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Bike bags Bicycle Journeys of 6-Year-Old Frank
My name is Sławek, I'm 53 years old, and Iwona is 46. Our son, Franek, is 6 years old. Physical activity plays a significant role in our lives, and Franek lives with us, learning by our example. The shared satisfaction of family activities and motivation is an essential part of Frank's upbringing. Through bicycle journeys, but not only, we teach our son that this form of spending leisure time is a life school from the earliest years, fulfilling dreams, and striving for set goals. I want to share our experiences from Frank's 6-year-old bicycle journeys and his first bicycle panniers on the rack.
This Is Where It All Started
When Franek turned 5 years old, we were returning from a trip to the Land of Extinct Volcanoes. On our way back, we stopped to pick up a used 20-inch wheel bicycle that I had spotted online earlier. At that time, our son couldn't yet reach the pedals properly. However, when spring arrived, the bicycle turned out to be just what he needed!
Frank's first significant cycling adventure was a multi-day Kinderwyprawka Bożocielna in 2023. This social event organized by Tomek Gurdziołek (Journeys towards Nature) brought together 33 families, totaling about 130 people! With a base near the Załęczanski Landscape Park by the Liswarta River, we rode bicycles around the area for three days. Tomek had planned several cycling excursion options for each day, catering to adults and children of different ages and abilities. Although I'm not very sociable, I felt good among this group of enthusiasts. For 5-year-old Frank, who was riding independently, these trips were quite a physical challenge. However, in the evenings, it turned out that Franek had plenty of energy, enthusiasm for swimming, and crazy fun with new friends. During this cycling trip, Franek had the chance to observe how many children and adults were riding with bike panniers on their racks.
Sweden - Let's Hit the Road!
Even in winter, Iwona planned to take Frank and Łucja on a cycling adventure to Sweden in July. Her plan was to travel with them on a ferry without a car, with bicycles and basic gear, and then cycle for about 10 days in Sweden.
I attached an old wire rack with a flap to Frank's bike, taken from some bicycle made around 30 years ago. Then, Frank received brand new bicycle panniers from dad - a real treasure! Extrawheel Rider 30L panniers in his favorite color, red. After a simple adjustment of the durable plastic hooks, the panniers fit perfectly on the 20-inch bicycle and the recycled wire rack. In these Rider panniers, Frank packed everything he needed: his favorite sleeping bag, several sets of clothes, a toothbrush, and other essentials. Nothing got caught, fell off, or wobbled! It was time to head to Sweden!
Accommodation in Sweden: Couchsurfing and the Forest - That's the Way!
When they were the only cyclists boarding the ferry, I had the impression that they looked a bit lost. But I can tell you right away that when they returned, they already looked like seasoned travelers from afar. And it's not surprising! One of the reasons is that Iwona is a member of the couchsurfing community and decided to utilize her couchsurfing experiences in Sweden as well.
What is couchsurfing? It's a way of traveling that involves finding accommodation among local couchsurfers where you're going. It also involves being open to hosting passing couchsurfers for a night. So, you can be a guest one time and a host another time. No fees, no obligation for reciprocity with a specific person. However, from experience, I know that couchsurfing is not just about free accommodation. If you have that mindset, you probably don't fit into the couchsurfing community. Most couchsurfers expect not to be treated as a free hotel or anonymous travelers. That's why being open to different people and clear boundaries in your interaction, both for guests and hosts, are crucial. If you're willing to embrace such an experience, you might get hooked on it.
Before the trip to Sweden, Iwona contacted several couchsurfers there, and some of them confirmed their willingness to host a mother with children, bicycles, and gear. Thanks to this, our cycling team could use Couchsurfing twice. Nils and Karin hosted them near Kalmar. They also have children, and Franek and Łucja quickly found common ground with them. At these hosts' place, they got accommodation, meals, ice cream, a walk, and the opportunity for a swim in the lake. A lot of fun and the feeling that they were not alone.
When their route took them away from the homes of couchsurfers, they camped in the forest. They made use of the principle of 'powszechny dostęp' (in Swedish: Allemansrätten), which means the right of public access. This right allows people to enjoy nature, whether it's public or private land, and it includes the freedom to camp in most places. However, exercising this right comes with the responsibility of respecting nature and other people. You can easily find more information about it on the internet.
My cycling travelers took advantage of this opportunity several times. In a forest by the roadside, they leaned their bikes against trees, took off their bike panniers, set up a tent, prepared meals, and spent the night. In many places, thanks to the principle of 'powszechny dostęp,' they gathered berries like blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Several times, I received photos from them with contented, dirt-smeared faces.
Burden or Satisfaction?
Upon Frank's return home, I stumbled upon a book about Sweden by Natalia Kolaczek. She quotes a saying that goes, 'Swedish summer is the best day of the year.' However, the Swedish weather favored my travelers throughout their entire trip. Even before the journey, they embraced another Swedish saying, 'There's no bad weather, only bad clothing.' That's why not even rain clouds could spoil this bike trip for them. Thanks to the good bike panniers, Frank didn't end up with wet clothes or a wet sleeping bag! Packed bike panniers didn't slow Frank down; quite the opposite, they made the adventure more exciting for him, and he was as proud as a peacock! His Extrawheel Rider panniers turned out to be practical, lightweight, and easy to attach and detach for a person who's only 115 cm tall.
Dolina Baryczy - Welcoming Autumn
Camp in the forest during a family bike trip
Ryszard Szurkowski Bicycle Path
Zmigrod
Carp and Birds
Congratulations to Franek on his 400 km bike journey!
Dad and Son. Two Bikes and Our Bicycle Panniers.
The Barycz Valley and our sample route are a unique place to ride bikes with panniers. However, during our trip, we also traverse another exceptional realm. The realm of building a strong father-son relationship. Several hours on bikes provide a good time for conversations about dinosaurs, space, and the movies we've watched. Hugs, close talks, and the absence of rushed hurry also work wonders for lifting the mood. We carry this realm of our relationship with us on every bicycle adventure.
Baltic - Adriatic: There's Such a Route Near Our Home!
During the summer, Iwona is already making plans for her trips next year. She started thinking about a long-distance bicycle route abroad. However, she realized that it might be too challenging for Frank, especially for a child, to cover the planned 2000 km. And then, one day, while I was sitting on a bench near our home, I had an epiphany. After all, such a route runs right next to our house! EuroVelo 9 from the Baltic to the Adriatic! That's how the idea was born to ride from Poznań to Pula in Croatia. In the autumn, we plan to test parts of the route with Frank, like riding sections of the route, going back, traveling to the route, and coming back, and so on. In the spring, when the days are longer, we plan to reach the Adriatic. Our destination: Pula
Stage I Towards Croatia
On October 15th, we embark on the bicycle route of Stage I of EuroVelo 9, Luboń – Lubiń, covering 56 km. The weather is crisp, with a chilling wind blowing most of the way. We pass through sunflower fields, glimpse dahlias and georginas in gardens, encounter a few towns and small cities, and traverse some open fields. Beautiful Poland!
Museum - Literary Workshop of Arkady Fiedler
In Puszczykowo, near Poznań, a true gem awaits! It's worth a visit and even going out of your way for. The Arkady Fiedler Museum, dedicated to a naturalist, traveler, and author of books like 'Dywizjon 303,' 'Ryby śpiewają w Ukajali,' 'Kanada pachnącą żywicą,' and many other beautiful works.
Both of us were deeply moved by our visit to this place! Franek, in particular, will remember the enormous tarantula, alligators, a live Grandma Piranha, the dream motorbike, and a 1:1 replica of Christopher Columbus's ship, the Santa Maria (you can step on board and explore below deck). I'd like to add that there's also a replica of the famous Hawker Hurricane MK I fighter plane with the RF code, representing Dywizjon 303.
The museum also houses a memento of Kazimierz Nowak, who, in just 5 years (1931-36), solo-traveled across Africa from north to south and back. He covered 40,000 kilometers on foot, by bike, horse, boat, and camel. All this was done without modern gadgets or GPS. He beautifully documented his journey in reportages, such as 'Rowerem i pieszo przez Czarny Ląd.' We highly recommend this book to both kids and parents, as Franek and I read about him in 'Afryka Kazika,' and we sincerely recommend it.
II stage Lubiń - Dłoń. 50 kilometers of pedaling among yellow leaves.
In the Footsteps of Dreams
