Three Generations Cross Europe By Bike

While the temperatures were cold enough for them to wake up to frost in The Netherlands, by the time they reached Austria, Slovakia and Hungary they were waking up already sweating with 100 “ant friends” and countless mosquito bites.

Compared to the $6 a night accommodations and ubiquitous street food stalls they enjoyed in Asia, European prices left the family camping and cooking their own dinners most nights to stay within their budget.

“I love camping, but I had not anticipated the amount of time we would spend grocery shopping, cooking and setting up and taking down camp,” she said. “It really added up.”

To enable Zion to participate fully and to be comfortable, they had three different set-ups; his own bike which he could ride alone, or which could be attached and towed behind his mother’s bike via a tandem system, and Mike pulled a chariot behind his bike for Zion to sit in when he needed a break, or to escape rain and wind.

“It was really important to us that he could ride by himself when he wanted to,” Rosen said. “Zion actually had three choices every day to keep him happy and most days he used all three.”

Sharing the experience with three generations of her family also yielded plenty of blessings.  

“Every sense is heightened while riding, but this time, I was also able to experience the land, the environment and daily interactions through my family’s eyes as well and that was very rewarding,” she said. “For example, when I was stressed about getting to camp, or where we were going three days from then, my mom would comment on the smell of the flowers or the river we were riding beside, which would bring me totally back to being present.

"And Zion, at six years old, always lived in the present moment. It wasn't always easy, and I felt more anxious than on other long-distance cycle tours by having my son along, but all the effort we put into doing it was totally worth it.”

One surprise came with the amount of energy needed not only for cycling, navigating and staying safe, but for playing with Zion. At those times, Rosen’s parents, who had previously joined them on shorter bike tours, but were experiencing their longest trip of any kind, were helpful.

“Having my parents along was great,” she said. “They just loved to bike and learn all about cycle-touring. Both of them were amazing at playing with Zion if Mike and I were too exhausted or busy with camp life chores. 

Throughout the trip, Rosen learned to navigate the activity she loves so dearly while adjusting to another new challenge. After years of high-level, long-distance adventure racing and demanding backcountry adventures, last summer she began developing leg pains. It was the second time in her life with this affliction, and while doctors discovered she has an extra soleus muscle in each leg, which might be causing the pain due to inflammation affecting a nerve, there were no clear answers. Rosen and her family’s initial plan to cycle the Continental Divide mountain bike route from Banff to Mexico was nixed, as she can no longer push hard on the bike.

“My legs have been in pain for a year now,” she said. “On good days I can bike easier flat rides, while on bad days I can’t walk.”

But it was Mike who suggestion a solution – an e-bike.

“At first, I did not want to,” she admitted. “I was an athlete and sad that I had lost that part of myself. But when I finally tried the pedal-assist bike, it gave me so much joy to be riding again.”