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First Wheels City Elite Twin anyone?

15 replies

MrsMcJnr · 02/02/2009 16:31

Would love to hear your thoughts on this buggy. Not found much on the site already on this one. Thanks.

OP posts:
PuzzleRocks · 02/02/2009 19:53

Bumping for you.

Olihan · 02/02/2009 20:22

It's wide.

Very wide. Didn't fit through my old front door or through quite a few shop doors.

It's also heavy and doesn't fold down very small - it only just, with a lot of experimenting, fitted into the boot of our Citroen Xsara and took up most of the floor space of our Vauxhall Zafira. I had to keep it in the car or garage because it took up so much space in the hall cupboard.

The small front wheels bend really weirdly if you go down curbs and feel as though they're going to snap. You have to go down on the rear wheels which isn't as simple as it sounds because the handlebar comes out a long way so it's hard to press down on the back axle. Also, the handle height adjusts but if you press too hard on it (to get up curbs, etc) it collapses down to it's lowest height which is really irritating. It wouldn't be any use on anything other than smooth surfaces and once you put a toddler in it it is very, very heavy and hard to push. My dcs were only 16mo apart and neither of them were very large for their age but by the time ds2 was 1 it was so hard to push and manouvere.

The seats aren't very wide either - dd at 16mo and togged up for winter was a snug fit. By the time she was over 2 she really didn't fit very well at all.

That said, the option of having the carrycot for a newborn is great, ds2 was so cosy in it and we also used it as his bed for daytime naps. I also liked the fact that the seats could face either way, although they have to be reclined one notch if they're rear facing because they rub on the wheels once you put a toddler in them.

Personally I wouldn't get it again. I liked it but there were too many niggles with it.

The iCandy Pear looks like a good option if you want both dcs to be rear facing and/or have a carrycot.

tinseltot · 03/02/2009 08:47

I looked at this one when i was expecting dd#2. I agree with the poster above who said it is just that little bit too wide. We viewed it at a massive mothercare shop and they let us push it all over the shop to see if we liked it. Well, it wouldn't even fit through the doors to mothercare's own toilet or babychange room!!! That totally made us realise that it was likely to be unworkable and would be total nusiance in everyday life. I was gutted as i thought the buggy looked really nice!

Also agree that the seats are not big. I think the weight limit per seat is 33lb and not very high backed seats either. in the end we went for a double mountain buggy as it would go through standard sized doors and was narrower. seat units were bigger and i think weight limit about 50lb per seat.

nicm · 03/02/2009 12:28

have no experience of this one but if you're looking for a double that has rf seats and a carrycot how about the teutonia double? i have the single and have been really happy with it. would get the double if i ever needed too

MrsMcJnr · 03/02/2009 20:20

Thanks ladies, really appreciate all the comments.

Olihan ? thank you so much for taking the time to post, your review was pretty damning and has made me really think again about this buggy. I currently have a bugaboo and it is so sturdy and great on all terrains that anything less adequate would drive me mad. Thanks for suggesting the iCandy Pear. I am a little against tandems as they make it hard to feed both DC when out and about which is what I?ll have to do

Tinseltot ? thanks which mountain buggy did you go for then?

Nicm ? thanks for the recommendation hadn?t seen that one before. Initial worry was that DS would be able to get at the new baby too easily in that one?

OP posts:
Olihan · 03/02/2009 21:13

It wouldn't be a patch on your Bug, I don't think. The styling is similar but that's where it ends!

tinseltot · 04/02/2009 10:45

We got the mountain buggy urban double. It is super sturdy and would literally go up a mountain with no bother at all. It is like a tank, i don't think there is any scope for it breaking at all no matter where you took it. The other plus is that people get out of your way when your pushing this one, if they didn't they would end up with v. bruised calves!

It only has forward facing seats but you can buy pram tops to put a baby in so that it can face you.

I love mine but i will caution that it is really heavy and awkward to pick up. I am 5ft 9.5 and think if you were quite short then it would be alot harder to get your arms around the massive frame and haul it off the ground. Also takes alot of room in boot. it fits flat in our vauxhaul zafira. We had to stand it up in our renault scenic boot tho(so it totally blocked rear view window). Also where i live is very hilly so it did get a bit heavy going up massive hills (but i did have a 3.5 year old in it!).

It is good for 2 kids of diff ages as well. There is a 2.5 year age gap between my 2 and when pushing the buggy handled easily (i.e. you could not tell that there was a lot more weight on one side than the other). It has huge wheels that smash up and down kerbs and over tree roots, through brooks etc it never once has got stuck on any ground. Ours is black so easy to clean and no marks on it at all. My oldest is now 4 and fits in it easily still. reckon it could carry a 5 year old with no bother.

So to conclude, if you live on very hilly ground this may not be the one for you as it is heavy to push up hills and there are lighter doubles out there. but if you live on flatish area and have a large car boot (and are feeling strong!) then it would be a great buy.

louloubelle · 04/02/2009 13:32

Hi...I started a post about rear facing doubles a few days ago and got some comments you may find useful. I looked at the pear (I have an Icandy apple and could convert it to pear) but decided it wasn't right for me...I didn;t think you could see the "under" child properly, and I think the under one was supposed to be the baby. It also felt quite unwieldy. I am looking at Emmaljunga Twin City Cross at the moment, or Cerox 360..

MrsMcJnr · 06/02/2009 21:56

Thanks ladies, 2 more buggies to consider there! Louloubelle - have you found out anymore about the Emmaljunga Cerox 360? looks interesting.

OP posts:
louloubelle · 13/02/2009 14:04

Hi...road tested one yersterday and it was dream to push. Took my 2 3/4 year old with me, and he fitted fine although not sure for how long. Just summoning up the courage to decide if I really need one....

MrsMcJnr · 20/02/2009 11:37

Thanks for coming back I really like the "look" (only seen it online) of that buggy but wow, it is expensive. It ticks alot of my boxes although I've read that when they are 10kgs or more each the children get too close together and get frustrated and that babies can slip down in the seats and get uncomfy. Not having seen one in the flesh it's hard to judge - what do you think? also I am confused about the whole duolift/quadlift/carrycot position?

OP posts:
louloubelle · 09/03/2009 16:54

Am off to have another look this week. My little boy is 2 st, and fitted fine with a winter coat on. Depends how fidgety and annoying he wants to be to the other one! Are you in Spain? Whereabouts? And can you get them in Spain? I am in London but go to Spain pretty often...

dizzydixies · 09/03/2009 16:55

duo easywalker - tis fab

louloubelle · 09/03/2009 17:25

but is it rear facing?

dizzydixies · 09/03/2009 17:55

new baby in lie flat carry cot is but seats face out

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