Family cycle touring: “Around” our bikes

It's one thing to go on an adventure alone or as a couple, it's quite another to embark on cycle tourism with children. I spoke to four families who demonstrate that with a little preparation and adaptation, cycling remains the most beautiful way to travel and grow.

Here is the second of four great stories.

This article first appeared in the excellent magazine Vélo Mag, May-June 2021 edition.

---

ABOUT OUR BIKES

Be together, speak Spanish and experience happiness

It was while spinning at full speed on the slope of the Andes cordillera in Chile that I met Gwenaël Vourc'h, Pascal Sergé and their three little cyclists of 5, 7 and 9 years old. I had had the audacity in previous weeks to find myself courageous and persevering to cross these high passes by bike. Meeting these French people from Auvergne made me swallow my self-congratulations and quickly reminded me that one pedal stroke at a time, cycle tourism is within everyone's reach.

The family began to think about this adventure four years before departure. As the destination of this twelve-month trip, South America was chosen, because it made it possible to spend the four seasons there without ever taking a plane, and because it corresponded to the dream criterion of a territory comprising large spaces where you can get closer to nature. In the end, the five cyclists will cover nearly 6000 km in Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile. A daily average of 20 km on two tandems and a small bike, with a few stops by bus or ferry. Depending on the fatigue, the children alternated on the individual bike.

The quote from Mark Twain comes to mind when the couple tell me how their daughters embraced this journey: “[They] didn't know it was impossible, so [they] did it. One day at a time, the little ones only understood from the impressed reaction of the others that they were on a big trip.

On a daily basis, the rolling landscapes of the Andes cordillera and the pampas were interspersed with school days. “The girls were welcomed into several classes,” says Gwenaël. They improved a lot in Spanish there, in addition to making friends of their own ages. "

Along the way, many of the people we met took on the role of teaching children. “They learned to spin wool, crochet, milk cows, play different instruments and invent games with almost nothing. "

The Auvergnats are now back in the country, after this unforgettable sabbatical. “This year has been of immense wealth for our family,” continues the mother. We were able to see our children evolve and grow during this suspended time. The girls grew in confidence and witnessed the generosity of the people and the beauty of the world. They also “perceived the fragility of the planet. with the garbage we saw on the roadsides, the melting glaciers, and the receding Amazon rainforest. "

Naïline learns to spin wool in Peru.

Winter camping near Puquio in Peru.

Finally, a sign of the success of the adventure, when the parents asked the girls to sum up their year in one word, the three respectively replied "together", "Spanish" and "happiness".

Now that the parents are back to work and the children back to school, Gwenaël is quietly writing a book on this long journey. And all five are slowly simmering the next trip.

Advice from Gwenaël Vourc'h

• It is important to prepare the trip well, especially with regard to the management of the seasons, and to avoid busy roads.
• Slow down, slow down and slow down again. We have chosen not to make the trip a sporting feat, but a human and environmental adventure. We remember more the meetings than the number of kilometers traveled.
• We had to identify the barriers that we are building little by little in our heads ... and remove them. The main obstacle is mental, everything else is just practical details.

Le family blog contains sections devoted specifically to the experience of children.

On a beach near Chaiten, Chile.