FEMAIL tests Quinny's Longboardstroller that Marty McFly would LOVE

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Dutch pushchair company Quinny have designed the Longboardstroller
Buggy has a metre-long skateboard attached so parents can scoot along
The £440 buggy can't be used on pavements or roads though

Published: 03:59 EST, 22 October 2015 | Updated: 09:46 EST, 22 October 2015

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If Back to the Future's central protagonist Marty McFly was to design a buggy to transport his children in, it may well look a bit like the Quinny Longboardstroller.

From the front, this £440 Dutch-designed pushchair appears pretty unremarkable.

However, step behind it and you'll find a metre-long skateboard attached, complete with bright green wheels and a trendily designed deck (that's the technical term, I promise).

At first glance, it's hard not to think this it isn't a fantastic idea; a way to turn a morning walk with your tot into something a little more high adrenaline for both of you - as well as gathering admiring glances from those pushing their buggies in the more conventional way.

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Ready to skate: Jo and daughter Cleo, 18 months, take the £440 Quinny Longboardstroller for a spin

Wheeeee! It's a hit...although the long board's 1.3metre length can make it difficult to shift around corners

I'll be honest, I'm a fan of four wheels; I had a skateboard as a kid, was mad about rollerskating and, in spite of frequent ridicule, still shave time off my daily commute on a adult-sized urban scooter. The longboardstroller is not a concept that I needed to be sold, at least not at first glance anyway.

So far, so cool but what's it actually like to ride?

Well, it takes a little practice. I strapped my 18-month-old daughter Cleo in - children have to be aged over one to ride and weigh less than 15kgs so there is a relatively short window of time you can use it for - and we made for the nearest long stretch of tarmac.

Kids need to wear a helmet and have both their upper body and legs strapped in to ensure they're not catapulted out by over-scooting parents

Quinny, who have only designed the product so far for use in Europe, recommend that you don't use it on roads or pavements, which obviously narrows down the territory it can be used on quite significantly.

The Quinny Longboardstroller is currently only available in Europe: It weighs around 11kg and you can only put children aged over one and under 15kg in it

Cool rider: The Dutch company behind the Quinny, which folds down, say the buggy shouldn't be used on roads and pavements

Going, going, gone: Cleo seemed to enjoy the ride and, after an hour of scooting, Jo felt like she'd had a workout

THE RIDE

We have an unbroken stretch of towpath near us, which seemed perfect (although thoughts of veering into the Thames did cross my mind).

A swift push off and we were on our way, at actually a reasonably fast pace. There's a brake to ensure you can stop quickly if you need to and much like a surfer has a leg strap, there's also a wrist cord so if you need to jump off, your child doesn't go hurtling off into the sunset.

We had a few wobbles but while we were on a long, smooth path, it was actually pretty good fun. How did Cleo find it? 'Bit bumpy', she repeated multiple times after I said it at the beginning of our trip.

With the 11kg weight of the buggy and the weight of an 18-month-old - around 11kg, it definitely offers a work-out

The downsides? The longboardstroller was built for Romans - or at least people who live near very wide, smooth promenades; it really doesn't cope well with corners.

When we reached a section of the towpath that had those steel gates designed to slow cyclists down, we hit trouble.

It's really difficult to persuade the buggy to lean, so I had to physically lift and turn it until we were through, which, by the fourth or fifth gate was pretty exhausting.

With the weight of the buggy - 11kg - and the weight of Cleo, around 11kg, that's no mean feat.

By the time our hour-long jaunt was over, I had absolutely earned a cup of tea and a biscuit; it definitely offered a decent work-out. A second, less taxing trip out later in the week proved easier, probably because I'd got used to using it.

And this is what it's supposed to look like... a cool dad takes his daughter for a ride...on a smooth path!

The deck is wide and long, so plenty, which means it's easy to ride and come with a hand brake for quick stops

THE VERDICT

Unsurprisingly, riding a skateboard with a buggy and a child attached gets plenty of attention. Runners stopped, pulled out their headphones and asked us about it.

Plenty of dads in the park seemed absolutely captivated by it, shouting things like 'We need one of those!' as we sailed on by.

Would I buy one? If I lived by the sea and had a lovely big garage to store it in and an endless promenade to scoot down ...alas, while the idea of the longstrollerboard is nice, our modest porch is happier now it's been returned.

But there's little doubt Marty McFly would LOVE this.