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Just outside of Sydney, there are some fantastic places to go on a family bike ride. Some of my favorites include the Fernleigh Track south of Newcastle, the Lake Macquarie cycleways, the Bong Bong Track in the Southern Highlands, and the Thirroul to Wollongong cycleway. While you could drive to any of these locations, catching the train there is a great option. When you take the train, you have more options on where to start and finish your ride, you don’t worry about traffic jams, and the train ride is a fun experience for both kids and parents. However, travelling on the train with a child and bike can create some challenges. Here are some tips on how to make the journey easier.

• Know what type of train service is running. Some trains have more space in the carriage and are better at carrying multiple bikes than others. Call up CityRail to find out what type of train will be running and see if it suites your needs. The outer suburban Oscar trains have retractable steats in the vestibule. They are a great place to park your bike but keep in mind that they are there primarily to provide wheelchair access.  If you’re using the bike rack on the older InterCity trains, you’ll need to take any child seat off before hanging the bike up in the carriage. This is because the child seat will block the door way and vertical hanging racks work best when you place your knee on the saddle to lift the bike up.
• Position yourself near the guard’s carriage. If you get on at a major terminal, you’ll have time to speak with the train guard before the train departs. Let them know which station you’re planning to get out at and in all likelihood they’ll be watching for you and give you more time when you get out at your destination.
• Use locks and straps to secure your bike. If there are no bike racks available, many carriages have poles (and some rails) that you can tie your bike to in a way that won’t impede other passengers or the doorway. The trick is to secure both the wheels in a way that they cannot rotate. You can do this by locking your wheels through the frame or by putting a heavy duty rubber band around each brake lever to engage the brakes.  Once you do this, you’ll find that your bike is surprising stable and you can enjoy the rest of the train trip.
• Watch out for stairs. You’re not going to want to carry a bike, child and luggage up a set of stairs at the station. If there are no lifts, the best option is to get off at a station which has at-grade wheelchair access. You may have to ride a little further from your destination but it’s usually not that far. You can find out which stations have at grade access by looking here.
• Only pack the essentials. When you’re traveling with kids it’s easy to accumulate lots of stuff and this can make life rather challenging when you’ve got limited carrying capacity. Make sure you know the difference between what’s essential and what’s not. You won’t need to take much to have a fantastic time.