Reviews for Chariot Cougar 2 bike trailer

Funny- I just got home from a 1hr bike ride w/ the Chariot to find a request in my email to send in a review. We've had the unit for about a month and totally love it. We bought the jogger attachment, bike attachment, and infant sling for the unit. We have a 18 month old, and a 1 month old. As a stroller, this is the best we've ever tried. We gave away our Zooper after getting this. Pros: lots of room for the kids. Smooth ride. Turns on a dime / very maneuverable. Good amount of storage. Sun shade works. Looks good. Cons: big and heavy - we have to take everything out of our SUV to fit this in the car. Really, it's huge. The unit sucks as a jogger. It's just too heavy when compared to a dedicated jogger. Tires are a bit thin. We had a flat on day #2. I patched the tube and put in tire liners. Haven't had a problem since. It seems bogus that you have to pay extra for the hand brake. Overall: This is a solid unit. We bought it on the Internet and we're very pleased with quality and features.

This trailer is well thought out and very well put-together?I?m glad I decided to buy a higher quality unit (aluminum frame). I opted for the jogging and bike trailer kits and both work great, and converting back and forth is a cinch. I was suspicious about the ?suspension? system but I must say it is simple, maintenance-free and really nice to have- keeps the ride nice and smooth. So far my 1-year old seems to love it and the sun-screen/weather covers are also very helpful keeping the little guy out of the sun. I was also surprised at how easy the trailer is to pull with bike, considering it weighs in at 50+ pounds with 1 passenger. Only long or steep hills were a challenge, as was the gusty OuterBanks winds. An added benefit is that if I am pulling the trailer my wife can keep up with me on her bike and I still get a great work-out! I also found out very quickly it is difficult to pedal while up out of the saddle (standing), lots of bobbing and inefficient movement. You basically have to stay seated and keep a nice smooth pedal stroke to prevent too much bobbing action. I happen to think this is a benefit as pulling the trailer will help you learn to pedal more efficiently and smoothly. Traveling with the Chariot- it does fold ?flat? but you still need to deal with the various wheels, bars, handles, etc so a fairly large zippered canvas bag with some towels to protect the rims did the trick. Once bundled up, the ?bagged? accessories fit nicely inside the flattened Chariot. The entire rig took up a good bit of space in the rear cargo area of our Honda Pilot, but even with suitcases, baby gates and bike gear it was fairly easy to deal with. If you are considering buying a trailer buy a nice one with good features, like the helmet-pocket, no tools to change attachments, suspension, etc. I was concerned that the Cougar did not have an adjustable seat back but it really does not seem to be a big deal...my son has no problem nodding off when we are on the move. I would absolutely buy the Chariot again. I would also highly recommend the shipping insurance! The first one that arrived at my door had not been packaged properly at the factory and the plastic side windows were damaged (cut). Other than getting the box to a FedEx center the return was a breeze and the biketrailer.com customer service people were friendly, helpful and all around nice to talk to. No questions asked I had a new one sent ASAP and was VERY thankful I paid the extra few bucks for the insurance. I can?t wait to show up at he next local bike race or triathlon and have all the other parents drool over my sweet set-up!!

Had been using a Burley Solo for the last two years, which is a beautiful trailer also, but only for one child and we had been squeezing our two boys (3 and 5yrs)into that for the school route. Through Winter that was no problem, but with hot Summer coming on, we tried out the Cougar 2. It is a lovely, well thought out trailer. Both kids and parents love it very much. *folds flat. I wouldn't say small, but it does fold amazingly flat - and easily. *the suspension is wonderful for both parent and child. The children love it, and it seems to make pulling a little easier or at least smoother. We have also interestingly found that the electric bicycle my wife uses to pull the trailer does not wear down its battery nearly as quickly as it did before, despite the Chariot being heavier than the previous trailer we had (the Burley Solo, which is wonderfully light). We put it down to the suspension. *beautiful design, definitely turns heads. *solid seating. Cross bars of the frame are directly under the seat which holds the children from collapsing onto each other in a hammock effect like other trailers - which is very good in summer, and seems quite comfortable for children. *small mesh covered air window on sides. This is quite small but does cool the cabin surprisingly well. CX2 would be even better if you live in a very hot climate. I have been considering installing mesh windows myself, with plastic covers that can be "velcroed" on from outside in case of rain. In any case the ventilation is quite good on this bike. Bubble wrap etc might be a good idea in case of flying (that's what we did). Would probably also recommend the rain cover if you intend to use in inclement weather (heavy rain or wind especially).

Not only does it handle extremely well as a trailer, it is great as a stoller. The ride is smooth and it is very easy to see into and out of. The empty trailer is very light and easy to maneuver into the different functions. It really is as simple as pushing a few buttons and sliding in a few pins.

My daughter (5) and son (1) both love it. It did take a little convincing to have him enjoy it, but once it got moving he loved riding in it. The lack of ventilation on the sides concerned me, but once moving my daughter told me it was not too hot. She also likes the padded seat and straps. The pockets are easy for her to get to and she is small for her age. It is also easy for her to climb in and out of.

So far the only negative is that you can't lock it in a closed position. However, a simple bungee cord wrapped around took care of that problem.

If you want something you and your kids will all enjoy consider this one.

We have two children who are very close in age (4 months apart). They are now 2.5 and almost 3 and we have owned quite a few strollers up until now.

Coming from Europe I was used to expensive, but high quality strollers, because generally people walk more and drive less. When we had our children this resulted in a rude awakening in regards to the strollers in the US. We started with a double, side-by-side, Peg Perego Aria. This was really a horrible choice. Even wit two relatively light babies the pushing and especially the turning was really awful. We â??upgradedâ?? to an Australian made Valco twin Stroller. Again this was not a cheap stroller at $500+. It started of pretty good, but within no time, parts broke off and things went wrong and it was nearly impossible to smoothly turn any longer. It is currently sitting in the garage, because I am too embarrassed to sell it to anyone in this condition. In the meanwhile we also had a Bugaboo Frog, which is a great stroller, but unfortunately only for one child!

Last summer we decided to purchase the Chariot Cougar 2. Since our kids were already 2+ at the time, we figured it might be a good idea to purchase a stroller that can also be used as a bike trailer, so we would get a few more years out of it. We have been using it now for almost a year and it is great! We use it as much if not more than the other twin strollers we owned, so I am starting to thing it was not us that the other were so bad so quickly! We live in town so we do a lot of walking with the stroller attachment. I have to admit that I did not use the Chariot as a bike trailer yet, but it is looking that we may be moving back to The Netherlands soon and there I sure will.

I will like to add that there are a few minor downfalls to this stroller/trailer:
- Seats donâ??t recline. I think this is fine however for kids who are a bit older.
- Sitting behind the vinyl window it can get quite hot in the summer.
- Our kids get into some fight because there is no partition between the seats
- When folded it is fairly large and it will only fit in a decent size car


The positives are much more numerous however:
- It is very light en steers like a very expensive car!
- The rain and sun covers are attached, so you will never be without one in case of a sudden you will never be without one
- Toddlers can get in and out easily themselves, because it is low to the ground


One more thing, I personally would not fly with it. I purchased a soft shell cover for the stroller and flew to Europe with it, but some of the aluminum on the stroller handle was completely bent.

My wife and I have loved the cougar 2. I really do not have one bad thing to say about it. I am so glad we spent the little extra for the suspension on the cougar. More often than not, even when I take them fast and over rough terrain on my bike, they both fall asleep. It truly is the perfect stroller/trailer. My wife uses it often as a jogging stroller, and she loves it. The alignment and weight distribution make it easy to handle despite its width.

I use my Chariot Cougar 2 on a daily basis. Every other morning I use it to walk 6 miles. On the other mornings I change the front tire out and run with it. Every afternoon I hook it to my bike and bike ride for 8-10 miles. I can't say enough about this product. I was looking for something to exercise with so my son could go with me. I purchased the Cougar 2 because I knew I would be having more than one child. I put my son in the middle and off we go. He has all his toys inside and he always beats me out to the garage to go in the morning. This stroller is actually featured in the New Cookie Magazine (March-April issue). It is the Best Extreme Sportsman. I LOVE IT !!!!

Been using our Cougar2 for nearly two years now. Lots of versatility with both a front screen and plastic windshield, along w/ a visor flap. Excellent adjustable suspension, wheels remove easily, more conversion accessories than any other child transport system, we use bike hitch, jogger wheel, caster wheels.
Only two issues:
1) no recline, at all, zero, nada, zip - so don't use it during afternoon toddler nap time.
2) no partition between the children, and an infant will be vulnerable to the tactile curiosity of older sibling ("Oo, baby sister has such big eyes, do they pop out like the ones on my doll, let's see . . .") A simple stretch of the same clear plastic material to run along the sling on one side would be a easy accesory to manufacture. I purchased scrap acrylic from a plastics shop, had them cut to shape, then drilled tie-down holes to strap down the middle between the two kids.
Here's a pic at this url: http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b143/PsychoKnight1/Crystal%20and%20Amy%20Nov%20and%20Dec/Chariot.jpg