bicycle trailer type jogging stroller for bigger kid? Anyone used one?

[kangareaux]

Looks like I'll be getting one Really Cheap. DS6 will probably be close to 60 lbs by the time we go to The World. He CAN walk all day, but it'll be MUCH more pleasent if he's not overtired. (For EVERYONE! LOL!)

Original owner says she had no problems carrying 70 lbs of *kid* in it. (I'm assuming she meant 2 kids...LOL)

Anyone ever use one of these as a stroller for a larger child?

It's similar to this:

But the front wheel is smaller and more out of the way.

 

[Hannathy]

How in the world would you possibly get that on buses or trams? That is also an awful big thing to try and maneuver in crowds let alone stores. I never took a stroller for a 6 yr old but if you must I would think renting if needed would be tremendously better than dealing with that thing in crowds. It doesn't look easy to steer either.

 

[kangareaux]

How in the world would you possibly get that on buses or trams? That is also an awful big thing to try and maneuver in crowds let alone stores. I never took a stroller for a 6 yr old but if you must I would think renting if needed would be tremendously better than dealing with that thing in crowds. It doesn't look easy to steer either.

The one I'm looking at folds down rather compactly. The only WDW Transportation I *plan* on taking is the Monorail. (We're driving and staying offsite) Should be no problem folding it down. Not like we'll be in a hurry. We won't have it unfolded yet if we take a tram from the parking lot.

crowds & stores -> How is it any different than side by side twin strollers or the double Disney rentals? It's the same size or smaller than the double rental. (Don't know if I mentioned, but the front wheel isn't huge like the one in the photo) I wouldn't take a rental into a store, so I assume I can leave this one anywhere I can leave a rental... Or not? I don't know. It's why I'm asking! LOL!

I'm looking at $15 for this one or 7 days of renting a double at WDW. I'll definately take it to town and the zoo and give it a trial run when i get it.


Anyone have one of these??? Any tips?

 

[super_crunch]

We have one like you are describing. We have never used the additional smaller wheel, but we use it as a bike trailer all the time.

We have a 3 year old and a 6 year old. My 39 lb 6 year olds legs are really cramped in it...but she can deal with it if she gets out and walks around once in a while. You might want to see if you can see how he fits in one before you buy it.

It folds down to about what I would expect a double jogging stroller to fold down to...but I think it would be hard to lug around on a bus or monorail.

We are driving, and we are still planning on renting. The bike trailer would just take up too much space in the car.

 

[kangareaux]

We have one like you are describing. We have never used the additional smaller wheel, but we use it as a bike trailer all the time.

We have a 3 year old and a 6 year old. My 39 lb 6 year olds legs are really cramped in it...but she can deal with it if she gets out and walks around once in a while. You might want to see if you can see how he fits in one before you buy it.

It folds down to about what I would expect a double jogging stroller to fold down to...but I think it would be hard to lug around on a bus or monorail.

We are driving, and we are still planning on renting. The bike trailer would just take up too much space in the car.

Thanks.

I'm going to get it anyway. If I can't use it SIL can. And it's only $15.

If it folds down the way it's supposed to, it will fit under the kids seats in the van.

Cross your fingers that he fit OK.

 

[SueM in MN]

if it doesn't have a swivel front wheel, the only way to turn it is to sort of bump the weight off the front wheel onto the back wheels and then kind of jerk it over. I've seen people using ones without swivel wheels and they have to come almost to a stop to turn. And, I don't necessarily mean big turns. During the course of a day, you need to make a lot of small 'course correction' turns. One guy we were behind going from the Haunted Mansion toward Splash Mountain did that at least 10 times in that short distance. I woud think after doing it a few times, your 60 pounder is going to feel a lot heavier.
And, it doesn't look like it would be very easy for a child to get in and out of, so you might want to test the turning and the getting in and out before taking it all the way to WDW and finding out it's too much hassle.

 

[dawnball]

Looks like I'll be getting one Really Cheap.
Anyone ever use one of these as a stroller for a larger child?

I have one (although without the stroller wheel - we use it on a bike) and I would never, never, never get the stroller wheel kit. If I did get it, I wouldn't take it to Disney.

1) - Check the width. Mine is 36" wide - which is pretty borderline to get through the gates. You'd have to get it lined up just right. Measure at the widest point, which is probably the bottom of the wheels, but may be the wheel hubs.

2) Make sure it's easy to get in and out of. If we left the cover off, DD could hop in and out fairly easily. But even then there's a raised edge all the way around, which is easy to get entangled in if you're in a hurry, tired or not paying attention.

3) See how quickly it folds down. Mine folds down in < 10 seconds, but we looked at one that took about 5 minutes to fold down. Folded down the footprint is no smaller than when it's set up, and it isn't designed to sit on an end while folded.

4) Think about how heavy it is. Mine is around 25lb, and most seem to run 20-30lb. That's a lot of extra weight to shove around all day. It's fairly easy if you have good bearings - but the suckers have a *lot* of inertia. It's also a lot of weight to manhandle to fit into a partially loaded monorail car.

5) Look at the weight balance. Bicycle trailers are designed to center the weight directly over the wheels. With a well-designed bike trailer very little weight rests on the front hitch (or front wheel in this case). If you put things in the rear of the carrier (where the storage space is) you run the risk of an unloaded front wheel. That can cause problems steering and loss of control on hills.

6) look at how the brakes work. The last thing you want is a stroller that's going to roll off when you try to park it.


Now - it may work find for you, but it's something I wouldn't pursue for a theme park. Hopefully that will give you some way to evaluate the limitations before you take it to FL.

 

[kangareaux]

Thanks everyone! You've brought up some REALLY good points. I'll definately test it out really well before November.

Already decided I'm getting it one way or the other. (I have a winning bid on it so far and I don't think there'll be anymore. It's a local pick-up only kind of auction, so they don't get too many bids! LOL!) But it's only 15 dollars and if I can't use it, I know SIL can. (They just moved to a subdivision with sidewalks and she's thrilled to be able to take walks with the little ones. )