Gravel, grit and giggles: riding an ultra with twins in tow
If you'd told me five years ago that I'd be dragging 60kg of bike, kit and two toddlers up Swiss mountains in search of cake, I probably would've laughed. And, if you’d added that those two toddlers were twins - and mine, I’d have laughed even harder!
It’s not that I shy away from big adventures, or that I never planned on having kids (though twins definitely weren’t on the radar), but when you put it like that… well, it does sound a bit mad!
This is a story about taking on two huge challenges with two tiny humans, and how my twin daughters, Annie and Flo, became my unexpected teammates, joining me on the start line of an ultra-distance gravel race in Switzerland. In a trailer. With absolutely no idea if things would go to plan!
It's about the joy of getting outside, the madness of setting big goals post-babies, and the kind of misadventures that begin with a map, a throwaway comment, and a slightly questionable grasp of what’s possible to do on your family holiday. All inspired by writing a book! It might not make sense to start - just bear with me!
About the author
Hetty Kingston lives in the beautiful Peak District with her husband and two-year-old twins, Annie and Flo. By day, she runs a business focused on making the outdoors more inclusive and accessible. By night (and naptime), she dreams up daft adventures, pores over maps plotting routes, and - more recently - wrote a gravel guidebook while covered in puréed banana. She's passionate about helping more people discover the joy of the outdoors, especially by bike, and is one of the organisers of Peak Gravel Gang - a women-led, friendly, and fun off-road cycling group built around community, confidence, and connection.
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From maps to motherhood (and everything in between)
A lot of what I am about to tell you stems from my love of maps. This love affair began long before motherhood. I could happily spend hours poring over an OS map, plotting routes, tracing trails, and trying to link bits of countryside together like a giant outdoor jigsaw.
So when Vertebrate Publishing asked me to write Gravel Rides Peak District, I jumped at the chance. There was just one small snag: shortly after agreeing, I found out I was pregnant. With twins. And felt horrendous!
Inspired by my friends and the rad mums I follow on Instagram, I’d always thought I’d be one of those super active pregnant women. I pictured myself riding well into the third trimester, bump and all, cruising through the Peak District on a gentle gravel trail. I’d even planned on riding Badger Divide at 5 months pregnant. Spoiler: This did not happen.
I was sick. Constantly. I couldn’t do anything that involved being upright without feeling like I might keel over. Morning sickness, I soon discovered, is a bit of a misnomer. It’s more of an all-day, all-consuming sort of thing.
But I missed riding. So when the tiredness eased a bit in the second trimester (sadly, the nausea remained), I invested in an e-bike and set off at a new, slightly more sedate pace. From here, I managed to ride until I was seven months pregnant, at which point there was literally no more room between me and the handlebars. People were mostly encouraging, although some thought I was utterly mad.
Either way, it was an essential part of keeping me sane - my two-wheeled therapy and escape.
My top tips for pushing your limits (with or without children)
- Define success early. For me, success often just means getting to the start line. Even the best-laid plans can fall apart - a cold, teething, or just an off day can quickly derail everything. Some days, I might only manage 2km before we have to turn back. I’ve learned not to measure success by distance or duration. Just getting out the door can be the hardest part, and if we manage that, I count it as a win. Everything beyond that is a bonus.
- Start small. Baby steps (or rides) really do add up. Whether it’s ten minutes around the block or a short spin between naps, it all counts. Don’t wait for the perfect moment - just start where you are, with what you have. Those tiny outings build confidence, stamina, and routine, and before you know it, those short rides become something bigger.
- Embrace the chaos. Something will always go wrong. That’s part of the fun. A forgotten snack, an unexpected nappy change, a tantrum at the side of the trail... It’s all part of the ride. Let go of perfection and lean into the unpredictability - it’s hard, but overall makes for less stress.
- Keep it joyful. Fun over fast. Always. The goal isn't distance or speed - it's smiles, fresh air, and maybe a few pieces of flapjack along the way. Celebrate the small wins and enjoy the journey, however slow or stop-start it might be. And yes, never underestimate the motivational power of cake.
- Share the adventure. Bring someone else along for the ride - even if they’re in nappies.
Challenge #1: writing the book
Very shortly after I hung up my helmet and put the bike away, the twins arrived. Annie and Flo were perfect, tiny and completely upended my world. I was exhausted, on cloud nine, slightly terrified, and in the middle of moving house… Now, at this point, most people would think that writing a book seems ludicrous. But actually, it was exactly what I needed.
Why? Because as much as I was loving the new adventure of motherhood, I couldn’t shake the worry that I was losing a part of myself - the adventurous, career-driven Hetty from before. Writing the guidebook gave me something for myself - a thread connecting back to that version of me. It also got me outside again, which felt like a small victory in itself. Logistically, it was a juggle, and getting fit post-partum was hard. But it was absolutely worth it.
Behind the scenes, writing the book was a delicate dance between feeding twins, jotting down route notes one-handed, and poring over maps at midnight. Route planning was both the easiest and hardest part - I already had a long shortlist of favourites, but narrowing them down and refining them with fresh eyes took time. There were days I set off full of motivation, only to be thwarted by a nappy blowout or cluster feeding marathon.
But what surprised me the most was how much more I noticed. Riding slower, taking photos and stopping often made me more observant than ever before. I spotted new trails, hidden streams, and the odd curlew I’d previously whizzed past at speed. Writing the book reminded me that adventure isn’t always fast or full on - it can be quiet, small, and still meaningful.
All in all, things were going well, and by the time winter came around, I had all the images wrapped up, was stuck into the writing of the book. I was also feeling fitter than I’d anticipated I would be at this stage postpartum. So, feeling inspired and potentially naive to the sleep regression (a term I had never heard of until becoming a parent) that was about to hit the twins, I quite fancied another challenge to work towards… which was when I spotted entries opening for Dead Ends & Cake.
Challenge #2: the Ultra
Dead Ends & Cake is a self-supported bikepacking race in Switzerland. It involves going to five remote checkpoints at the end of stunning gravel roads at the tops of mountains, each with a piece of cake at the end! You have three days to go to all the checkpoints, and the route between them is entirely up to you! Typically, it’s around 500km with 9,000m of elevation.
I’d ridden the race back in 2022 and had the most amazing time. It’s a far cry from traditional bike races - you can approach the event in many ways - my style that year had been to plot a route that took in as much stunning single track and cool trails as possible. This meant I rode about 100km more than most people and came last but had the best time!
The moment it was over, I was keen to go back, so I entered for the following year. However, soon after this I fell pregnant. When I messaged the race organiser, Dominik, to explain why I wouldn’t be on the start line, he joked I could come back next year with the twins in the trailer. At the time, I thought he wasn’t serious, but it sowed the smallest seed of an idea.
Fast forward to December 2023, entries had opened again - I put mine in and received the message - “I hope you’re doing this with the trailer! You can be my first trio!”
I laughed. Then I thought… actually, why not? That was that - Annie and Flo were entered into their first ultra!
Climbs, chaos, and creative solutions
And so the training began. I didn’t have endless hours, so I had to get creative.. I plotted local routes that were trailer-friendly and gradually built up distance. Annie and Flo loved it. They napped, giggled, pointed at animals, and occasionally launched bits of food into the footwell.
A typical training week looked like this: one longer weekend ride, a couple of shorter weekday spins - all with playground stops - and lots of hill reps when the opportunity allowed. Some weeks were brilliant; others were derailed by colds, teething, or sudden downpours that left me soaked and grumpy with a load of muddy kit to sort out. But we kept showing up.
As I got stronger and increased my elevation, I quickly discovered that steep climbs were my nemesis. With the trailer, you can’t just hop off and push easily - it’s awkward pushing the bike, pulling the trailer - the loaded trailer just wants to plummet back down the hill. Not ideal when it’s got precious cargo in it!
In a bid to solve this problem, I tried a few ideas and eventually settled on this: carry the bike on my back, and push the trailer uphill. Sounds slightly mad? It was. But it worked.
Hetty's setup
People always ask about my gear, so here’s the setup:
- Bike - My bike was a Bombtrack gravel bike, built more like a mountain bike; it’s proven to be perfect for hauling, climbing, and not rattling my bones to pieces. I also downsized my front chain ring to make sure my gears were as easy as possible (something I highly recommend doing if you’re towing). If you want something similar, you can get a Bombtrack Hook on eBay.
- Trailer - The trailer was a Thule Chariot, which I love for its suspension, weather protection and versatility. It had just enough room for: nappies, wipes, bottles, snacks (for them and me), spare layers, a picnic blanket, soft toys, and a suspiciously sticky picture book.
- Bags - Alongside this, for the race, I needed to carry all my own stuff for the day. This went into bikepacking bags, which I kept fairly minimal - tools, repair kit, pump, food, electronics, and a small but reliable selection of Rab clothing that could handle whatever the weather threw at me.
- Harness - I then used a Restrap Hike-a-Bike Harness to carry the bike when needed and stashed it in the trailer when it wasn’t in use.
My most important piece of gear, though? A sense of humour. Closely followed by wet wipes.
Try before you buy
Want to have a go before you commit to buying all the kit? Adventure Kit Hire carries a lot of the things you'll need and there's no long-term commitment. They've got Restrap bikepacking bags and a range of kids bike trailers available.
Getting to the start line
It was soon time to head out to Switzerland and before I knew it was the night before the race. Normally, this is a flurry of activity, sorting, resorting, having a minor breakdown, etc. However, with the twins in tow, living out of a van, I had to be much more efficient and minimise the faff. This challenge was already proving hard. My set-up was comical: a bike loaded with bikepacking bags, a trailer filled with nappies, toys, snacks, and the twins themselves. The whole thing weighed about 60kg.
The start line was intimidating. Lycra-clad riders with lightweight bikes eyed me and the girls curiously. One asked if I was there to spectate. Nope. I was racing. Sort of. But before I had time to totally chicken out, we were off!
Bike on back, twins in tow, and cake as currency
I made steady progress for the first hour - until it was time to pull over and serve the twins their sit-down breakfast: the usual morning porridge. This would become the rhythm of the race: pedal, pause, snack, nappy, pedal, pause, wiggle break, repeat.
The weather turned as we hit our first serious climb of the day, and the rain rolled in. This was not what I hoped for. The terrain was also tougher in the wet, making it hard to ride even though the gradient was still ‘cyclable’.
I resorted to this mix of hopping on and off, pushing and riding the bike for a few kilometres before accepting I needed to set up my ‘bike-on-back’ approach. 5km out from the checkpoint, this was going to take ages. However, eventually we reached the top in one piece. And yes, we got triple cake - totally worth it!
Cake scoffed, the descent was a lot of fun, and the rest of the day passed without more drama as we chugged along the valley floor towards our campsite. The twins were in good spirits, and I felt okay, just slow. However, by the time I reached my stopping point for the end of the day, I was cooked.
To make things even tougher, the twins still weren’t sleeping through the night, so I was up regularly to feed them. As I crawled into bed, my only thought was, “I have no idea how I’m going to do this again tomorrow.”
It didn’t help that day two started with a 35km climb. At one point, I seriously considered quitting. I was slow. Very slow. But somewhere on that climb, I realised I wasn’t actually at my limit. I could keep going. And once I accepted the glacial pace, I started enjoying it again.
We reached the checkpoint to more cake, sunshine, and a lovely space for the twins to get out and play.
That afternoon, the weather turned again. I battled a headwind that turned our trailer into a giant sail. Rain lashed down. Annie slept. Flo sang to herself. I kept pedalling. Day 2 ended a lot damper than day 1, but with similar thoughts - how was I going to do this AGAIN!
The slowest kilometre (and the sweetest cake)
Somehow, by the time morning came around, my motivation had returned. I was tired, but the route was stunning and everything was going smoothly until 10km from the third checkpoint. I could see on my GPS that I had to drop down into a remote valley and then climb out of the forest on the other side towards the top of the mountain.
The first annoyance was that the descent was too steep to ride - the trailer kept jackknifing. I ended up having to load up the bike and put the trailer in walking mode to ensure the twins' safe descent.
The next challenge was the climb - it was a far cry from the images of the trail I’d researched online - it was narrow, overgrown and very technical - this was a full-on hike-a-bike and not trailer-friendly. Looking at the map, I could see there wasn’t an alternative, so I ended up carrying my bike and then separately walking backwards up the climb, pulling and lifting the trailer over the rocks. Carefully, of course - amazingly, the twins slept throughout!
It was my slowest 1km to date, and I can tell you now that the cake at the checkpoint was the sweetest yet! Luckily, the rest of my route from here was plain sailing, and finally, the weather was on my side. I was the last rider in, crossing the finish line of the event around 5pm, very tired but very happy.
However, that wasn’t the end of the journey - the next morning, Tom, Annie, Flo and I set off to get checkpoint number 4, and then the following day went after checkpoint number 5. Both of which were absolutely stunning!
So… why do it?
A lot of people have asked me - why take on such a huge ride with babies in tow? Why not wait until they’re older? And honestly, the answer is simple: I needed it.
Setting a big goal gave me something to aim for in that blurry, beautiful chaos of new motherhood. It wasn’t about chasing who I was before babies, but about blending that adventurous, independent version of me with the new, sleep-deprived, deeply nurturing one. Combining two halves, so to speak! It reminded me that adventure doesn’t disappear when kids arrive. It just looks a little different.
Sure, it was harder. It was slower. It was muddier and much, much messier. But it was also joyful in a way that’s hard to put into words. And Annie and Flo? Their joy was always at the centre of everything, and I’m pleased to report they absolutely loved it.
What’s next?
In the days after the race, I was physically shattered but mentally soaring. Watching the twins run around the campsite while I sipped coffee and thought back on what we’d just done gave me the deepest sense of satisfaction. It wasn’t just about finishing - it was about showing up, sticking with it, and doing something joyful and daft in equal measure.
Would I do it again? Absolutely. In fact, I’m already eyeing up the next challenge. Now the kids are bigger and wanting to explore more and ride their own bikes, it might not be as long or as impressive, however, I’m pretty sure it will feel just as adventurous.
Whatever comes next, one thing’s for sure: we will be powered by cake!
One last thing
Whether you’re plotting your next family ride or wondering if you can still have big adventures post-kids, my message is simple: you absolutely can. You just need a trailer, plenty of snacks, a very strong sense of humour - and a whole lot of patience, because sometimes the best adventures take their time.
See you on the trails.
Support systems
Of course, no adventure like this happens without a bit of backup. For the race, Tom was always behind the scenes - on standby with a van, ready to whisk the twins away if it all became too much. The van also doubled as their sleeping quarters each night, which made logistics a little bit easier. Then there was Dominik, the organiser of Dead Ends & Cake, who was not only incredibly helpful but genuinely excited by the whole concept. I also had my brilliant friends to bounce ideas off - both for the book and the race - and share the madness with, plus the ever-enthusiastic Peak Gravel Gang to ride with and cheer me on throughout. Their support, both on and off the bike, meant the world and reminded me that even solo adventures are never really done alone.
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Before you go…..
Hetty's book, Gravel Rides Peak District, contains a whole chapter on family-friendly Peak District rides perfect for gravel cycling with kids. You can buy it through our Bookshop.org store and support small independent book stores at the same time.
We hope you enjoyed this guest post from Hetty Kingston. If you're a mum who's managed to take on a great big challenge while caring for your tiny human(s), we'd love to hear from you. Share your story in the comments below!
Or, if you're planning a big adventure and don't want to take the kids along, then read about how Sahir Permall cycled from Glasgow to Istanbul, solo.
Other articles you might be interested in:
- Cycling with babies and toddlers: everything you need to get started
- Solo cycle touring: freedom with a side of mum guilt
- How to confidently go on your first family bike ride
- Where to ride
- Gravel cycling with kids
- Best bike trailers
- How to hitch a bike trailer- a simple guide
- 3 incredible traffic-free family cycling routes in Austria & Italy
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