Darth Lefty 

I had a conception in my mind that a jogger looks like this. Big wheels, stripped-down, not much in the way of padding or accessories, an ultralight and efficient roller:



But I can't really find anything like this for sale any more. The defining feature of a jogger, per se, seems to be the fixed front wheel. But besides that, they now all seem to have padded high seats, adjustable handlebars, cup holders for both adult and kid, canopy, and so on. Basically like a heavy (nearly 30 lb) stroller that can't turn. The wheels went from 20 inch to 16 and on some 12. Some of them have front wheels that are lockable rather than fixed, and can snap in a car seat like a travel system. Some of them have suspension, forsooth! The appellation even gets applied to things with solid plastic tires, though usually still bigger than those of a not-jogger stroller. So far as I can tell, for the purposes of actually jogging, all of this is crap. It doubles the weight and turns the shape into an air brake. Just for example...

Which BOB is Right For Me | BOBgear


Burley and Chariot both sell trailer models that convert to joggers, sort of. They add a fixed front wheel in place of the bike, and a push bar. But the wheelbase is huge and with the low and forward CG it seems like they would be too stable and pretty hard to steer.



I wonder if anyone has an opinion which of these they prefer? I have a trailer and don't need too much encouragement to get a better one, but I think I do want to walk more. Wife uses an umbrella stroller which is fine, for the mall, but taking it down the street isn't fun. The travel system is mothballed, and we didn't much like it. I have a backpack carrier but 2yo is getting big!

Viich

I used my Croozer double as a jogger plenty - before kid 2 I also used the Baby Trend Expedition (poor man's version of that BoB). Both work. You're right the trailers are hard to steer. You're also right the tall ones are less stable.

I don't think the BoB's actually weigh that much - I think they're aluminum tubing, and the 'suspension' is pretty simple.

Tim199

Wait, do you want to walk more or run? If just walking, the extra weight won't matter much for the added conveniences. Rain shield for the kids is probably the biggest factor unless you have really easy going kids.

I had both a bob dualie and a two seat Chariot Cougar. I wouldn't have bought the Bob after using the chariot since the chariot had far superior rain covers and I bike more than I jog. The Bob dualie is about 35 lbs so I doubt the single is that much. I also wasn't that worried about the weight since there A) wasn't much I could do about it and B) was doing it for the exercise anyway so I didn't really care if it slowed me down a little, I was still getting the exercise. I like the suspension on both since it really does make a difference in the comfort for the kids, especially going over sidewalk/driveway transitions that are bumpy and could even be painful without the suspension. Plus if the goal is to let them sleep the suspension is worth the weight.

I don't have the jogging kit for my chariot but my friends do. The CG isn't actually that far forward because the handle projects far enough back that you can lift the front wheel easily enough. My Bob has the locking/spin freely front wheel and it was a tossup which was better for jogging. Locked it's not that fun to steer, unlocked you have to constantly adjust it.

So obviously I like the chariot. Some other things I liked are the ventilation through the side windows even when the rain shield is down, and the separate rain, screen, and sun shields. You could use 1,2, or 3 of them in any combination. Often came in handy to keep the kids happy and me out exercising.

Darth Lefty 

@Tim199 and @Viich , thanks. I was going to walk, I can't really run but the efficiency still matters a lot to me because I have an enlarged heart, which is like having a regular sized engine with an under-size fuel pump. When I posted this I knew my wife was pregnant and toddler is getting big for his backpack carrier, so I was thinking of what to do with him and his infant sibling. He'll be nearly three by the due date. But my wife is having twins! The cargo manifest is becoming unwieldy! So my requirements have changed. I've pretty well decided on a Chariot or 2007+ Burley double... the latter seem rarer on local Craigslist. But both have accessories to seat infants.

Meanwhile we are also shopping for the "main" stroller for wife to keep in her van, and they are all big heavy monsters too.

Tim199

Ahh ok, I get it. I think you'll like either the Chariot or the better Burley models. Since you're already getting a carrier that can do stroller mode, look into the in between strollers for her. They're not jogging stroller huge, but they're better than basic umbrella strollers. Even the double ones can fold down reasonably small.

Good luck. Twins are fun and stressful.