ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHARIOT STROLLERS, MEC
Choose the right jogging stroller Keep that run all in the family BY KATHLEEN WILKER
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HOES? CHECK. Water bottle? Check. Motivation? Check. Baby? Check. You’re heading out and you’re all set to become the fittest parent in town. But, which jogging stroller best suits your technique, lifestyle and budget?
STROLLERCISE IF YOU WANT to meet other new parents for companionship and support, Boomerang Kids, (boomerangkids.ca) offers free strollercise from both its locations. Ó Bank Street: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 10:15-11:15 Ó Richmond Road: Tuesday and Thursday, 10:15-11:15 Rain or shine, a certified fitness instructor and personal trainer leads the way as you stroll / jog along the canal or the Ottawa River. The group meets for coffee and playtime at a local café afterwards.
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I wish I had known my in-laws were ultimately going to bankroll our jogging stroller when they took us shopping. I picked out an economical $200 Ridge Runner from Kiddytown. That stroller has since travelled more than 2,000 kilometres, weathered two harsh winters and carried truckloads of groceries. The 60-day warranty has long expired and although it’s still functional, its best days are long gone. Good quality jogging strollers with accessories range in price from $350 to $900. Yes, $900! Some features are necessities — like big wheels (16-20 inches) to tackle Ottawa snow banks — but there are lots of decisions to make. If price is no object and you want the very best for you and baby, choose a Chariot. Made in Canada and backed by a limited lifetime warranty, Chariots
are lightweight for jogging parents and very comfortable for little passengers. The prices are steep from $450 for a single-child jogging stroller to $900 for a double-child convertible bike trailer/ jogging stroller/infant sling. When considering price, expect to recover at least half the cost when the stroller is resold. With the market for used Chariots so hot, the company stocks replacement parts and owners manuals back to 1993 models. When purchasing a jogging stroller, there are a few questions that should be asked.
WILL THE JOGGING STROLLER DOUBLE AS A BIKE TRAILER? If you’re just interested in walking and jogging, you can buy a Chariot jogging stroller or a Running Room jogging stroller — they are actually the same stroller. Their single and double jogging strollers are $450 and $550 respectively. If you want the option of biking with baby without having to invest in another child carrier, your most economical bet is a MEC Child Trailer (www.mec.ca) with the jogging wheel attachment. You get a spacious double stroller with a huge storage capacity for
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