Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Kidarooz Jogger/Bike Trailer

Kidarooz Jogger/Bike Trailer
Thanks to Julie for this Review!

Croozer 525 Double Child Bicycle Trailer (Red/Silver/Grey) 

Pros:
• The very best thing about this stroller is the HUGE trunk. It must have 5-6 times the space of the little thing on the back of the Chariot. It’s fantastic. I can stuff itfull of anything my son and I will need on a day hike and not have to carry a thing on my back. It’s great for a (jogger-accessible) backpacking trip and this is why I got it.
• For me, the small swivel front wheel is a pro over the Chariot’s big fixed wheel. I use it mostly on a paved jogging path, for which the swivel wheel is ideal. I love not having to pop the stroller up to make every little turn in the trail! I can still take it on rough terrain and just tip it back on its two big wheels when we go through rocks, etc. If I were going to use it exclusively on rough trails though, I might prefer the bigger wheel up front.
• When it collapses the footprint doesn’t get any bigger (unlike the Chariot, which lengthens as it folds). This means that the double Kidarooz fits easily (folded) into the trunk of my Subaru – taking only the handle bar off. With my single Chariot, I have to take off the handle bar, the front wheel and the bars that attach the front wheel, which can be a pain because one of our bars happens to stick
pretty bad.
• It’s very quick and easy to convert from a jogger to a bike trailer (pin-release wheel off, pop pin-release bike arm on), unlike my Chariot which takes a bit more effort (wheel off, both wheel bars off, then trailer arm on), and honestly, is a bit of a pain.
• My toddler is comfortable in the Kidarooz.
• I find all of the flaps (screen, plastic rain shield, trunk) well placed and easy to use.

Cons:
• The “seatbelts” are nowhere near as secure as I’d like them to be. Kidarooz calls it a 5-point harness, but I wouldn’t. It’s a 3-point harness with a separate lap belt that goes across both seats, making it hard to get snug when there’s only one child in it. The shoulder portion (3-point harness) itself is wobbly – each side is a separate strap, and while they both thread through the U-shaped pad that goes across the tot’s shoulders and down his chest, they attach to a D-ring, instead of a more secure clip. I think the harness in the Chariot would hold my toddler in place even if the Chariot rolled over while biking, but the Kidarooz wouldn’t perform as well. I’m not sure how comfortable I’d be toting an infant in the Kidarooz without rigging up something separate.
• For some strange reason there’s a fender in front and back. The one in front causes no problems but I sometimes kick the one in back while running. It protrudes beyond the back wheels, while the bottom of most joggers is several inches inside the back of the wheels.
• The quick-release wheels aren’t the right size to take the Chariot’s skis. This is a major bummer.

4 comments:

  1. I have this stroller/bike trailer and I like it. We didn't have the money for the chariot but this has held up well through 3 kids now. It is very wide compared to the chariot but that hasn't been too much of an issue. I can even squeeze all three of my kids in the stroller just to give you an idea how wide it is but I wouldn't do that for biking. I can take the wheel off to make it fit even in my sedan. My husband likes the way it clasps to the bike and I like it a lot. I had a part that broke and they were good about replacing it and had good customer service.

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  2. I just want to emphasize the good work on this , has excellent views and a clear vision of what you are looking for..

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  3. I've been reading this is not for running. Only walking and biking. This thread is super old, so did it hold up as a running stroller for a long time?

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