GadgetDad Reviews: Chariot Cougar 2

What is it & it's use

Chariot Cougar 2 (double)
The Cougar can be many things, depending on which conversion kit you have. We have the bike trailer kit and the stroller kit. Logan also likes to push this around like the BOB,for an even harder workout.

Highlights

• Pros:
• Very Stable
• Adjustable Suspension
• Carry one kid or two
• Easy to push and maneuver
• Easy to fold and transport
• Tons of Conversion kits
• Cons:
• Price
• Price of accessories
• PRICE! Seriously the most we have spent on kid gear!
• The QR bike adapter doesn't work on some frames
• Bottom Line:
• KEEP IT!

Why do you need it?

If you haven't already guessed Philly and are big fans of spending time on our bikes. This is a great way to do just that. But, this cool piece of gear is not just meant for cruising the pavement. You can get various conversion kits ranging from stroller parts, to cross country ski use and even a hiking kit. Okay so the hiking kit is really not practical and to be honest I would never use it. But someone might.

Basic Overview

Colorado keeps coming up as an excuse to buy outdoor gear, but I think you could make the case for this no matter where you live. Alright maybe not if you live at either pole, but it's really versatile. Our primary target for this gear was to use it as a bike trailer. Back when we owned our shop we sold Burley trailers, Giant trailers and way back we sold some Schwinn trailers. Wow times have changed, in just three short years a new kid is on the block. Chariot is a Canadian company and they know how to make gear. I'm very picky about quality, construction and when it comes to my son, safety. Chariot hit a home run, this thing is solid. The wheelbase is nice and wide so it corners very well. Although I have heard of some tipping issues with the single. There is a full aluminum roll cage as part of the build. The attachement to the bikes ensures that the trailer will not tip over even if the bike pulling it does. The fit and finish is second to none. The conversion kits fit like you would expect, perfect. It folds very easily and the wheels are a simple push button quick release design. Inside the safety harness seems comfortable and does a good job of keping Logan snug and safe. All in all this is some good gear!

Pros & Cons

Pros:
• Stable, confidence inspiring
• Logan isn't bounced around near as much as I expected
• Easy to fold and take off the wheels, it really is quite compact when the wheels are off, It fits perfect in our roof top ski box
• lots of options and conversion kits, almost too many
• It goes almost anywhere especially when you consider the various kits

Cons:
• The big one is price, I know you pay for quality but these things are spendy!
• The accessories are not cheap and there are many option available
• This is the single most expensive piece of kid related gear I have ever purchased
• These come as the base only, no kits are included, not even the stroller wheels (a $70 add on)
• The QR adapter doesn't work with some frames, namely my Dragon, the dropouts are not compatible

This is not really a Con per se but, just like the BOB Revolution it can be had as a single or as a double like ours. Unlike the BOB we opted for the double Cougar. Why you ask, well simply put, resale. These things are built to last and if we have just Logan or a second kid this thing should easily retain it's value in the long run. Make sure you plan ahead if you are intending on having two kids. With the price of these things buying a single then realizing you want or need a double could be very costly oops.

Suggested Modifications

Not really a modification but a suggestion for accessories. We bought the bike trailer kit since that was our main intended use, but we also really like the stroller kit. The really nice thing is that the kits store on the unit at the same time.

Price

MSRP is about $600. We used a 20% off coupon at REI so $480 without tax. More on this below.

Keep it or Toss it

KEEP IT!

Best place to buy

I don't like paying retail for anything if I can help it. If you are patient you may be able to score one on Craigslist for a decent price. That being said, when it comes to a piece of gear that will be pulled behind our bikes with our son in it, I only want to buy new. I know it may not make much sense, but I have seen some really wierd things happen to used gear. I'm not taking any chances on a bike trailer.
I shop at REI and I have been a member for many years. One nice thing about doing business with them is that you do get a rebate based on what you spend with them. In addition you get a 20% off coupon once a year. Needless to say we used the coupon(2010) and a portion of our rebate towards the price of the BOB. Unfortunately for us, we apparantly purchased our trailer the same weekend as everyone else. We had a hard time finding the bike trailer conversion kit. We had an even harder time finding the stroller kit.
This brings me to a sad part of my job as a reviewer. A negative review. Having been in retail and owning my own business I expect the same kind of service that I always made sure we provided. Unfortunately I am consistently let down, but this experience was worse than most.
I finally tracked down the stroller kit at Full Cycle in boulder. The guy on the phone said it was a display model and had not been used other than for display. I figured I would give them some more business, so I asked about some other bike related stuff. I got the answers I was hoping for, everything was in stock and plenty of each item. When I got to the shop the next day, which was a long drive, I was dissapointed to say the least. The stroller kit was dirty and scratched up, when I pointed this out I got a blank face in return. I would at least have expected a small discount for the difference in condition. On top of that they did not have any of the three helmets I had asked about on the phone the previous night. Nor did they have the floor pump or brake pads they said they had. I know I'm asking a lot, but I will not go back to that shop for anything in the future.