Day 4 - Tjallbo to Vadstena

Today was not destined to be a big day as Vedstena had been my target after 2 days. So completing it in 3 was in one way a bit of failure but being honest with all the issues i have had to face im petty happy with making ii in 2.5

Not a bad sleep but not brilliant, woke twice during the night for a pee which is a habit i really must try and break. Also my plan of just peeing in the bushes all went to hell as somebody else had moved into the tent area across from me. 

Breakfast of museli and and a hot drink (also refilled both flasks with boiling water, my little pot does a great job btw) and i was ready to leave. I really need though to have a system because things were all over the place this morning. Everything needs to have a place and i must put things back in their place as soon as i have finshed with them otherwise i can never find them again! This morning it was my knife, fork and spoon set followed later by my cycling gloves!

On the road by 0900 and the cycling was glorious. No major roads and just village after village, farm after farm. Having spent the last 4 weeks in a "husbil" (Recreational Vehicle, mobile home) it was great to see so much varied landscape with woods and farms. Everything was looking really pretty

No camels today (or lamas) but did go past a Swedish Infantry regimental depot that was displaying one of its old personal carriers by the side of the road and there was a presistent roar of jet engines which i know comes from a Swedish Airforce base near by as i passed iot years ago when i cycled to Göteborg. So today had a definite military theme that was complimented by a visit to the Gota canel at Mortala

Dug by hand by 58,000 Swedish soldiers in the early 1830's this canal connects the Baltic sea with Göteborg. The locks are all in working order and the canal is stuill used today by tourists. In fact as i sat there a boat came through looking to go down the locks

Motala is the start and finish of the "vatten runden" which is something i have been trying to do for years. A 300 km "race" around lake Vattern is concidered one of the Swedish classics (along with the Lidingo Loppet and Vasa Loppet, running and skiing). I have been signed up for it at least 3 or 4 times now and each time failed to start either because of conflicting arrangements or because of Covid. This year i was signed up but the start was delayed until September which would have meant cycling a lot in the dark. As i had planned to use the Brompton (most ppl use carbon fibre road bikes) i estimated at least 18 hours to get around. Having just done the same distance from Stockholm (all be it on a heavier bike) in about 25 hours I think I am being a little optimistic. Still at least i got to do a few KM to Vadstena

So the plan was to stay at the camp site but as they wanted to charge me as much as a stay in a Vandrehem i thought to hell with that and went into town. Called in at the tourist information and got a complete list of places to stay and started to ring around. Many didnt answer, some did saying they were closed because of Covid and others were fully booked. Eventually i asked around at the castle ("slott") and was told that i could pitch my tent down by the harbour where there was a service house with showers, toilets and electricity. Even better it was just 40 SEK so i pitched my tent and headed into town

Looked up the top place to eat and it wasnt where i was expecting it to be. It wasnt anywhere near the tourist end of town or the hugely expensive spa that has now replaced the rather basic hotel we used to come to 25 years ago. Very nice food run by a young crowd of enthusiastic waiters and chefs i blew all the money i had saved on the switch from camp site to harbour but didnt regret it for a second.

Was about to look around an informal get together of classic cars (that happens every wednesday during the summer) but it started to rain so headed back to the tent. Lets see how it goes tonight. Maybe tomorrow I get a bed somewhere 

 Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/Xi2NKf6LDib

Day 3 - Skebokvarn to Småängens Camping, Tjällmo

Great nights sleep though i did wake early. Breakfast was some museli and i was able to put the unused Oatley in the water bottle from yesterday. I also tried using the hot water in my new flask to see if had kept the heat and it made a decent cup of tea so that was a success. Packed and was on the road around 0700, took a lot more care with the rucksack to avoid the hassle from yesterday. Pretty sure it was caused by the sleeping mat not being central. Everything pretty much dried overnight (though the bike clothes were just a little damp). 

Arrived in Flen and was very happy that I had decided to stay where I had because the hotel looked like it seen better days. The road to Katrineholm was a big road but traffic was thankfully light and what traffic there was gave me a wide berth. No way I could have done this yesterday

Katrineholm had a Biltema, i road right past it and didnt remember until i was well past that I should have tried to pick up a three legged stool! Still i was able to do some shopping at an ICA MAXI and bought a bunch of student food. Pasta, pasta sauce, beer and instant noodles in anticiaption of not finding anything decent tonight. Stopped off also for a coffee in the center of town and was able to get my small flask filled with boiling water

Decided to take the slightly longer but more scenic route thus avoiding hopefully any big roads. Was an excellent choice as the cycling was just great. Still a problem with hills and gears and to this was also added my first gravel road which is frankly a nightmare on the Brompton. The front wheel was all over the place and the bike felt very unsteady so going was even slower. Rained a litte but was generally overcast. Big problem with flies, they are all over me when i stop or go slow so was not pleasant.

Had a nice break at övra hävla bruk an old iron foundary from the 1600s that closed in 1920s. It had been restored and there was a guide there who very graciously filled my water as i had ran out (should have filled it in Katrineholm). Must have drunk 3-4 litres today and hardly peed at all. I also had been completely unable to find anywhere to eat, the only options such as small cafes had been closed because of Covid so I made myself some instant noodles using the water from Katrineholm and my new cookset. Worked a charm. A couple of ladies on another table hearing i was English struck up a conversation about how small my bike was. Turns out she recognised the model as her daughter lives in London where they are used for commuting. Saw Lamas and Camels today at two different farms

After a few hairy experiences on the gravel road i eventually made it back onto tarmac and headed for the campsite. Stopped again briefly at 1430 to take my medicine and get something to drink and again just before i reached the campsite to pick up some desert for my meal tonight. Sent a picture of my dinner to Susie who wasnt impressed. Cards, carbs, carbs and carbs so tomorrow i will have to do better

Checked in and found a nice spot. Had to put on my anti mosquito face net and it actually worked a charm while i put the tent up. Tried really hard to do it properly this time but we will have to see how things go tonight. They have a really nice service house so was able to recharge all my devices and cook myself some dinner. Even had enough pasta for a seciond portion which i have put into my collapsible bowl (has a lid that screws on seals) so maybe thats something i can eat tomorrow. 

Looking at my Strava stats my average speed is 10km an hour so its really slow. I also supposedly burnt 3500 calories and considering how tired i feel i can believe that. Going to do a Swedish lesson now and then to bed. Tomorrow is a much more relaxed day so maybe its time to slow down just a fraction and enjoy the time away

Lessons for today 

1 - My bike hates gravel

2 - i need to concentrate on my food and water intake

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/f9JKzYJaCib

Day 2 - Bredang to Skebokvarn

Well that didn't go well

First of all I wasted a couple of hours after it started getting dark on map playing Civ 6. Was fun but i was to pay for that lack of an earlier night

Woke at 0300 bursting for a pee which isnt easy ijn a tent. Had misplac|\ed my glasses (stuff was all over the place though i had tried to have a system and keep things organised. Then i had to get dressed, put on my shoes, navigate my way of the tent which was wet from the heavy dew and then mack my way to the toilet block being careful not to trip over tent guide lines in the dark. By the time i got back i was well awake and i hadnt really gotten to sleep when dawn arrived along with the birds. Fitbit says i got just over 3 hours sleep

Eventually gave up and went for a walk in search of something warm to drink as my thermos was warm at best and made a lousy cup of tea. Found a cafe as Bredang center so sat their and surfed the web as I had time to kill. I hadnt realised that recetion didnt open until 0900 and i hadnt paid.

So a long list of things to fix over the next few days

1 - there is a reason why guide lines need to be tight. mine were too loose hence the tent got wet

2 - always leave the vents open to avoid condensation

3 - hammer the guide lines better especailly when ground is wet and muddy

4 - get something i can boil water in

5 - get a bigger thermos

6 - get a small chair, cant sit in the tent

7 - need food containers especially for liquids 

Anyway was on the road just after 0900 and made slow but steady progrilk.ess. Got a bit lost getting out of Stockhol as Google doesnt do the best at finding route. Did some shoping at Biltema to try and find some of the more obvious stuff (out of stock with the little 3 legged chair i wanted). Got a bit lost going through Sodertalje but evetualy found the road i was destined to follow for t which io am carryhe rest of the day

Rucksack needed to be adjusted a few times so i bought some additional bungies lets see if they make any difference. Bike is really heavy compared to when i have ridden it with out sall the gear which made progress very slow. Also i really suspect that the gears are not working and that I only have access to half of them. So i am down to 3 gears and it fels like the high ratio set so anything but the mildest of hills was a killer. A lot of walking and pushing the bike which with its little wheels isnt the easiest thing.

Terrible lunch at Jarna but i had to get a rest and eat. Had a brief stop and shop at Gnesta as i needed to take some medicine and thought i would kill to birds with one stone and buy some small mineral water so could take the medicine and keep the bottle for my oat milk which i could just imagine bursting in my rucksack.

Weather was a mix of rain, sunny spells and a head wind which really sucked. Combine that with the gears, the heavy bike and lack of sleep from last night meant i was reallt struggling. I realised that my original plan for Katrineholm wasnt realistic so started to look for alternatives. One campsite in Malmkoping but it was a diversion and would add more for tomorrow so i decided to find a room. Third time lucky and i found an empty Vandrehem at a good price.

Dried out the tent, had another go with my hydrated food this time with boiling water and actually it was very edible. Washed my bike kit and got an early night, my plans are now all shot to hell as my mileage expectations were based on my other bike carrying little gear. This is a whole different ball game 

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/FIa8UHuzAib

Day 1 - Stockholm to Bredang

 Not a huge day today as I didnt get away until after lunch and i had to run an errand and drop some paperwork off as the accountant. It was also raining pretty hard so sat with my accountant and drank a cup of tea while we waited for the rain to stop

Loaded the bike using the Brompton back on the front and a rucksack on the back attached in a rather ingenious way i saw somebody who was touring the world. Quite simple when you think of it. Problem with the Brompton is that its a very small bike and the back rack cant really be used by anything unless it is quite thin as your heals keep hitting it on each rotation. The trick is to put a rucksack on the back and have it at an angle so that the heals miss. To do this you put about 8 inched of broom handle through loops under the seat. Attach the broomhandle with a strap so that it wouldnt move and then drape the rucksack handles over it. Then using the 2 straps on the rack at the back loop under the backup and over and attach to the rack. Then take another bungy and attach it to the rack and loop around the back in the opposite direction. This may the back is fixed at top by the broom handle and at the bottom by the bungies and as they are in opposite direction the counter out any pull that might be applied

Next thing is that bike is certified to carry 135KG (or so i read somewhere) so i was very keen not to overload. Also the bracket on the front is plastic so the front back cant be more than 10KG plus it cant be piled hight as the handle bars will hit it everytime you turn a corner

So up front went the tent, sleeping back, bike lock and a little bit of food. In the rucksack went clothes, heavy food, cooking and eating utensils, washbag, medical kits and electronics. Picked it up and stood on the scales and before food it came to 125KG so that gave me an idea of how i could add

Found Bredang campsite easy enough ad set the tent up for the first time. I had bought some instance camp food (just add boiling water) and a few extra bits and bons so was looking forward to an enjoyable evening. Bredang had a kitchen but all that was there was a microwave and a hotplate so i had to improvise by boiling water in the microwave (which didnt go so well) so my dinner was pretty chewy

Tent went up easy enough and didnt make a complete fool of myself. Blew up the mattress and my pillow, unfurled my sleeping bag and settled in for the night. Im 58 and not slept in a tent since Susie and i used to go camping in the mid 80s so what coud possibly go wrong.

Had a nice chat with my German neighbours who were behind me and seems they are going up to North cape and was planning on taking the E4 up and then come back down through Norway. Warned them that the E4 is a really boring road and suggested instead the E45 which is the one we used on our RV holiday last week 

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/8wZAkJuwAib

Well 2020 was a bust but 2021 I have plans

2020 will go down as the year we all stayed at home particularly in my household as my wife is vulnerable as she has multiple medical conditions. That being said we did squeeze in a trip in a rented RV and explored the north of Sweden by driving up the middle. We actually took the route I had planned to do on my bike back in 2019 before Susie had her gallbladder removed and I rented the bike ansd rode from Brighton to Penzance. Anyway I digress

2021 we also rented an RV and carried on our exploration of the north. This year though i have had both of my Phzier jabs so i have been vaccinated (at least against the know variants as of time of writing) so while we were away the wife suggested I took a week to do some cycling as it has been sometime since I have been away.

So this year i am going to do some experiments using both my Brompton and to try camping for the first time. Will require more of a load but will give me options i havent had before such as being able to camp and cook my own food. The whole point of getting a folding bike was so i could have more options with travel. For instance i would like to restart my around the UK trip but to do that i need to either rent a bike or take my own, taking my old folding bike makes so much more sense. Also with Covid-19 still very much about avoinding crowded areas and using a tent makes a lot of sense

Trying out my new bike

Having cycled around the Baltics I was able to use my hybrid bike because getting around was possible using ferries as Stockholm is a hub, however this isn't going to hack it for going anywhere else because taking a bike on a train or bus out of Stockholm is pretty much impossible. Flying is also a major pain in the butt because i need to put the bike in a box and then somehow store it at the other end or get another box to fly back.

So..... Welcome to my new Brompton

Idea is I can take this on any form of transport including aircraft without any permission or special packing.

So took it for a practice run at the weekend



Went fairly well and did 90km but had to abandon the ride because of 2 flat tires. So it was down to the bike shop and new tires (Marathon) just like i was advised to do when i bumped into the Brompton tourers in Devon

Will try again next weekend

Day 8 – Lizard Point to Penzance 45km

Oh my god, worst nights sleep in a very long time. Problem was that the bed was a 6 foot bunk bed with what felt had a slight dip in the mattress. My legs are so tired from the cycling that I needed to stretch them out but because the bed had a wall at one end and a cupboard at the other I couldn’t. I am also more than 6 foot so my poor old legs didn’t appreciate being cramped all night. I tossed and turned all night each time causing the bed to creak and groan, felt sorry for the other guy in the room who was in the bunk opposite

I eventually gave up and collected my things in the dark, thank goodness I never unpack so all I had to do was grab a few things on the floor and under my pillow. Couldn’t sleep so I though it best just to go down to the lounge and do some reading as sleep was impossible. Was pleased to find out it was 04.50 so dawn wasn’t too far away. Had a shave as I look like a yeti. Messed about with my bags to ensure I was ready for the journey back and for handing the bike back.

As dawn arrived a young Italian lady joined me in the lounge as she had a bus to catch. I got the bike out from the store and headed off. My first and only dawn ride as normally I have to start late as breakfasts haven’t been served until well after 8. Lots of wildlife, the world is a different place this time in the morning. Reminded me of my rides in Ireland as I always started at dawn due to the short days

The ride up to Helston and RNAS Caldrose was lovely and then the rain started. Took a detour to Porthleven which is where my Aunt Sarah has a holiday cottage. In fact this whole area is where my mother had her childhood when she came back from South America. She lived here in Porthleven and went to school in Helston (where she took part in the floral dance). I went past the cottage and carried on with the coast road. Rain got heavier

Five miles out of Penzance and the wind and rain is so hard I can hardly see. I am completely soaked and the route has me going along the South Coast path across the top of the beach. I take shelter in a toilet for 5 minutes to check maps and see if I can find a quicker route but decide to just go for it. Arrived at the train station soaked to the skin and covered in sand. Bleh

The nice chap at the station let me use the disabled toilet so I was able to strip off and wash myself down using the tiny washbasin. Dried myself off with toilet paper and changed into some dry clothes ready for the train journey back to London. Train was full on the 0900 but managed to get a slot on the 1000.

5 and a half hours later I was back in London at Paddington Station. Rode through Hyde Park, past Buckingham Palace, down the Mall to Trafalgar Square, down the Strand and into Fleet Street where I picked up some new glasses I had ordered a few weeks after Susie had had her operation. Then down the embankment over London bridge and handed in the bike

So ends the first leg of my around UK bike ride. Not my longest at just over 700km but certainly some of the hilliest