First Day First Post
17 August 2015
Day Zero 16 miles 1481 ft
Honningsveg, Norway
I knew this was going to be a real challenge but having finally arrived here in Nordkapp the distance is very real as we are 2170 miles from Calais driving for 49 hours out of 70!
Well we have really lucked in, as the weather here has been incredible for the whole drive up through Scandinavia, and the locals have said that this is only the second day this year that it has reached 20 degrees. We are after all 400 miles inside the Arctic Circle and did not think for a minute that T Shirt and shorts were to be the order of the day.
As Nordkapp, just like Lands End costs a fortune to get in and is open from 11am to 1am, we had to get there today or wait, so the ride started in bright sunlight at 9pm this evening, with a short hours ride to the campsite but with plenty of hills to get me started.
Here are the compulsory shots at Nordkapp surrounded by hoards of elderly German tourists, who had been bussed up from their cruise liner anchored nearby.
I had to take this shot from the top of one climb with the sun setting over a fjord A-MAZ-ING.
Tomorrow more climbs and a tunnel under the sea await
Thank you to all those who have been so generous so far as the total raised for charity now exceeds £2000, if you have not yet been able to do so please use the links under charity partners for either BBC Children in Need, or The Alzheimer’s Society.
Hopefully next update tomorrow.
Tunnels & Sticky Tarmac
18 August 2015
Skaidi, Norway
Day One 77 miles 3441 ft
Of the Scandanavian leg, today was the day I was most concerned about. Not only was it the first real day of cycling, but I also had five tunnels to go through totalling over 10 miles underground to negotiate.
The most notorious being the Nordkapp tunnel at almost 7 km long going 212 metres under the sea with 3km down and up at 10% gradient each way plus plenty of lorries and coaches. A cyclist attempting the North South route only got as far as here a couple of years back when he hit the kerb on the way down ( and I can tell you 30 mph on a bike in a tunnel is a bit hairy ) fell off and broke his collarbone! I had no intentions of doing that and apart from a coach causing a bit of a wobble all was well.
Saw plenty of seasoned cyclists carrying all their gear including an American chap in his 60s who arrived in France in April, and has so far cycled across to Turkey through the Balkans, up through Ukraine and the Baltic States on his way to Nordkapp. He has a flight back from Paris in October. I don’t think that I am up for that.
A bit cooler and overcast at times today but still dry. After the tunnels much of the day was spent alongside a couple of Fjords, with their majestic scenery and shouting at the reindeer to get out the way, just like their UK cousins the deer 17 mph seems to be their top speed.
Leaving the fjords there was a decent 750 ft climb made a bit harder by some fresh Tarmac which instead of being smooth and free running was like cycling in treacle.
Building the daily distance so today was a relatively leisurely 78 miles to some hard standing next to a petrol station. Tomorrow will see a stop in the middle of nowhere but pleasingly the weather forecast remains dry.
Sunshine & Prehistoric Art
19 August 2015
Off the road, Norway
Day two 85 miles 4233ft
Sitting outside in the sun this evening, we just cannot believe our luck, with hardly a cloud in the sky and the temperature reaching a balmy 23c, it’s more like the south of France than inside the Arctic Circle. I expect Spain will be cold and wet!
To treat Monica, my personal medical cover for the tour, to a bit of culture, a detour from the planned route to see the Prehistoric rock carvings at Alta was arranged, so an earlier departure from Skaidi saw a cool start in mountain mist at 8am, but thankfully it burnt off within the hour.
As usual, the days cycling was split into three stages but each had quite a different theme, the first 30 miles was effectively all uphill, climbing 1200 ft at a gentle gradient onto a plateau.
Stage two was back down to sea level at Alta to see the rock carvings which were only discovered in the 1940s. Looking at the photo below it looks as though Stone Age man invented the railway.
It is incredible to note that Alta was raised to the ground by the Nazis in WW2 and its fjord also paid host to the battleship Tirpitz trying to hide from the Royal Navy.
Stage three out of Alta had a flat start then a 1000ft climb up the Alta gorge, reputedly the biggest gorge in Scandanavia, apart from one relatively steep section at around 10% it was more of a grind uphill, with some cheering halfway up from Nigel and Monica who had stopped to check I was ok
We only saw a couple of other cyclists today and after 85 miles called it a day by a lake where we are wild camping having enjoyed a barbecue of Reindeer sausages and Monica’s special Beetroot and Apple salad, after having cooled the legs down in the lake.
Tonight will be the last night in Norway before we hit Finland sometime tomorrow afternoon
We have found everything clean, well kept, and all facilities have been first class. The weather too has been out of this world, so the next 8 countries have a lot to live up to.
93
20 August 2015
Enontekio, Finland
Day Three 101 Miles 2933 ft
There are some days on a long distance ride that just have to get you from A to B. Today was just such a day.
The weather has remained incredible, considering that we are still 150 miles inside the Arctic Circle, today there was not a cloud in the sky at all and it was genuinely hot – hitting 25 degrees.
This roadside photo could be the south of France except for the road sign.
Whilst pleasingly completing 101 miles the scenery barely changed all day with perhaps the dwarf birch trees being a little bigger and the lakes less frequent.
There were only two towns on route
This was the most picturesque -Maze. The monotony of the day was not helped by staying on the same road all day , certainly a record for me to do over 100 miles and not take a turn.
We have now said goodbye to Norway and are safely in Finland where once again Nigel set up the barbie for the evening meal as we were being eyed up by the midges.
93 – that lovely road!
Dirt Road
21 August 2015
Kittila, Finland
Day Four 87 miles 1567 ft
Today was always going to be a good day. The route had taken me down from the high Arctic plateau and there was actually a choice in getting off a main road to a quieter cycle friendly route that I always search for.
As well as that the route was overall downhill and one of the shorter days of the tour.
It also meant no pressure on an early start which in fact became a late 10 am start as we had not realised that Finnish time is 2 hours different to the UKs.
The countryside had changed too from dwarf Birch to mixed pine and Birch forest interspersed occasionally with small farms.
The church spire was the stand out feature on Leaving our overnight stop in Enontekio. As everywhere else in Finnmark it was new as the Nazis raised all buildings to the ground when they left in 1944.
The occasional views along the river and over farms from the odd hill were superb especially as the sun has continued to shine.
Most of today’s route has been through a National Park and although I did see a couple of Reindeer and a Red Squirrel the Wolves, Bears and Lynx remained elusive, much to Monica’s chagrin or was that relief.
The fun started at the next turn which although a marked and numbered road, became a dirt and gravel road after 500 metres
I could not turn back now and apart from a few gravel and washboard sections the road was better than many of ours back in Kent, so I pressed on not really losing any time or speed – fab.
After 30 miles on the the dirt road passing through a couple of small villages and stopping for lunch, setting up in a field, we finally hit the Tarmac and sadly a bit busier road, the only upside being the lack of dust which had meant keeping my mouth shut for a while after a car passed, not a bad idea round here anyway as otherwise you may swallow a fly or midge.
Passing the ski resort of Mt Levi just outside Sirkka I was able to run for many miles on really good cycle paths – we have such a long way to catch up in the UK as every town or even village seems to have them here.
Coming into our overnight stay in Kittila I passed the airport just after which Nigel had got his motorcycle out and escorted me the last 2 miles to the campsite where we immediately jumped in the river to cool down, a la Jess Ennis ice bath before once again setting up to dine Al fresco with a cool beer, after having showered and cleaned the bikes of dust. A great day.
The Road to Rovaniemi
22 August 2015
Rovaniemi, Finland
Day Five 94 miles 1448 ft
Unlike previous mornings we were not greeted by bright sunshine but were enveloped in morning mist.
Not desperate to set off too early again, even though I left at 10 it took another 45 minutes before it burnt off requiring arm warmers and removal of glasses to keep warm and to see. Full front and rear lights were deployed too. In common with cars here, I have taken the view that the front light should always be on but today had two rears flashing as well.
The route followed the river down from Kittila to Rovaniemi and was not the most inspiring, and did become a bit gutty as the day wore on as fatigue and an increasing headwind took its toll.
The scenery added more varied trees and farmland as I peddled South.
This view was typical with the bright green grass offsetting the blue sky.
On the bike I only had a couple of minor incidents with Reindeer but they got out the way after I had slowed down.
After the last 5 days inside the Arctic Circle I crossed the line just before the end of the day. I think we have got the wrong impression, as it has been warm and not rained at all or global warming is worse than we thought.
The first view of Rovaniemi was impressive with kids swimming in the river below and the lumberjacks candle bridge ( what a great name) spanning the water.
As often the case the campsite is on the banks of the river opposite the town and as has been our fortune so far, we are sitting outside whilst Nigel does the barbecue.
Tomorrow my legs, and perhaps more so my backside are looking forward to a rest day in Rovaniemi, although sadly Santa is already preparing for Christmas and will not see visitors.
My final picture from today summed up what I could have done with 25 miles from home, pushing into the wind!
Please
23 August 2015
Whilst today is a rest day. It is anything but, as there is much housekeeping to be done to keep the show on the road.
Washing , topping up provisions, checking bikes and running through next weeks route plan all have to be done.
However whilst the cycling and covering the route is the main purpose, it is also key to get to know a bit the lands and people whose countryside I peddle through
Rovaniemi has been a great stop as it is near to the home of Samta Claus, who lives on the edge of the Arctic Circle 6 miles away.
After a short motorbike ride and some delicate negotiations with his elves, Santa was able to break off working for a few minutes to give Nigel, Monica and me a private audience ( What a really nice guy)
A visit to the Arctic Museum and great chat with some locals about living this far north, whilst looking round the old knife factory, revealed that they add vitamin D in milk to make up for the lack of sunlight and that the best shops have UV lights to cheer customers up and help make them buy more! Tesco and M&S take note.
Unlike winter, we were not suffering from a lack of sunlight, as clear blue sky was still the order of the day. Along by the river a military band held a very varied concert of all types of music from Glen Miller to disco but what was equally impressive was the fact the the majority of the audience got there by bike and parked them up around the venue
As well as Santa, Rovaniemi also claims to be the worlds largest city by area and home to the most northerly McDonalds in the world as we are considerably further north than Anchorage, Alaska. To save his embarrassment I have not added the photo of Nigel munching his Big Mac!
This is our last day in Finland and once again we have been spoilt by the weather but also impressed by its cleanliness and good nature of the famously taciturn Finns.
As ever trying to be polite in striking up a conversation with the locals, I asked for the Finnish for please. It turns out that they do not really have a direct translation, so often forget to use it when speaking English and other languages, hence one of the reasons Kimi Raikkoinen and his Finnish racing and rally driving predecessors, always seem so rude even when trying not to be!
This floatplane just dropped in next to the campsite.
Tomorrow we are back on the road with the border crossing to Sweden where I will be peddling for the next two weeks as Nigel ably manages the logistics.
Bicycle Repair Man
24 August 2015
Overkalix, Sweden
Day Six 103 miles 2927 ft
The last day in Finland was the coolest start so far, with a thick mist and low cloud keeping the temperature down until almost midday. This was also the first day wholly outside the Arctic Circle too.
Leaving the campsite at an ok 9am, saw the first 16 miles all on cycle paths, again summing up the very positive attitude the Finns have to bikes.
Having to turn off the cycle path I then had an up and over ride between two river valleys with plenty of straight roads round each corner. On average around 1 1/2 miles long, see below, one up, the other down. They all look up when cycling though.
As usual toast, jam and coffee by the roadside after 30 odd miles, was today accompanied by a treat of a croissant, before more of the same roads down until we crossed the border into Sweden.
No dramas, though I did hit a dragonfly, pretty heavy things too. The forest floor is still covered by bilberry and lingonberry plants and I did spot an infamous Red Campion for the first time, but the birch leaves are starting to turn indicating autumn is on its way.
After lunch the route took us off the main road as desired, but disastrously the maps do not indicate if the road is Tarmac or dirt.
Unfortunately, this road had had a fresh dressing of large chippings and after only 500 yards I got a rear flat, managing to repair this whilst spitting out mosquitoes. I got going again, only to last around a mile more before both tyres cried enough just 50 Yards From the turning off.
I staggered round in my shoes on the gravel then with two flats and only one inner tube left had to call Nigel for spares by this time 20 miles up the road. So seeing an opportunity to break the motorbike out again on the dirt, he was only to happy to oblige.
Nigel cracked open the Evernden Cycles emergency kit and together with the track pump, opened up the throttle and had some fun as he turned into Monty Pythons Bicycle Repair Man
After a 40 minute wait ( Monica insisted that he put on all his gear) when only one car passed, Nigel arrived and the bike was returned to full health.
Once again though, a 20 mile stretch of unmade up road beckoned but this was much better and smooth enough for me to hit 30 mph+ downhill missing the potholes.
The final fun of the day was getting on the Sandudden Ferry across to the our destination Overkalix, where the local petrol heads were out in force, one very nice modified 1950s Volvo pulling a superb burn out which must have cost him almost a new set of tyres. 103 miles had taken 10 hours after the various delays, but a good days work.
The next three days are probably the longest combined of the tour so an early start awaits and sadly the dry weather looks set to break tomorrow or Wednesday.
Thank you for your messages of support keep them coming, they mean a lot.
No Yummy Mummies Here
25 August 2015
Day Seven 111 miles 3210 ft
I had to start today’s update with a photo I took last night at 10.30ish from the back of the camper
Leaving once again in a cool mist for the first section, with arm warmers on, the best sites were early on, with the highlight being the world famous? Svartbyn tractor museum, which as you can see had tractors lined up, rusting away in the garden. There were probably twice as many on the other side too.
The road here was ok but I then had a 15 mile section on the main E10 North – South road which although not that busy, had massive timber trucks passing every 3-4 minutes, which was most unpleasant, except for the lovely pine smell they left behind
Turning off this road, which had followed the river, the road to Boden was a rolling affair between lakes, rivers and hilltops, as ever looking stunning in the sun.
At the 30 mile coffee stop we decided to push onto Boden for the next rendezvous and grab lunch in civilisation – a full 36 mile section.
Strangely, we then came across a 4 km section of the otherwise fully tarmaced road, which was still dirt or should I say golf ball sized lumps of granite more suited to road foundation than top surface. Nigel had reccied the road and was waiting at the start of it to warn me.
Having learnt my lesson from yesterday, but Refusing a lift, as to cycle on this would only lead to more punctures. I then swapped my cycle shoes for trainers, so I could walk the rough bits, but get back on where the gravel was ok to ride on.
Here there were more farms and pastureland and the landscape was softer.
No reindeer today for the first time in over a week
Boden as ever was a clean and tidy small town with not a stripey top in sight.
Having a wander round we found a super pavement cafe and had lunch, which I followed up with some Apple Cake with an overgenerous helping of vanilla cream ( Nigel and Monica were good) as the waitress felt sorry for me.
It is incredible to think that we are still as far North as Iceland and we sat outside in the shade as it was too hot in the sun.
Whilst in the queue I got chatting to an old man (they nearly all speak English here) who said that a mad friend of his cycled from Nordkapp to Gibraltar on a unicycle to prove he was not crazy. And some think I am nuts!!
Sign of the trip so far seen in Boden. Caption entires on a postcard please.
With the weather still good and only 27 miles to go before the proposed campsite. Nigel and I agreed to take advantage of the camper and good weather and that as long as I was ok just before the campsite we would crack on another 15 miles and wild camp to reduce tomorrow’s 130 miler when rain is threatening in the evening.
So I am writing this in the camper, parked up 100 yards off the road having eaten, showered and locked out the insects for the night, after cycling 111 miles today with a similar distance to a campsite tomorrow- fingers crossed it stays dry.
Variety Pack
26 August 2015
Lycksele, Sweden
Day Eight 107 miles 4141 ft
The plan today was to get to Lycksele and that’s where I am writing this from so on the face of it the day went well. In reality it did fall into four separate segments and I ended up doing 107 miles not 113.
Getting up from our wild camp the first noticeable change was the fact that the sun was shining already, unusual as for the past week it had taken until after 10.30 for it to burn off . Today would be different.
Segment one was one of the best of the trip so far and started with a climb on the main road past Yokahama Tyres Arctic Falls winter tyre testing grounds ( in the middle of nowhere) for 5 miles and then back onto a dirt road over the mountain.
This was no baby road either as after little way in, a sign read Lyksele 164km – our destination.
I do not know if you have seen Into the Wild, but this did feel a bit like that as from the moment I left the road and started climbing further up to over 1500ft I saw no one at all for about an hour and a half and I was on my bike in my Lycra in the middle of Northern Sweden.
All this on awesome gravel roads too
The ups were long, but bombing down them running within the car tyre tracks at up to 30 mph certainly concentrated the mind, especially when mixed with a pothole or a thicker bit of gravel. Extreme road biking and a bit more of a challenge than just riding the road. I was glad to have my new Giant Defy disc braked bike as it gave so much more confidence in moderating the speed. Great fun.
Even this far out the odd house popped up, we guessed mostly holiday homes but there were some derelict ones too.
Being remote, I did come across several reindeer again today and a small fox who was wandering next to the road but ran a mile as soon as it saw me, unlike our Kentish vermin, who are used to humans.
The river crossing above was especially pretty and it was here that Nigel and Monica had waited just incase I had got too remote in the wilderness. I always carry my space blanket ( thanks to Brian Fraser) and like all over Scandanavia you can get 3G on your phone, so I was not that adventurous except in my own mind! Funny how 3G doesn’t work in Hadlow!
Coming to the end of this segment, we ran into a small village, where I saw one chap wandering out his house, brushing his teeth at 10.30 and a lady hanging out the washing, but they had a great view out over the village’s personal lake ( there were about ten houses)
These IKEA like photos over their lake also showed the change in the weather.
Segment two
After over 30 miles effectively off-roading, we finally got onto a bigger road, so the plan was to do the set 30 miles ready for lunch, so it was a big surprise the see Nigel after only 27 miles.
He shook his head- not good- when the Swedes redo a road, they dig it up, chuck huges lumps of gravel down and keep the road open before tarmaccing it ( in this case next year).
The alternate route. after getting this far, was around 70 miles extra and the roadworks went on for 14 km. Deciding to give it a go. I managed a mile before a lorry went past too closely, so on the grounds of safety, referring to my Chef de Mission Nigel, we decided that the only way forward was to cheat as the road was just uncyclable, even the camper kept to just 15.
A bit disheartened, as this means I will not have cycled all the way. In the end, common sense, safety and practicality must be taken into consideration. After all I am not cycling over the sea crossings and the total distance missed was only around 9 miles. Image
Segment three after lunch saw the wind swing round behind me and I had s superb tear alongside a lake keeping the bike over 20 mph for almost 10 miles before another big climb.
A quick cuppa and the final segment saw the wind change to head on again before the promised rain arrived, slowly at first, but then hard enough to make me stop, put all my lights and waterproofs on So the final hour was a damp one to a very large. but very deserted campsite. It does have great showers though.
All in all, a very varied day, the best, the worst, the quickest and the wettest segments of the tour so far.
The forecast is mixed for the rest of the week, so my gear is in the drying room ready for action!
Ramsele Rain
27 August 2015
Ramsele, Sweden
Day Nine 126 miles 3732 ft climbed
Today was not meant to be a special day, but it will be one that I remember for some time.
The campsite that we had stayed at Lycksele was one of the best we had ever seen, with the standard of facilities better than many five star hotels so although our stay was brief we gave it a big thumbs up. The view below is looking back to the campsite from the opposite side of the lake.
Unlike the forecast, the skies cleared and the morning ride was enjoyable, if not dissimilar to yesterday’s In that what comes down must go back up, so that the first segment climbed back up to over 1600ft in steps that went up 100 or 200 ft a time then back down 50 ft so that it was difficult to get a rhythm.
With the sun shining again things look just fantastic.
Note the colour of the houses in Sweden – most are the rust colour with white features, the next favourite being a yellow ochre colour. Other colours being very rare.
The other thing that seems quite common is that you do not get rid of your car you just park it in the corner of your garden. I saw one house that must have had ten or so Saab 96 versions scattered around in different states of decay.
Many lakes have diving platforms and the like, but the best raft I saw was below,all ready for candlelit evening meal in the middle of the lake! Note Scandanavian Gazebos have both filled in and mosquito net options so you can eat outside and not be eaten yourself.
The countryside still mostly is forest with the odd small farm and I did see a red squirrel today.
I also had an emergency stop when I heard a bang on my helmet and something on my head. Thinking it was a stick or twig I tried to get it out unsuccessfully, so had to stop to take my helmet off, together with a live, but probably stunned bumble bee. Having been stung in a similar incident a couple of months back, I thanked the little chap for sparing me.
The segment to our planned lunch stop in Asele ( pronounced Orseller) was a rolling one with not enough downhill. I also knew that we were yet to be at the halfway point for the day, but Asele was the only real town on route so choice was limited.
We found a nice Konditerai where as ever the lady spoke good English.
It was here that on leaving she asked where I was cycling to and after having told a story about a local priest who cycled the length of Sweden with some of his parishioners said ” you are cycling in the rain then”
The second half of the day was due to be 60 miles split into two with a tea break. Having kitted up for rain, following the lady’s advice, I got to the the camper dry and ok at the agreed halfway point, although did pass plenty more lakes
Chatting with Nigel, we said “hope the rain holds off as we may get away with it” these became fatal words.
The next 10 miles were fine but with supposedly 20 miles to go it started to rain a bit. That was ok, but when the signs took me right instead of left I started back on a dirt road again.
By this time the rain became torrential ( weather warnings etc) and I thought I was probably off route with at least 15 miles to do on a dirt road, the rain seemingly just getting harder and praying I did not get a puncture.
This was the only shot I dared take and most of the time it was much worse, as iPhones and water do not mix well and I needed to try keep in touch with the outside world.
A few cars passed going the other way and what they thought of this mad Englishman beating down the road in the rain who knows, but any tiredness I had felt until then evaporated, as I dodged most of the potholes, really enjoying the challenge, although at the same time hoping it would end soon as those 15 miles took an hour.
Well it did, and with 5 miles to go I hit the main road and soggily pedalled on. Meantime Nigel had had his own dramas as the campsite was now closed for the season. Fortunately the owners live nearby and were just locking up as he arrived. Because of the dire weather he managed to sweet talk them into opening everything just for us.
I nearly arrived 15 minutes before I did, but took a wrong turn 100 yards from the entrance, which added another 3 miles in the rain. I did then arrive completely soaked through, but feeling genuinely elated at completing such a difficult and long day in fine form, running straight into my exclusively readied shower, although finishing at 7.30 after a 8.00 start was not ideal.
We even had time this evening to wash the bike down and lube the chain to stop it rusting.
An amazing end to the day and 126 miles covered. This ride was always going to be a challenge but they are not always the ones you expect.
I write this as the rain continues to batter down and we hope the forecast for light rain tomorrow comes good.
Dig Deep
28 August 2015
Sundsvall, Sweden
Day Ten 110 Miles 3963 ft
Total distance completed at end of leg 2 Northern Sweden 1019 Miles
We finally left Lappland altogether yesterday, so no more reindeer, however the further south we have gone the colder it has got, but we are still further north than the Faroes.
After yesterday’s travails in segment three the plan was for an easy day down the river valley to the coast, but as is customary the day does not necessarily go to plan, with several factors slowing down each segment.
We left our exclusive campsite before 9 with the rain having given way to a cloudy sky.
During the first segment I fully learnt how to construct a Swedish road. For the next 35km the road alternated between unmarked new Tarmac, types 1 or 2 gravel or semi prepared old Tarmac. I did manage to cycle all of it apart from a couple of 50 metre sections on foot and.spent many moments looking down at the sisal marker running the length to judge the edge.
In addition to this I was pulled over twice by the advanced guard Vehicles for wide loads carrying wind turbine blades (pretty impressive this close to ) , the first chap added ‘I see you have the wrong bike for these roads’ well it was a main road was my reply.
First stop overlooking a lake was reached in the dry although by this time the head wind was getting up.
As I was about to leave you could see the rain coming in across the valley so togging up for a wet segment and reluctantly exiting the camper in drizzle Nigel said “come on dig deep this is what it is all about”
The next 2 hrs it took to do just 29 miles were horrible, with the drizzle giving way to big rain and the wind continuing to blow.
Despite wearing everything marked waterproof, by the time I got back in the camper I proved that this is just a sales gimmick – to make matters worse it then stopped raining
The great thing about using the camper as support was the fact that I was able to change into dry gear for the final leg and with the temperature below 10c for the first time leggings were donned
The rain may have abated but the wind continued to blow
Nearing the coast the countryside changed a little and I was able to get onto smaller roads following the Sverigeleden ( Sweden’s cycle route) to enjoy the cycling more, rather than hold on to the bike hard every now and again as a timber lorry went passed spraying me with muck and debris.
Here are a couple of fun shots. A minion post box line up and then some serious rubber burn out marks. These are common throughout the land, even more so than in the UK and must be a favourite pastime of the Swedish petrol heads.
The final part of the stage took me through the outskirts of the industrial town of Timra and through our first big city since Rovaniemi, Sundsvall. It was here I bumped into the first cyclo tourists I had seen for some time a couple of young Germans, who were doing a lap of the Baltic self supported, they said with some jealousy that they had seen the camper earlier, as they were wild camping the whole way.
Reaching the campsite at almost 7 pm was the end of a long, slow day and my body is much relieved to be having a break tomorrow after five 100 mile plus days in a row, and over 1000 miles of the trip completed.
Petrol Heads
29 August 2015
Rest Day at Sundsvall 0 Miles
Today is the last day of summer here in Sweden and we chose well for a rest day, as it coincided with the final round of the Swedish National Drag Race Championships held on a former Cold War airstrip 20 miles out of town.
Having done the necessary housekeeping, laundry, map checks etc and leaving Monica with her wifi connection. I jumped pillion on Nigel’s bike to Sundsvall Raceway
We stayed for around three hours enjoying the noise and spectacle of a big sport here in Sweden.
As well as many big American cars, there were some great old Volvos and even a 700 bhp Morris Minor.
I suspect a Swedish speciality was the drag racing skidoos which were pulling over 250kph over the line.
As usual everyone spoke English, and when speaking to the guys in the paddock, they were always very keen for you to have a closer look at their machinery. Some of the engines were putting out over 3000bhp. Great fun.
Apart from a short shower, the weather today was good again which allowed us to take Monica into town for a meal, as ever outside in the town square.
Back at the campsite, It was good to have a chat with Caroline back home the UK and catch up, whilst I was on the beach admiring this fabulous moon shining over the Baltic sea.
The campsite is lit up this evening with candles outside each caravan or tent as the Swedes traditional way of saying goodbye to the summer.
Tomorrow the bike awaits!
What a Beautiful Day
30 August 2015
Bollnas, Sweden
Day Eleven 112 miles 5495 ft
There are some days when it is great to be alive and cycle through some superb countryside. Today was one of those days, and as I write this blog hundreds of geese arriving in squadrons, cackling as they do so. are coming into land on the lake
A light shower greeted us on waking but this was the last of the rain we saw all day.
Starting out by the sea and running the first 5 miles or so next to it was the only disappointment, as half of that was taken up by a massive Akzo Nobel chemical plant which looked as though it made the rust red paint that covers all the houses here.
Turning inland up a river valley I had expected to climb, but the next 40 miles were a series of 400-500 ft climbs followed by drops not quite so large, making today the hilliest day of the tour so far.
The benefit of these climbs and the increasing amount of farmland were the splendid views
As ever we also saw some fabulous lakes either glimpsed through the trees or across the farmland. It is hard to describe how superb these sights were so here are the best ones.
Neil’s Nature Corner
Whilst no expert I do take an interest in the local flora and fauna so after a day when we all saw a lot here is an update.
Birds
The most commonly seen birds throughout Scandanavia so far have been the Hooded Crow and a couple of species of Wagtail. Other common birds seen have been Magpies and Swallows. Now we are further south, many flocks of sparrows chatter busily across the way, something we rarely see on the UK now. Other occasional views have been Eagles/ Buzzards, some Storks and the Geese on the lake here
Butterflies
We had not seen many until today but those known to me included Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Brimstone, Fritillary and the Small Blue.
Plants
There is more variety in everything here even though we remain about as far north as the Shetlands. There are more types of tree. I even saw apples in someone’s garden and the roadside verges are still colourful despite it being well Past the best time of year. Lupins probably naturalised were everywhere and although most were in seed a few still were in flower
Other bright spots in the verge included Harebells, Red Clover and a bright yellow member of the Dandelion family.
Farmers were hard at work cutting grass for silage although I did still see some green Barley and wheat some way off being ready to harvest
Today for the first time I actually had another cyclist pedalling the same way as me, but having pushed to catch him it turned out that He was the only Swede who did not speak English and then sat on my wheel in silence for almost 5 miles so I chose to stop to take some photos.
The other sporty types I have now overtaken a couple of times are guys out cross-country skiing training using rollers instead of skis.
A fabulous but long day again, but at present the body is holding up. It makes it so much easier in the dry.
Arriving at another beautiful campsite overlooking the ubiquitous Swedish lake. Nigel had dinner ready as soon as I was showered and we had a great view as the sun set over the lake. Roll on another day like today.
” Do you Realise you are in Gaol!”
31 August 2015
Borlange, Sweden
Day Twelve 97 miles 4121ft
These were the words of the uniformed prison officer who walked up to Nigel and Monica, after they had parked up at the side of the road waiting for me at the first coffee stop.
We were in the middle of nowhere high up in the trees, so to be approached like this was somewhat of a shock.
Nigel, as an ex-policeman knows the inside of gaols well, kept his cool and asked why. It turns out the area where he had stopped was in the middle of an open prison where serious offenders have a “holiday” to get them used to the outside world.
After a healthy discussion, the prison guard suggested they park down the road next to a lake where we could make full use of their facilities including the boat, in a less obvious and high security area. Nigel duly obliged.
Today was meant to be a short day so we started late and I proceeded to take the wrong turn out of Bollnas so added 4 miles to the journey. Much of this down to the fact that the Garmin has kept on freezing when asked to do both navigate and keep tabs on the other stats. Not impressive for such expensive bits of kit.
A great road followed up and over a decent hill with the steepest climb so far at over 11%. We were therefore back in the land of the bilberry and lingonberry and as before I saw a number of Bulgarian and Ukrainian vehicles whose occupants were in the woods collecting the berries.
After this up and down I was expecting a more pleasant ride as I rejoined the Sverigeleden route. Spot my bike hiding in the floral display.
This road was anything but great as after 2 km the next 10 km uphill was on the roughest dirt road of the tour so far. So after a day of Tarmac yesterday, it was back to basics again. As you can see below not all Swedes have sussed out how to drive on gravel!
Stopping to take a photo of a lake, a lone motorcyclist also stopped for a chat saying how bad the road was. I was wearing my Alzheimer’s shirt and it turned out he was an Alzheimer’s nurse!
Just after this horrendous road all of a sudden it changed totally becoming a super smooth Armco lined race track – bizarre
It was near here that Nigel & Monica had the prison incident and shortly after coffee and more rough road I had a short sharp shower of rain climbing one side of a hill. It was dry the other side!
By this time the very late lunch stop at 3pm was taken on an old ferry jetty next to the new bridge over a lake.
The last leg of 37 miles came down off the hills and were easier riding along the valley and across some picturesque rivers.
For a change tonight the campsite is at the confluence of two rivers rather than by a lake and a still late finish at 6.30 with the most super power shower of the tour so far. Steak and mash went down well.
The weather forecast suggests that today is the last good day of the week sadly, and the sky this evening seemed to be ushering in the clouds, with a super display of wave formation. Fingers crossed for tomorrow
Cool
1 September 2015
Degerfors, Sweden
Day Thirteen 131 miles 5128ft
Of all the days this week, today was the one I was most concerned about, as on top of a big mileage, the weather forecast had always been poor.
The day dawned with a milky gray sky and although the sun did try to come out for a minute, it stayed gray all day, much like the sky in the TV series Wallander, which would always put you off visiting Sweden rather than see the super views we have had so far.
As well as gray, today was easily the coldest day of the tour with the temperature ranging from only 11- 15C. We have to remember that we are now only about level with John O’Groats. This was thanks to the North wind which for much of the day pushed me along nicely.
The day started by running alongside ski resorts on one side, on what amounted to hills only as big as the North Downs, and dairy farms on the other. A strange mix.
As usual the road then climbed, but I had a very good run to coffee, which was not taken until 40 miles, as we managed to go round opposite sides of the same very long lake!
Next up came another 15 mile stretch of gravel road which as usual went up before going back down
This was the long and winding road today and there was one truck I saw coming the other way. I guess that I have now ridden the best part of 100 miles on these tracks on a road bike and whilst no expert they remind me of my rally days. Making sure that you look as far ahead as possible, scanning for potholes, changes in surface colour or texture and ready to make very early, gentle changes of direction as rapid changes cause rapid falls particularly on descending.
It was during the descent that I noticed such a change in colour and I managed to slow down enough before hitting a very soft patch of gravel and although getting a big wobble on, kept upright for the full 100 yards. It was only when I got to the camper that Nigel said he saw it being laid only 20 minutes before I got there!
Today a luxury steakwich lunch was taken at 2pm after 70 miles at the top of another big climb.
One of the highlights of the day was then a 500 ft drop over 3 miles and overtaking the camper as we came into the town at the bottom, as Nigel slowed to obey the speed limit.
We are still in Hillbilly country as this old jalopy shows
As it was to be a long day, a third stop for tea and biscuits was decided upon and although it remained cold the weather continued to hold off, apart from the odd spot or two of rain, unpleasantly though everything was greasily damp with the moisture in the air. Overall as the day panned out, I think I was very lucky as this fantastic wedge shaped mountain of cloud shows.
Saw some more nice flowers today but with very slow internet will put them up in my next Natures Corner slot.
I do not listen to music whilst I ride and am often asked – well once actually, what do you think about alone on your bike all the time? It really depends on how easy the road is to ride. Dirt roads and city streets leave no time for wild thoughts, but pounding along a good straight road with nothing much to see will obviously make you think of family and work and what to write in today’s blog and being in Sweden for so long made me think I would really like a Volvo with three large Hella rally spot lights on the front just like they do here, what do you think Line?
Having held off all day, the rain started about 6 miles from camp. What made it worse was that with 6 miles to go I saw the camper only 500 yards away, but on the other side of the river with the nearest bridge 3 miles upstream!
After such a long day, my longest cycle ever, and the second most climbing of the tour so far, and at the fastest average, I feel better than yesterday. Even Strava sent me a congrats on the day, saying I was 11 out of over 17,000 people in the world today Such acclaim.
After the exercise, a proper Swedish meal of meatballs and Kopperbergs cider.
A shorter day tomorrow, but rain looking more likely again – we will see, only three days left in Sweden.
Scary Detours
2 September 2015
Falkoping, Sweden
Day Fourteen 108 miles 2877ft
Today was another day of extras most of them unwelcome and some just scary.
The rain had not stopped all night and stepping outside it showed no signs of relenting, which probably had something to do with the fact I did not start until 9.15 fully togged up in fluorescent yellow waterproofs.
The rain then caused the first detour , a misroute running out of town, always difficult with cycle paths etc. It only added 6 miles to the route and took me through the town of Bjorneborg, but did then give me 25 rather then 5 miles on a trunk route. It was horrible with a couple of trucks coming by, spraying muck and filth, every few minutes, and then forcing you to hang onto the bars to keep the bike straight in their wake.
The interesting part though is not the fear of getting hit but the noise, because after turning off the road the silence of just me pedalling calmed everything down and it was then time for the prearranged coffee stop, breathing a big sigh of relief that was over.
Just as I stopped the sun came out and once again I changed out of my cold wet kit into a dry set.
Detour number two was within an mile of this stop as we had planned to use a nice small road by a canal. On arriving at the road a smiley man with a red flag explained that they were relaying the road and it was closed to us. When Nigel explained who we were he smiled some more, so I asked why – his reply ” I have never stopped an international cyclist before!”
This detour was down a busy secondary road with the wind on the nose most of the way. Although flat it did not allow for much relaxation
Feeling sorry for me Nigel stopped a bit early and we had pizza for lunch opposite this church.
With only around 40 odd miles to go I told Nigel & Monica to press onto the site and I would see them there
The next 20 miles were some of the most frightening I have had on a bike as going round the town , Svode, where Volvo make their powertrains the road turned from a busy trunk road to a pseudo 4 lane motorway with a hard shoulder 3 feet wide. Whilst thinking I had to get off, I simply could not and to make matters worse then had to go through a 200m long tunnel, the noise was quite deafening.
Just after this and to my great relief there was a turning off which I was only too happy to take. Phew. There was a sign here that said no cycles which we had not seen before.
I then had to work out how to get to camp and after a chat with a local and then a choice of 2 miles gravel ( I had yet to do any today) or 9 miles road. I took the gravel road for the best bit of today’s ride, being buzzed by a buzzard. Seeing some storks and horses.
My last mini detour occurred after I had a chat with a nice Swede and his daughter on their mountain bikes to confirm that the campsite was on top of the hill up that 12% gradient. I took his mountain bike route briefly, but he saw and turned round to let me know
As he said the campsite is on the top of the hill overlooking Falkoping
Not a great days cycling, the best being 2 miles near the end, but at least it was dry after a very wet start
I Saw some more good roadside plants today including corn cockle and knapweed which I will put together in a Scandanavian catch up later
I did however see this below and am still looking for its close relative the money tree!
Planned Showers
3 September 2015
Torup, Sweden
Day Fifteen 110 miles 2638 ft
The morning dawned misty at the top of Mosseberg hill overlooking Falkoping, but it soon started to lift so that we could see the town under the cloud
This morning Nigel and I spent a good deal of time running through some route changes to keep us on the country roads and not have the type of experience we had yesterday.
I take a lot of time preparing the routes for these rides, running through them 3 or 4 times before being happy with the choice, but equally will change them if we can find better, which in this case with improved understanding of the Swedish road network, a new, longer but much safer and more enjoyable route was decided.
The forecast for today was sunshine and showers. It was not wrong.
The first segment to coffee was almost dry with a light shower, I delayed the next departure by ten minutes to allow another one to pass, but it was in vain really because after 20 minutes the heavens opened and as I cycled through a village called Hokerum the Main Street I was cycling up became a river with my front wheel creating a bow wave. The pictures above show the other side of the cloud after I emerged into the sun. I started to dry out before it then rained again. So had another kit change at lunch. A picturesque stop as below.
The countryside had changed over the past two days and is very much more agricultural with a full range of cereal crops, some dairy herds and many horses. The pine trees and logging still remain however.
One of the benefits of cycling is seeing everything at a slower pace than driving, but also it allows you to take in the full smells of the freshly cut pine trees, ploughed earth or cut grass. I thought that we were experts in the UK at mowing, but we are amateurs in comparison to the Swedes. Going through almost every town or village someone was out mowing, or if not the robot mower was busy doing it for them.
Road signs here have been amusing, today’s favourite, if it is not sensored first is this one.
Although threatening more rain it held off, and making it a four leg day again, following a brief tea stop I got in just after 7pm for the third day running.
The highlights of this last segment being the sight of some Common Cranes in the fields
For a change, we had rooms in a hostel and had a very interesting chat with a couple of Russians, who were inspecting the installation of a corregated cardboard machine for a Swiss Company?
This is the last night in Sweden, tomorrow sees 75 miles to go to the ferry to Denmark.
Really enjoyed it here, everything is clean, works and the people have been properly hospitable, with some spectacular scenery, if you like water and can cope with insects.
Tack Sverige, Hej Danmark
4 September 2015
Copenhagen, Denmark
Day Sixteen 92 miles 2608 ft
Leg Three Southern Sweden completed. Total mileage 1671
Thank you Sweden, Hello Denmark
Today dawned sunny, but certainly the coldest morning of the tour so far, trying to avoid Russians running round in boxer shorts and conscious that we had a ferry to catch an early 8 o’clock start was achieved.
As you can see the mist was still hovering over the lake as I rode past
The first segment today took me up into the wooded hills above Torup and although a little bumpy, were a great way to end almost two weeks in Sweden.
The woods were interspersed with small dairy farms and reminded me much of the Massif Central region of France except the Lingonberries were still there as well as Bilberries.
In the middle of nowhere I came across another Geman cyclo- tourist his bike laden high with kit, going from Hamburg to Oslo.
In addition there are always those lakes, this one in particular was mirror like in Quality Finally, coming off the hills, the terrain flattened out and was more like Picardie, with big open fields and short steep drops into river valleys.
Cycling was super tough here as the wind, which once again was from the South East, started to get up and the cycling was certainly not enjoyable, although we kept off the main routes and even had a few long distances on cycle paths.
After lunch, across more fields a 600 ft climb over this ridge, alongside the motorway loomed into sight from many miles away. In fact it looked worse than it was, just seeing the whole thing in one go is so off putting.
A not great descent down the other side into the wind and then more flat riding brought me to the edge of Helsingborg and the ferry terminal.
A short 20 minute crossing followed by a 20 mile ride along the coast into our campsite situated within the walls of a Victorian fort complex again into the wind.
Coming the other way obviously on their way home from work on a Friday evening were many Danish MAMILS, going about 20 mph faster than I, as they were being pushed by the wind.
It remained dry all day for the first time for a few days.
So the main Scandanavian legs of the trip are now completed and over 1600 miles done with 2000 to go. Nigel, Monica and I can thoroughly recommend all these countries as clean, tidy and beautiful, so worth a visit as long as you do not mind the weather or midges and mossies. A camper van certainly being the best option.
We still cannot understand the weather, which was awesome up north and has got colder as we venture South- just not right
I have two rest days now- the longest of the tour- to look round Copenhagen and being joined by my wife for the weekend.
In addition, my brother Peter is flying out Sunday to join me for a couple of days as we will cross Denmark and go into Germany.
Next proper blog I hope to post on Monday. Please keep donating
Thank you.
Roadside Flowers of Sweden
Here are some more of the flowers seen over the past two weeks. I have annotated those I think I know but please advise me if you know better
Thank you
Candytuft?
Canterbury Bells
White Lupin – most were blue or pink this was the only white one I saw.
? Corn Cockle?
? Knapweed
Common Toadflax
?
nbjtours 