Hello guys!

Soon to be father here, looking for some support and advice regarding this life-changer of a situation. I'm very excited to have a kid to teach and show the wonders of the world to, but am a bit unsure of the ins and outs of how/when/where and all that practical jazz.

Biking is in my blood, I make my living as a bike messenger and live a very bike-centered life in general. As a restless soul, bikepacking and all sorts of biketravels have been there to satisfy my curiosity and wanderlust for a long time.

I was supposed to head out for a trans-russia tour last summer, but just before the planned departure date we found out a kid's on its way in nine months and staying here to support my fiance through the pregnancy was a no-brainer.

I now feel the itch to travel worse than ever and can't wait to bring my kid with me on these adventures in the future. Sp, my question is; when is it appropriate to start bringing him/her and how big of a tour could you expect to get away with with a toddler? How did you manage it yourselves? Would love to hear some stories and advice regarding touring and bikepacking with kids!

Congrats! You're in for some great adventures with your child! Just go into them with the right expectations. We did a number of tours before we had our son (he's now 13), and kept at it after he was born. Our first attempt was a three-day tour along the C&O Canal with him in a Burley trailer. That didn't turn out so well, but it wasn't due to having him along (we found that two-wheel trailers don't do well on double-track trails with overgrown center strips). The key is to get the child used to being in trailer at an early age. Officially they aren't supposed to be in a trailer until they can hold their head up and wear a helmet, but we securely rigged up a car seat in our Burley and felt that it was perfectly safe due to the roll cage of the Burley (plus we only rode on bike paths with this setup). Our son loved riding in the trailer and looked forward to it.

Start small with dayrides of gradually increasing lengths, and then move to an overnight. Put your focus on the journey and not the destination. Make sure there are plenty of play stops and time out of the trailer, etc. That's what I mean by managing expectations. It's really cool to re-experience the world through a child's eyes, and for us it has made our rides (and life) even more enjoyable having him along.

Our progression was from trailer to Burly Piccolo tag-along at about four years old, then to the back seat of a tandem, and then to our Santana triplet (three seater). We've done probably four week-plus tours on the triplet with him so far. (We were active tandem riders/tourists before he was born.) Now at 13 he's on his own bike, of course, but still will ride the triplet with us, too. All that bike time has paid off, as he enjoys riding his bike and even joined a youth MTB team last fall and had a great time with that.

Good article I just came across about touring with a toddler: The Chilean adventures of El Huevito

Do not have a suggestion, just a confidence builder. On our tours, we have ridden and talk to families. They handle it very well. The parent(s) need to be strong riders as it seems they carry a lot. And, the idea of speed, should not be part of the adventure. The advice that came to my mind based on the conversations with parents was already delivered by Philly Tandem " Put your focus on the journey and not the destination. Make sure there are plenty of play stops and time out of the trailer, etc. That's what I mean by managing expectations. "

Another book suggestion is https://www.amazon.com/Bar-Mitzvah-B.../dp/1594856729 . A fun read.

+1 to the above. To add to it get them riding early. Striders are great....my son is 6 and hes been racing BMX for the last year and started on a strider when he was 2 and a half or so. His bike handling skills are great and he can ride about 14 miles unloaded as of now. Add a trail gator and I bet he could do 30 a day easy. But again its all about the journey so you have to make it fun.

In addition to the above. Think about a hub and spoke ride. Go somewhere, camp and make it your base. Head out and return each day.

I'd say that the more critical variable is your spouse's attitude -- kids will go along with basically any "reasonable" plan.

One on my sons has learned to walk on a golf club's green the year we were (car) touring Australia. All of my kids have spent countless hours in a backpack on various trails.

For young children, say, under 8, no need to worry about the location of the nearest Disneyland -- any puddle, beach, sandy area will keep them busy all day long. Afterwards, it depends. We have no problem motivating them. But this is a negotiated process, more so when they grow up.

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Here and there you'll come across blogs of cyclists that have undertaken serious trips with little ones. Why not riding St-Petersburg->Vladivostok? (Well, all my Russian friends tell me that riding in Russia is near suicidal -- something having to do with drivers and vodka -- so maybe you'd rather try Denmark first

I havent don’t any long distance touring with my kids. Up to now its either all been overnight camp trips or 3 day rides with camping at 2 spots. They are now 11 and 7. Rides are 30-40mi and our youngest rides a weehoo due to the distance.
We have done overnights since the youngest was 4.

The only reason we havent done longer is schedule and priorities- this isnt a priority as a family. They are fully capable of doing more days and I would figure a week would be the point at which they hit a wall.

Some thoughts…
- I wouldn’t want to do anything extended with a kid in diapers. Not my idea of fun due to packing, planning, etc.
- I waited until my kids were past the napping stage, though naps on the road could be great if they are strapped in and safe.
- Tailor the route, ride time, and sites to the kids and not adults. These tend to go a lot smoother and are more fun for all when the kids are able to set the pace(both in speed and overall time). Involving them in activities along the way helps keep them excited and engaged.
- Another poster mentioned that kids can be entertained by most anything(puddle, rocks, etc). This is really true and letting them have time during the rides to explore(even if it’s a school playground) completely changes their mood for the better and somehow gives them a burst of energy once back on the bike.
- Keep your expectations low and go with the flow, whatever it may be. I will try to not be too critical here, but I have found that a rigid personality is not ideal for parents when it comes to planned vacations(touring being part of that category). Flexible schedule is really important.

Overnights can be a great way to introduce the kids to both camping and understanding the length of time required to sit on a bike. They are relatively easy to plan and execute and are short enough that any issues are over pretty quickly since you are back at home the next day.

My youngest is 17 today... All of my kids have ridden in Burley Buggys. When I was heaps younger I rode all over the place. The kids loved it (at the time lol) We camped, fished, and basically did things slightly differently but still did them,, and I wouldn't have changed having those kids for nothing. Congrats on becoming a family

This could be the subject of a book. Little kids are easy to take along, and I took each one of my 3 boys along for short rides. I had an accident with my then 3-year-old in traffic in Copenhagen (he got his foot caught in the wheel, because his idiot father didn't understand how a bike seat meant for kids up to age 2 could be wrong for a kid of 3.) He has been skittish about bikes ever since, and it's been 30 years! My other two have always ridden, and I made a point of getting them good bikes and all the accoutrements that go with them. By the time they're 6 or 7 or 8, they can cover miles and miles, and it's thrilling for them to accomplish something so big. By 11 or 12, they can pedal most of a day, carrying modest loads, but its important to feed them frequently and stop a lot to look at cool stuff. Fifteen is old enough for long tours (I took both of the bike-interested ones on thousand-mile rides when they turned 15, and it made their summers. Mine, too.) A 15-year-old will have frequent and regular meltdowns, i.e. "Dad, you are the stupidest person ever! What on earth are we doing here!?" but they will pass with the application of a good hamburger and ice cream. Yes, ice cream solves many problems on the road. Just listen to them, and treat them with respect, and make it fun. Because that's the idea, right?

The first overnight 'tour' I did with my daughter was about 35 miles each day, one night in a tent. We rode three speed bikes, hers pretty tiny.



Later I got a Counterpoint Opus II tandem, the kind where the stoker sits out front in recumbent position. We did several tours when she was in middle school, I think.



That was a great way to tour with a kid, she could pedal or not, depending on how she felt about it, she could snack, take photos, whatever. Our longest tour was six days, I think. She was pretty agreeable to that kind of thing at the time; now she's in college I don't think there's any way I could get her to go on a tour with me. So I'm glad we did it when we did!

Years later I would I still hear from her teachers that she talked about those tours, things we'd seen etc, in class; so the overall effect seems to have been positive.

One way or another, it can be done, but you have to figure out for yourself how you want to do it.

Congratulations!

More inspiration - amazing family bike tour:
https://vimeo.com/249044312

We haven't done it yet. My oldest is approaching 4 and probably ready enough to do an overnight. But until then, the baby logistics seemed like too much to make it enjoyable. Where does baby sleep? You need to bring a gallon of milk. You'd need to pack out days of poopy diapers.

I'm looking forward to overnight camping in a tent, but my wife likes her creature comforts and would probably not come along. My boy would be perfectly fine, eating snacks and playing with a flashlight and rocks and sticks.

And looking at it another way... You might also want to use your trips to get away from the baby for a night.

Several decades ago, a friend of mine at Fort Knox, Kentucky and I rode from there to Atlanta, Georgia, accompanied by his 10-year old son on single bikes. His son had panniers with his stuff, while the father carried their tent. The following year, when the boy was eleven, the three of us, accompanied by a few others, biked from Fort Knox up to Detroit, then along the northern shore of Lake Erie to Niagara Falls.


Years later, when my daughter was eight, we spent eight weeks biking up and down the Rockies in Utah, Colorado and Wyoming, on a tandem with our gear in a BOB trailer. She did so well, that when she was ten, she and I rode the tandem from Seattle, Washington to Rehobath Beach, Deleware. She did great on that ride, over the course of 80 days.


Bottom line: you can definitely tour with kids. At least with the right kid....

(Subscribed) & congrats for becoming a Dad!

Thank you for all of your support and a seriously heartfelt thank you to all of you who have shared your stories and tips! Love the community in this thread, it's been incredibly inspirational to read through all the posts - keep'em coming!

I stumbled upon a picture a while back; pretty much sums up exactly the essence of the life I envision for us as a family. Such a wonderful and eclectic mix of wierd, bold and different! If not out touring, this is how I'll transport my daughter (yes, it's a girl!) to kindergarten, rain or shine. Already pre-enjoying the idea of perplexed looks from "traditional" parents.
(Courtesy of bikepacking.com)

You should keep your eye out for a Surly Big Dummy. One of the best cargo bikes ever made, and dozens of options for kid seating.