Part Four: Epilogue
Prior to the holiday, I decided to get a new pair of cycling glasses. The pair I had, had an optical insert, but we’re not that comfortable or that clear to see through. I went for the Optilabs Onyx glazed with varifocal brown photochromic lenses. I must admit that these are fantastic, not only are they extremely comfortable, but you don’t even notice that you are wearing them. The optical clarity is brilliant and I can see the bike’s cockpit very clearly now.

Mileage in the Lake District was 76.5 miles. Although not as much as we normally do in a week, the terrain at times was particularly difficult. Some of the inclines were that steep, that you were using full power assist and the lowest gear setting. However, only once did I have to get off and walk on a steep part, only because the tyres could not get enough grip on the very loose surface.
Mileage in the Peak District was 132.7 miles. The terrain wasn’t as rugged as the Lakes as we did a number of disused railway lines.
Overall, the weather was kind for us. In the Lakes, it was mainly sunny or partially cloudy. The temperatures were not too cold and were around 14-16oC. There was however, some strong winds at times which did cause a bit of chill, particularly in the Lakes. In the Peaks the weather was mainly overcast and the temperature was a lot chillier. With the wind chill, the temperatures were around 4-6oC.
The van mileage for the holiday was 1094 miles.
A few minor repairs on the way, but nothing significant;
• Loose saddle on my bike, caused the nose to ride up becoming uncomfortable. A quick bit of work with a 10mm socket and back to normal.
• Squeaky pedals on both bikes. Think it was dry and dusty bearings, but some WD40 soon sorted that out.
• Mrs DG had a puncture, but the Slime and a CO2 capsule sorted it out.
As this was Mrs DGs time in these National Parks, her thoughts were;
Lake District: Amazing place and landscape, wants to go back. Although some of the rides were challenging and scary at times, this was outweighed by its beauty.
Peak District: Pretty area with some interesting features. No rides were particularly challenging.
Overall, the scenery in the Peaks is pretty, but not as dramatic as the Lakes.
End of Part Four.