We've been hiring out our bikes for the last two years from
Eco Republic in Buxton.
We now send riders off with a charger in their panniers and direct them through the lovely undulating lanes that lead through interesting and hospitable villages. Some of the pubs and hotels now understand our customers will want to charge their bikes whilst having some lunch and are quite amenable to the whole concept, which takes riders into the villages, rather than leave them on a lovely, but rather lonely trail.
I have ridden the Tissington Trail most often and enjoy winter trips for the peace and quiet. In summer I choose the village lanes because the trails really do get overwhelmed by walkers and riders. And as a relative local I understand how the village shops and pubs appreciate the business.
The trails are a brilliant introduction to cycling for some, and certainly an important contribution to encouraging people onto better forms of transport. But in summer especially, I prefer to use my electric power for a little wider, 3-dimensional exploration. In winter I have the trails to myself!
And I do have a hankering to see the railways re-laid - fantastic infrastructure that they are.