Sometimes we feel we have two families, my husband and I. There's our "grown-up" family, consisting of our elder daughters who are 14 and 12; and then there are our "babies", the little girls aged seven and four. And while most of the time life is a joy, there are occasions when it's difficult, not to say impossible, to find an activity that suits everyone.
Which is where cycling comes in. Because - whisper it where you will, and I say it in a hushed voice in case one of the girls overhears and decides never to get on to a bike again - one of the few pastimes that seems to suit us all is cycling. The uber-cool teenager Rosie, so up-to-the-minute it hurts, has never once told me cycling was "so over". Her 12-year-old sister, Elinor, has a look of disdain that could turn a fire to ice, but even she doesn't turn down the chance to go on a bike ride. Meanwhile Miranda, seven, can hardly contain her enthusiasm when the chance of a ride is on the cards, and Treenie, our four-year-old, is already putting on her jacket so she can get into that bike seat or trailer (the latter, inevitably, being her favourite).
So it was that, when we found ourselves in Exeter recently, there was only one place to head for. The cathedral? Puh-leeze: we don't want the teen queen stamping her feet around the altar. A museum? Muuuum! They're, like, so boring! An art gallery? Fab for Rosie and Elinor, but not enough to engage Miranda and Treenie. "How about going on a bike ride along the canal?" ventured my husband. A stunned silence followed: what, no objections?
When you're part of a team of six disparately aged and often discontented individuals, you don't expect anything to be straightforward. But, surprisingly, hiring two adult bikes, one small adult's bike, two children's bikes and a trailer, plus relevant helmets, from Saddles and Paddles on the quayside at Exeter proved ridiculously simple. Within minutes we were whirling across the bridge and along the canalside, the big girls out in front, Miranda valiantly in third place, me behind and Gary at the back only slightly regretting having been talked by Treenie into hiring a trailer.
The traffic-free river Exe cycle route - number 2 on the National Cycle Network - is a delightful experience. A sunny day helps, obviously - and we were blessed with one - but there is plenty to do and see: a riverside park, a nature reserve, an area of marshland and a bird sanctuary. The leaflets tell you to look out for kingfishers and herons; we didn't spot any, but that's probably because they'd spotted us first.
One of the best things about cycling as a family is that each person has their own space, so while it's an activity you enjoy together, it's also one that gives you time apart. As we sped along through the Devon countryside there was none of the usual sniping and minor arguments that - while they're part and parcel of normal family life - do have the ability to mar an otherwise happy day. So much so that, when we arrived at the Double Locks pub halfway along the five-mile route, every member of the family was on speaking terms with everyone else, which is almost unprecedented. And the realisation that the Double Locks had an adventure playground that included rope swings and tree houses only led to further bliss for all concerned: the parents even got 10 minutes to talk, on their own (another rarity).
From there it was back on to the bikes to complete the route upstream - and then we all turned round and headed back to Exeter in time for a cup of tea at one of the many quayside cafes. As family days out go, this has to be one of the best. A second route is now planned, on the other side of the Exe estuary, so when we're next in town we'll do it again, and cycle for longer.
· Bikes from Saddles and Paddles, 4 King's Wharf, Exeter (www.sadpad.com)
