jogging stroller question

We've looked at a ton of jogging strollers, we heard a lot of great things
about Bob, but my wife
doesn't like it because it doesn't recline very far. The quality didn't
really seem to be any better
than any of the less expensive strollers either, plus no drink holder
(unless you want to pay more
$$$ for the attachment) For that price, at least include some minimal
accessories.

Basically we're looking for a high quality jogging stroller (that will
actually be used for jogging)
and it will also work well on beach sand that we can also use as a regular
stroller for day to
day stuff (ie the child will be comfortable for long periods).

Any recommendations or review sites? Thanks.

http://joggingstroller.com/
Jogging Strollers - Baby Jogger, BOB, Bugaboo, Burley, Chariot, Dreamer
Design, GOZO, InStep, Kelty, Maclaren, Mountain Buggy, Phil & Ted's,
Schwinn, Tech Tech and more at JoggingStroller.com

I have the In Step Safari TT, which is a double (for two kids). It also
comes in a single. It is one of the newish joggers with a front swivel
wheel. Most joggers have a fixed wheel, as you can actually run with
that - the swivel wheel, even if in locked position, apparently vibrates
too much.

The swivel wheel on a jogging style makes it excellent for heavy duty
walking, which is what I use it for. I think planning to use your jogger
for day to day sidewalk and errand type travel might be difficult
because of the fixed front wheel. Makes maneuvering very difficult in
tight spaces, through store doors, aisles, etc.

Another thing that might be difficult with using the jogger full time,
you mentioned comfort of the child. The comments I've read, and my
experience, is that the seats recline too much, and it is not possible
to get them into a fully upright position. You don't mention the age of
your child, but once they're actually sitiing up, it can be a little
annoying to them to not be able to sit up properly and see in front of
them when they're awake. You can adjust the seating for the child a bit
by putting a folded blanket behind their back or making one into a
pillow, but they are stll definitely in a recline. It's because of the
aerodynamics of the design. (Seats in just about any side-by-side double
are a bit snug, but it sounds like you're looking for a single.) I'd use
a different stroller for day to day business.

I like the Safari for what we use it for, which is suburban walking of
1/2 an hour or more either for exercise (fast) or getting from point a
to point b and back again (preschool/playground). But it is one of three
strollers we have; we also have a bike trailer, a backpack, and a few
slings. I found the above mentioned website very helpful, even though I
I wasn't planning on actually running with whatever stroller I ended up
with. FWIW, I went with the double jogger after using a standard
mall-issue front/back double, which was a mile long and impossible to
maneuver on little tiny wheels. The maneuverability of a double jogger
with a swivel is fantastic. The big air filled wheels make it so that
you hardly even have to push, even with two kids.

-Karen, mom to Henry almost 5 and William almost 1-

Rob wrote:
We've looked at a ton of jogging strollers, we heard a lot of great
things
about Bob, but my wife
doesn't like it because it doesn't recline very far. The quality
didn't
really seem to be any better
than any of the less expensive strollers either, plus no drink holder

(unless you want to pay more
$$$ for the attachment) For that price, at least include some
minimal
accessories.

Basically we're looking for a high quality jogging stroller (that
will
actually be used for jogging)
and it will also work well on beach sand that we can also use as a
regular
stroller for day to
day stuff (ie the child will be comfortable for long periods).

Any recommendations or review sites? Thanks.

Sorry no recommendations, but some experience.
We bought one at toys r us fairly cheaply. It probably rolled 1000
miles and had no real problems while in use.
My biggest complaint was that it folded down to a very awkward size
which would not fit into the trunk of my car. If I drove it anywhere I
had to wedge it into the front seat.
Just something to watch out for and avoid.
And even if you do I still think you'll want a smaller, lighter
stroller for day to day use.

All three wheels on mine can quick-release, and the body folds pretty
flat. -K-

Rob wrote in message:
We've looked at a ton of jogging strollers, we heard a lot of great
things
about Bob, but my wife
doesn't like it because it doesn't recline very far. The quality
didn't
really seem to be any better
than any of the less expensive strollers either, plus no drink holder

(unless you want to pay more
$$$ for the attachment) For that price, at least include some
minimal
accessories.

Basically we're looking for a high quality jogging stroller (that
will
actually be used for jogging)
and it will also work well on beach sand that we can also use as a
regular
stroller for day to
day stuff (ie the child will be comfortable for long periods).

Any recommendations or review sites? Thanks.

Best web site I found is epionions.com.

We bought a BOB, which is $$$ all in itself (it was a
part-gift/part-purchase), and although it's infinitely better than the
cheesy Century Stroller that came with an infant car seat back in 99,
IMO it's overpriced for what it is.

I found the recline to be okay, but my youngest is 2 years old; the
other jogging strollers seemed to me to recline *too* much.

We chose it b/c we wanted something that could (eventually) handle
strolling a large child (50 lbs), perform well in beach sand (it
does), fold well and fit into a small trunk (check -- and the two rear
wheels can be very easily removed to further compact it), and do well
on trails. I don't jog but spend a lot of time walking on trails in the
woods while my toddler snoozes, and it performs very well for that.

What I don't like about it is that it doesn't seem like a great value
for the price (okay, it's a sunk cost now, but still..), it doesn't
perform well on snow 2" (total wheel lock), it has "B.O.B." written
all over it, and appears trendy (this is not a feature for me).

Hope this helps,
Caledonia

Thanks for all the responses and pointers to web sites, I think we finally
found something we like. Using the sites, we picked a stroller and then
went to a local shop to check it out. We decided to go with the
Dreamer Design Rebound GST with 20" wheels. Seems very well
built and hopefully should work well for a long time to come for our
baby (he's only 11 weeks so isn't even ready for a jogger yet).
We're going to purchase the infant insert along with it. $350 is
pretty steep, but we simply haven't found anything else we've seen
that we feel comfortable about handling beach sand, trails, running
and just pushing around town. We didn't even think about snow,
but perhaps we could find some knobby tires meant for a small
bike that might fit in the winter.

Caledonia wrote:

Best web site I found is epionions.com.

We bought a BOB, which is $$$ all in itself (it was a
part-gift/part-purchase), and although it's infinitely better than the
cheesy Century Stroller that came with an infant car seat back in 99,
IMO it's overpriced for what it is.

I found the recline to be okay, but my youngest is 2 years old; the
other jogging strollers seemed to me to recline *too* much.

We chose it b/c we wanted something that could (eventually) handle
strolling a large child (50 lbs), perform well in beach sand (it
does), fold well and fit into a small trunk (check -- and the two rear
wheels can be very easily removed to further compact it), and do well
on trails. I don't jog but spend a lot of time walking on trails in
the woods while my toddler snoozes, and it performs very well for
that.

What I don't like about it is that it doesn't seem like a great value
for the price (okay, it's a sunk cost now, but still..), it doesn't
perform well on snow 2" (total wheel lock), it has "B.O.B." written
all over it, and appears trendy (this is not a feature for me).

Hope this helps,
Caledonia

Rob wrote:

Basically we're looking for a high quality jogging stroller (that
will
actually be used for jogging)
and it will also work well on beach sand that we can also use as a
regular
stroller for day to
day stuff (ie the child will be comfortable for long periods).

I don't recommend using a jog stroller for everyday use, though I know
many people that do. They are huge and cumbersome, and in crowded
situations take up more space than two adults do. They also take up
LOTS of space in your trunk or car, and don't fold down very small.

That said, I had/have two main strollers for my daughter: MacLaren
Daytripper (unbrella stroller) for everyday use. It has two recline
positions, though now that she's older, we leave it in the upright
position all the time. It folds up very small, and is very easy to use.

We also have the Baby Jogger for jogging and hiking and beach use. It
also got a ton of use for us. It's also an excellent stroller, but but
it's far more cumbersome, and I'd HATE it for everyday use. Folding is
a hassle, but unlike other storllers, it's completely flat when folded,
since the wheels come all the way off. It's also very lightweight for
a big stroller - only about 15 pounds - and it's a full-sized jog
stroller.

Cathy Weeks
Mommy to Kivi Alexis 12/01