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An obligatory cake stop in Great Langdale (Stage 5A and Route 2)

Preparing your bike

It is not a good idea to buy a new bike immediately before setting out on a touring holiday as new brake and gear cables will undoubtedly stretch and require fine tuning and you need time to become accustomed to the bike. You will be riding for extended periods of time, so it is very important that you adjust the bike to your size. The saddle is at the right height when there is still a slight bend in your knee when the pedal is at the bottom of the stroke. The way to check this is to place your heel flat on the pedal when it is at the bottom of the stroke and set the saddle height to this. Then when you put your foot on the pedal in a normal riding position with the ball of the foot centred on the pedal you should find your leg is still slightly bent. The handlebars should be level with, or just below, the height of your saddle but try a couple of positions until you feel comfortable. Riding for long periods can result in cramps in the hand, so consider adding bar-ends to flat handlebars and changing hand positions frequently. Having padded bars and cycling gloves with gel inserts in the palms all add to comfort, but remember to take each hand off the bars from time to time to flex and stretch the fingers too. One of the commonest aches suffered by riding for long periods of time is across the shoulders and occasionally in the lower back. The best way to prevent these is to pay attention to your posture, try to keep your upper body relaxed and to ride with your arms slightly flexed rather than locked on to the handlebars.