The Most Epic Gravel Bike Scenery in the World? I PEDALING ICELAND
It's definitely not an easy challenge and Iceland has already shown us once or twice who the boss is. But I've never been able to experience so many things in my life, I have never sat on my bike for hours in 100 km/h wind. I've never watched whales while cycling for hours the number of events and experiences we had in Iceland, is very unique. And that's why this trip is something I will never forget for the rest of my life.
And I believe the time you spend on your bike allows you to process everything a lot better. And in the right place, with the right people, at the right time, that's most certainly a gift. I honestly didn't know much about Iceland before we came here except that Iceland is a country that has a lot of area and very few inhabitants. But as someone who, has no problems with wind and weather and likes to enjoy landscapes, you should definitely do this once. Please eat the fish soup here, they have such an ingenious fish soup here.
That's incredible. A taste explosion. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who's into gravel, maybe some rougher terrain too. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who's into gravel, maybe some rougher terrain too.
You can also take more time. But then you have to be prepared for wind, rain and cold. And what more could you want at sunset, by the sea, on a dream gravel road, I don't I have to add any more to that. Like a professional cyclist.
We decided to explore Iceland in our own unique way. Much more impressive and intense. That's why we decided to do the whole thing on the bike, to perceive wind, weather and the landscape much better. Flying from Reykjavik to Isafjördur we have already seen through the window some bits of the track we would be riding the next few days.
It was extremely impressive because you can see all the fjords from above and you already get a feeling where we'll be riding the next few days. We then met Dora and Tyler in Isafjördur, The two run the only bike shop in Isafjördur. Welcome to Isafjördur. Thank you... They gave us the opportunity to assemble our bikes and helped us organize a couple of things. So that we had a smooth start the next day.
The best way to combine bikepacking and sightseeing is by getting on your bike and start pedaling. We start in Isafjördur, then drive along the coast directly to the Litlibaer. There are waffles and... ...Beer .. Coffee .. And then we continue further along the coast towards Heydalur. Day one, 137 kilometers. And I think one of the most beautiful days that I ever experienced on my bike. I've never watched whales for three hours from a bike.
Behind every turn the landscape is more and more beautiful. Actually, you can keep the drone in the air all the time, set the camera to continuous. So the first day... was one for the books.
Really nice. Really cool. And what flashes me the most is the quiet, sometimes you don't hear anything, really nothing.
Today we continue in not the best weather from Heydalur to Laugarhöll. Iceland showed us the normal face today. A lot of wind over a high plateau and wind that we are not used to from home one turn later you're back at the sea at 15 degrees celsius.
So up here not only the landscape changes extremely fast, but also the weather here switches from windy and rainy back to sunshine in five minutes. Nevertheless, we are now back at an incredible nice place and the second day was really cool. Very different from the first one and it should continue like this. Good morning, today's stage not quite 89 kilometers and again just over 1000 meters of altitude from Laugarhöll behind us... ...to Bardadalur, better said, Sælingsdalfjord I believe.
The biggest problem with food in the Westfjords is for sure the distance between the options where to buy food. That's why it's very, very important to plan ahead, because you very often have to make it all day with what you have on your bike. Changing clothes is sometimes not so easy in the Westfjords. The good thing is that there are only sheeps who watch.
Today all expectations have been exceeded, I would say. At the end of the day we had like 17 degrees celsius and sunshine with clear blue skies. And cycled through a landscape that was really astonishing. We crossed this land bridge.
Which was very impressive with the bikes. We are now at our next accommodation and now it's time for the hotpot with a cold beer probably. Anna? It blew me one meter off the street not one, more like two. The wind in Iceland is different, very different, a lot wilder. The exciting thing about Icelandic weather is that it is difficult to predict. An Icelander once told us "If the weather is bad, it is best to wait five minutes.
then it will have changed completely. The weather forecast for today: 20 degrees celsius, sunshine, calm, if we're lucky, a lot of tailwind. And otherwise... shouldn't be that bad today.
That's why you're wearing the rain jacket? Exactly! Understood! So delicious! I really like that. The rain comes from all sides splashing up from below, but it also comes from above and you get really, really wet. The Icelandic weather was on vacation and is now back and greeted us.
123 wet and windy kilometers. We're reaching the western part, the climbs get a little steeper again. We tried to stay dry as long as possible today, we changed our clothes twice and needed all our rain gear. So now it's time for the hot tub, because that one is directly by the sea! We are right here.. .. it gets pretty warm down there.. .. 30 degrees celsius.. Show the route again! It was all there today and actually exactly the way I thought it would be when I was planning it. So not 18 degrees in shorts and shirt but wind, cold, warm, awesome landscape.
Today was a day like I have imagined it 1 ½ years ago when I planned the whole thing Arriving at the beach by bike in sunshine. Two really cool passes with sensational gentle descents to the fjords. I liked it today! I really liked it today! The wind upon the pass was so extreme that.. I had to concentrate to stay on a 6 meter wide road.
And even pushing the bike .. .. was almost impossible. And died somewhere around 1900. Did he live here? He grew up here. And Sigurdson..
.. that was the son of Sigurd. Yes that was the son of Sigurd. So that we have discussed that too. Island fact #13 Day eight yesterday was a bit longer, Managed to make it through the king's stage.
That was a total of 12 hours on the bike. Today we roll to our starting point in Isafjordur. But make a coffee stop on the way. Who should eat that now? Look how it's bouncing. If you then stand at the top of the pass and look down to Isafjordur our goal and destination. Then you're sad with one eye and relieved with the other.
The circle closes we are now back in Isafjordur and have incredibly beautiful and indescribable days behind us. And thus cycled all around Iceland's Westfjords.
2023-06-09 07:58
