I enjoy cycling at the back. It has a lot of plus points and just a couple of negatives. Dealing with the negatives first... You can't get into any kind of rhythm at the back when you are cycling with children so I spend a lot of my time gliding, braking, catching up. I don't really find my own cadence. All this is worth it because I get to watch the family from afar, I don't have someone on my tail (and they don't have to put up with looking at my backside all day long!).
Adrian sets a really good pace and takes the front when we are on main routes or when more navigation is needed.
Thomas consistently sits in Adrian's slip-stream and Adrian tells me that he doesn't really communicate much unless it is to ask for a water stop or needing a wee! He is really competitive and hates the girls to go in front or have their turn with daddy. He is known to have complete melt-downs on hills when 'daddy is not waiting' for him (because if Adrian stops on a hill, with the weight of the trailer, he will never get started again)! If Emily tucks in behind the trailer and the path is straightforward, then Tom will take the family lead and sets a very good pace. He has only cycled with me once this holiday (because 1. I'm at the back and 2. I'm not daddy) and that was when he got left behind on a hill, so meant plenty of patience on my behalf and not showing himself in his best light! When I look at him ahead of me, his legs keep going round and round all day - amazing.
Emily usually comes next, although she does swap with Hannah. How she is not totally exhausted at the end of each day I don't know as she has the worst tour cycling technique I have ever seen. The Emily school of cycling involves only using gears 3 & 4, standing up to pedal very fast, then sitting down and gliding before repeating the process over and over again! The whole unit breaks down if Emily is in the lead! Emily could also go the whole day without uttering a single word to anyone. When on her bike she is totally in her own world, I have no idea what she is thinking about and get very little response if I ask, but wherever it is, it's a very happy and cheerful place as she is constantly smiling!
Hannah has obviously had a lot more experience on her bike, very much takes things at her own speed and is a very consistent rider. Her pace is slightly slower than Thomas', but I do forget that she is carrying all her own luggage and is fully loaded. She is now using her gears well, although she is not always as observant as she could be to prepare for obstacles ahead of her. Hannah is the complete opposite of Emily in that she has to be constantly talking which comes with problems when she is talking back to you in single file. Most of what she says I can't hear and it just makes her gradually slow down and a gap open up. Mostly she will ask questions - about the journey, plan for the day, how many miles we have done or have left to do, or more often about when we are going to eat next! (Hannah's constantly thinks about her stomach!). She can also talk about completely unrelated things and today composed a song in her head and then sung it to me which was lovely. Due to the fact that I can't hear a lot of what she says, I find myself making encouraging noises and then asking her to speed up to catch up!
The English really do have a lot to learn from the French. Their cycle routes put us to shame. A couple of days ago when it was undulating Tarmac paths through the forest all day, Adrian and I got to cycle together while the the three children - Emily and Thomas in particular - found their competitive spirits and raced each other along the route. It is so safe for them.
As for myself, it would be nice to have a more consistent rhythm, but I certainly enjoy being where I am - 'queen of all she surveys' :-)
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