapses to about 7 inches high?)
*********************************************
I think Burley is a far better company with much higher
quality stuff. The people I know with trailers, including
Seana Hogan a two time winner of the "Race Across America"
and proud producer of a now 2yr old boy. She was helping at
a ride I did. She went out with her kid in the trailer to do
the biggest hills of the ride.
The company itself has many good policies I like to support
when I can. But the bottom line is that a Burley trailer
will work better for longer than a Huffy.
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++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
HUFFY/JC PENNEY
-- Supposedly can carry up to 50 pounds, I think, so
certainly until Erica is 6 or so (or longer if you have more
young'uns)
-- Breaks down by pulling 3 pins and releasing a strap. Back
wheels come off. If you use the canopy, it has to come off,
also. Should fit in a standard trunk. It takes up the whole
width of the trunk, but you can squeeze other things into
the trunk.
-- Comes with a canopy, side wings, splash guard on front.
Back wheels can be positioned at 2 different widths
(supposedly one for racing, one for walking). There's a
pocket for storing food, etc.
-- Front wheel does NOT pivot. There are NO brakes, just a
strap. So that's a drawback when using it as a stroller,
since it rolls so easily. Because front wheel does not
pivot, you probably can't rig it up to tow behind a bike.
-- When you think about it, there aren't that many moving
parts, so you'll probably base your decision on how solidly
it looks built, whether you like how it seats a child, or
whether you desire some of the other features.
-- Cost is $159 + tax and shipping. $249 for the 2- seater.
I got it through JC PENNEY general catalog. It's possible
they have more models in their specialty catalogs. It's also
possible that HUFFY sells different models.
*********************************************
I bought a baby stroller a couple of years ago. I bought it
from a local store but the same model is advertised in the
back of Runners World. I think the name of the one I bought
is the "easy strider". I will check the name when I go home
tonight. It was cheaper the "the baby jogger" and had a
bigger place for the child to go. I wanted to be able to use
mine for a long time and the baby jogger was smaller. Also,
the easy strider is easier to take apart (no tools). But, it
doesn't fold down as small. I have been really happy with
mine and my kids love it. I bought mine at the "Sports
Authority" store. I don't know if you have those in CANADA
or not. Please let me know if you have any questions.
I checked on the info for the baby jogger. It is called the
"Huffy Easy Strider" There is also a phone number on it 612-935-
6110. It might be a version of the one you were talking
about that converts into a bike trailer. I have seen adds
for it and it look vary similar. I have had to call the
number twice. When I first bought it a part was missing from
the stroller and I didn't tighten a screw tight enough and
it fell out. Both times they were very helpful and quick to
respond. Let me know what you end up doing. I would really
like to hear if you get the bike trailer one.
***********************************************
Cindy Makes the Commitment and Finally Buys a Jogger.
After much hemming and hawing and soul searching, I bought
the Huffy through JC Penney. My reasoning followed the lines
of 1) I didn't want to spend $300 since my daughter is 2.75
already and I didn't/don't know if there would be a number
2. (More waffling. I wish there was an Olympic event for
waffling).
2) I run at noon (at work), so didn't want to make a big
investment in something I may not use that often. I
really just wanted the flexibility to run after work if
necessary (and on weekends).
3) The sidewalks are awful here and I could barely push the
Graco stroller, and there are some nice trails I wanted
to walk on.
4) The Baby Jogger wouldn't fit in either of our cars.
I have used the Baby Jogger a couple of times and found it
to be an really nice jogger. After owning the Huffy for a
month, I can see where the Baby Jogger is made better,
though I'd have to stretch some to justify nearly double
the price.
The collapsibility was a big issue for me, and the Huffy
is really easy to collapse. Just remove two cotter pins
to remove the back wheels, then loosen a strap to fold
the stroller up. It fits into the trunk of my 89 Toyota
Camry Sedan.
I also like the wings that Huffy puts over the wheels to
keep little fingers out. I say that then last night my
daughter was leaning forward running her finger nail on the
moving front wheel...sigh...
The Huffy is heavier, though not hugely noticeably, and the
handle is a tad higher. Someone shorter than me (5'2"😉 might
find this a drawback. The seat is made very well, and Erica
finds it comfortable.
No brakes. Comes with canopy.
I think if I were to run every day with the jogger, I would
borrow both the Baby Jogger and a Huffy and use them for a
week each for a real comparison. But, I think anyone would
be happy with the Huffy if economics were the driving issue.
October 16, 1993 A note about the Huffy. Despite the fact
that I keep the Huffy inside in the garage and haven't used
it in the rain, the darned thing is rusting. The bolts are
rusted and the foot rest is rusting. I'm planning to call
Huffy, but haven't done it yet.
July 1995 Crummy canopy. The thing keeps collapsing. My two
month old doesn't cotton to that, another reason I use the
super twinner more.
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KIDCART
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We got KidCart 2 years ago. At the time it was the only one
that didn't require you to use a wrench to disassemble it
in order to fold it up, get it into your trunk, get it out
and use it.
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RUNABOUT
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Runabout UNI-USA, Inc. 1-800-832-2376
I threw a baby shower for a friend who runs and a group of
25-30 of us chipped in and bought the Runabout for her.
Since they cost about $300 it makes it easier if you share
the costs. They do convert from single to tandem for a
modest sum and I know someone who uses the tandem version
which they prefer to the kind that sit the kids next to each
other (this one sits one kid in front of the other). The
idea is, unless the kids are the same age/weight it will be
imbalanced if they are side by side.
The Runabout seems very sturdy and is super easy to
disassemble. Of course I did it without also trying to hold
a wiggling baby.
It seems very stable and smooth riding. The support looks
better than the sling seat the Baby Jogger has. Oh, in terms
of how small, they had a picture of it in the hatchback of
some small sporty car like the rx7.
One thing about the runabout--no brakes. It *does* have a
leash. Their position, and one of my other running friends
confirmed this, is that the brake isn't much use, its better
to use your body weight to control the speed and forward
motion. All in all, I'd recommend it and if and when I ever
have kids I'd be favorably disposed towards this brand. Of
course at th is rate, the technology may have changed
considerably.
As a company they were very responsive with my order and
rushed me the stroller in time for the shower. Funny, the
box they ship it in is huge--why didn't they just collapse
it and put it in a smaller box? I did not order the shade
with the stroller because I waited until the baby was born
to find out the name and have in embroidered on. All in all
very nice.
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&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
GENERAL OPINIONS AND COMMENTS
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I've used the Baby Jogger Baby Jogger. I own the model that
Sears and Rareback sells, and can't imagine that the
difference in quality is worth the difference in price.
(Sears model $139)
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I'd highly recommend you not shop based on price. Why do I
say this, you ask? My son is two years old (next month). I
started out two years ago with a baby jogger I saw
advertised in a catalog called "Heartland America." I choose
this one because it was much less expensive than those I'd
seen in local shops and other catalogs - about $129 at the
time. Also, it appeared to be well constructed.
Big mistake. The critical structural element was held in
place by two aircraft nuts. But they never stayed tight!
When my wife saw that I was running with a wrench in the
pocket of the jogger, she pointed out that I'd taken my
usual quest for the best price/value to the point of
foolishness!
I then went out and bought Motiv model that could also be
attached to the seat post of a bicycle, as well as be a
regular ol' three wheel jogger. Again, a mistake. The front
wheel frame, since it was detachable for the bike option,
was never really tight enough, and the entire contraption
would shake rattle and roll when taking the slightest bump.
So, my son and I now jog with a stroller from Racing
Strollers, Inc. I paid much more that I ever planned, $295,
but this one is light, solid, well- built and definitely a
cut above the rest. Beside, baby # 2 is on the way and I
plan many more years of running together.
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Consider seat style. Some are more sloped back and better
for infants whereas other models have a more upright seat.
Also, it's easy to bang little heads on the pipes that make
up the sides of the stroller. An older toddler could deal
with it, and a small baby's head much not reach the pipes
but it's worth a thought to pack a blanket around the side
of the stroller.
**************************************************
I've not considered the combo bike/jogger strollers, mainly
because they are even more expensive than the basic joggers
and price is an issue for
me. One other thing occurred to me that you might want to
look for: the better joggers have bicycle-like hand
brakes, which seems like a nice safety feature. The
cheaper brands usually have something like a strap that
you wrap around your wrist, to prevent the thing from
getting away from you.
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&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& HELPFUL HINTS,
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS, Q&A from Racing Strollers inc.
Some of this is anecdotal. I'll include some questions and
answers from Racing Strollers, Inc at the end. I put my
second in the jogger at 4 weeks, but I had a special car
seat insert that I used in it and used blankets to pack
her in well. I was walking on a fairly even surface too
rather than running on trails. As always, a lot of this is
common sense.
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My daughter had her first ride in the baby jogger at three
weeks of age. The three week wait was for me not her since
she was born via the surgical method -- I'm sure she would
have fared very well in the jogger to keep her from flopping
around, and I always put the canopy up to keep the sun off
of her. A ride in the jogger does wonders for quieting
cranky babies anytime of the day or night. And it helps to
reduce YOUR tension, too. As she grew I attached toys for
her to grab and took a bottle along. Next came the cassette
player with the "Disney songs" and "Wee Sing" tapes (and an
occasional New Orleans jazz tape for me). One year for
Halloween I dressed us both up as bats and turned the hot
pink jogger into a Batmobile for a costume 5K. (Ok, I know,
this is getting a little weird!) Now that she is almost
three I take a baggy with cheerios for her to munch on.
Those joggers are great! Good luck with the new little one,
and happy trails!
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Our pediatrician suggested that we wait until our daughter
is 6 months old before using one of these, but the sales
brochures mention using them at 2-3 months. I'm tending to
go with the MD's advice. Anyone had medical approval to use
them earlier?
*************************************************
Q&A from Racing Strollers Inc. (They sent me this when I
told them I maintained an FAQ on jogging strollers so
there's no copyright worries...)
n) What is the weight limit on these strollers?
o) (Cindy's embellishment on the answer🙂 You'll have to
check the manufacturer, but racing strollers, inc
strollers have a weight limit of 75 pounds, except for
the Zipper which has a weight limit of 50 pounds. The
Huffy has a weight limit of 50 pounds as well.
p) How old does the baby have to be to ride in it?
q) We ask that the child be a minimum of 6 weeks old. Also,
until they can hold their head up on their own, a neck
support should be used. We determined the minimum age
based on the condition of the mother after child birth
(assuming that she may be the one using it) and by the
baby's natural thermostat or temperature control.
Typically, from birth to 6 weeks, they can dehydrate very
easily so it is best not to have them in the hot sun for
extended amounts of time.
r) Up to what age can the child ride in the stroller?
s) The strollers (Racing strollers inc) hold a child up to 4
years of age or 75 pounds safely and comfortably. After
the average child reaches 4, they are usually too tall
for the stroller to still perform at what Racing
Strollers considers a safe standard. Even though they may
not weigh 75 pounds yet, a 4 or 5 year old's body length
will make the stroller tippy since they are designed for
the weight distribution of a baby or toddler. (Cindy's
note: Actually I've noticed this with the Twinner, where
I haven't with the Huffy).
t) Does the Twinner take 2 canopies?
u) No, there's a specific one that's wide enough for
the twinner.
v) Does the Twinner hold 75 pounds on each side?
w) Nope. It holds a combined weight of 75 pounds.
x) If only one child is in the Twinner or if one child is
larger than the other, will this cause the stroller to
track incorrectly or be off balance?
y) No, the Twinner can operate fine with only one child. So
on the days when one child is sick, you can still take
the other child our for a run.
z) Can I rollerblade with it?
z) Unforunately, people do take their children rollerblading
with our (Racing strollers inc) strollers. We want to
stress that this is NOT SAFE. The conditions, balance,
etc. are different for rollerblading than they are for
running, jogging, hiking, etc. If someone is about to
fall while rollerblading, their first reaction is to grab
onto something for balance (like the stroller). Then down
goes the baby with mom or dad. Please, if a customer even
mentions it, tell them we DO NOT RECOMMEND IT.
z) What is the difference between the 16" wheel and the 20"
wheel in the areas of use and performance?
z) The 16" wheeled strollers (both Jogger IIs and Twinner
IIs when they become available) are excellent for running
and jogging. A lot of people enjoy the 16" over the 20"
for portability reasons. However if the customer is
constantly jogging/running over rough terrain (like
mountain trails, sand, snow, etc.) or if they are
training for a marathon, we suggest the 20 inch wheel. It
gives the baby more shock absorption and the runner less
resistance.
z) Can the children breathe when the rain canopy is on?
z) Yes, there are air holes punched in the sides of it.
Also, the rain canopy does not cover the area under the
foam grip on the handle. So air flows freely from
various areas.
z) Doe Racing Strollers inc carry a windshield?
z) Not a windshield per se, however the rain canopy acts as
a weather guard against wind, snow, rain, etc.