If I had to buy a tandem....

[Ellaroo]

can anyone tell me which one of the awful things would be best? Has anyone got a Graco Duo LXI tandem - does the front bumper bar remove. Whats the difference in usability between this and the Stadium Duo. Anyone had the mothercare one or the monbebe bitwin or new cosatto one? What are tandems honestly like. I would appreciate any advice any owner of one has to give (can't get a side-by-side as hallway isn't wide enough!)

Thanks

I had a tandem (but this was 2 years ago). It was the Graco Stadium Duo. I have 15 months between my two so I used it until my eldest was 2 and then went to a maclaren pushchair and buggy board.

Well, on a positive note, it was good getting down aisles in shops. On a negative note, it was unbelievably heavy and difficult to manouevre. I'm in London and I was doing a lot of walking at the time and it can be very difficult getting up and down high curves (at some points, I had to literally put my whole body weight down on the back handle to lift the front up high enough!). The raincover was a bit hysterical and when it got twisted, I sometimes felt like I needed a degree in engineering to untwist it!

Having said all of that, it fitted in the boot OK and if I had to do it all again, I would still go for it (on the basis of how much I walk). If I didn't live in a major city and was only using it for walks in the park etc. I would get a side by side.

curves!! I mean curbs

you can HAVE mine

On the one I had, the front bumper was removable (in fact, I never had mine in position). I also hardly ever (apart from deepest winter) had the front hood on because it meant the baby couldn't see out the front. The only down side to this was that my toddlers hair became reachable from the back seat so the baby had to be tightly strapped in!

Oh dear Fio2 - I take it you have one that I should avoid buying - would you care to name the beast???

mines agraco and no it was fine! someone gave it to me, with a raincover(!) and it is okay. If you live near me you have it for nothing, it is like new

even!

aww what a kind offer Fio - they are so expensive especially with the raincover.

sooo do you want it? i'm in kent visit the midlands regular!

wow Fio2, that is a kind offer, although I would obviously want to give you something for it - I'm in Kent. Where abouts are you? (would have to be reasonably local as no car! Which Graco is it - stadium or duo lxi?

came on here wondering who wanted a bicycle made for two on a parenting site!
LOL
Glad you have found what you're looking for!

I'm in the canterbury area, but dh works in north kent so i suppose we could deliver anywhere! even the isle of grain

i dont what type of graco it is, its a little tykes coluor but looks modern, honestly dont buy one, they are so heavy and you only use them for a short while

colour, i cant type properly to save my life!

i was gonna say, dont buy one new. i had a mothercare phoenix one, i used it for 6months and it was so heavey (but i lost loads of weight using it everyday, but at the time was carless). it cost me around £200 with raincover (why do mothercare sell them without raincovers is beyond me) and an extra set of cosy toes for the back seat. i sold it last year for £80 on ebay as i didnt use it once dd1 turned 3 and wanted to walk everywhere. this time i'm looking at borrowing one or getting a buggyboard for dd2 as she will be 2.5yrs when bubba is due to make an appearence.

me too piffle!