Riksgränsen to Smygehuk

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Saturday 11^th July    Riksgränsen - Jokkmokk

I got up at 04:30, breakfast with the other participants.

Started Sverige Tempot at 06:00.

Start photo

The group still together not long after the start.

I didn’t have a good trip to Kiruna.  I stopped for a pee, was still with the other 3 (Christian, Göran and Ove) and a gap opened up on the group.  Christian, Göran and Ove passed 2 of the others who were going to ride together, I made the mistake of thinking that they’d drag me back to the group, but instead I lost more ground.  I ended up chasing for about 15K before giving up.  I didn’t go much further and caught up to Christian Göran and Ove who had stopped and waited for me.

On our way into Kiruna

We had a sit down meal “Dagens” in Kiruna and this was our first stamp control after 130K at 11:20.

We had a strange wind all day.  I felt both up and down all day, but felt a lot better towards the end of the day.         Today Ingmar flew back home to Malmö with a nurse as company.

We stopped again in Gällivare and had a sit down meal, kebab plate.  Kebab plates and pizzas were to become a main meal during the coming days.

Meal stop in Gällivare

Got going and after 10 minutes Christian noticed Ove didn’t have his backpack.  Ove rode back and collected it while we waited.  This wasn’t a pleasant wait as all the bugs in the area informed one another we there and wanted a bit of us.

Still got time for a smile

We also stopped at Porjus for an ice cream, coke and cake.

Christian, Ove and Göran

Porjus was a pleasant stop.  In 1915 opened a hydropower station in Porjus, not the first in Sweden, but this one was different because of its situation and its advanced building techniques.  It was built under ground in rock.  It was also a very pretty area.

Got to Jokkmokk, got our cards stamped for the second time after 345K at 21:35.  Ove and I went to our hotel, put bikes away, showered and then went to a restaurant for dinner.  Christian and Göran stayed at a hostel.

Stats for Riksgränsen - Jokkmokk

Total time for days ride 15h 40m       Ride time 13h 06m     Days Distance 355K

Max speed 53,1kp/h    Average speed 26,9kp/h         Climbing 1690 metres

Descending 2000 metres         Min temp 13    Average temp 19

Distance from start     355K

Sunday 12^th July             Jokkmokk - Storuman

Up at 05:30, breakfast, Ove and I met up with Christian and Göran.  First stop of the day was at the Arctic Circle.

Christian, Göran, Ove, Tony

We stopped at Kabdalis and where going to stop again at Moskosei, but didn’t see anything open.

We got here for opening time and for me an ice cream. (Kabdalis)

We had a head wind all the way down to Arvidsjaur where we stopped for an hour and had a pizza.

Our average speed was 24,8 at our first stop and by the time we got to Arvidsjaur it was down to 23,8.

A reindeer getting off the road.

We saw quite a few of them in the northern part of Sweden.  One gets the feeling they are related to sheep when they are on the road and there are vehicles about.

We had a tail wind to Sorsele where we got our cards stamped for the third time after 579K at 18:15 and had something to eat.

We carried on to Storuman, everything was OK until the last 30K, it rained.

We got to our hotel, “Hotell Toppen”, put our bikes in the basement, showered, hung our clothes up in the boiler room and dinner which I had asked for during a phone call made to the hotel during the day telling them of our arrival time.  For us Hotell Toppen lived up to its name.

Stats for Jokkmokk - Storuman

Total time for days ride 14h 28min    Ride time 12h 10min              Days Distance 309K

Max speed 63,3kp/h    Average speed 25,5kp/h         Climbing 1865metres

Descending 1740 metres         Min temp 12    Average temp 22

Distance from start 664K

Monday 13^th July     Storuman - Östersund

Up at 05:30, got gear together, breakfast.   There were people staying at the hotel on a bus trip who’d passed us several times on the way to Storuman with whom we chatted with at breakfast.

Today started the same way it finished yesterday, rain and it kept on raining until we’d passed Vilhelmina where we got our cards stamped for the fourth time after 717K at 10:53.

Göran got a puncture not long after we started the day.

First puncture of the trip

We stopped at “Hotell Wilhelmina”, sat there a while and had refills of hot chocolate/coffee and demolished their cookie bowl.

Hotell Wilhelmina and a group of very wet cyclists

We stopped in Dorotea and again in Strömsund.  It was during these 2 stops I rearranged our accommodation for tonight via Peter Tonér’s father who was manning the only compulsory stamp control on the whole trip trough Sweden.

On the outskirts of Östersund Göran got another puncture, the cause was a small bit of wire in his tyre that he’d missed when fixing this morning’s puncture.

Göran and Ove checking Göran’s tyre

It was about this time with everyone being tired that things almost blew up and it was the closest we came to our little group breaking up.  We found Håkan (Peter’s father) after a little trouble, this was the first time we used our cue cards as the road to Östersund was just a case of following a couple of different road numbers.  We got our cards stamped for the fifth time after 944K at 22:00.  We got info for our hotel and then biked to Scandic hotel, shower, dinner which we’d asked for and then it was bed.

The first 2 days were a bit of a mental battle with myself before I came into the ride.

Göran was giving us a bit of a geography lesson during the ride.  I was now enjoying the scenery and it was enjoyable, what with the lakes, forests, the flats and the hills.

Stats for Storuman – Östersund

Total time for days ride 15h 11min    Ride time 11h 33min  Days Distance 305K

Max speed 54,9kp/h    Average speed 26,1kp/h         Climbing 1595 metres

Descending1620 metres          Min temp 10    Average temp 18

Distance from start 969K

Tuesday 14^th July     Östersund – Sveg

Up at 05:30, got ready, breakfast and we got going just after 07:00.  Everything went well until Åsama where we stopped.  While we were there a local thunder storm came, but we didn’t feel the effects until we were on the road again.  We stopped to put on our rain jackets and down it came, we got under a tree until it blew over.

Taking cover under a tree while a rather heavy shower passed over.

Ski slopes on the other side of the valley at Klövsjö

Jacket on, jacket off....

We stopped at Vemdalen after a great descent from Vemdalsskalet, a ski resort.  We were going to eat at Vemdalen, but there was a power cut.

Never did find out what the pizzas were like here because of a power cut.

This picture of Christian’s was printed in a magazine Outside here in Sweden.

We carried on to Sveg and went into a pizza place and had a late lunch, which was a rather nice paste dish.  After eating, for some reason there was a discussion on the distance left for today.  I had phoned where we were to stay tonight and the woman there went on about there being 200k to Venjan, about 50k more than we had down on our calculations.  There was a lot of talk.  In the finish we decided to stay in Sveg, we booked into a hotel not far away, showered and got our clothes washed.

We were going to try and do another 30k to Lillhärdal, but all the accommodation there was fully booked.

Went through route and re-planned where we were to stop for the nights left.

Re-planning our ride

We decided to add another day and this is where Ingmar came back into the ride, as our travel agent.

There were several phone calls between Ingmar and myself and he organised hotel bookings and cancellations.

(Even today we still don’t know why we stopped in Sveg for the night, but none of us have ever regretted it.  We are sure we would have made it to Venjan, but would have arrived late and then would have paid the price the next day)

Stats for Östersund - Sveg

Total time for days ride10h 21min     Ride time 7h 25min    Days Distance 186K

Max speed 67,9 kp/h   Average speed 24,4 kp/h        Climbing 1170metres

Descending 1100metres          Min temp 11    Average temp 22

Distance from start 1155K

Wednesday 15^th July             Sveg - Vansbro

Up at 05:30, got gear together, breakfast and we got going just before 07:00.  Turned into a tuff ride to Älvdalen.  Actually since leaving Östersund it has been tuff, some good climbs.

With the climbs came some good descents and one of these was into Älvdalen, it wasn’t steep by any means, but it was downhill a long way.

About 5 to 10k before Älvdalen

We stopped in Älvdalen for lunch and got our cards stamped for the sixth time after 1245K at 11:20.

Not long after Älvdalen we followed part of the Vasalopp track.  Vasalopp is a yearly cross country ski race with several thousand participants.

We stopped at a kiosk in Venjan.  We were to have stopped the night in Venjan last night.

Our calculations were right for the distance from Sveg to Venjan and we worked it out that the woman I spoke to thought we were going to arrive in Venjan via Mora and not Älvdalen.

Yet another ice cream/coca cola stop, this time in Venjan

We were about to leave and the woman there took our picture and took notes for a local paper.

(We checked the internet and their local paper, but no article)

About 40K from Vansbro I got a pain in my left knee area that wouldn’t go away.

Quick stop on the way to Vansbro, my knee troubles had started.

We found the camping site which Ingmar had found for us in Vansbro, showered and then I collected gear I wanted to send home.  I walked over to a shopping centre with Christian, they didn’t have a post service there, but was told that OK Service Station had it.  Walked there and sent home 3kg of gear I didn’t need.    Did some shopping with Christian for our breakfast.

We had dinner in a restaurant by a river where there is an annual swim held over 3k, which had over 4000 participants 2009.

Dinner by a river.

Hand washed some clothes which Christian and I put in the campsite’s dryer.

Went to bed quite early.                       Christian had plasters with some medicine in which I had on my knee during the night.

(I spoke with my physiotherapist after the ride, it turns out I got a chill in one of the bigger muscles on the inside of my left thigh.  Could have most probably fixed it with some of the liniment I sometimes use, but didn’t think to have it with me on this trip)

Stats for Sveg - Vansbro

Total time for days ride 10h 38min    Ride time 8h 35min    Days Distance 221K

Max speed 53,3 kp/h   Average speed 25,8 kp/h        Climbing 1160metres

Descending 1245metres          Min temp 14    Average temp 24

Distance from start 1376K

Thursday 16^th July   Vansbro - Skövde

We were up a little earlier this morning, packed gear, breakfast and cleaned up.

The hut in which we stayed the night.

We got away a bit earlier as well.         I took it easy all day today, following Christian.

The view I had all day????

The pain in my left thigh was back after a few kilometres.  I struggled along most of the day.

We had a quick stop at Lesjöfors and stamped our cards for the seventh time after 1408K at 09:35.

I took an anti inflammatory tablet Ove had with him, took another at Hällefors where we got our cards stamped for the eighth time after 1446K at 11:47 and we had lunch.

We stopped again in Karlskoga and got our cards stamped for the ninth time after 1513K at 14:45.

I took a 3^rd  tablet for the day after leaving Karlskoga.

We had another proper meal at Gullspång and got our cards stamped for the tenth time after 1569K at 17:40.          The ride from Gullspång to Skövde was the best I felt all day.

We made a quick stop at Töreboda, yet another ice cream stop and where we crossed over the Göta Kanal.

Sun going down on the way to Skövde

We were met by Ulf Sandberg (a local cyclist who is just as mad as us others and does long distance cycling) on the outside of Skövde and he showed us the way to our hotel.

Outside our hotel in Skövde

Ulf stamped our cards for the eleventh time after 1658K at 22:00.

We checked into the Scandic hotel, showered, dinner and Ove and I talked with Ulf for a while.

Stats for Vansbro - Skövde

Total time for days ride 15h 24min    Ride time 12h 06min  Days Distance 293K

Max speed 58,9kp/h    Average speed 24,3kp/h         Climbing 1240metres

Descending 1415metres          Min temp 14    Average temp 23

Distance from start 1669K

Friday 17^th July        Skövde - Laholm

Up at 05:30, sorted gear, breakfast.

Dining room at the Scandic hotel

Ulf Sandberg showed up again, he showed us the way out of Skövde.

Entrance to the Scandic Hotel

Took a while for me to get going.  Had trouble with left leg, mainly when standing on the pedals.

We stopped north of Ulricehamn for a break.

This is where we had our morning tea

Next stop was Tranemo for lunch.  Arriving here we were glad for the stop as it was a rather warm day.

During the second half of the ride from Riksgränsen to Smygehuk I didn’t feeling like eating between stops, so I had a packet of sweets with me which are very popular here in Sweden, called “Bilar” or Cars.  Today I went through 2 packets.

Sweet packet can be seen in my backpacks side pocket.

Carried on to Hyltebruk, got our cards stamped for the twelfth time after 1841K at 16:41 and something to eat.

We carried on to Laholm, stopping at Simlångsdalen, nothing was open and that was at about 20:00.

The ride to Simlångsdalen from Hyltbruk was through a rather pretty area and best of all a lot of downhill.  Got to the hostel in Laholm, shower, dinner which Göran’s wife had made.

Dinner in Laholm

Stats for Skövde - Laholm

Total time for days ride 13h 30min    Ride time 10h 25min  Days Distance 259K

Max speed 53,2kp/h    Average speed 25,0kp/h         Climbing 1195metres

Descending 1300metres          Min temp 17    Average temp 26

Distance from start 1928K

Saturday 18^th July    Laholm - Smygehuk

We got up at 05:30, got gear together and breakfast.  Set off before 07:00 and it was raining and kept on raining until we’d gone over Hallandsåsen where we were back in Skåne.  It started raining again when we got to Klippan.  We found a cafe and had something to eat and got our cards stamped for the thirteenth time after 1968K at 09:45.

We stopped again at Gårdstånga, had a warm meal.

We stopped again at Genarp, a short stop, yet another ice cream.

We then carried on to Smygehuk arriving at 16:15 after 2102K.

On the way to Smygehuk any little rise in the road felt like a mountain.

Cheers!!! A toast provided by Ingmar

Ingmar was there with his family.  There was also a reporter there from Kvälls Posten and he interviewed me on our trip.  We didn’t get our group shot I wanted at the finish as the reporter took up the time we would have taken to take finish pictures.  The others didn’t want to hang around because of the weather, cold and windy.

Even Christian managed to be in an article in a paper in Helsingborg where both he and Göran come from.

Smygehuk, the most southerly point in Sweden

We went and had a sandwich and chat, it was then we realised that we hadn’t got our cards stamped for the last time.  We got them stamped in the cafe, Sweden’s most southerly cafe.

My card at the finish

I had trouble with my left leg today, worse than yesterday, but not as bad as Thursday.  Only took 2 pills today.

I got a lift back to Malmö with Ingmar’s brother in law, stopping at Shell Holma in the hope that there work be other cyclists there to ride the last kilometre of the protest ride against the closing of a home for a group of 5 handicapped individuals.      It was just Eva and I who cycled the last kilometre.

I would like to think it was the fact that we came a day later than planned and that the weather wasn’t the best, but no one showed.

There was a cyclist who met us at the finish at Smygehuk along with Ingmar, but any idea of riding back to Malmö was out.

But first it was welcome home dear, then the last kilometre cycle.

Stats for Laholm - Smygehuk

Total time for days ride 9h 27min      Ride time 7h 31min    Days Distance 174K

Max speed 49,7kp/h    Average speed 23,2kp/h         Climbing 970

Descending 925metres            Min temp 16    Average temp 20

Distance from start 2102K

Stats for Nordkapp to Smygehuk

Total time 142hrs         Total distance 2859K               13 days of cycling

58199 calories were used        19400 meters of climbing

-The beginning of August when Eva and I got back from holiday, Ingmar had just been told what had probably caused all his problems.  Seems that a couple of his back joints had compressed and put pressure on nerves in his lower spine and neck.

-Even before the start of Sverige Tempot we (Christian, Göran, Ove and Tony)had agreed to do the ride together.  Once at the finish in Smygehuk I know I was more than pleased and still am with our effort.  We did what we set out to do and that was to finish the ride and finish together.

We are different types of cyclists and that we worked together during those 8 days was incredible.  We only had the one incident where things could have gone wrong and split our little group

It was a wonderful journey through Sweden with the other 3.  We had some good laughs even when it was raining.

-Thanks to Christian for his photos from during the ride which I have used several here.

-Our arrival at Smygehuk was a rather emotional one for me. Seeing Ingmar being driven away in the ambulance in Honningsvåg and not knowing what was wrong with him and then seeing him again at the finish in Smygehuk, in front of me smiling and the fact that I’d made it all the way was a bit too much.

-Here is a link to one of the other riders impression of his ride from Riksgränsen to Smygehuk.

He did it on a Fixed wheel.  The article is in Swedish, but there are some good pictures.

http://kallegunnar.blogspot.com/2009/08/sverige-tempot-2009-i-textmed-lite.html