Pedal Pioneers: A Guide to Bicycle Travel with Kids

The Adventure Cycling Association has released af new guide for bicycle touring with kids. MoBikeFed President Joe Torrisi, who is one of the organizers of a middle school bicycle club in the St. Louis area, was a major contributor to the guide. (The Compton-Drew Dolphin Bicycle Club does at least one tour each year).

Bicycle tours provide outstanding opportunities for youth to combine physical and mental challenges, hone social skills, learn about different regions of the world, and gain confidence and a sense of self-sufficiency through experiential learning.

Pedal Pioneers: A Guide to Bicycle Travel with Kids provides a tool for youth leaders to organize their own youth tour. In five sections, the Guide walks leaders through each stage of organizing a trip for kids. The section titles are:

• Trip Design and Development
  
• Turning Kids into Cyclists
  
• Resources and Logistics
  
• Coming Home
  
• Life on the Road
  
• And An Appendix

The Guide covers many of the details that leaders need to know when considering or planning a bike tour with kids, including:

• Partnerships
  
• Route Planning
  
• Group Dynamics
  
• Equipment and CLothing
  
• Food
  
• Overnight Accomodations
  
• End of the Trip Logistics

And much more.

We are developing the Guide in response to numerous requests for information from teachers and youth leaders. We anticipate that the materials, gleaned from the experiences of youth and adult tour leaders, bicycle safety experts, and avid cyclists, will help others to start or refine their own programs.

If you would like to receive a free copy of the Pedal Pioneers, email outreach@adventurecycling.org with:
How you first heard of Pedal Pioneers

• Your name
  
• Organization
  
• Mailing Address
  
• Phone number
  Although the Guide is free, donations are encouraged. You can donate to Adventure Cycling at https://www.adventurecycling.org/secure/give.cfm

More information on the Adventure Cycling web site.