alathIN

Two parents, and three kids age range 4-9.
We ride bikes around town a lot, sometimes with the kids on their own bikes, also using tagalongs and trailers. One of our favorite Summer activities is to throw the whole family on bikes and ride to a park or nature center, picnic there, and ride home.

We'd love to extend this idea into a longer camping/touring trip, but can't seem to figure out the logistical details to actually make it work.
We live in Central Indiana, so the first thing is to do this in a location that's either a manageable drive from here, or perhaps a train ride. Don't want to try an 18 hour car trip then a bike tour then 18 hours back.
We're nature lovers, so the ideal set up would be a rail-trail or extended multiuse path that goes through a national park or nature area with some campgrounds on it. Would like to stay off of roads with cars and trucks as much as possible.

We do have a kid bike that's very fit-flexible and all the kids can ride it, so my idea was the following bike kit:
Dad bike with tagalong and trailer (also have panniers). Dad is the cargo beast here. No huge hills please (mom and kids wouldn't tolerate them anyway)
Mom bike with tagalong
One kid bike
The kids can take turns rotating from kid bike to tagalongs.

We're pretty well fixed for camping gear. Trick would be learning what to bring and what not to, and make it all fit in panniers/trailer.

dwmckee

I have helped start a few families on their first tour and di an annual presentation at REI on it. By our house we have a rail trail close by and I have them do their first trip by riding out the trail to the first camp site (9 miles) and spend the night. Try to do it without buying any special equipment. Can even have the car parked there with tents, etc. already there and just carry snacks and a little basic stuff. 9 miles out in the afternoon, camp and have dinner, sleep, breakfast and pedal home by noon the next day and you have it, Then try another for 2 days. After that just scale it up. Do not make a big deal of it, make it a simple thing you do at first with what you have. Maybe even just a backpack and no panniers even to keep initial cost down. It is easier than backpacking. Another easy start is to ride 10 - 15 miles to a friends house or even a hotel, stay and come back the next day. Easy ways to start...

dwmckee

I have helped start a few families on their first tour and do an annual presentation at REI on it. By our house we have a rail trail close by and I have them do their first trip by riding out the trail to the first camp site (9 miles) and spend the night. Try to do it without buying any special equipment. Can even have the car parked there with tents, etc. already there and just carry snacks and a little basic stuff. 9 miles out in the afternoon, camp and have dinner, sleep, breakfast and pedal home by noon the next day and you have it, Then try another for 2 days. After that just scale it up. Do not make a big deal of it, make it a simple thing you do at first with what you have. Maybe even just a backpack and no panniers even to keep initial cost down. It is easier than backpacking. Another easy start is to ride 10 - 15 miles to a friends house or even a hotel, stay and come back the next day. Easy ways to start...

saddlesores

came across a similar family touring in thailand and laos last month....

mrveloman

You might want to check out this journal on Crazyguyonabike.com: crazyguyonabike.com: Bicycle Touring: Ice Cream Every Day, by April Albers - A family with two kids one 8 and the other 5 on two tandems.

CliffordK

When I was younger, my grandparents lived about 80 miles away. Unfortunately the secondary roads didn't go very straight, so we would do an annual family ride through all the back roads to get down there. I think we did it as a 2 day ride, staying overnight in a motel in Roseburg. Oh, and stopping for ice cream or a soda float at Tolly's in Oakland.

trailz 

A few years ago (when my kids where younger) we took two multi-day tours in the Midwest. We live just north of Chicago, and I was hoping we could stay on trails. I bought a used tandem (about $300) and put our weakest peddler on the back of, and I captained. My other daughter was about 13, and rode a vintage road bike. We drove up to Gaylord MI (about 7 hours) and took the trail that goes up to Macinaw City, spent a night, and then returned. We took advantage of WarmShower hosts on 3 nights. Another summer, we drove up to Brainard, MN (about 8 hours), spent the night with a WS host, and took the trail up to Walker, stayed two days at the resort, and reversed. Both trips where GREAT!
Some keys I found to traveling with young kids:
- pick flat routes
- stay off roads whenever possible
- keep it as fun/interesting as you can
- Use Warmshowers hosts as an overnight base to help during, before or after your trip
- find the best Ice cream shops in any towns you pass through;-)
- bungees
- snacks
- a game you can all play together (we used a deck of cards, and when we any of us where too tired, we stop and play)

martianone

We took our guys on tour when they were both young. A tag-a-long is ok for day rides, but becomes real tiring on longer trip - especially for the captain. A tandem works much better.

Start with a family friendly sagged tour, eg cycling the Erie canal. Touring with youngsters, the ride really becomes the child's ride - stopping and sight seeing based more upon their interests and needs.

Hydration and electrolyte balance is especially crucial. We would always stop mid morning for a small bottle of chocolate milk and a bag of potato chips - gives and energy boost and electrolyte load. Often a small ice cream in the afternoon or an iced coffee. Yes we got some odd looks getting an 8 yo a small iced coffee - what makes you feel good or happy, probably will your child too. While riding, give the small rider a job - on the tandem, we had a captain and navigator (not a stoker). The navigator was on lookout for towns/places, distance markers, etc. Our younger son, especially liked riding, but didn't like the view from that navigator's seat. He transitioned to his solo bike early, made child happy; captains had to be a lot more on the look out for traffic, road surfaces and erratic cycle maneuvers.

Our eldest is getting out of the Army in about a month, he has already asked if we know where we are going this summer and if he was't busy could he come along- perhaps and yes.

mel2012

Have you looked into the trails around Cincinnati?

It looks like the Little Miami Trail might be a good fit:
Little Miami Scenic Trail | Miami Valley Bike Trails

The Nation's Largest Network of Paved, Off-Street Trails | Miami Valley Bike Trails

Leebo

Logistics are always hardest. What about a spoke and wheel tour? Drive with bikes on car to a camping spot. Make that base camp. Days trips out and back without heavy loads or gear, just would need lunch and liquids. 5 days with a rest day/ playday/ rain day in between. Adventure cyclist has all kind of info that would be helpful.

chandltp

This family stayed with me last summer and they're still going. It worked well for them. The 11 and 9 year old did much more than you would think. But they tended to have 30 - 40 mile days. A 50 mile day was big for them.

Other than the youngest on the Weehoo (he was 6 or 7 I think), they all rode their own bikes fully loaded. The oldest girl had the highest load per weight ratio, including adults.. BTW, Google Chrome does a good job of translating the page. I think they have an English page somewhere but Chrome did such a good job I didn't bother looking for it.

10 Pieds Sur Terre! - Famille qui roule se débarasse de ses frousses!!!

I had another family of 5 that were all on recumbent trikes. They didn't have a blog though, and their web site was down. Verify similar setup. The 2 oldest were riding their bikes (13 and 9, IIRC) and they youngest (6 I think) was in a carrier. Mom towed the trailer of stuff while dad towed the kid.

tom cotter

Wow! What a great idea! THX for posting this!

Bhrazz

ohhh man I need to know what Bike this is, my son will be thrilled to go on something like that on a touring trip this summer, is so much better than the weehoo

saddlesores

checked the photo, but i can't make out the brands.

the small girl in front.....on the bar under the crank....seems to be "PINO"

oh wait, here it is! it be a HASE PINO

Tandem Pino ? E-Bikes, Recumbent Bikes, Handbikes

and the one in back, i can make out "TT"

that one seems to be a WORKMAN...maybe

Recreational Bicycles from Worksman Cycles

Bhrazz

Holy**** the prices!!!

Doug64

This is a really popular setup in Europe. It allows the youngster to ride on their own when it is safer, and then hook up to mom on the roads

mel2012

That's a FollowMe tandem. We have two -- one for each of our kids -- and I agree that it's awesome and far superior to a standard trail-a-bike. (having had both a WeeHoo and a Burley Piccolo, I speak with the voice of experience). Best way to get one in the States is to import through Bike-Discount.de. The only downside is that, depending on the weight of your kid's bike, it can be a pretty heavy set up.

fietsbob

Danube cycle route along the shore was a popular family trip, pretty casual along the levee top roads on either side of the river.

Passau Germany to Vienna Austria .. then you can board a River Ferry to return to your Upstream starting Point.