2006 pg.2

No, your eyes are not deceiving you. These ARE BOBS, echoing the trend we discussed in part 1. Car seat compatibility, limes and oranges, (not pink though. Wouldn't a pink BOB be an oxymoron?) and trend #3...DOUBLES! Yes, lots and lots of NEW DOUBLES to choose from!

So, my award for the "Biggest Surprise of the Show"goes to the BOB Revolution duallie! Yes, we did hear rumors that they were coming, but they kept the confirmation under wraps pretty well. It is quite similar to the single, with individual canopies, adjustable tracking, and the half-way recline. What is different about this double, is that it has a single front wheel instead of two. This makes it lighter than it's counterparts, about 30 pounds, according to BOB's Damon Noller. But I wonder if it makes it more tippy? Maybe the larger rear wheels helps with stability. They have also re-engineered the wheels inward, to make it narrower than the previous Duallie. However, at 31", it is also wider than it's counterparts.

BOB also makes matching diaper bags now, to compliment all it's models. The Revolution Duallie will come in navy and orange. The single models will also be available in citrus. Their target date to get them into stores is first quarter '06.

No, you're not seeing double(no pun intended, heehee!) Yes, that IS an orange Phil and Ted's E3 V2. And yes, that is ALSO a side by side E3 V2! The always affable Paul Yarrall confirms that it will be avaiable by early November, in the usual colors--red, navy, and charcoal. It weighs about 35 pounds, and is 28" wide. So it's dimensions are quite similar to the Valco and Mountain Buggy Double. It does fold smaller, however, similar to the Baby Jogger City Series.

The double is in production and is a definite. Also a definite is the new matching back drink holder, similar to the BOB console.

The orange and sand colors were floated at the Expo as a "trial balloon". So they may or may not be a go.

If you need an umbrella double, how about Valco's newly redesigned Twin Sportz? Has a full recline, and weighs roughly 22 pounds.

The always hilarious and accomodating Shalom New and his crew led me through the rest of the models, including the completely redesgined Rebel. It will be lighter, with an easier fold and telescoping handle. It will now come in more colors, but they weren't sure which. Here is the Everest, which is a nice, lower priced option for a swivel 3-wheeler.

It is heavier than the Runabout, has a shorter seatback, and does not take a toddler seat. But for under $200, it is a good value. Most of the '06 models were not at the show, except for their new umbrella strollers, the "Prodigy" and "Roadi".

They also have designed cool new matching diaper bags, to go with:

Speaking of accessories, what do you do if YOU're caught out in the rain whilst strolling? Yes, your little darlings will be snug and dry under their perfectly matched raincovers, but how can you hold an umbrella to keep yourself dry, if your hands are on a stroller handle? Here's Baby Jogger to the rescue!

That swell guy holding the umbrella is Mr. Baby Jogger himself, David Boardman. He is so kind and helpful that I am now compelled to award him the "Mr. Nice Guy" of the Show award. And their CS reflects that attitude. So far, everyone reports stellar results when they have called with any problems. He cheerfully demonstrated some of their other brand new for '06 accessories, an ice cooler, bassinette, two-position napper bar, and the ubiquitous car seat bar.

The rest of the '06 line is out now. I have already reviewed it, check under "SQ Obstacle Course."

Speaking of nice guys, Pam Brown of Combi is one of them. She was pleasant and sweet enough to stay and explain the entire confusing line to me, even though the lights had been turned off, and even though she had tickets to see Barry Manilow! So the award for "Nicest Girl" of the Show goes to Ms. Brown. What a gem!

What excited me here the most, based on all the questions I have received from the Loyal Subjects in the Kingdom of Strollerland, is the Counterpart tandem.

It weighs 23.5 pounds, and is suitable for infants up to 45 pounds. The rear seat fully reclines and will accomodate the Combi carseat. The front seat partly reclines. There are 3 sets of wheels, for better stability and manueverability. I took a picture of it folded next to the Combi Twin Savvy, so you can get an idea of size.

Here at the Combi line, we see the 3 trends continuing, car seat compatibility, doubles, and colors. Shades of pink, jade, mango, and lime abound. There are two different series to match their different car seats, "City Life", and "Metro Life." There is also a big 4-wheeler, for "Moms who've developed an emotional preference for Combi."

There is a law of physics that says for every action, there must be an opposite reaction. Kind of like the philosophy of yin and yang. Which states that you can't have light without darkness, you can't have good without evil, etc. So it goes in Strollerland. You have the nice guys, and then you have, well, some of the folks at Britax. I thought since they got rid of the grim Teutonia people that they would become more polite. I thought that maybe being bought out by a multi-national investment banking corporation would remind them to mind their manners. But OH did I think wrong! Maybe in fact it is the opposite. Maybe they are worried they will all lose their jobs now. In any case, my smiling hello was greeted with a sniff. The reaction to my proffered handhshake was as if I had just dipped it into the raw sewage floating down Bourbon Street. No, they wouldn't shake my hand, and it went downhill from there. Hey, is it MY fault they offer imitative and unimaginative strollers? Don't kill the messenger! Make better strollers! Or stick to car seats! Or better yet, check out the NICE guys at Compass, Combi, and a couple of more I have yet to mention. Nevertheless, since I am a nice guy, I will tell you this news for '06. Britax is now making the strollers and car seats for Fisher Price. There.

On a much happier note, I did manage to run into two old pals outside of their booth. The first was the lovely and talented Bruce Cazenave, CEO of Dorel Juvenile Group. This year he was an observer, not a participant, and managed to squeeze in the Expo between important corporate meetings. Straight off the plane, he was abolutely entranced by this tricked out Valco, by BaaBaa Sheepskins:

It is difficult to discuss business when you are looking at this. And yes, that is a real CD player.

Nevertheless, I did manage to give him my take on the Quinny Buzz and Zapp, and to tell him how much we in the Kingdom ADORE Bebeconforts, and would he please sell them to us? Soon?

The second one was the lovely and talented Lady Marilyn, of A Running Stroller.(And her equally lovely and talented husband.) Chasing her down was like tracking the progress of a hurricane.She was so busy ordering that she didn't want to pose for a picture! We snuck one in anyway.

Still ahead--Who had the hottest new line? Who wins the priciest stroller award? Once again, it's not who you think! And the one trend of '06 that is rather disturbing... Stay tuned!