Exmoor National Park makes the perfect place for a biking adventure, as Vicki Power discovers...

Gritting my teeth in determination, it was only a few more metres to the top I told myself. I stood up and pushed hard on the bike's pedals, forcing them to turn and propel me forward. My back was damp with sweat and my thigh muscles were getting a long-overdue wake-up call. A steady offshore breeze was blowing into my face as well, conspiring to hinder my final ascent to the top of Hoccombe Hill on Exmoor.

Imagining myself on an Edmund Hillary-type mission with this modest hill as my Everest, I willed myself towards the summit, even though no world records would be set and no crowds would cheer. I wanted to do it because throughout this glorious day of mountain biking on Exmoor, I had been
eager to keep up with the boys - in this case my teenage son, Gabriel, and our instructor, Dan French - as much as my middle-aged physique would allow.

I was determined to make it, even if by the end it was only pride that kept me pedalling up that hill.

At last! With one final surge of energy I reached the top and was met with a breathtaking view, the enjoyment only marred by the sound of my gasps for air.

The Bristol Channel was spread out in front of us, with Wales on the far horizon. With the afternoon sun glinting off the wide expanse of water, it sparkled like a sea of jewels and was a wonderful reward for my (Herculean, in my view) efforts. Tackling this hill on a bike and enjoying the subsequent panorama was one of many exhilarating moments that made our mountain-biking expedition on Exmoor so gratifying.

I had booked it while Gabe and I were staying at CSMA Club's Wheel Farm Cottages in Combe Martin, Devon. Given that my teenage son considers himself far too mature for most attractions, we had pushed the boat out for a three-hour mountain biking tour. These days, Gabe craves a bit more adventure on his holidays and I am happy to oblige, providing it doesn't break the bank or I don't break a leg.

Devon's endless greenery and coastline provide plenty of opportunities for adventure
- everything from hiking and kayaking to the adrenaline fuelled rush of rock-climbing and coasteering make the area one big playground for families.

There are few regions of Britain more suited to biking than Exmoor National Park. It boasts 400 miles of bridleways and a diverse landscape of woodland, beautiful, wide open moorland, scenic valleys and babbling brooks to explore. There are also few cars to interfere with your safety, and on Exmoor you are never short of lovely things to look at, including wildlife galore.

I looked online for a firm to guide us and rang Exmoor Adventures, whose owner, Dan French, is a qualified mountain-biking leader. Dan was brought up near Minehead and knows every inch of Exmoor. He was friendly and encouraging and full of useful tips for the novice mountain biker; the ideal guide for a three-hour expedition. Dan suggested we meet in Simonsbath (pronounced ‘Simmonsbath'), just 13 miles away from Wheel Farm Cottages.

Apparently, the Tour of Britain cycle race - formerly the Milk Race - came to Exmoor in recent years and even ran through Simonsbath, a discovery I found slightly unnerving. 

Dan and his van were waiting for us in the centre of Simonsbath when we arrived. As he unloaded bikes and helmets, Dan explained we'd tackle a manageable 10-mile route, following the River Barle downriver for some distance, and then taking the Two Moors Way - the major north-south walking route across Devon - a short distance, before climbing onto open moorland. We hopped onto our bikes and headed off together. Immediately I said a silent prayer of thanks that the old adage about riding a bicycle proved true: once learned, never forgotten. I hadn't cycled for about a decade, so it was a relief to realise I could cope with the narrower bike trails and keep up with the two younger and fitter members of the party, except when the odd steep hill got in the way.

The day was just right for an outdoor activity: refreshing and occasionally sunny. The three of us set out down a scenic valley, splashed through the River Barle and eventually pedalled up onto Exmoor's famous moorland.

Exmoor's low level of traffic meant we could also cycle on its quiet roads and take in the magnificent views. We also saw more wildlife than people, along the way, with Dan pointing out buzzards, kestrels, and even red deer grazing in the distance. What an exhilarating way to take in the scenery! Our off-road cycling expedition ended with us splattered in mud and shrieking with excitement - well, me, anyway - as we whizzed down hills and over glorious downland.

We returned to Simonsbath invigorated and a little tired. It had been a glorious day's cycling that Gabe and I had shared and enjoyed, and parental high points don't get any more pleasurable than that. To top it all, I secretly calculated that during the afternoon I'd burned enough calories to enable me to scoff, with impunity, a large cream tea in Simonsbath afterwards. My idea of a perfect afternoon.