Chris and I have wanted to do a self-supported bike tour with our kids from the get-go, but it’s never been the right time. Before we met, we were both interested in these types of adventures: I used to backpack and camp and right before I met him, Chris walked away from a cushy corporate job so that he could pedal himself from Kansas to Oregon. The circle of friends we ran with, who ended up introducing us, were all connected through a bike and outdoor adventure retailer. Having kids didn’t quell our passion for self-supported exploration, but it certainly introduced a new set a logistical challenges.

When the twins, L and T, were around five and our daughter, S, was one, we bought two Co-Motion tandems and a Chariot trailer and planned to go on a US route put together by Adventure Cyclist. We got as far as doing a long weekend on the Katy Trail in Missouri when the opportunity came up for us to move to California. We’d need to put our bike dreams on hold.

Fast forward to this year: the boys are now twelve and our daughter is seven. Our original outfit of the two tandems and a trailer has graduated to three single bikes, for Chris, L, and T, and one tandem for S and I. Chris promised he’ll carry the heaviest gear on his bike while the rest of us get the light stuff…I think he’s telling the truth. He usually does.

And instead of doing a route in the US, in some excited burst of ambition, we decided to go to Europe instead. We looked at cycling routes in Europe and settled on some countries in the northwest: Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Holland, Belgium, and France. Why? They’re flat and bike friendly. I’d say we’re taking the easy route, but “easy” is such a relative term.

On a Saturday morning in February we bought one-way tickets to Stockholm, Sweden for five of us and four bikes. (Yes! On Norwegian Air, you can choose to bring your bike with a simple click on the website!)

We leave June 16th, the day after our kids get out of school, and have approximately six weeks to make it to France. This blog is about recording the ins-and-outs of this adventure, letting our friends and family keep up with the progress, and encouraging others who want to take a road less travelled (at least by bike.)

-maria