Sweden (local)

This short winter trip was initially planned as a test to find out if it is possible to cycle on snowmobile tracks with a common bike and a sledge (small packable pulka). The best destination for doing that was the region of Kebnekaise, the highest mountain of Sweden, located in Lapland close to Kiruna. There a lot of interesting places are not far from the airport and cold temperatures are more stable than in other parts of Scandinavia. At the end, I was not able to go the whole planned route, but fine weather, great landscapes and atmospheric lights, especially in the nights, round this trip to an intensive winter experience.

One year after our first bike trip on frozen bays along the Swedish archipelago, we started a retry more northward in the region of Höga Kusten (High Coast). But unfortunately this time we had permanently cloudy and foggy weather with temperatures around zero degree. The ice was mostly broken or not safe enough, so we cycled mainly on roads, but also in that way we had some interesting impressions from the coastline and the back country.

This post is about my 13 day cycling midsweden in June. The theme of this trip is how Sweden's prosperity grew with the forest, ore and hydropower. To and from Östersund, I saw all the time evidence and examples of how the idea of specialization has driven development. In the north were the mines are and raw materials produced, timber and ore. A little further south it was evidence of processed ore in blast furnaces in northern Bergslagen. In southern Bergslagen ore used to make steel. Round Lake Mälaren grew up manufactories which used steel to make products. In Stockholm there where capital.

Thus runs all capital flows to Stockholm from north to south, and this, I saw very clearly on my tour through Sweden. So it may be the theme of this trip

Bicycle tour on the Swedish island Gotland with tent, with a lot of sightseeing. Some part on the main land and on Öland for connecting the railroad station of Kalmar with the ferry ports.

The basic idea of this tour originates, to combine a bicycle tour with a concert of of Mary Gauthier at Malmo. [...] Useless to say, for me as a lifelong bicyclist I have decided to take the chance and pack my Brompton folding bike and carry it with me. That's make me touring around the city of Malmo / Sweden.

To travel to Malmo, is somehow easy. I decided to take a direct flight to Copenhagen, using my free miles. Then by train to Malmo, which is nowadays just 35 minutes away from Copenhagen, if one takes the train. So far, as I know, the train passes a sub-sea tunnel, which shortens the travel time drastically down. Needless to say: I had a wonderful concert, a wonderful stay and enjoyed riding the city of Malmo.

I have never seen a 'bicycling ride city' as Malmo before, but it is in competition with Copenhagen, which seems to have people with the same habit. Language of Denmark and Sweden is somehow similar. Both countries are rather expensive. Both countries still on their original currency, the Swedish crown or the Danish crown. A foreigner needs not to change money. Everything can get paid by credit card. Really everything; even the toilet usage at the train station.

Enjoy the pictures and my report. Good luck to our followers!

Cycling on the ice is a great thing. You drive away from man-made paths, you have countless opportunities to go in a direction, and you get really close to unspoiled landscapes. A bit of skill is required to assess the self-chosen roadway as safe. We learned from previous tours in Germany, when lakes and rivers freze for a short time and animate to small bike tours. After that we were attracted for a distant goal with different landscapes: the Swedish archipelago with its countless islands and bays - enough space for an extensive trip over several days. The ice in February was thick enough and open areas were mostly already recognizable from afar. As it turns out, the biggest problem was the snow, which had grown in few days so high that we had to continue on the streets.

Prima parte del tour da Goteborg a Lubecca.

In Svezia, per la prima volta e con la bicicletta! All'esterno del modesto aeroporto di Goteborg City, ricomporre la bicicletta, spedita in scatola, fu come mettere insieme le facili costruzioni della Lego. Mentre i tasselli andavano al loro posto, i tassisti e le poche persone presenti, degnarono di pochi sguardi, senza sorprendersi, i quattro cicloturisti chinati a giocare con la ricomposizione delle loro biciclette.

This year we neither had enough money nor enough time to do a long journey in Europe. But for us, a summer without a bike trip is no real summer, so we decided to bike in our own surroundings, six days through the county of Östergötland in south-eastern Sweden. The bike computer said that we had ridden 590 kilometres when we after six days arrived in our home town Linköping.

A cycle report on a family cycle tour on the island of Gotland in the middle of the Baltic Sea. The report gives information on landscape and history of this Swedish island, which a Norwegian family toured by bike summer 99. You can also read how two bicycles were lost on the railway in Scandinavia.

A family goes cyclo-camping and brings back valuable experience, great stories and beautiful pictures. This itinerary explores the isle of Gotland, located in the Baltic Sea, 90km off the Swedish coast.

Steve comes from Long Beach, California, to spend a month in Göteborg. Here is his illustrated (cycling) diary. Includes an assessment of Bicycling in Sweden and Göteborg Information and Links.

In 1996 we chosed to bike straight across Sweden, from our home town Nyköping south of Stockholm to Marstrand north of Gothenburg and back again. We weren´t neither well-trained nor well-prepared and at least Eric (who had used his new driving license a bit too frequently the last year...) got a ``slight'' feeling of cramp in all muscles after just about 40 kilometres... Through the county of Östergötland we rode along Göta Canal, a very pleasant road which formerly was used by horses draging boats but now is rebuilt to cycleway. Many chose to cross Sweden along Göta Canal, both by boat and bike.

Oslo - Gothenburg - Falsterbo.

The ``tradition'' of going to Copenhagen in May started in 1992 when we took the ferry from Oslo to Frederikshavn and cycled via the Danish mainland Jutland. However, with only 350 km this tour became too little of a challenge after 2 times. Therefore, in 1994, we did our first trip to Copenhagen via the Swedish West Coast.

Addresses of cycling clubs in Sweden, calendar, links, races, publications, shops, and touring and racing events.

``One of the biggest exercise on bicycle only for women''

``The biggest exercise race on bicycle in the world.''

• Vätternrundan Bans the Future, an article to be found under the Bicycle News Agency
  16.000 cyclists each year take part in the 300 km Vättern Rundan in Sweden. But not HPV-cyclists. They have been banned. Officially for safety reasons. Only they have not caused any accidents.
• Concerning the HPV ban, see also Bike Action
  Our message is straight and simple: If you want better conditions for cyclists, you gotta pitch in yourself. [...] Your action will make a difference.