Cycle touring with children

[FLORENCE]

Having been inspired by the vogels (the "twenty miles per cookie" American family who travelled around America for a year with their eight year old twins on a triplet and single bike) I have been thinking about cycling around norfolk next summer with my four children. Tell me I am not mad? I have a thorn me +U2 triplet with a tag along pashley u+1 and will upgrade my oldest sons trek for an islabike. We are not planning on doing really long days 30 ish miles a day (which is our current millage for a day ride with the kids) so we can stop alot on the way. there are plenty of campsites here and I have the added bonus of the space on the u+1 for a tent, Cobb, storm kettle and sleeping bags, I have ortlieb front and back panniers and could add a rack pack if needed. I have a small vango tent already that we can squish in (we usually camp in a 5m bell tent but that is far to big and heavy to take lol) My husband will be working so will possibly be able to join us on the weekends. I do often camp with the kids on my own so that will be ok. We live quite centrally so if anything happens I could just call my husband to rescue us in his van as he will never be that far away. Also we could cycle back every week for a few days to drop off clothes etc. the only thing i think we really need is something to sleep on, we have camp beds and bill brown roll mats that are far to big to take. Are SIMs ok? Also I have a tool kit and inner tubes that I carry all the time (it can be thorny at hedge cutting time and the pashley is trike style so we have one wheel against the verge all the time) I can't imagine it will be fun changing the torn back tube with four children next to the road though. Should I get gaterskin tyres? Would the green glop be a good idea? What about keeping food cool? Is a small cool bag in a pannier going to be ok? I bought white ortliebs as they do tend to keep cooler than black ones.  Am I totally mad or should I get planning? It would be great to get my children involved in the route planning etc. i would certainly be an adventure for all of us. what do you think? Anyone else tour with children?

[energyman]

Florence -
You are not mad.

[julk]

Florence,
Go for it, you will give your children enormous pleasure and develop their love of the countryside.
At a young age they will find the original closed cell mats comfortable enough if you have the space, save the SIM for yourself!

My experience of slime in the inner tubes is that it stops small holes, but not big rips which will be beyond repair as the stuff leaks out all over then. Take a few spare inner tubes at hedge cutting time.

I had static camping holidays with my family for many years and three of the five children still cycle and camp as adults.
I even managed a couple of cycle camping trips with some of them after I retired.
They are the best sort of holidays, lots of good memories.
Julian.

[Hamish]

Go for it.

I have toured with kids on various combinations of tandems and triplet.

It is a superb way to spends a holiday.

[jags]

sounds fantastic fair play to you.hope it works out.

[FLORENCE]

thank you all, to be honest my husband thinks i am a bit mad. we had been taking about cycling around france when the children are older but to go alone with four children does sound a bit mad i suppose. i have been a bit restricted this year on the distances i can go as i have had to get back and it is very frustrating having to use the car to go a short distance further. the thorn triplet has just opened a whole new world up to me as towing long distances with a single and three kids on a tag along (pashley u+2) is so much harder. the thorn is just so easy to ride, i have to keep reminding myself that i have three children behind me. its just a fantastic bike and i love riding it so much i am certainly going to buy another thorn this year so i can ride when my children are at school, thankfully my youngest two who are twins are starting school in a couple of weeks so i can have a bit of child free time. my son will be nine soon so when we upgrade his bike i am confident in his abilities to do it and if he cant it will not be far from home. i have to admit my children are big famous five fans, we have been reading the books every night for a couple of years. they even call themselves the famous five as we have a dog as well and they sing the theme tune from the old tv programme and add their own names(its also our geocaching name lol) they love the idea that the kids just get on bikes with their tents but in this day and age its not such a safe place for children but i would like them to have adventures. i wonder if we could hide some geocaches along the way to inspire others to do the same with their children?

[Danneaux]

Hi Florence!

All encouragement your way!

I think combining geocaching with family cycling is brilliant. For some years, I placed and maintained a series of 25 geocaches, and many were specifically family/child oriented and those were the logs I enjoyed most. Many parents related the joy of cycling or walking with their children and told how finding -- or placing -- geocaches gave their outdoors adventures both a theme and destination. If your range is fairly limited and all the geocaches in an area are already "found", then checking and maintaining your own can still bring life to a stale area.

Yes, of course there will be some hassle and logistical problems along the way, but they can all be overcome and you'll be building a lifetime of memories together and infusing the children with a sense of can-do independence, a love of the outdoors, and Adventure to last them the res of their days. Can't think of a better family activity!

Best,

Dan.

[sdg_77]

Florence - we took our children camping when they were relatively young,  small backpacking tents and the sort of kit you would take cycle camping.  They loved it.

You might find some useful info on 'Crazy Guy on a Bike' plenty of tour journals some of which are bound to involve children.

e.g.     http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=3&page_id=185635&v=B

sdg.