Feedback on Backroads family trips
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Anonymous
| If you've done a Backroads family trip in Europe that includes cycling, how was your experience? Do they take the younger kids in a different cycling group if parents and teens want to ride a harder route? The youngest is 8 and is a strong cyclist for their age, just not as strong as the rest of the family. |
Anonymous
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We did a nuktidport. Families generally stayed as groups so it's not like there would be the 10 mile group and the 20 mike group...however...they will totally pick your kid up at any point and he will probably ride the van with the leader. They may even suggest they will meet you after this challenging 5 mile stretch and your son can ride again. They will even just drive you up a hill if you want.
Also you could get him an ebike! |
Anonymous
Sweet. So we can join the 30-mile group as a family with the expectation that the baby of the group will ride much of it in the van and will still have fun? |
Anonymous
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Backroads only allows ebikes for 16 and older.
Our family has done a lot of Backroads trips, including in Europe. A couple thoughts. Happy to answer any Qs. Usually the description of the trip will give information about the nature of the bike trails/terrain (is it hilly, is it a different kind of pavement and more pebbly, is it more high car-traffic routes, etc). In our experience, there will absolutely be some portions of bike rides that are on roads with traffic. You need to have a confident biker who has a good self-control and can follow directions. Particularly in Europe, drivers will NOT give you wide berth when they pass you. It's usually narrow roads you are on. With our youngest, I would usually stay with her and behind her and I would call out to her when cars were coming and just generally stay in verbal communication with her about what was happening on the road. They should not turn back to look at you. Even that motion with a lot of younger kids, they will veer into the road. All that said, if you are paying attention and locked in and the kid is responsible, it's all fine and fun. Not all the bike trips have van support to pick up kids part way along the route. Depends on the route and where you are. Some parks for example don't let in vehicles. They will tell you ahead of time where you can stop and get picked up, where they can't get to you, etc. I would call for info on this based on your trip. I don't know if a kid in the van will have fun exactly? The guides would do their best for sure. |
Anonymous
| Same poster above. Keep in mind if you are traveling at peak time in summer, you will have a full trip (could be 20-25 people) and probably 3 guides. 1 of them is probably on a bike with you circling the group and checking in. One is driving the support van and then one is a floater and maybe has hung back to do something where you just left or gone ahead to prep, etc. They are not quite as on your beck and call as the PP is making it seem. They will do everything possible to accommodate your family and kids and they are fantastic. But it's not like they are riding in a van next to you the whole way to pick you up. Just not realistic at all. |
Anonymous
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Oh and for real the last thing.
Sometimes on a day when they have a difficult hike or bike route planned, they will offer a separate kid activity and one guide will take the younger kids. They can't always offer this. It will say in the itinerary whether they have this option planned. |
Anonymous
| First responder again..maybe we were lucky but our guides did always seem to be at our beck and call! We were very impressed. They were terrific with the kids. |
Anonymous
Is it realistic for the adults to cycle as much and as hard as we want on days where there is no kid-specific activity listed and assume our youngest will be entertained with other kids and a guide, or will one of us (me) ride with and support our youngest? |
Anonymous
They will take your kid in the support van during a ride to meet up with you at a later point in the ride however they are not full on babysitters. If your kid is done a a couple hours before you because you choose to extend the ride and do a much longer one or if there is no officially scheduled kids programming, no they are not keeping your kid. |
Anonymous
PP who replied a couple times here. They assume a parent is staying with a cyclist that young. They are not staffed to have a guide riding with your kid at all times and personally I would not let a kid ride alone at that age. These are long routes with traffic in some parts and they will need to be following a GPS device in the bike. During bike rides there is not a guide with a kid group. What typically happens is the teens and and any strong adults get way out front (everyone is very very spread out on the route) and younger kids a parent stays with them. The recommended age for these trips is 9 I think. An 8 year old will be challenged. |
Anonymous
| I feel bad for your kid |
Anonymous
I wouldn't go that far but this is definitely something I'd be putting on the backseat for a few years or doing with DH or a girlfriends. It sounds like less of an adventure and more of a shlep. |
Anonymous
Ya, that's why I'm asking. OP back. It's an expensive trip, and I don't want to spend the money if it's not fun for all. The 8-year-old is on a competitive mountain biking "team" for kids, so they are definitely better than most 8-year-old cyclists, but they are still 8. |
Anonymous
It’s both biking skill and maturity level. They need to be mature enough to follow directions and be safe riding with cars very closely. You know your kid. |
Anonymous
| You need to practice with two, three and 4 day trips in the US before you go for a week in Europe. |