Adventure with Kids on Bikes - Can They Do It? Don't Even Doubt Them!

About the Author:  Nancy and John Sathre-Vogel have been traveling with their two sons on bikes for the last three years. Their bike journey began in Alaska and will end in Argentina.  Nancy and John were teachers for many years, but choose to quit their traditional jobs and "roadschool" their two boys along this journey of a life time.  While most families are worried about a 6 hour flight from California to New York, this family braves one of the most challenging journeys one could ever dream to do on a bike - much less with kids.  They are a trememdous inspiration to adventure seeking families and Trekaroo was curious to know how they keep their kids motivated on this long long journey.  Visit their blog - Family On Bikes -  to follow their adventures.

People ask me for advice all the time – how can they take an extended bicycle trip with their kids?  What little tidbits of information can I pass on to help them plan their own family cycling adventure in various parts of the world?  I think they expect me to say something like, “Take your child out cycling regularly to build up his strength,” or “Make sure the bike and cycling clothes fit properly.”  But honestly, the best bit of advice I can give is to never doubt your child.  Never, ever doubt your child – not even for one nanosecond.

(Photo above:  Sharing the Road with bison in British Columbia)

You see, children have this uncanny ability to live up to their parents’ expectations.  Somehow, kids know exactly what their parents expect them to do – and they do exactly that.  If parents expect their children to pedal around the block, they’ll do it!!  And if parents expect their children to cycle around the world, they’ll do that too.  It’s us – as parents – who tend to limit our children. We are ones who look at our kids and say, “They’re just kids.  They can’t do that!”  But do we ever ask our kids what they can do?  Rarely.  We tend to assume they can’t do it – and so they can’t.  Or maybe we assume they won’t do it – so they won’t.

I remember way back when I taught first grade for the first time…  I had always taught older kids and had no idea what first graders could or could not do.  My school had no curriculum to guide me, and very little in the way of books – so I made my own way through that first year.  It was a challenge in many ways, but I just modified what I had done with my older kids and did that with my younger ones. 

(Photo above: Tough going in Mexico)

I taught my six-year-olds all about atoms and molecules that year.  They became protons and neutrons crammed into a nucleus or electrons spinning around it and they made models of atoms using Styrofoam balls for the particles.  Once my kids understood all about molecules we moved on to surface tension and density and air pressure and all kinds of complicated scientific concepts.  It never occurred to me that my students couldn’t learn it all – so they did.  Each and every one of those little guys went home at night and explained to their parents all about how the alignment of the electrons in a water molecule caused surface tension – and how we could break that tension by putting soap on it.

Then I went to university to work on my master’s degree, and talked with many other first grade teachers.  “You teach your kids that?” they asked.  “First graders aren’t capable of learning that!”  And you know what?  I have no doubt whatsoever that their first graders weren’t capable of learning it – because they weren’t expected to.  In retrospect, I’m glad I didn’t know six-year-olds couldn’t learn all those advanced scientific concepts - because I had a blast teaching it to them!

Taking kids on a bike tour is exactly the same – simply expect them to do it, and they will.  Expect them to go out and have the time of their life and love the freedom and opportunities a bike tour gives them – and they will.  Kids can do a lot more than we give them credit for, but we have to allow them to do it – by believing in them.

And so we come back to the beginning of this whole rambling essay of mine – never doubt your child.  Never, ever – I mean NEVER – doubt your child.  He will do whatever you expect of him.  

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For those of you wanting a few more concrete tips, here they are:

1)    Be sure everything fits – bike, clothes, shoes…  There is nothing worse than spending all day pedaling while uncomfortable.

2)    Shorten your distances – while you may be comfortable with 100-mile days, your child most likely won’t be.

3)    Eat.  A lot – plan on plenty of breaks and pull out food at each one.  A full belly leads to a happy kid.

4)    Drink – kids tend to forget to drink, so you’ll have to remindyour child repeatedly to drink water.  Don’t let him get dehydrated!

5)    Celebrate success – nothing drives kids on like success.  Celebrate anything and everything – cresting the top of the hill, making it 7 km without a break, crossing a state border…  No success is too small for a celebration!

(Photo above: On the Dalton Highway in the Arctic tundra)

Kid-friendly Places to Go Biking:

• Trukee River Biking Trail - Tahoe City, California
• Wilder Ranch - Santa Cruz, California
• Huntington Beach - Huntington Beach, California
• Sam Vadalabene Bike Trail - Alton, Illinois
• Minnehaha Falls - Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Jekyll Island Biking Trail - Jekyll Island, Georgia
• Ashuwellticook Rail Trails Bike Path - Adams, Massachusetts
• Cape Cod Canal Bike Trail - Cape Cod, Massachusetts
• Pedido Key Bike Path - Pensacola, Florida
• J.N. Ding National Wildlife Refuge - Sanibel, Florida

Other Related Articles:

• Traveling with a Family of 5 or 6
• Kid Conversations on the Road: What's Poverty Mom?
• Viva Mexico with Baby