Bike Touring with Kids- micro adventures with micro size people

Pasta devoured, Lana's mind quickly turned to the long promised toasted marshmallows! With rain still threatening I rigged up the hammock and tarp to provide some shelter with a view of the river and fired up the Pocket Rocket. Even set to a peep, marshmallows were quickly incinerated and then just as quickly scoffed; burnt tongues couldn't hold us back!

By this point Lana had remembered all the treats that were promised to her when we went on our camping adventure, back to the tent to make the hot chocolate and to shelter from another rain shower then outside to watch the shower recede into the distance and sip out choco milk.

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Really lovely pics them. Do you mind asking what camera you used? Makes me excited about taking a non-walking, non-talking baby already!

That's great, hoping to get out with the kids next weekend so that was perfect inspiration.

Finally sleep beckoned, into our bags and with the rain pattering on the tent once again we tried in vain to get to sleep; marshmallows and hot chocolate were not my friend at this point but I persisted. Just about asleep when a ray of sun shines through the vent at the bottom of the tent; "We have to go outside Daddy!" says Lana.

The rain has passed, so on with the boots and outside to watch the sunset, a great end to a fun afternoons adventure!

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Yeah it's a Panasonic GF3

With Panasonic 14mm F2.5 lens

Photos have been tweaked in LR for those Fuji colours.

Sunset below the horizon and it was time to hit the sack again, both of us started out too hot, unzipped our bags, then got too cold and zipped up again for the perfect temperature.

The sun woke us as it broke the clouds around 7am and we were up for another round of hot chocolate, cereal and bread burn on the stove (otherwise known as toast). At that point my dad appeared having cycled from his house early doors and just in time; him and Lana explored the dunes as I broke camp and re-loaded the beast of burden.

Back up the dune and we were away, the 8 miles home passed quickly to shouts of; "faster daddy, Papa is winning!"

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I cannot recommend enough doing this sort of trip with your young ones, obviously YMMV but we had a blast and she's still talking about it today. Time to plan the next trip!

Total time door to door was only 18 hours!

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Depends on where you live I guess. I tend to do one night trips, max 20 miles with a park or lunch stop, or 10 miles without. Using train is good too with just one kid and one bike.

Off road railway paths, canals etc are obviously nicer as you can chat- think Sustrans

Top work @mi7rennie great trip. Where is this? Looks amazing

Bank of the river Tay, opposite Dundee. My home turf.

Fife, God's own kingdom, across the silvery Tay from Dundee.

Are you not a real Fifer then?

If we still had rep, you'd have it by the bucket load. What an ace trip, I bet she remembers it for years and years.

Webbed fingers on the end of my short arms and trousers with deep pockets. Yeah. Guilty.

Brilliant, thanks for sharing!

Fantastic account, thanks!

Great pictures! Brilliant and inspiring write up. Thank you for sharing.

Great write up there. And great photos. You've inspired me.

I'm planning on a couple of overnighters with the first born and heir. Initially I was thinking of cycling to a campsite but having seen your trip the countryside looks even more inviting.

Grave dig!

With kiddo 1 now 2 and a few months, kiddo 2 eta 11 weeks away im obviously starting to plan for some tours...

I have to plan in advance to afford things .. part timers here!

Bikes sorted, pair of disc truckers, bla bla.

Main thing to work out will be sleeping arrangements!

to start we will stay in b&bs / air b&B / my dads in hereford etc but then its onwards and outside.. Tent? Tarp? what is the go to for a family of 4?

I've been similarly wondering about wild camping with the 5+8yos. I reckon 2 small tents is probably better than trying to fit the whole family into summat larger. Or maybe the kids in a small tent (2 person-if-you're-well-acquainted) and adult(s) under a tarp?

I was thinking maybe a tarp set up, or two tarps, to create basically a tent, but without the extra baggage.

Unlikely to be going out for multiple nights / cold nights with young ones and the wife.

Will have to do some go outdoors exploring tomorrow to re-acquaint myself with tent sizing

Erm, my little human is asleep in the middle of Go Outdoors...

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Looks like a pretty successful proof of concept.

I’ll take it as a success!

Such inspiration. It’s awesome.

Have planned an overnight trip to my parents house now the weather is warming up here with my son, who will be 5 in a few months. Approximately 6km from our house to the train station, then ~20km from the train station to my parents house, mostly on gravel paths, so doable. I hope.

Because we’ll be staying there all we need is a change of clothes, which will fit in my basket fine.

Would love to do “proper” camping with my son, but I don’t own any camping gear, and haven’t camped since I was a kid.

My two (4 and 6) love bike camping trips!

Some photos from our 2nd last trip.... still not developed the film from the last one.

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