Should I bail to keep from leading some one on, and if so, what would be a good excuse?

A friend of mine that some think likes me wants to go with me to an event a few hours away. I’m not interested in him as more than a friend and I don’t think any of our other friends are going. I already said that I would go if my parents said it was ok. Upon further consideration I realized I could be leading him on and that the whole excursion could be awkward. Would it be kinder to bail on him and tell him I can’t go, or would I be nicer to go with him?