Canals, cheese, cherries, cycles – a family tandem tour in Holland

Sunday 18 September 2011
Updated: Monday 19 September 2011
Filed in: General

Our son hits six years old – so it must be time for our first proper family cycling tour. The set up is, a Dawes Kalantar tandem with kiddie cranks fitted to the back, for Dad and son, and me (mum) trailing along behind on my trusty solo. We have a bob trailer, a veteran of 200 miles round New Zealand's south island, for our luggage. In theory the trailer can go behind either bike, but in practice, on the flat cycle paths of Holland, it goes behind the tandem, creating a very long vehicle that hangs out over tram tracks at junctions in towns!

We rode 400km in a week, starting by pedalling off the Newcastle ferry at Ijmuiden and heading down the north sea coast. This part of the North Sea cycle route is a perfect introduction to family touring, not too strenuous, endless sandy beaches for picnic stops, rolling dunes that protect the cycle path from the wind and the road for cars a couple of km further in land.

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