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Original poster

Help me choose a buggy - can't cope with the iCandy strawberry any more

23 replies

NichyNoo · 29/10/2013 11:26

So, I have an iCandy Strawberry. It looks great and is very sturdy. However it is totally unusable during autumn and winter as leaves and snow/ice get caught up in the front wheels and they jam.

After yet another walk to nursery (on pavements) where I have had to stop every 50 metres to find a stick and unblock the wheels I just cannot face another winter with it.

Maximum budget it about £300. DS2 is almost 12 months and big for his age so no carrycot needed. Something that fits into boot of car and that is small enough to use around town but that is also robust enough to walk on fields/mud tracks.

I had the Maclaren Techno XLR with DS1 which was great but which literally fell apart after 2 years use (brakes and axle broke).

OP posts:
lauren6283 · 30/10/2013 19:37

What about the baby jogger city mini gt? I don't have one but have heard loads of good things about them. :-)

bail16 · 30/10/2013 19:43

City mini baby jogger is fantastic. Lays totally flat so they can sleep, it's very spacious, last a long time. They are expensive but very worth it!

GwendolineMaryLacey · 30/10/2013 19:44

Love my GT. It's a real workhorse but not big and unwieldy.

Quodlibet · 30/10/2013 19:49

You can get BJCM GT for £260 at online4baby.com. Or there's lots of people selling lightly used ones on the Babyjogger buy sell chat FB group.

bundaberg · 30/10/2013 19:53

What about the baby jogger versa GT? Only £283 at Amazon at the mo

PancakesAndMapleSyrup · 30/10/2013 19:54

Look at the mountain buggy range, sturdy and lightweight when pushing around I loved mine and tbh I was a buggy fiend!

Sashabops · 31/10/2013 09:31

We've been using our Strawberry a lot lately and must admit, haven't experienced any problems with ice but i'm surprised at how well it's coped with all the leaves. this might sound really stupid but how are the leaves jamming in your wheels? they don't get stuck in my wheels. absolutely love my strawberry and so glad we went with this, read nothing but good reviews when we were looking to buy it. me and bubs went to the baby show at the weekend and got to meet the real people from icandy who were all so lovely, their stand was so busy tho but seeing all the people who wanted to buy the strawberry and how excited they looked made me realise we'd made the right choice. keep up the good work icandy! x

Brugmansia · 01/11/2013 09:15

I'm also a strawberry user and am surprised with the problems you're having. We had quite a bit of snow soon after ds was born last winter and it was fine on snow and ice. I've also not had any leaves jamming the wheels including when I've wheeled it across the park. Is it worth checking if there is a fault with your one making the wheels more likely to jam?

Original poster
NichyNoo · 01/11/2013 13:10

Thanks for the responses. How would i check if it is a fault please? We bought it from a shop in another EU country where we used to live. Had it for 12 months (used for 10 months).

The leaves (and ice) get stuck under the wheel covers/mud guards on the front wheels. It only takes a handful of leaves (or ice) for the wheels to grind to a halt and stop turning. Once they are under the guard they won't come out unless I get a stick and spend ages prodding and scooping them out.

OP posts:
Original poster
NichyNoo · 01/11/2013 13:13

Just looked online and warranty only valid in country of purchase. So useless for us. Bugger.

Tempted to smash the wheel covers/guards so I can remove them and then nothing could get stuck under them.

OP posts:
whitewineforme · 01/11/2013 20:56

My Strawberry is exactly the same - on autumn/winter walks it gets mud and leaves stuck in the wheel guards and I have to find a stick to poke them out. I had forgotten how much it annoyed me last winter until I read your post! So it is either a common issue or we are both unlucky...

Tiggywunkle · 01/11/2013 23:20

My Strawberry slid off a very (extremely) icy pavement last year!
TBH the Strawberry isn't made for winters and the Peach is similar.

I actually would go against the BJCMGT recommendations unless its only mild snow and ice - in which case it is fine. In the snow we had last year, the rear axle got clogged up with snow as I ploughed through and slowed us down. I experimented with several pushchairs and unbelievably a Stokke Xplory was one of the best in snow. I think pushchairs with bigger wheels and a higher rear axle are best for more than a few inches of snow. The Elite would be better than the BJCMGT, or a Nipper was great.

EmmaC81 · 13/11/2013 15:17

I am having the exact same problem with the leaves in my Strawberry it's driving me crazy and making me late for things while I do exactly what you are; find a stick and try and unblock the wheel. Is been thinking things would get better in winter when the leaves are away but didn't think about snow and ice :( It's really frustrating my baby is only 4 months so we have a long way to go with it and it was so expensive. I think I will complain am sure it's still under warranty or something.

cantthinkofagoodone · 13/11/2013 15:21

Out n about nipper 360 single should be great for the winter challenges.

My bjcm coped with the nursery run last winter, non gt version.

GeeinItLaldy · 13/11/2013 15:25

I have a a Strawberry and a BJCM GT. I haven't had any of the issues you have with leaves/snow etc but admittedly, I use the BJCM GT for the 'dirty' work as it was bought primarily for dog walking purposes on rough terrain. However, although it was bough with a particular purpose in mind, it is now the pushchair of choice in this house as it really is suited to all occasions. I'm going to sell my a Strawberry as it's very much surplus to requirements now.

Original poster
NichyNoo · 15/11/2013 10:27

Glad its not just me. I've been avoiding using the buggy and taking the kids out in the car Sad DH has said I'm not allowed to sell the buggy as it cost so much Hmm.

OP posts:
whitewineforme · 20/11/2013 19:34

Good news for anyone who has a Strawberry! I contacted them this week after an infuriating walk at the weekend with multiple stops to clear leaves and mud from the wheel guards. They came back with the following reply:

'I am so sorry to hear that you are experiencing this issue with your iCandy Strawberry & I can understand your frustration.
Due to customer feedback, we have made modifications to the front wheels and housing which will rectify the issue you are experiencing. In order to have this done, please contact your store of purchase. They can then arrange to have your stroller sent back for the modification at no cost to you as this will be covered under your warranty. In most cases, your store will be able to offer a loan chassis for the time that your stroller is back at iCandy for but please check with them first that this is the case.
I believe the items are being made currently and should be on their way to us within the next couple of weeks; this would be an arrival time of 4 to 6 weeks. If your store of purchase places your order with us we can put in a back order & then as soon as we receive them have this resolved for you.
Once again, I apologise that you have experienced this problem and hope to get this rectified as soon as possible for you.'

Very happy! Shame it can't happen immediately but definitely better than nothing. Hope this helps anyone else who has been getting as annoyed as me...

Original poster
NichyNoo · 20/11/2013 19:50

No good to me as we bought our buggy in Belgium as that is where we used to live. Can't drive back to Belgium to the store of purchase as the warranty is country specific Sad

OP posts:
whitewineforme · 20/11/2013 19:53

That's really bad! Is there nothing icandy can/will do to help you? Might be worth asking them unless you've tried before and it was a no go.

bundaberg · 20/11/2013 19:54

why don't you contact icandy and explain and see if there is anything they can do?

Original poster
NichyNoo · 20/11/2013 20:47

I've emailed. Let's see if they can do anything.....

OP posts:
Original poster
NichyNoo · 08/12/2013 07:54

So they have just sent me the copy paste offer mentioned above. I drew their attention to my original email stating I no longer live in the country of purchase so can't take it back to shop. That was nearly a fortnight ago and I've had no further response......

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Laquila · 11/12/2013 08:41

Another vote for BJ City Versa GT - v sturdy, great to push, folds small, seat unit faces both ways, brilliant value on Amazon at the moment. Great on autumn leaves, mud and grass but not tested on snow and ice yet.

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