Bike trailers are becoming an ever more popular way of getting about and avoiding the need for car use. Today’s review of the Chariot Bike Trailer comes from Chris who writes the blog Worrybomb – an amusing personal blog with fantastic pictures of his daughter: The Worrybomb.

There are several bicycle based alternatives for carrying children and assorted supplies around. The Worrybomb and I have a Chariot. We have been using it for around two years now, with our first outing on a very cold January morning. Since then its been used at least once a week in pretty much all weathers.

The Chariot CX1 is a bicycle trailer based child transport system, that uses a ball and socket joint that easily attaches to most adult bikes. It can convert into a number of different formats including stroller and jogging pram.

At first with Worrybomb being just one, we had the Baby Supporter kit in the large cockpit, this with the 5 point harness system helps helps to keep the head upright, away from any hard frame and also double as a nice pillow when Daddy slows down on the uphill bits. Its amazing how someone else peddling away can be so tiring! It also adds to the padding and warmth.

When I first got the trailer, I was amazed at the extras you could get, the extra wheels for shopping / jogging was great, it just hangs on to the rear of the chariot until you need it, same for the two caster type pushchair type wheels and to me the skis looked very cool option and as I have pulled pulks across Greenlands Ice cap, they suddenly opened up all sorts of adventurous ideas that were quickly squashed by more sensible members of the family, unfortunately in deepest Hampshire we don’t get much chance for cross country skiing and I wasn’t allowed to consider another Arctic trip with a one year old.

The whole thing is very well designed, it has some very obvious features and some so hidden they took a while for us to discover. The website will give you the full low down with trademarked names etc, but as far as we are concerned its got :

Inside

• Fully adjustable harness to keep one upright and comfortable.
• Padded / insulated seat.
• Metal tubed frame that surrounds the child completely, all kept well away from harnessed child.
• Pockets for children to put drinks, stones ( and for some reason known only to Worrybomb, spoons ) in.
• We also have the Baby Supporter kit that helps smaller children enjoy the ride comfortably and safely.

Outside

• Suspension ( variable depending on the child’s weight ) which is more rubbery and flexible that the normal pram buggy covers I have seen.
• Rain and wind covers ( that zip on and roll back over the mesh windows )
• Bug shields for bug and mud free ventilation
• Tinted windows that roll back when not required ( rock star anonymity assured )
• Storage that folds up when not in use ( big enough to carry a FirstBike or a baby supplies bag, drinks, spare clothing, first aid kit, puncture repair kit ( haven’t used this yet on the chariot ) and a teddy.
• Removable storage bag for smaller items ( cameras, drinks, keys etc )
• Parking break that can be locked on, the break is also used when its in jogger mode as a hand break
• Big orange flag to make you more visible to other road users
• Lots of reflectors and reflecting materials, on the front, sides and back
• parts of the fabric shell even glow in the dark we found!
• The whole thing folds down flattish like a buggy and the handles and wheels are easily removable for storage and transport in the car.
• Everything is easily cleanable and the outside is happily hosed and brushed down.

The only addition I have added to the Chariot is a bright Cateye LED light on the rear for evening rides. As the bikes rear lights are hidden from behind, with the odd evening outing I thought this was essential in making ourselves seen from a distance, when cars get closer, the flag, reflectors and reflecting materials help viability massively.

Using it is very straight forward, put on the special bracket to the bike, then clip it on and off we went. It doesn’t take long to get used to the extra length and weight, corners and kerbs are easy to cope with and the only real downside is that without a mirror you cant see how the child is doing when cocooned away behind you and at speed sometimes unless they shout you cant hear their demands typically along the lines of “faster Daddy, faster!”.

I was a reasonably fit rider, but in recent years I haven’t been out on my bike as much as I would have wanted. You don’t need to be a regular rider to cope with this by any means and we have done lots of 5 mile round trips to the nearby town, shops and library without the need for cycling shorts, special drinks and massages afterwards ( unless I asked nicely that is !) and some longer 10 mile trips to friends and other villages, although slower than normal I was easily able to keep up with other younger members of the family on their 5 and 10 gear bikes. I cant see any reason why longer trips of say 20 miles would not be easily possible with a little thought preparation and fitness.

Hills wise its not bad at all, it does slow you down, but on flat you don’t really notice when cruising, and on the hills it is just matter of using gears and spinning up them slowly.  Down is of course easy, you need to keep your speed down by dragging the breaks, but its stable and solidly built.

The suspension and the tires take up a fair bit of the bumps, but for very young children I wouldn’t want to do much more than roads, paths and the occasional tow-path type ride anyway. Now she is 3 we go pretty much everywhere happily if not slowly, but only occasionally do I get heckles from the back thats its bumpy.

Its not cheap, but it is comfortable and has worn very well ( ideal for potential ebay selling ). Importantly Worrybomb enjoys her outings and it always draws a smile from passers-by and other road users. The only downsides are its big to store ( unless you collapse it down), and not very easy to lock up unless you have some long wire cables or the spare wheel/s to take it with you when you arrive at your destination.

Has it saved money? With out parking or petrol costs etc it all helps, and it keeps me fitter. I think it will go on doing so for a few years more yet as now, even though we have just started using it as a back up for when Worrybomb gets tired on her little run-along balance bike, she still likes to get in and we strap her bike to the rear of the chariot and carry on.

Would I recommend it? Yes its great, other cheaper carriers may well be as good as well, and we generally love the concept of a bike powered carrier, but the Chariot is wonderfully designed and has some very clever features that I haven’t seen elsewhere.

Available from bike shops in the UK at approx. £745. For more information see the Chariot website.

Thank you Chris (and Worrybomb) for sharing this review!

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We love the iconography of London so needless to say, this guards suitcase by Cath Kidston is on our temptation list. Let them rock it as standout luggage or use as cool storage for their prized possessions – it will look great open with its glossy blue interior. £25 Also check out Lu’s round-up of ideas for London-themed kids rooms.

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Scooter accessories are clearly a hot trend what with Scoot’s scooter hooks, horns, streamers and forthcoming deck lites, drink holders and clip on lights, plus my survival kit for the school run, the Scoot n’ Pull being recently featured. Another buy for pimping their rides are Scootrix Wheel Whizzers, pattern making wheel caps that personalise the ever popular Micro Scooter. £6.95 a pair and available in green circle or star, or pink circle or star from Handpicked Collection. There’s also full on name plates.

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Must say, I’m quite feeling the latest addition to Maclaren’s ‘objects of design’ collection which is where they collaborate with major designers to create limited edition pushchairs. The spray flowers print by Cath Kidston is her second collaboration with Maclaren and looks divine on the Quest Sport pushchair making it a real statement piece. £230 John Lewis – a normal Quest Sport RRP’s at £155.

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Travelling with babies has seen me pack the car to the gills for even the shortest weekend away. Often I took our travel cot even if there was one on offer at our destination as I always worried about what condition the mattress would be in. Even with our on travel cot they are far from the most comfy of places to sleep.

Natural Mat have created a gorgeous quilted organic lambswool mattress to solve the travel cot issue. The Travel Mat rolls up into a cotton storage bag making it easy to pack in the car. It has a soft cotton cover and is filled with lambswool making it both breathable and comfortable. It lays on top of the existing travel cot mattress and measures 65 x 120 cm (although they can make to measure if you need a different size).

Having used one with Betsy I loved not only the extra space in the car but knowing she was sleeping on a chemical free surface.

£85 from Natural Mat.

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A few months ago Mamas & Papas paid for me to attend a blogging event and as I was taking Betsy along with me they sent her an Urbo to ride around in. You know I don’t class myself as much of a pram lover yet I was quite smitten by the Urbo.

The Urbo is a mid-priced birth to toddler travel system when paired with a Mamas & Papas car seat. It is suitable from birth and has an optional lie flat carrycot which makes it more pram like for the early months. The seat is a plastic shell which is upholstered and padded. It has adjustable back positions and leg rest. It can be parent or outward facing with minimal effort. The chassis is aluminium (or black if you want to pay extra for the Elite version) with faux leather handle. It has a large hood (with peep hole) and a simple rain cover. The basket on the current model is shallow but I know Mamas & Papas are already working on changing this for future models. At 9kg it falls in the lightweight category and is easy peasy to fold.

That’s the spec covered but how does it perform? Having taken it on the train, in taxis, in my car boot, to the park, on the school run, into town and just about everywhere else I have been in the last few months I’m happy to say it is great to push and from Betsy’s point of view is super comfy to ride in. Having her in parent facing position is fantastic and she is far happier than facing away from me. As it’s an urban pushchair I didn’t take it over properly rough ground but it performed well on grass, gravel and uneven paving (although it could do with suspension!).

The handling is light and I’ve tried it with Monty (2) and Milla (4) and found it just as easy to push. Folding and storage is fab – I can even leave it up behind my door by sitting the seat up and lowering the handlebar. In a small terrace that is no mean feat but saves me precious time getting in and out for the school run. The basket thing didn’t bother me: it fit my changing bag fine and when I went shopping I increased its capacity with a big reusable shopping bag.

Loved:

• Adjustable handle – great for parents of different heights, public transport and easy storage.
• Lightweight – the aluminium frame manages to be both sturdy and lightweight.
• All round – I actually love using this pushchair and it is great in pretty much any situation.

Niggles:

• Suspension – or lack of. This is a hard wheeled pram and so Betsy experienced every bump in the road. I think it needs either pneumatic tyres, suspension or a combination of both.
• Seat adjust – it’s quite easy to accidentally pull the seat from flat to sitting when adjusting the hood (or when tampered with by a sibling).
• Colour – I was sent mustard but it’s closer to a bright lime which is not nearly as cool.

All in all this is a superb pram which more than measures up to comparable models on the market. It is both stylish, practical and perfect for urban adventures. It will happily take you from birth to 15kg adapting to the different stages your child goes through. Personally, I love it and have already recommended it to friends.

Starts at £325 but always worth waiting for special offers or finding a gently used model on eBay if you’re watching the budget.

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I’ve been caught out on several occasions with Saria too pooped after romping around to actually ride her Mini Micro Scooter home. Cue me then trying to juggle Nia, my handbag, possibly a pushchair and even some shopping. She’s also recently taken to wanting to travel with it to busier places which in itself can be quite stressful.

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For those of you like me that fear about your hands coming into contact with dirt from when you use it as a carry strap, you can wash and drip dry it. Oh and it fits all 3-wheeled scooters.

ScootnPull from Dan Stephings on Vimeo.

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If you don’t like messing around with ice packs then it’s worth having a look at PackIt at £14.99 from Trendy Kid. It has the cool packs built into the bag so you slip it in the freezer the night before and it is chilly by the morning. We have been using one for the last few weeks and it has kept our lunch cool on even the hottest days. I had been concerned it might sweat as it warmed up but not at all – a welcome change from our regular ice packs and worth overlooking the limited designs for.

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Man I wish I was a kid again so I could rock one of these super cool animal shaped helmets! Perfect for biking, scooting and skating 2-8 year old children, these delights by Danish company Crazy Stuff come in several popping designs – eagle, bunny, crocodile, cat, skull, and tiger. Standing out from the crowd, I’m loving their facial expressions too.

The outer shell and interior with shock absorbers are fully moulded together for major protection and they’re made to British and European standards with sizing suited to head circumferences of 22-49cm.

RRP £35 and they’re available from Sienna Loves Kai (£30 and in 3 designs) as well as Mash N Gravy and Kidsen. Hot!

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