Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB - Cycling in Iceland summer 2015

I did a three-week cycling tour in Iceland in August 2015 with my wife and here are some thoughts that may be of use (and for bikers too?) Flying out taking bikes we used the ‘CTC big plastic bag’ (£7 from Wiggle); less storage hassle (we cached them in Reykjavik). Our route was Reyk.-F35 Kjoler-Siglufjorder-Akureyri-all N fjords-Egilsstadir. We fly back to Reyk. with bikes on Air Iceland: £130 and easy/quick. Considerations: 1) Bicycles: We had Thorn Ravens, but saw a range of others on hybrids & mtn bikes. If you do much in the Interior you’ll appreciate wider tyres. 2) Route: Droning around Route 1 will be trafficked, maybe do just one region? (e.g. W. fjords – epic). The interior Kjolur route was wholly manageable (3-4 days), with camping stops every ~50km. The road portion immediately S of Hveravellir was rough (see ‘tyres’ above). 3) Camping: Keeps costs down majorly and you get to experience more of the outdoors (which is why you’re going to Iceland?) Nearly every remote settlement has a campsite, often near the swimming pool (= hot pot). You’ll want a solid tent. 4) Kit: Obviously full waterproofs (can you survive a whole day cycling in wind-blown rain? Think ‘hill walking in Cumbria’). Our aged Ortieb’s leaked. All kit in drybags. We didn’t take helmets; usually you’ll have a hat on. A windproof hoodie is great too. 5) Weather. Yes, there’s plenty of that and it’s very changeable. We had 8-13oC typically. Get the met. forecast daily on your phone and you may want to sit out periods of bad weather. The wind is the big factor to be aware of: headwinds or, more dangerous, sidewinds. When forecast at over 10m/s (=22 mph) it was a concern. The country roads are often on embankments, so they catch the wind, and you could get blown off (we had to push a few times to stay safe). 6) Roads. Getting better and usually smooth tarmac. Non-tarmac may be well-graded or just dirt. You can ride thro’ all tunnels (except at Akranes), so take lights. 7) Misc. Most people speak English, you can (usually) only get alcohol from the state wine stores (vinbudin). There’s an excellent ‘Cycling in Iceland’ map (see Hjólafærni á Íslandi - Forsíða). 8) Costs. We used hotels (£80+) for 3 nights when wet, otherwise camped. The whole trip was £3000 all DIY. Iceland is an amazing cycle-touring destination, but make sure you have good kit and a positive attitude.