How about these guys for a cycling family? This is Joe, Beth, Quinn, Enzo and Mateo – who is only one year old and already on his first cross Canada journey!! They set out from Portland and are are heading for Nova Scotia via Prince Rupert and the Yellowhead Highway. There being little or no hard shoulder from Campbell River to Port Hardy, we shipped them off all packed into and onto our car! Joe deposited the family in a motel, drove our car back to Courtenay, then next day took the Greyhound back to his family in Port Hardy! They all had to be up next morning at 4:30 am to cycle to the Ferry Terminal!!
See “Continue reading…” for a great photo of their multi-tandem bicycle!….
Joe has had many adventures on his bike, and now his boys are also enjoying cycling, he has already taken them on a trans-USA ride! Joe writes for cycling and other magazines, and has also published a number of books. He is known as the “Metal Cowboy”. Read all about him and his current family adventure on his website at :
Here they are on their family “tandem”!
It was not too steady once loaded with all their camping and traveling gear, so Beth’s bit was removed, and for their cross Canada ride, she is using a regular bike with four panniers. Guess how much weight Joe is hauling? A total of 182kgs (400lbs!)! Needless to say, that takes some stopping when going downhill, so in addition to the regular brakes, he also has a drum brake on the rear wheel!!
For any of our readers who have not yet considered a bicycle oddessy, or are already thinking of a first ride, here is a link to a helpful site: Rolling Roads
This site gives some ideas and offers supported vacation rides for those not yet ready to “go it alone”.