How to Plan a Family Biking and Picnic Adventure

While you can certainly hop on your bike, head to the nearest park, and plop down on the grass for a picnic, you might want to liven up the proceedings a bit by turning your standard Saturday afternoon with the family into something of an adventure. You may not even realize that there are prime biking areas in and around your locale, but once you start scouting biking trails in your area you’re bound to find a veritable bounty of adventurous options. For the sake of safety, however, there are a few steps you should take to plan out your trip before you hit the road.

1. Service bikes. The first thing to do after your bikes have been in the garage all winter is make sure they’re in ship shape and ready to take you out on the trails. You can either do this on your own with a few clean rags, a bucket of soapy water, and some WD-40. But you might also haul them in to your local bike shop for a once-over that includes a good cleaning, air in the tires, and any repairs that might be in order.
2. Consider age and ability. When planning a family biking trip the ages and ability levels of kids must be a consideration. If you’ve got tiny tots, you don’t necessarily want them bumping along uneven trails in their bike seats. And you clearly can’t go too far with kids that are just learning to ride a bike. In these instances you’re probably better off sticking to city streets and hitting your local park or a nearby waterfront for your picnic. However, teens that are familiar with taking their mountain bikes on local trails may be up for more of an off-road type adventure.
3. Print a map. Depending on where you decide to take your local adventure you might end up with little or no cell service. If you’re relying on your GPS to lead you back to civilization this can definitely be a problem. So make sure that you mark your route on a paper map. It may sound old-school, but you’ll be glad you have it when your battery dies or you’re out of range of a cell tower.
4. Bring an emergency kit. With all the stories in the news lately about lost hikers (they probably forgot their paper map) you should take the hint and prepare for the possibility that a backwoods biking expedition could leave you stranded overnight or even for a couple of days. While most families probably won’t take their adventure too far off the beaten path, you never know what might happen, and having an emergency kit on hand could significantly increase your chances of survival. Your kit should include basic medical supplies (bandages, antiseptic, aspirin, etc.) as well as matches, water purification tablets, Mylar foil blankets (they fold up to about the size of a slim wallet), and a couple of flares (to signal Search and Rescue). You might even include a couple of MREs or a guide to edible plant species for your region.
5. Pack a portable lunch. You don’t necessarily have to bring a ton of gear when you head out on your bikes for the day, but you might want to pack a couple of picnic blankets and some foods that will keep until you decide to stop for lunch. Non-perishable items like trail mix, granola bars, and jerky work great as snacks, but when it comes to your picnic, consider making some sandwiches and packing self-contained items like fruits and veggies rather than messy concoctions like pasta or potato salad. You should opt for items that are less likely to spoil and that require you to haul only minimal trash out the way you came in. And don’t forget to bring plenty of water to stay hydrated during your trip. You might even throw in a few sports drinks; the sugar and electrolytes will keep your energy high and help you to make it back home.

Do You Need a Car?

If you live in a highly urban area, where schools or even your job is close probably you do not need a car. Also if public transport is excellent or at least very good, this can be another reason your answer to be no again.

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Cargo Bikes in Europe – Facts

Cargo bikes or bicycles are great way to move things around in a fast, cheap and clean way.

In the past few years a new class of cargo bicycles emerged on the streets of big, crowded and polluted European cities. They are fast, thanks to electric drive which can provide autonomy of 20 to 30 miles or 30 to 40 km per battery charge. Battery can be fully charged within 2 or 3 hours depending of the technology which is used for battery production. This bikes are clean and cheap way to commute in the city. Charging the battery from the city electrical network cost less than 10 cents.

Let’s see the facts:

FedEx uses electric cargo trike for deliveries in Paris, France.

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Family Biking

If we know today that biking is clean and healthy transportation choice than we should engage fully into it not only by ourselves but also with our whole family.
We should buy or borrow equipment for all members of the family, regardless of their age, and hence, educate them more thoroughly about right life choices. One could dress up all fit children properly (helmet, bike, shoes, …) and go for a river stroll, or easy biking on the sea level roads for couple of miles.
Even youngest children with proper bikes (regularly serviced and oiled, helmets on) can endure several miles bike route without even the slightest problem.
My personal experience involves 12 km route on slowly elevating road, which my oldest son had biked without any problem whatsoever (afterwards a good hydration is in order, of course).
These times can be really stressful, especially for young parents without big support, but weekend biking tours are god-given gift to all of us, easily and cost-efficiently maintained, and all you have to do is actually organize and motivate family members for engaging in these recreational sports which also emphasize family bonding in a way no one could predict it.
Highly recommended activity for all families!
I can only hope that this post will thrust you into joys and happiness of biking!