This jogger might be adequate for use on smooth pavement and well-maintained paths at walking speeds, but on any other surface, the lack of suspension and the flexy design of the frame makes for a rough ride for baby and rather unpredictable steering response for mom or dad.

My main complaint about the design of the Koolstride Sr. is that all of the critical joints and connections between the aluminum frame tubes are made of plastic. This makes for a jogger that wobbles, creaks, and does not track precisely. This is a shame, because the amount of slop and flop in the frame basically negates the advantages of having higher-quality wheels, or for that matter, any metal in the frame construction whatsoever.

I purchased this jogger used from a friend whose family had outgrown a single seater, and was disappointed at the noise and amount of flex I experienced on my first jog with my 9 month old daughter. At first I assumed that this was just the side-effect of 1.5 years of serious use, but after inspecting & wheeling around a brand new model at a local dealer, I discovered that even the brand new Koolstrides were just as flexy, and that the creaking that had developed in my jogger was just the result of poor design.

I have used the jogger extensively for jogging and inline skating, and while I continue to use it for these purposes I can only say that if I were paying retail, I would definitely shell out more money to get a better-built Baby-Jogger or Chariot Cougar with suspension.

The problem with this Koolstride as a jogger is that if you hit any sort of obstacle larger than a piece of pea gravel, it is transmitted straight up to your child. I gave up jogging on a wonderfully-maintained section of trail in our local park because I couldn't conscionably subject my baby daughter to the Koolstrides jaring ride over the nice, cushy, albeit occasionally uneven barkdust. If there is even the smallest obstacle on your local trails in the way of roots or stones, you can forget about this unit.

Even for jogging or inline skating with this jogger on perfectly smooth surfaces, the sealed bearings roll well enough, but the plastic pieces that hold the wheels in place flex so much that the jogger simply won't track straight.

With an MSRP of over $300, this jogger should use sturdier, non-plastic parts at all critical junctures (front wheel dropouts, rear-wheel mounts, pivots, etc), and the designers should integrate at least a basic spring or elastomer shock into the uprights.

Although a visit to the Koolstop website shows that the design of my model has been updated, and that the jogger now features an adjustable handle and a new "folding system," my unit (2002, I believe) requires _11_ steps for folding/disassembly to the point that it will fit in my trunk (rear wheels off, front on, handle folded down). With a good deal of practice, I can now build it up or take it down in less than 2 minutes, but considering that I can collapse or set up the $30 stroller I take to the mall in 2 seconds using one hand, this is a rather poor showing.

As mentioned by other posters, the harness is primitive and combined with the super-laid back "upright" position of the seat, makes for poor ergonomics (major "baby-slouch" on children under 1 year). You can also forget about placing much of anything in the mesh pocket behind the seat when the baby is seated.

Recommended: No

Amount Paid (US$): 50
Age Range of Child: 12 to 36 Months