Totcycle has posted a great article on cycling with kids of all ages.  It starts:

"Now that I'm a self-styled family biking expert , I do get asked a bit about what bike or seat is best for such and such family configuration. And I'm always happy to answer at greater length than is perhaps hoped for.

So here it is, my opinionated take on what bike setup you need for you and yours. I should note my biases: for cycling a la familia I like big sturdy practical bikes with cargo capacity. Because you'll soon want to do a lot more than drive your bikes to Sunday toodles along the bike trail, and having some ever-ready cargo ability makes bikes so much more practical for errands, school dropoffs, and everyday cycling ...

I also don't love bike trailers, which seem to be the default way to bike with young kids in this country. Yes, they're easy to find, let you ride your existing road or mountain bike without much modification, work well with narcoleptic toddlers, and have good weather protection. BUT - the awkward maneuvering, lack of interaction with your kids, and the intense dislike or, at best, tolerance that they inspire in passengers (my daughter won't ride in a trailer unless another kid is along, which works until the squabbles start) make me unenthusiastic about trailers. In some respects, they might be safer than some of the other options below, but they can and do tip over.

If you like to ride bikes for the wind on your face, swoopy turns, the sensation of self-powered speed, and getting to experience the world around you with all of your senses ... then so will your kids! if you're a reasonably confident & careful rider, don't miss the delightful conversations and shared delight that comes with riding together on a family bike. Get giddy..."  (read whole article)

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The 96th Tour de France kicks off next week on July 4th and it may just inspire some of you to polish your bicycle bell and go on a cycling holiday.

Perhaps nothing like the 21 grueling stages of the famous Tour but a cycling holiday through gently rolling countryside and with plenty of stops for good food and drink.

Here’s a rundown of the best cycling holidays in Europe and the UK from travelbite.co.uk’s Natasha von Geldern.  Photo by Robert Thomson

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"Enjoy great scenery, fascinating history, and unparalleled cycling along the 365-mile Erie Canalway Trail. The paved and stone dust trail follows both active and historic sections of the Erie Canal..."  So says the web site for The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission.

The group lists resources available for cyclists.  They say:

 The demand for Louis Rossi's book has been strong this spring and summer.  Copies can be ordered online or found at numerous venues along the Erie Canal.

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In our car-focused society, using railroads to support our cycling trips is not common.  Instead, we struggle to leave cars in strategic spots and spend a lot of time coming and going with our autos.

When we were preparing Cycling Along The Canals of New York State, we looked at buses and trains to get to or from the route and found that Amtrak, which follows the Erie Canal, was an option.  For example, you can board in Albany and depending on how many days you have to cycle, can get off at Utica, Syracuse, Rochester, or Buffalo (or many intermediate stations). 

If you plan to check your bike as luggage, Amtrak has this advice:

Tips for successfully packing your bicycle:
    •    Check your bicycle at the station at least an hour before departure.
    •    You may bring your own box or purchase one at the station. Bicycle boxes (new or used) are also usually available for purchase at staffed stations that accept checked baggage for $15/box. Boxes are 69 x 41 x 8.5 inches (175 x 104 x 22 centimeters). Call ahead for details and to make sure that boxes are available. Local bicycle shops also may be able to provide you with boxes. After your trip, you may keep your box and use it again if it is in good condition.
    •    Bicycles usually must be partially disassembled: Loosen and turn the handlebars sideways, and remove the pedals. Both wheels must remain in the forks. Nothing may protrude from the box or make the box bulge. Nothing except the bicycle may be placed in the box.
    •    Bring your own tools. It may be helpful to disassemble and reassemble your bike before your trip to avoid any surprises. Some parts, especially pedals, may be especially difficult to remove.
    •    You may also use a container especially designed for transporting bicycles. Such containers must have handles and must be fully closed and latched, with no portion of the bike exposed.
    •    Attach your name and address to the box.

In Canada, just north of the Erie Canal area , there are some wonderful bike train options for cyclists who want to explore the Niagara region.  A recent article said:
“This summer, the initiative connects Toronto with destinations across Ontario, providing cyclists of all abilities easy access to the Greenbelt, wine and culinary regions, and northern lakes and forests. As well, there are off-the-beaten-path villages, world-renowned natural and historical sites, and thousands of kilometres of recreational trails and on-road cycling routes.” (Read the whole article)

These two rail options are just examples of what bike advocates hope will be more and more mass transit options to support bike riding.  What are your suggestions for places to use railroads or metro systems as part of a bike tour?

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A couple of young friends of mine just completed the Presi Traverse over the weekend, updating their Facebook friends with photos as they hiked along.  I admired their efforts but in spite of my love of fitness and the outdoors, was just as glad I was walking in my woods instead.

The Presidential Range Traverse, popularly known as the “Presi Traverse,” is one of the classic hikes in New England.  It is twenty-four miles of New Hampshire’s boulder piles, grassy “lawns,” and historic bridle paths.  It crosses eleven peaks, including Mt. Washington, the highest mountain east of the Mississippi and north of the Carolinas.

Reading their updates made me think of a day hike I took a few years ago with my adult sons, to climb nearby Mount Hunger.  It’s a popular local hike to a modest peak that we can see out our living room window.

The hike started fine, with an easy trek up an old road and on to a typical Vermont hiking trail with roots and rocks and a steady climb.  At one point, we came to a little climb that had a knotted rope to help and soon broke out of the trees to a smooth rocky slope.  We were moving up that slope, following the arrows on the stone, when I paused and looked back.  Big mistake.  I froze at the sight of open air and scenery -- froze to the point where I could not move.  I am very afraid of heights -- "Acrophobia should be my middle name".

“But you’re a pilot!” people say when they hear me say that.  Yes, I’ve flown all sorts of planes for decades but it’s different, even with the cockpit window open.  But get me in a car climbing up a winding road with a dropoff on the side, or even driving up over the Delaware Bay Bridge, and I’m very uncomfortable.

I thought we’d have to bring in a helicopter to get me off the mountain.  Robb went up ahead to see if we could climb up and find an easier way down -- with no luck.  So both he and Rich somehow, by staying on each side of me as we eased down, got me to the trees and I could relax.  It was an interesting reversal of roles -- pay back for times I extricated them from situations when they were kids.

So, how can you hike in Vermont, or anywhere with mountains, if you’re petrified of heights?  With the Long Trail running the length of the state and the Appalachian Trail cutting through it, and hundreds of hikes to the peaks of the Green Mountains, do you have to stick to bike paths and back roads?
I searched for information on “hikes for height-fearers” with no luck.  I know there are many sections of trails that don’t have narrow paths along cliffs or open traverses across rocky faces.  Perhaps I’ll start a list.  Maybe it’s a book.  I know I’d buy it -- I’d like to take my grandchildren hiking on a number of spots in the Northeast -- but I’d rather not run into another Hunger Mountain situation.  Got any suggestions?

As a bonus, here’s a link to a video of a place where you'll never meet me.

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Olympic gold medal winner Joan Benoit Samuelson came to Vermont last weekend and won the Crowley 10k road race in Rutland.  Until I read about the race, I hadn’t realized that the 52-year-old was having such a good year.  I searched and found that she had won the Oklahoma City Memorial Half-Marathon and has an ambitious racing schedule for the rest of the year.

I had the privilege of meeting Joan back in 1991 at a conference in Maine where she was our keynote speaker.  I sat across from her at lunch and remember talking to her about my first book (Runner’s Guide to Cross Country Skiing) and giving her a copy.  I still have her gracious note back to me and that’s the person I remember, a gracious, grounded mom -- listening to others, chatting like a middle-of-the-pack runner -- and then delivering a powerful fitness message to the attendees.

Of course, I saved my notes from her talk.  “You need to be grounded ... home and family ... using imagery to put the mind at ease.  Set aside 1 or 2 hours a day to do something for yourself.  Life is a balancing act.”

She had passed on the 1988 Olympics because of her daughter born the fall before but she talked to us about her thinking about the 1992 Barcelona games -- how she’d have to uproot her family for a month to a hot place, how Scott would have to use up his leave .. and how she was leaning toward a 10K even though her chances of qualifying were better in the marathon.  (As it turned out, she was injured and did not participate.)  She was a delight and you’d never have known that she was the first woman to win an Olympic gold medal in the marathon.

Larry Eder wrote this about Joan:

When Joan Benoit hit the Los Angeles coliseum, in August 1984, the crowd of 70,000 erupted in a huge roar. In the first Olympic marathon, in a race that should have been won by Grete Waitz, then seven time NYC champion and World Champion, or Ingrid Kristiansen, or even Portugals' Rosa Mota!

How could this young Mainer, who seemed to get injured at the most opportune times, the last one about twelve weeks before the Olympics, take the lead on the LA Freeway and not loose it? In fact, Joan had played chicken with the world's best marathoners, and won!

When one sees Joan Benoit Samuelson now, many see this thoughtful, quiet Zen master. When one watches her run, consider for a moment that there were times in her career that most elite guys would not train with her - Joan was a training animal!

Elite athletes can be jerks or they can be wonderful examples for others.  Joan Benoit Samuelson, has not only had a great running career, raising a family, supporting women’s running and a number of charities, fighting injuries, while keeping her grace and most of her speed and endurance.  It’s cool to see her compete with women 20 years younger but it’s also great to see this icon of running, like her buddy Bill Rogers who also ran the Prouty, get out there and show us that they still love to run - and still love to compete.  One young woman runner/blogger put it like this after being in a race with her this month: “She's almost old enough for AARP and her 5K pace is sub-6:00.”   

I’ll be watching results for Joan Samuelson a little more closely in the months ahead and recall that young woman who talked to us nearly two decades ago about her love of running in the foggy mornings in Maine, her balancing act with her young family, and her guiding practices: determination, dedication, and desire.

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photo  from Wikipedia