Three generations of Traralgon's Norman family will hit the road later this month as part of the 2011 RACV Great Victorian Bike Ride.
Andrew and Danielle Norman will be taking their four year-old daughter Madeline and possibly her six month-old sister Zoe and joining up with Andrew's parents Caroline and Greg from Orbost for the nine-day ride that covers nearly 600 kilometres of Victorian countryside.
"It will be a lot of fun, they will be driving through, we'll meet up with them and then head off as one big convoy," Andrew said.
"They are cyclists too; they've done heaps of Great Victorian Bike Rides, they do the rotary rides and all sorts of things."
Organised by Bicycle Network Victoria, the camping and cycling holiday will feature four days of bike riding along the Murray River from Swan Hill, a rest day in Echuca and a further four days through the goldfields, before reaching its conclusion in Castlemaine.
This will be Andrew and Danielle's third time on the ride, but their first as a family, having completed the adventure at least twice "before children".
"The thing I'm most looking forward to is taking Madeline on it," Andrew said.
"The holiday is good, riding with other people is lots of fun, but taking her is the thing I'm looking forward to this year."
The couple are members of riding associations Bicycle User Group (BUG), Traralgon and Morwell Pedallers (TRAMPS) and Sale and District Sunday Afternoon Cyclists (SADSACS), which has given them the opportunity to introduce Madeline to riding.
"Madeline has her own tent, her own sleeping bag, she's got everything all set up," Andrew said.
"We've done trial camping in the backyard to make sure she can cope.
"When we go riding with TRAMPS and SADSACS I take her in the trailer, so we've been taking her for a few months now. She's up to it, she will do 80 kilometres quite happily."
However, that's not to say Madeline will not be playing an active part on the tour.
As well as the dual-seat 'trailer', the Normans will be taking a Weehoo iGo tag-a-long trainer which allows Madeline to peddle along with her parents on the tandem bike.
"If it's going to bucket down with rain she can climb in the trailer, if the weather is good she sits on the back," Andrew said.
Danielle too is pleased with the trainer and said the GVBR was a great riding event for young families.
"We decided to get the back peddle bike because I would just hate to get into a camp site and be exhausted and have Madeline still running around, this might wear her out a bit," Danielle said.
"(Ride organisers) can reduce traffic and that makes it a bit safer to travel as a family.
"That's one of the main reasons we're happy to do it with the Great Victorian Bike Ride as opposed to independently taking the whole family across the state.
"It's easier if you're really fit... but being able to go at your own pace is good, especially with the kids."
According to Danielle the ride was also a "very social" event and a good way to see the state.
She said she was looking forward to seeing a different part of Victoria and it was a healthy way to do it.
"We started (riding) before we got married and we used to go every weekend," she said.
"When we had Madeline it stopped for a bit but there's no reason why kids can't go around with you when you've got trailers and things like that."
The GVBR starts on Saturday, 26 November.
For more information visit www.greatvic.com.au or phone 1800 616 600.
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