Cycling in the Lake District. Richard Barrett

no more tools and accessories than you would on a day ride and share them between the group.

       Buy travel-sized essentials such as shampoo and toothpaste and give shaving a miss for a week.

       Make do with a smartphone for all your communication and entertainment and leave all other electronics at home.

       Only carry one feed bottle – and replace the other with a storage bottle for tools and small accessories.

       A rear light is a year-round necessity as low cloud can result in poor visibility over the passes, but a front light is unnecessary during summer months.

       Virtually all hostels have secure bike storage so consider leaving heavy bike locks at home.

       Always wear a helmet. Riding without one alongside fast moving traffic on narrow roads bound by high stone walls that are just a few feet away is irresponsible.

      Adopting such guidelines produces the kit list shown in Appendix C, which totals 5.4kg for short tours during the summer months and 6.8kg during winter when heavy leisurewear is needed for cooler evenings. Browsing through this list will also give some ideas for saving weight, such as leaving the Kindle at home and relying on the magazines and books typically found in hostels.

      Investing in cycling shorts with a synthetic chamois insert will provide unparalleled comfort and prevent chaffing and sores. If you do not fancy shorts, you can buy full length cycling tights and if you don’t fancy squeezing into body-hugging lycra, you can buy under-shorts that come with a chamois insert and simply wear comfortable clothing over the top. However, if you do start to get problems, apply talcum powder or an anti-fungal preparation at the first opportunity. Likewise, a good quality cycling jersey that wicks away perspiration and has a zipper at the neck to aid ventilation is another good investment.

How to pack