Monthly Archive for January, 2010

Spotted In The Wild: Bugaboo Bee

Published on January 28, 2010 in Spotted In The Wild. 0 Comments

San Francisco, Union Square.  Bugaboo Bee:

sfbeeusq-300

The interesting thing is, why don’t I see more Bees around?   They fold better than other Bugs, and they’re easier to handle, so they should win on practicality.  They’re lean and sleek.  On the other hand, the “bed” is a bit kludgey, and the seat looks uncomfortably narrow for a snowsuit.

I’ll bet it’s a cachet issue.  If you have to have a Bugaboo, why not go all the way?  It’s just possible that not everyone you see will instantly know you’re driving a Bug if it’s the lowly Bee.  I hope that’s enough comfort when you’re trying to fold the thing.

A Thousand Lights

Published on January 27, 2010 in Pram Art. 0 Comments

Well, all right, only six, and a bunch of mirrors.  It’s UK comedian Ian Moore, crossing a street with quite a cheerful-looking vintage pushchair:

im-hedlts

Note his vigilance.  Smart.  It’s best not to rely only on your equipment.

Mind you, I don’t know why he’s pushing this stroller, or what he’s got in it.  Could be a couple of puppies, the day’s shopping, or several cartons of cigarettes (of which he seems quite fond).  It’s hard to say.  Cool wheels on the stroller, though, and nice bit of dash, that yellow.

Source:  Sir Lord Thomas, who seems simply to be flogging Moore’s PR stuff

Spotted In The Wild: UPPABaby Vista

Published on January 26, 2010 in Spotted In The Wild. 0 Comments

San Francisco (or, more accurately, down the Peninsula).  Caltrain.  Can we talk?  This is just wrong:

sf-upvt-ct-400

It’s OK to ride the train with your UPPABaby Vista, even if it’s on the larger side.  But you really should learn how to fold it so that it, well, folds.  Because if you folded it, you wouldn’t need six whole seats for you, your stroller, and your toddler son.

Alternatively, you could have parked your Vista in fully functional mode (or even a huge, old fashioned, Marmet nanny-pram) in the nearly empty bike car, without hogging any seats at all.  Except the one you actually needed, that is.

Pram Clock

Published on January 25, 2010 in Miscellany. 0 Comments

It’s really a Pram Watch, but we couldn’t really use that for a post title, now, could we?

clk-prThe website’s a bit of a mess, scripting errors show up in the browser, there’s no product description, and this item (number CK412) is listed at 17.99 USD and at 21.99 USD, but the idea is kind of fun.  The watch face is a little oversized, but it hints at Inglesina’s former pram body:

ingiI’m guessing this is made of plastic or resin, perhaps with a cloth hood.  The detail on the hood, and the traditionally-designed dual-sized wheels (which allegedly turn!) are nice touches.

Although product and shipping prices are given in US dollars, repairs and replacements require returning items to Vancouver, Canada, which is a bit odd – and not really a reasonable option for a $20 or so item if you’re posting from the US.   Nonetheless, it might be a nice little conversation piece, whether it turns out to be a useful timepiece or not.

Sppotted In The Wild: Quinny Zapp

Published on January 22, 2010 in Spotted In The Wild. 0 Comments

San Francisco.  Caltrain Station:

sf-pk-zp-400

From train to sidewalk to cab in about two minutes flat.  Flash, style and convenience!

Pram Rod

Published on January 21, 2010 in Pram Tech. 0 Comments

Speaking of motorcycle enthusiasts and their prams, no Harley rider need compromise whilst tooling around with the kiddo in tow:

mc-rd

As tipster Eph (thanks, Eph!) says

I don’t know why they bothered with the other colors at all

but there are other options.  A free-standing garage to house this baby will likely set you back only  marginally less than the stroller itself, but it’s a small price to pay for the glory that is those fenders.

Spotted In The Wild: Mutsy Sports

Published on January 20, 2010 in Spotted In The Wild. 0 Comments

San Francisco.  Union Square.  A Mutsy Sports Baby 01 Team, to be precise:

sfmtsp-300

Probably a 2007.  This one had seen some hard times, but  appeared to be bearing up beautifully.  Note the roomy seat and that lovely curve along the side.  There’s a basket underneath, but the rear wheels are wide enough so that a large diaper bag can hang on the back of the seat without disrupting progress.  (And the bag’s low enough so that it’s not a tipping hazard, either.)

Motorpram

Published on January 19, 2010 in Stupid Pram Tricks. 0 Comments

Cindy Rutherford is the proprietor  of Century Motorcycles, but she apparently has another favorite mode of transportation:

cr-modThis picture’s from Bikernet’s report on the 34th El Camino Motorcycle Show (2009, in Torrance, CA), but apparently Cindy and her pram get out quite a bit.  Shaun Strahm, of Myron’s mopeds, reports (2007) that

Every Fathers Day for the last 35 years fun loving owner Cindy Rutherford has had an open house, bike show and luncheon with live music and a 100 vintage motorcycles on display. This year she was dressed as a baby in bloomers and bonnet and was driving around in a motorized antique baby carriage. All we could do was stare in disbelief and amazement.

The blog MC Art has a picture of Cindy in full bonnet (also at El Camino, 2008):

cr-inprmIn the top picture, you can see that this pram has undergone significant chassis mods.  It’s obvious that this buggy can handle well over 35 pounds with ease.   I see the battery pack under the body, but what I really want to know is how the steering is rigged, and if Cindy’s using a rudder or a wheel.  And how many miles she gets to a single charge.

Normally, I’d complain about the body being mounted backwards, but in this case, the occupant had better be able to see without the encumbrance of a hood  in the way.

It seems wrong to file this under “Stupid Pram Tricks” since Cindy is clearly a professional, and her electric pram is no one-trick pony, but, as a pram purist, I just can’t file it anywhere else.  I admit, though, to being in awe, not just because this vehicle apparently works well, but also because it’s getting a workout in the real world.  Who could fail to be impressed?

Aprica Notes

Published on January 16, 2010 in Strollers. 0 Comments

So, after my faux pas in a previous post (see the comments), I went searching for our Apricas to make sure I wasn’t thinking about Aprica’s Concorde-inspired strollers inaccurately.  I was, sort of.  I’d forgotten that one of our models is the Concor-Bed, a signifier that not only leaves off the “e” in Concorde, but the “d” as well:

ap-cb-400“Bed” refers to the fact that this Aprica lies completely flat, with a head guard, and therefore was deemed, at least in 1981, as being suitable for newborns.  There’s another bit of text on this stroller as well:

ap-hp-400

“[F]or happiness of world’s babies”.  It’s a bit Engrish, to be sure, but, I ask you, how many native English speakers — or, rather, writers — of today would use that apostrophe so beautifully?

Spotted In The Wild: Chicco C6

Published on January 15, 2010 in Spotted In The Wild. 0 Comments

Marin, California.  The far side of Golden Gate Bridge, a Chicco C6:

sfchsau-300

My stroller-spotting shots normally focus on the slightly more exotic versions, but, even in New York City, where Maclaren rules, Chicco is beginning to turn up more and more frequently, so I’m taking note.

This is the model I see most often in airports.  The truth is, it’s a great choice for travel, if you’re not in any position to haul your Bugaboo around.  At a price as low as fifty bucks or so, it won’t hurt nearly as much if the airlines crush it as it would if you had to fight for reimbursement for your three hundred dollar Maclaren.  Or that Bugaboo.