running stroller recommendations

It has been a long time now but I went with a combination bike/running stroller. I used the Trek variant, not the silly tiny front wheel that Burley had at the time (may still have).

The Trek had a full tire that you put on by putting two full arms. This made it very stable such that in winter when icy etc., it was very helpful in making biking safer (to the point where it paid to use the trailer without a kid for some rides).

It also was stable while running, much more so than straight running strollers. In fact, I really could lean on it on the downhills and some other situations. If a course did not have places where it is hard to transition (e.g., sidewalk to street) or places that made cornering more difficult, the time differential versus a run became stunningly small (as little as 5-10 seconds per mile after I had fully adapted to it). However, afterward I knew that I had worked harder. Mainly this comparison of times comes from a 10k route (Arb loop) with hills and semi-closed roads. I was always frustrated when I went to run the loop without the stroller (and a kid that by then was pretty hefty at 30 pounds or more) and could never shave a minute off my time.

The bike trailer also probably provided more security because of the 5-point harness suspension. The one time that it did flip on its side while riding my daughter cried briefly and then realized that she was fine and immediately stopped. It also provides much more room to carry things than running strollers, although it cannot be as easily packed up for taking it with me. Newer models have probably diminished this problem. The bike trailers have the advantage that they always can hold two kids while you have to get a different running stroller if you want that option.

It lasted through substantial use with both kids with many rides to preschool etc. and with a number of rides up to 20 miles at a shot and 30 miles if I made stops at playgrounds along the way. It slowed my riding pace, of course, but not by as much as I had expected, especially if there were not too many hills and if I could draft off another bike.

Good luck -- having it made it feel like I was giving up a bit less than I might otherwise have had to do so, but it was also after I stopped competing.

Thanks for the info! I hadn't thought of the bike/running combo. What brand did you go for?

My wife insisted that we get a jogging stroller with a moveable wheel, so I used the Bob Revolution with our first child. The only tricky thing was the occasional need to adjust a spring on the lockable front wheel at the start of the run, to keep it going straight.

I ran up to 15 miles pushing her, at about 8:00 pace on combination bike path / well-maintained dirt trails, and on neighborhood streets. It holds up pretty well for a decent amount of miles (10-15 per week, sometimes a lot more).

We just bought a dual Bob Revolution so I can take the 2 year old and her infant sister running together starting in a few months.

I agree with the previous comment about similar times, but a much harder workout. Particularly in the summer heat, it can be pretty tough, but the elimination of the need to plan water stops is a nice bonus.

Bob is the best. Mine does not have a wheel that moves. It's locked in perminantly like a bike. On trails you just pop up the front wheel and turn. I have run many sub 18 min 5 ks with it.

I have the chariot bike/run combo. I got it used and have been happy with both its function and its quality. In running configuration it has a fixed wheel which I think makes it easier to run with.

It is a bit big and doesn't fold super well, but it will fit in the trunk of a small car.

If you're putting in decent miles, at any sort of speed, go with the BOB fixed wheel. Ours is now 7 years old, on the second kid, looks rather beat up after several thousand miles plus a few trips to Europe, but all we've ever needed to do for it is replace a tire tube. Great piece of equipment.

I have had a Bob, a Giant, a Kelty, and a Chariot. The only one I will not be selling is the Chariot, and it's no contest if you were buying it only for running. Then you add in the fact that it is a great bike trailer, and can also through skis on it for X-C Skiing and snow shoeing, it makes it less than a contest. The Bob will annoy you if you plan on running quite a bit because it has a high center of gravity and no tracking adjustments (particularly if you get one with a rotating wheel). The only advantage to the Bob is that you can put some car seats in it, but it's not totally enclosed like the chariot, so the weather plays a bigger factor on the times you can actually use it, and the infant sling in the chariot is more comfortable for the kid than a car seat anyway.

Bottom line, the Chariot is the only way to go

I've never tried the chariot, so I can't compare, but I can tell you I've never been annoyed at the bob's center of gravity- including on 20 milers, trails, etc. The one I have actually doesn't take car seats, but does have a cover (purchased separately for about 30 bucks) that completely encloses it for running in Minnesota winters. Also, when it gets off the tracking (rarely happens) it can be adjusted by slightly adjusting the front quick-release wheel.