Calling all E3 owners: fresh questions

[piximon]

Hello E3 users, this is my first post here so I hope to get some replies. I found the forum while looking for feedback on the E3 but I never realised just how much feedback would be found on one site or how loved a buggy can be!!!

I have a 20mth and a 3week old and I can?t get the hang of the single buggy/sling combination so at the mo I either have to find someone to push the second buggy or stay in. Missed the Next sale because of this so am motivated to sort the double out this week.
I really want to get the right buggy first time as I didn?t manage to do that with a single and money is tight. I?m practically sold on the E3 but have a few questions:

1. Does anyone have any experience of using this on public transport? Especially the bus? I?m just starting to get the hang of managing a single and don?t have a car.
2. If you had to purchase a new double buggy now would you still go for this model or for something else on the market?
3. I keep reading that the Cocoon only lasts for such a short time, however I haven?t seen any available on Ebay so are you all keeping them in case of more children/sentimental reasons/resale value combined with the pushchair?
4. I read that there was a problem with the Charcoal version appearing green in some cases, has this problem been rectified? I?ll be buying one online so won?t actually get to see what I?m buying before paying.
5. I?ve never used a three wheeler before, does it take long to get used to the steering?
6. Also I?ve heard you have to pump up the wheels/mend punctures, is this easy? I?ve never had a bike so have no clue what this involves. I?m hoping to get to look at one in the flesh but as I am so reliant on public transport and a second person to help, I wonder if there is anyone in South East London, esp Greenwich area that would be willing to give me a demo?

Look forward to your replies,
piximon

To answer your queries:

1. Public transport - its fine on the kind of bus you just wheel the buggy onto. I think trying to collapse it with two of them would be difficult, and probably impossible on your own, but then I think it would be pretty hard with any other buggy if you had to take them out of the pushchair. Personally I don't do it unless its a walk on bus.
2. Yes for two reasons - nothing else would easily go up the steps to our house, and it is good that it can be used as a single - prolongs its life considerably (we had it several months before no 2 arrived and imagine we will use it as a single for ds2 increasingly now). The only other double buggy option I woudl consider would be a maclaren twin buggy - probably bought second hand! This would certainly be more sensible financially, and easier to travel with.
3. I haven't got around to getting rid of my cocoon - i guess I just thought not much point in selling it by itself. But otoh by the time I'm ready to sell the E3 it will have seen a lot of wear....
4. Can't comment as mine seems fine.
5. No, not long at all, its pretty nifty on the steering
6. We do find we have to pump up the tyres every month or so - I delegate this to dh and he does it at a pressurised car tyre place (you're probably not supposed to but it seems to work ok!)

My two are now 10 months and 2 and 10 months, and most of the time when we go out ds1 walks and I have ds2 in a maclaren - or if with dh, in a backpack. I only go on a bus when there are two adults and usually with the backpack/walking combination - just can't face the idea of collapsing any sort of buggy. The reason I have the E3 is because I have a 30 min walk with both of them to work/nursery - too long for ds1 to walk quickly - but really otherwise I think the double would have outlived its use by now. Obviusly your oldest is that bit younger but it is worth seriously thinking about how much you will need a double (probably more than most if you don't have a car).

hth.

Not an expert - but I have bought one for the immenant arrival of my 3rd baby. So far as a single it is fine to steer, probably better than my previos 3 wheeler, as for tyres pumping is straight forward with a bycycle pump and for punctures with my previous model I used to cheat and take the wheel into a bike shop who willingly did it for me!

Pretty much echo Elliott.

1. Never used it on a bus - got it so I could walk everywhere with two under two (now two under 3).
2. Would buy this one again.
3. Probably keeping for (d) All of the above.
4. Go for navy or red.
5. Dead easy to steer. You can lock the front wheel if you prefer
6. Pump with a bike pump every month or so - no problem. Sorry, we're not in London. HTH Bear

Regarding point 6, you can get a product called 'slime' from bike shops which you squeeze into your tyres. This seals any holes immediatly you may get from punctures and avoids having to repair them. It's about £7 a can and that should do all 3 wheels if they are about the same as most 3 wheelers.

Spod75

Thanks for your replies. I managed to get to the Daisy and Tom in Bluewater to have a look at one although they only had the red version which I knew I didn't want to get. The swatches of navy and black were too small to really be able to see.
They also didn't have a cocoon or sun shade for me to look at so I'll have to blind order those items.

The only real concern we had was the canopy roof hitting the child on the head as they are quite low.
Have any of you had big problems with this?

Other than that it looks fab and despite niggles I've read about on other sites it will be the one we go for. I'm just shopping around for the best deal before ordering.

I think an E3 is what we've been searching for forever . But before I spend loads of money I don't have, can I ask all you E3 experts a few questions please? Is it worth buying the sleeping bag thingie? With a 4 month old, should I bother buying a cocoon or not? (Am thinking not). And is it worthwhile buying the travel bag? I assume the race seat isn't worth buying (but maybe I'm wrong!). Want to get this right because I've been through so many pushchairs on my quest for the right one and I want to be able to get out and walk. I'm also guessing that it'd have quite a good resale value on ebay in a couple of years?

Oh and one more - is the red likely to fade? Would I be better with the navy?

bump - and have worked out we don't need the cocoon for the double!

you're right a 4 monther will go in the rear seat rather than the cocoon.

ours is navy, so don't know about fading, nor do we have a racing seat. Or a travel bag - if it's not outside, it lives fully formed in the dining room, and doesn't really ever go in the car.

we found the sleeping bag to be too short and narrow - so got a buggy bag from Kiwi-Kid in the US. Generic buggy bags (like John Lewis's) are also wider than the P&T sleeping bag.

re eBay sale - I'd hoped so too but dd and ds are contriving to dirty the whole thing up so much, that unless steam cleaning can work a miracle, I'll be too ashamed to ask for money for it

does the buggy tip up if both children aren't in it i.e when i drop dd off at nursery will it tip if i continue to use it with just one???