My family recently got the chance to review a Chariot trailer for our bikes - the kind of trailer that you can stick your kid in and ride down to the farmer's market, park, or just take a fun jaunt around town. Having never used a bike trailer before, my husband and I were really interested in the details; how does it rig up to the bike? Is it compact enough to fit in the car? How comfortable is it for our young son?

We reviewed a two-kid model, despite only having one child. My reasoning for this is that we wanted a lot of cargo space - for veggies from the market, groceries from the store, or just for blankets in the colder months. Moreover, we have lots of friends with similar aged children. So it seemed like a good way to have a double stroller when we are watching our friend's kid for the afternoon.

Below, details of our findings for this very high-quality and easy-to-use bike trailer, which is not without its flaws.

Setup and use

The bike hitch is easy to use and sturdy. Even someone who isn't interested in bike mechanics (like me) would find it simple. The rain fly, bug fly, sun cover, and safety flag also all attach and unattach (or store neatly with velcro tabs) cleanly and conveniently.




The Chariot provides a comfortable ride for our child. He falls asleep in it all the time (his typical seal of approval for anything) and at other times can be hear squealing with excitement at passing dogs, other bikes, etc. The tires seem sturdy and ride really smoothly, and the adjustable suspension is handy but also simple.

The large rear pocket is big enough for all sort of things. You can wedge a full frame pack for your child in there, plus stick a diaper bag deep in the pocket. Very useful! And despite overfilling this pocket, the trailer still felt well balanced. Unfortunately, the mechanism that holds the storage bag in place (two quick release levers) slowly tightens on one side, and loosens on the other, with use. After only a few times, the tightened side lever is extremely hard to release. This seems to be because of the direction of the screw threading on the connectors. It is very annoying. I wonder if they could use another connector (cotter pins?) in a future model that would alleviate this problem.

For a young small child (about 12-18 months), the helmet slot is not enough to keep the trailer's (very necessary) safety straps from pushing the kid's helmet forward onto their face. My son was really upset by his helmet falling onto his face, and it was unsafe because his helmet was sliding out of position. Then we figured out that if you take a nice thick blanket and pad the entire backrest of the seat (basically, extending the distance from the back of the child's head to the problem area about 2 inches) then the kid is still strapped in there securely, and they can wear their helmet in the right position and comfortably. In an interesting coincidence, I asked a friend if she had this same problem with her 1 child model Chariot and 18 month old daughter, and she said, "Yes, but lately we've been padding her forward a little with a blanket and it completely fixed it." So this is a common problem for other young toddlers, I'm guessing.

Storage and transport

Folding the trailer down for storage is quick and simple. Once folded, the trailer fits pretty well in small spaces. I'd expect that any non-compact car could accommodate it. For us, it fits in our larger car's storage area, but is a really awkward squeeze into our smaller car.


However, when you try to fold the Chariot down flat to store it, the folding releases get caught on the fabric of the body. It only takes a second to fix this, but it makes the folding process more challenging and if you were rushed, you might accidentally rip your fabric.

Jogging and strolling kits

You can remove and swap out the bike hitch for components that turn the trailer into a standard stroller or jogging stroller; the former features two castered wheels in front, the latter a single center tire. Each is sold separately for $60-$75.

We tested the jogging stroller kit; we loved how you can add the wheel and handlebar without the use of tools once you get to a strolling site. While this is a little challenging because the parts fit very precisely, it gets quicker with a few tries and is very well-engineered. A big bonus is that there are pre-fitted storage slots on the frame, making the whole system perfect for a bike-stroll-bike outing.

We did not test the unit for actual jogging, and it lacks some of the features one might expect in a fully-featured jogging stroller; for example, it has a foot-activated parking brake, but no hand brake. For $75, however, the conversion is far less expensive than most serious jogging strollers, which run anywhere from $150 on up. We love the convenience of being able to swap this out to combine biking and strolling (or jogging, if one was so inclined).

Summary

After testing out the Chariot Cougar 2 kid bike trailer, I'm glad I chose the two-child model. The single-child models are narrow and efficient pods to move kids, but they allow virtually no room for gear or other random items.The two-kid model is a posh paradise of space and comfort for a single child, with lots of leg room, space for a diaper bag, some lettuce, multiple toys, and a blanket. Lastly, believe it or not, in several years when my son is old enough to ride his own bike, my husband plans to use this trailer for deer hunting on his bike. While that might seem absurd to some, it is relatively common in this part of western Montana. A tarp could easily convert this trailer into a deer hauler, and it absolutely feels sturdy enough to use for this unconventional cargo.

We're also very interested in testing the company's skiing conversion kit (!), which will allow us to pull the trailer behind us while cross-country skiing.

After a month of taking it for test walks (in the stroller mode) and test rides (when rigged as a bike trailer) I can honestly say that our expectations, even for what we knew was a high-performance model of bike trailer, were exceeded. The Chariot Cougar 2 trailer is an excellent piece of family sporting gear, and one that we'd suggest to just about anyone who uses a bike.

The Chariot Cougar sells for $400 and $450 for the single and double models. You can find a dealer of Chariot bike trailers on the Chariot website, or purchase them from online sporting shops.

Let’s face it: Being active and exploring the outdoors really aren’t a natural part of today’s comfort and convenience-driven lifestyle. Instead, we avoid the elements from the careful climate control of our work buildings, cars and homes, and the deep recesses of our recliners. Gardeners and others who work outdoors regularly have more opportunity to be "in tune" with nature; the rest of us need to create our own experiences.

That’s why I’m excited about Anchorage’s Tuesday Night Race Series, held each fall in September/October. Every Tuesday for eight weeks, hundreds of runners, of every age and ability level, meet to get outside, explore trails, have fun and move their bodies.

The race series is now in its 41st year, an incredible track record for a community-driven event. It began as a transition activity for local skiers, and has transformed into a long-standing tradition for many Anchorage families. The Municipality of Anchorage Parks and Recreation Division organizes the Race Series, but without volunteer support, it would not be as successful as it is. Volunteers do everything from registration to setting courses and directing traffic.

Margaret Timmerman, current race coordinator, told me that the average turnout this year is an amazing 700 people, even on days that are rainy, snowy, muddy, and/or cold. The event has grown quickly in the last few years because of its inclusion in “Healthy Futures,” the brainchild of the late Bonny Sosa, who envisioned a program that would encourage families to be more active. As part of Healthy Futures, the race series has become more well-known, and thus more popular. (Sosa’s tragic death of a brain tumor in August 2008 led race organizers to name the series after her in honor of her work.)

I’m no runner, but the Bonny Sosa Tuesday Night Race Series has become part of our own family tradition. There are three leagues of racers participating: The “Munchkins” run between 1 and 3k. (In early September there’s a lot of stopping for wild raspberries, and the week before Halloween, it’s fun to see all the kids dressed in their costumes collecting treats on the way.) The Farm League racers run a non-competitive 5-8k. Lightning League competitive runners complete up to 12k on more technical trails.

The program truly has something for everyone, whether it’s active participation or volunteer work. Since it is set up as a series, it gives participants more motivation to show up regardless of weather, to see familiar faces and to have fun, even if it's a muddy, cold kind of fun! Unique challenges of this program include keeping an eye out for moose and bear, setting different courses so that the younger runners and competitive runners do not trip each other up, and finding trailheads that will accommodate the large number of runners.

The Anchorage program is meeting these challenges nicely through an experienced paid staff and many dedicated volunteers. I think this race series could be a model for other communities to encourage families to make outdoor activity a part of our culture once again. Creating traditions for children, including organized races, hikes, or even volunteering to help clean up the outdoors will lead to a new generation of people who are not only healthier, but who will be vested in caring for the world around them.

If you aren't a regular reader of Z Recommends, make sure to check out today's post - children spot all kinds of wonderful detritus outdoors, and you can make a great display box by recycling cigar boxes. Read and see more here!