When you are planning a bicycle trip with your family there are a few things to take note of if you want to make it a pleasant event and not a "Crusade" where nobody really enjoys themselves. By planning ahead a little you can ensure that each member of the family is challenged a little but ultimately enjoys the experience and allows future trips to be looked forward to with excitement rather than trepidation.

A half to full day bike ride with kids is one of life's joys that families can treasure on weekends of holidays, a chance to spend time with each other while getting exercise, enjoying the outdoors and the local area. Make sure that you choose your route and destination before you set off and that both are within reach of the youngest member of the family.

If you children are still under the age of ten, their legs are shorter than yours and the bike wheels are smaller so they have to work harder for each meter. So your destination needs to be within their reach and the way that you go about getting there needs to be within their abilities. Avoid large hills, heavy traffic, and highly populated areas, at least for the majority of the trip.

If you have to go up a large hill, be prepared to get off and walk and possibly even be happy to push your child's bike up the hill as well as yours. If you do need to go through traffic be prepared to walk together on the footpath rather than navigating the roads as you may do by yourself. Kids on bikes are unpredictable and you need to feel they are safe if you are going to be relaxed yourself. Your stress levels will affect the whole family's happiness.

Make sure to take comfort stops along the way. Bring some cupcakes or special food the kids enjoy and plenty of water. Pull over at a nice place and enjoy the day. Your destination is not the goal here. The whole journey is the best part of the day so make it a happy one. You may not even make it to the place you intended to arrive at, so just enjoy the experience of riding as a family.

Biking with kids is a wonderful family experience as long as you plan ahead, ride as if you were the smallest member of the family and not try to make the destination your goal.