I'm so cheesed off as our (until now) fabulous Micralite Toro stroller has broken and we can't seem to fix it. I guess 14 months of potholed/cobblestoned Rome streets will do that to a stroller! So we're immobile for the time being.

Anyway does anyone have any idea if there's a place you can go to in Rome for stroller repair? I imagine it would be a similar skill to bicycle repair. The problem is that the seat won't click into place so that it can stay upright anymore.

Has anyone had any success with a toddler in a cheap umbrella stroller in Rome? We don't own a car and we walk pretty much everywhere so a decent stroller is important for us. I guess if we can't repair the Toro we might buy an umbrella stroller at this point.

TIA!

I'm afraid I don't know anywhere that does stroller repair, but I can offer my experience with an umbrella stroller. We don't live in central Rome, but the streets round here are terrible too, plus we often come into the centre with the kids. I have had a Mclaren Volo umbrella stroller for the last 6 years, and it is still going strong despite hard use with all three of my children (occasionally all at once!). On the negative side it is not as easy to push on rough terrain as a buggy with pneumatic tyres. But there are lots of positives: it's light to lift on and off public transport (I can carry it by myself down the steps to the metro with my child in it, for example), very compact to fit in tiny lifts and in between parked cars, folds small so it's easy to store, and still has room for a heap of shopping underneath.

I'm not sure whether a Mclaren counts as a cheap stoller - but IMO well worth the extra money.

Thanks Alison. I've heard many good things about the Maclarens but didn't realise that they are available here in Italy. Where did you buy yours?

The only place I know that stocks Maclaren is Priolo, on Via Cristoforo Colombo, between Casal Palocco and Ostia. I know that could be tricky as you don't have a car, but it may be worth giving them a call (0650 930064).

Just did some internet research on the Volo and apparently it's weight limit is 15 kgs! Since our almost 19 month old is alreayd 13 kgs+ I guess the volo won't work for us. Otherwise, it looks perfect. I guess it's only for small babies...

Hmmmm, sounds like they may be erring on the side of caution! Can only offer my experience: 12kg toddler plus 15kg four year old standing on the back plus 5kg shopping underneath - and it hasn't collapsed yet! I think the other Maclarens are good too, just not as super-light as the Volo. While I'm here, it's worth noting that the seat on the Volo doesn't recline at all, so it's no good for naps out and about.

Reading these posts made me curious since my son is 13 kg and my daughter is 16 kg. I was going to be heartbroken if we weren't allowed to use our Maclaren much longer! We have the Quest and on the website the weight limit is listed as 15 kg/55 lbs, same as listed for the Volo. This makes no sense since obviously 15 kg is 33 lbs! I did a quick search and found out that Maclarens are constructed the same way world wide and meet ASTM safety testing for children up to 25 kg (55 lbs). Given our abuse of it over the last 4 years, I can't imagine that it won't work for you, up to 25 kg and beyond. I'll admit that they don't handle on stones as well as their big-wheeled counterparts, but they fit through any door and turn on a dime, which is valuable in city living. I refuse to remove wheels or parts of my stroller to get around Rome!

Wow abbey that's crazy that they made that mistake in their weight limit calculations! Anyway thanks for pointing that out.

I really don't feel like buying another stroller so our current options are:
a) use bungee cords (anyone know what these are called in Italian) to hold the seat up on our Toro or
b) buy a Maclaren - maybe a slightly larger wheeled one - does the Quest have larger wheels/better suspension than the Volo? What would you recommend for the parents of a 19 month old?

P,
Apparently it's not a miscalculation, but a difference in testing standards. Someone implied on a forum that sometimes the testing standards in many places unfairly punish small, light strollers, assuming they can't hold as much weight, but who knows.
You know how well I speak Italian, so I can't help you with bungee cords, but I've seen them at the big hardware stores like Leroy Merlin. Do you want to borrow one until you can find one? If you decide to check out Maclarens, the only difference I saw between the Volo and my quest was the foot rest, so that when your baby lays down to nap, they can have their feet up too. It comes with a rain cover, so check on that as well for the Volo. Just make sure it has the features you want and then go for the cheapest!

If you end up coming out Casal Palocco way to go to Priolo, you might also like to check out Di Manina in Manina, a LOVELY second hand baby shop, also just off Via Cristoforo Colombo. I have sold a couple of things through them, and the owner is very particular about what she will accept. Everything is in good condition and extremely clean. I'm sure if you let her know you are looking for a Maclaren she will call you if she gets one to sell. There are lots of expats round here so I imagine there is a reasonable chance of one turning up, if you can manage to fix up your existing one in the meantime. http://www.dimaninainmanina.it