Don't get me wrong. The Revolution is a great stroller, and gets the job done, but since it's priced the same as better strollers on the market, there's absolutely no one who works in the baby gear industry who would recommend it over the other performance hybrids unless they have financial kickback obligations to Britax USA. Toyota Camry is a great car and gets the job done, but if BMW slashed their prices and priced a loaded BMW 5 series the same as the Camry, there's no question which car you should get.

What stroller is better than the BOB in its price class? REI, which isn't cheap, sells the BOB Revolution for $368. What other sports-class strollers cost less?

Toyota Camry is a great car and gets the job done, but if it's priced the same as a loaded BMW 5 series, there's no question which car you should get.

Agreed. Unless you live somewhere really snowy in winter, and any rear-wheel drive car, becomes a bit of a liability - even with winter tires. I've always preferred front wheel drive for winter driving.

Straight up I would always choose the 5-series BMW's - love those cars ( the classic wolf in sheeps clothing) the understated sedan, that maybe one of the best drives in motoring!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

I was thinking the same question.

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

Revolution, X3, Glide. MSRP are all around $399. Depending on store/website, timing of sales, coupons, etc., you can get one cheaper at times, but they are all in the $399 price point category. I can throw BOB Flex in there as well, which is the Revolution with adjustable handlebar. The Revolution is clearly inferior to the Glide and X3. I can only describe so much. You really need to try them to see for yourself.

X3 lifetime warranty. Revolution 1 to 2 years. This is significant for joggers because you're putting so many miles on them.
X3 and Glide adapts to almost any car seat. Revolution limited to select few seats.
X3 and Glide have one handed, single-action folds. Revolution has 2 handed, double action fold
X3 and Glide have front and rear suspension. Revolution only has rear suspension. This makes a HUGE difference in rough terrain.
X3 has handlebar lever to adjust front wheel from fixed to swivel (my favorite feature).

ETA: Revolution uses cradle-style adapters, which are huge, and must be removed before folding the stroller, turning an already cumbersome double-action fold into a triple-action fold. This is a huge inconvenience compared to one-handed, one-action folds of its competitors.

babytown, Thanks for your comments, they have been just the sort of perspective and product comparison that I have been looking for. The X3 hadn't made it onto my radar, so I will have to go find one to try out.

I have been looking at the BOB Rev Pro and Urban Glide because there are some decent deals at my local REI right now.

What are your comments on the usefulness of hand brakes? The BOB revolution pro has the hand brake, while the urban glide does not. I am primarily going to use the stroller for runs and (if it is as convenient as it seems) everyday use.

I was also hoping to use it when hiking the local trails. We have some rough trails in the area that can be fairly steep, and having a hand brake may facilitate maneuvering and slowing down on the downhill. I imagine I will use a backpack half the time, but some of my neighbors have sworn by their BOB on those trails. Does that strap around the wrist provide enough confidence for the downhill sections, or should I getting something with a brake?

I know the Thule Glide (fixed wheel) offers a brake, but I think the option to switch to a rotating wheel is more important than a brake.

Baby Town is in Gilbert, AZ, where you can run a marathon and have about 30ft elevation gain for the entire race, so brakes don't matter in our local market for road runners. However, we do have moutainous trails nearby, so we do sell to trail runners as well. You'll find a swivel wheel and brakes to be very useful on trails. Nothing handles trails better than the Mountain Buggy Terrain, but if you don't want to spend that extra $100, I'd highly recommend the X3. Being able to switch from fixed wheel to swivel wheel at the handlebar would be so useful for you on a trail, and it also has handlebar brakes and suspension on both front and rear wheels. It's a no-brainer. FYI, the 2014 version of the X3 can lock its front wheel both in front of the stroller as well as underneath the stroller (rear position). The 2013 version only locks in the rear position. Locking in the front position can only be engaged manually on the wheel itself, and cannot be done through the handlebar mechanism. The handlebar switch can only lock it in the rear position.

@babytown...you mentioned earlier that for a fixed wheel the ironman is still ahead of it's class (in comparison to baby jogger fit and glide sport). Can you elaborate on this? We have an uppababy cruz, so we're looking for a light fixed wheel specifically for training purposes. I'm 6'5", so I have a big problem with the non-adjustable handle on the ironman. I like that the glide sport's is adjustable, and it doesn't look like the fit is adjustable, so what are the tradeoffs to the glide sport compared to the ironman? Thanks in advance for all of the information...it's been really helpful reading this post!

MCS, we actually don't carry the Glide Sport in our store, and I've never tried one out, so I wouldn't be able to make a very educated comparison. The specs look nice though.

The Ironman's aluminum frame is super light and incredibly smooth to push. It's one of those things where you just have to try out on the roads to feel the difference in performance. The FIT is more comparable to the BOB Sport Utility. It's quite a bit cheaper, while still keeping it in the performance category, but not on the level of the Ironman. You get what you pay for in the Ironman.

AT 6'5", the Ironman by itself would be a horrible choice for you. There are aftermarket stroller handlebar extenders you can try. I don't have any input on those since I've never personally used them before (I'm 5'6").

If you don't have an option to try these at a local store, I'd suggest buying both the Ironman (with handlebar extender) and Sport Glide from a site that has a great return policy (Amazon, Back Country, REI). Try them both, then return the one you don't want.

I hope that helps

ps, let me know what you end up getting and how you like it. Good luck!

I am 6'5" and have pushed my grandkids in both the single and double Bob IM strollers in many races, from 5K to half marathon. Have never had an issue.

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

We ended up getting a Chariot. Found a brand new one on craigslist that someone got as a gift. Only paid $300 with the running attachment.

My BMW is AWD and will kill any toyota, any day. My BOB stroller rocks (just took the new Rev out for my first run last weekend, loved it). I'd kill any of you racing with it, any day. ;-P

In all seriousness regarding the BOB rev... I've had two runs with mine now (a 10 miler and a 7 miler) so I can't say this for 100% certainty, but so far I can't really tell a difference between it and my BOB Ironman. Both are great, glide along, and have bouncy enough shocks to put my twins to sleep quickly. They can last just over an hour sleeping in the thing with no problems. I threw in two of those way over priced 7am Enfant sleep sack thingies and the kids were toasty warm in the cold-ish NYC winter.

With two kids at 27 lbs now, it's starting to get heavy. I predict slower races with it this summer.

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