Cycling trip with a baby in the trailer – right around France

One thing was certain on this cycling trip: once we’d parked the bikes, Zoé was well-rested and ready to go. Putting our feet up and taking a breather? No chance: she was off crawling through the grass, watching ants, having her nappy changed. Seeing our daughter make the outdoors her playground was a very touching sight for us – if pretty exhausting.

Not that we regretted for a second heading off on our first big adventure with our mini passenger in May 2021. Lots of people think that when you have a baby, it’s time to build a nest and make the world a very small place. We wanted the opposite. We decided to go away to bond as a family and give Zoé her first experience as a bikepacker.

So, we spent three months cycling through our native France. From west to east, we cycled as close to the borders as possible to put a symbolic smile on France’s face. Relying on calf muscle power, we crossed wild regions, travelled off the beaten track and camped wherever the mood took us every evening. We eventually clocked up 4,500 kilometres and slightly more than 70,000 metres of ascent.

But these are just numbers. More importantly, we were, and remain, convinced that this journey would leave a big imprint on Zoé and shape her character – even if she wouldn’t remember a thing. For the three of us, we laid the foundations for a life to be rich in experiences and discoveries. Doing cycling trips as a couple has given us great pleasure in recent years, but this one was definitely something special!