Bike Time Versus Family Time

Riding with young kids adds a third dimension to motorcycle touring, especially when your co-rider packs a bonus bundle of  energy.  Long trips turn into lessons in luggage organization and parental patience, but the memories made are the experiences of a lifetime.  Currently, we’re the only members in Chapter NE-W with a rider under 12.  Hannah Rose started riding when she was six years old and we owned one motorcycle.  Doug and I had noticed that our ride time was starting to cut into our family time.  We needed to cut back on our motorcycling or find a way for the family to spend time together AND ride.  Brittni was preparing for college and didn’t really have a lot of spare time for rides that summer, so the key player in this drama was our youngest, Hannah Rose.  

Four People, One Bike:  Should we buy a second motorcycle?  Doug and I made a couple of test rides with Hannah to see how she took to the back seat of the GoldWing.  She loved it!   Solution:  We bought an older used 1500 trike to use for local family ice cream runs and Thursday supper rides.  In August, when the entire Sullivan clan took off for the Nebraska State Fair, we decided it was the perfect time to test Hannah Rose on a longer trip.  If she couldn’t make it the whole way across the state to Lincoln, we’d let her finish the trip in her grandparents’ sedan.  The weather was perfect for the 6-hour ride.  We allowed an extra rest break along the way, and by 9 pm, we pulled into the hotel registration area.  I nudged Hannah awake as we waited for Doug to find our room and finish up his visit with some enthusiastic Japanese tourists.  “So Hannah, how did you like your ride?”  Her eyes almost popped out of her helmet as she responded “That was Great!  When can we go again?”  We were in trouble... this kid actually preferred the longer rides over ice cream runs!   Throughout the next winter, we made plans to upgrade to a newer second trike that could handle longer trips.  We also started looking for gear that wouldn’t break our budget.  

By mid-spring, we’d developed a behavioral reward system by which Hannah could earn her ride to her first Gold Rush. (Remember, she’s nicknamed Hammy for a reason.)  Three successful  supper runs earned a Saturday Ride.  A good Saturday Ride earned a weekend campout.  A good campout earned a trip to the Region C Rally in Nebraska City, which resulted in the trip of a lifetime... Gold Rush XXI in Montana via the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, and Beartooth Pass.  Talk about motivation!  Hannah owes her mother a big thank you for the many times I explained to a group of second-grade girls why we could not bring everyone autographed pictures of their favorite pop star (Just because her last name’s Montana doesn’t mean she lives there!)  By July, Hannah had secured her seat.

As we prepared for our journey, we continued to glean tips from fellow riders and benefit from their travel-parenting experiences.  This is one of the perks of GWTA membership:  the friendships and resources awaiting you when you participate in chapter, state, regional, and national events...   There’s no need to re-invent the wheel!!!    

The Gear:  When taking kids on longer trips, we learned that proper gear plays a big part in your co-rider’s happiness.... because if your co-rider ain’t happy.... ain’t nobody happy!  And comfort is key.  When you live in a prairie state just beyond the shadow of the Rockies, most of your comfort is directly related to wind, sudden extreme weather changes, and having the gear ON BOARD to cope with those changes.  That’s when your packing skills come into play.  Until kids are able to understand wind chill and dressing for 60-mph bike speeds, be prepared for a few extra stops and digging through a trunk full of gear for that extra jacket.  We found a set of child’s chaps and a leather jacket on E-Bay for under $20, also a child’s rain suit, and a $5 snow-mobile suit with velcroed wrist and ankle closures, perfect under leathers during cool weather.  Thank goodness for the internet!  

We searched for 2 years for a warm-weather solution to protect a young rider from road rash and sun.  (No teenager should have to worry about road rash scars when choosing her prom dress.)  The Joe Rocket brand’s tendency to size their women’s clothing on the small side worked in our favor.  We found a discontinued mesh jacket in a Lady’s XS which worked perfectly.  Hannah loved the hot pink color, which also made her easier to spot in a crowd.  And then there’s the vest.  One of Hannah’s proudest possessions is her GWTA vest made by a Chapter W member.  If you want to see a girl’s face light up, just give her a little bling and a place to show it off... a few patches here, a pin or two there, some pink lining, and now she’s a proud member of the club!  Jean, you are awesome!

The Helmet:  First and foremost, our serious touring friends recommended investing in a good helmet fitted so that air wasn’t allowed inside to whip around the head and neck.  We found a closeout sale on X-Small Arai helmets.  The dealer custom-fitted the padding to Hannah’s current size.  As she grows, we’ll refit the helmet with new pads.  Hannah’s reaction... WOW, the fit of the helmet exponentially increased her riding comfort and pleasure.  No more wind-whipped, bobble-head fatigue.

We also installed a head-set in the helmet, based on another friend’s experience with his grandson.   Kids want to feel part of the group.  Hannah loved being able to communicate, share her discoveries over the intercom, and keep up with “the herd” by listening to the group’s cb chatter.  The headset also allows parents to get creative when boredom sets in... how many kids can say they’ve counted all the windmills from Ogallala to the South Dakota State line?  Now’s a great time to start developing your child’s future skills.... watching for deer, signaling the location of road hazards, speed limit changes, gravel, missed turn signs, etc.  Kids love to feel important;  these little jobs do just that and prepare future riders for the day when they’ll want their own wheels.

The Bike:   Of course we have to mention some “safety” chrome!  Age isn’t as much of a co-rider factor here as is the maturity to communicate back-seat discomfort to your rider before it reaches crisis stage.  Riders must remember that if you’re feeling cold, your co-rider is probably twice as cold.  Be patient with young co-riders’ complaints.  Our first add-on was a luggage strap to secure the back arm-rests in position should the co-rider fall asleep during a ride.  It’s cheap but indispensable in my book.  We keep one in each bike... no strap, no ride.  This year, we added some Baker Air Wings.  Hannah loves them!  The “wings” deflect the moving air and bugs (think like a 9-yr old girl) off her legs, and they enlarge her comfort “bubble” behind the rider.  

The Little Things:  Family rides always have the potential for creating life-long memories when we plan ahead... take extra water, healthy snacks, gum, suckers, chap stick, and sun screen.  If you notice your co-rider (young or old) getting a little too cranky a little too often, re-evaluate how frequently you stop for a stretch, a snack, and a drink.  Into collecting souvenirs?  Try a Penny Passport for the younger crew.  It allows kids to collect a small item from places they’ve traveled without loading up the trunks and saddle bags.  Each stretched penny allows your co-rider to share her own stories and memories with friends and family back home.

The Camera:  I’ve found a down-side to riding my own bike.  I no longer get to lose myself in the scenery and capture the experience on film.  On a lark, I let Hannah borrow an old camera and shoot around the back yard.  I was amazed at the pictures that came back to me.  So when the Sullivan’s headed out on Chapter NE-E & NE-W’s 2008 Estes Park Camp-out, Doug secured the strap of that camera to Hammy’s wrist and told her to shoot away!  The camera was simple to use and small enough to slip in the pouch on Doug’s back rest during bad weather.  We came home with 786 pictures for me to filter through (and that’s after I deleted the blurs).  The majority of the shots were quite good... some even darned creative!  From that moment on, Hammy became Three Wheels West’s official photographer-in-training.  With the “Hammy Cam” on board, I get to enjoy riding my own trike, Hammy's occupied with exploring a creative talent, and our family gets a ton of photographic souvenirs.

Patience:  All the gear in the world won’t amount to a hill of beans when riding with kids if the rider doesn’t show a little patience with his passenger.  Yes, there are days which try your patience, but that’s when it helps to be riding with a partner who can give you a break and take your passenger on board.  It means a lot to Doug and me when fellow chapter members detect a problem and help out by turning “helmets on and mount up” into a race to see who will be the last person on the bike, or who gets the quarter for being first to inspect "the facilities", or who will finish their meal so we all get ice cream.  Fun games like these can defuse a developing battle of wills.  Eventually, young co-riders figure out that their actions affect the whole group and learn a valuable lesson in cooperation.  And that’s when you realize that Destination Friendship has arrived at Destination Family.  Enjoy the Ride.

(pictures contributed by Three Wheels West and Kim Petersen)
posted on Wednesday, October 07, 2009 8:23 AM by U2Farmer

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