Mountain Buggy Urban vs Terrain

[etwahl]

Everyone here seems to have the MB Urban. I pre-ordered a new Terrain (with a carry cot) and it should be here beg. of March. I'm wondering if I should reconsider the Terrain for an Urban? We also have the Combi Ultra Savvy, which I had planned to use as our indoor/mall/travel stroller. I think the MB will be used for neighborhood walks, walks around the lake (which incidentally is completely paved), etc. DH thinks we'll use it someday for jogging (or rather that HE will) but who knows.

Should we stick with the Terrain or reconsider the Urban?

Tammy,
Mom-to-be Mar 8, 2003!

[hipmaman]

I am in the minority ;) and am a fan of the Terrain. I have a Mac Opus Duo for indoor and travel use. That said, I think the Urban would serve better as an all-purpose stroller. But it's not a big deal with a single since the single Terrain is so trim and compact that it can easily do indoor or outdoor.

The Urban doesn't impress me for a few reasons and I am sticking with the Terrain until the 'bugs' and 'kinks' on the Urban has been worked out.

[yahud]

Ok, I'll bite: what was wrong with the Urban?
(I've got one on order as well...)
y

[pamela mom of 3]

Ok well i like my urbans and don't find any "bugs" sorry tam, but we will agree to disagree on this one ;)

Moving on from what you say your needs are and since you have an "indoor" model already, i think the terrain is fine.

The urban is best suited to those who want a indoor/outdoor stroller...it's basket is built more for indoors too.

The terrain is the more rugged outdoor, jogging model....sure she can go inside but you still have the pop wheelie style to turn and in cramped, tight places it is more difficult than the urban would be. The wire basket on the terrain is fine for food shopping but at the mall it's awfully open.

I do think both can cross over....but the urban is the more hybrid whereas the terrain is the more outdoors one.

:)

[mj1127]

I can give a little insight on this, as I have had both the Terrain single and the Urban single. I bought a Terrain single a year ago, and I really loved it. It worked really well for what I needed it for, mostly outdoor/running/trails/beach, but I took it a lot of other places, and it did fine. My 4.5 yo DS, however, decided recently that he really hates it when I lift the front wheel off the ground to turn. The best compromise I could figure out was to sell my Terrain and buy an Urban. The Urban is great also - really maneuverable, and the basket is pretty good, though I like the look of the wire basket on the Terrain better, and in fact like the look of the Terrain itself better also. We traveled cross country with the Urban last week, and it would have been more difficult to navigate the airport with the Terrain (esp. on the way out, when it was just DS and me). My DS loves the Urban because of the swivel wheel, and I am happy with it also. But if you are looking for a stroller to use outside primarily, the Terrain is probably the better bet.

HTH

Marlo

[hipmaman]

I should clarify that the single Urban is fine. The two that I tried were very nice and didn't have the same 'bugs' I mentioned.

But the Double Urban has 'bugs'. The Double Urban, for some reasons, has its front wheels close enough that there is a chance for the wheels to be caught with one another if they are happened to be totally side way. There is not enough clearance between the wheels. Owners have admitted that this happened.

Actually, thinking more about it now, I would say this is a 'design flaw' unless there are good reasons behind this. MB might have calculated the probability and risk of the wheels catching to be more acceptable than what the change in design would be were they to have enough clearance between the wheels. I knew this lack of clearance issue existed, but have not really thought much about it nor tried to get answers from MB.

The other issue is not as 'serious' and more or less an annoying one for me personally. The front wheels have the tendency to lock themselves when they are supposed to be in swivel mode. MB told my friend that unlocking them properly would eliminate this problem. Fine, but how come it didn't happen with the 2 single Urbans that I tried. I don't have the answer to this either ;)

Don't get me wrong, the MBs are high quality strollers. But the Double Urban is its newest design of less than 1 year old. So, it is only normal to have kinks and bugs. Who knows maybe they already working them out and an improved Double Urban might already be in the work. But there is also a big chance that no one or not enough people voicing these issues for MBs to know of and do something about them.

I think, since this is an opinion board, it is only fair to hear both sides of the issue and hopefully people have enough information to make informed choices. I love my Double Terrain, but I accepted its limitations because if I were a serious runner, it might not be the best choice. But that's another story, lol.

Just raising my opinions, that's all.

[MamaKath]

Love your honesty Tam! And I love having someplace to hear the good and the bad. I have heard of similar problems from MBUD owners and recently went with the Kiwi Double instead. It has gone into historic areas I don't think even the MBUD would have fit.

That being said, nothing fits through the snowy sidewalks in the NorthEast right now, so a sling is also a good investment. ;-)

[pamela mom of 3]

Your right their is a "chance" but it occurs so little i don't feel it's an actual "design flaw" ......i use my buggy alot at the mall so of coarse turning alot, they have not caught up at all. Twice it has happened since buying the buggy last november but that was still in the what i like to call learning curve timeframe of getting used to how the buggy turns and pushes. Since i have used it more..nope.

I'm gathering your friend is having a problem with this on hers?
Has she spoken with MB regarding her concern with the wheels being close together, prehaps they would have a suggestion to help her.

We have been pleased with our buggy as you know, so i am disappointed to hear someone is having problems, especially when i am not. Of coarse the buggy is not perfect but so far i have yet to encounter another model that could fill our needs as well. :+

[hipmaman]

Oh, you have to excuse us, lol... My friend's dh is a design engineer, my dh is a safety engineer and I also am an engineer. You have 3 engineers together analysing this thing, lol... So, it is a 'design flaw', lol

Honestly, I have not even asked MB why this is the case. But maybe I will sometime soon, just to get answers ;)