A few commentators seemed to think the idea was impractical if not a little loopy altogether. Won't the kids get bored while they're sitting in the trailers; what if you get a flat tyre; where will you put your bikes at night? What if it's dark, if the kids get cold or tired, if you get injured? You'd save so much time by taking an aeroplane. You'd be able to see more if you had a car... The list of well-wishing doubters was sizeable.

I was in two minds about the expedition. On the one hand, we were a family of adventurers: problem solvers, challenge-relishers. It was precious, outdoor, screen-free, come-what-may, time together. On the other hand, it might just have been the antithesis of sensible parenting. Honestly, I was neither sure nor deterred…

It was winter time in Sicily and Mount Etna had begun to experience significant eruptive activity. Neither of these elements augured particularly well for favourable bikepacking conditions, especially with young kids in tow…

This time, there wasn’t going to be any travel help hotline… no luggage transfer, no pre-vetted lodgings or routes. This time, we aimed to do it all ourselves… a bikepacking trip that would get us from England’s West to East coasts with stops in London and Legoland along the way, all the while with young kids in tow…