The bike and the gear

Here is a surprise (to some of the readers, at least): my bike cost me 40 euros. I wonder how many people have biked the Berlin-Copenhagen route (or Berlin-Stockholm, for that matter) with such a cheap bike. Definitely not those few bike travelers that I saw during the journey.

I bought the bike from a flea market in Berlin in last September. It was definitely not too well kept, but the basic structure and relevant parts were ok quality. Of course, I had to fix a lot of things. It didn't have the front brakes at all and back wheel brakes were not working properly. Saddle was crooked. Chains were badly worn out, as well as the casettes. Suspension fork existed but it was rusty and, needless to say, non-functional. Front derailleur needed adjustments. By and large, every single part was dirty and in need of some serious oiling.

Most of the above shortcomings I fixed either during the fall, some during the last minute fixing before the journey. The result was an ok bike, but to be honest, not such that I would use again for biking 1300 kilometers.

If some of the readers are interested in bike traveling, here are some tips considering the bike. Most important, in my opinion, is to have a rack and proper bags to attach to it. I don't recommend carrying a a backpack. On a longer trip it's best to get all weight off your back. Another very important thing is a good saddle. A thin and hard racer saddle is not a good option. You should have a wide and soft saddle, at least if it's the first time you do a biking trip. Also the grips matter. Normal round grips might be ok for some, but for me they were not, as the grips blocked my veins and caused some blood circulation problems in my left hand. In addition to these things, also the importance of the dimensions of a bike is emphasized on a longer trip. The size of the bike, as well as the height adjustments of the saddle and stem should be right. I have to admit that in my bike, they were not (screws of the stem were so rusty that it was not adjustable).

The most important gear on the trip was of course the tools to fix a broken inner tube (I needed them three times). You should also have a proper pump to re-inflate the fixed tube. My pump was too cheap to work at all (it was actually only able to get the air out of the tube, not in it). I guess I was lucky to break my tubes always close to the service stations. Regarding the rest of the gear, you can use as much money as you want to. But let me just say, that you will be quite fine without the 100e biking glasses that dim according to the sunlight.

This might be my last post on this blog, hope you enjoyed reading it! To all the readers who are planning a biking trip, I wish happy fixing and sunny roads!

The homecoming

The last days of the journey were just relaxation and resting in Stockholm. I just enjoyed the Swedish sunshine and spring feelings. Aimless walking around Stockholm, eating in restaurants, going to movies, some shopping, sleeping late in the morning... That's it!

Sunny Stockholm

I also made a difficult decision - I decided to leave my bike in Stockholm. I already have a better bike at home and not space for two! However, the faithful piece of metal had some emotional value for me. I wouldn't have given it to some random person, so I passed it to my friend. He will take good care of it and promised to keep the stickers attached ("Berlin loves you" & a Finnish flag)!

The 15-hour ferry trip to Helsinki passed as always. The ship is dominated by a group of raging youngsters, keeping terrible noise. Only difference is, that this time I'm not one of them myself. Listening to it behind my door all night, desperately trying to sleep a bit. By the way, nothing has changed. The pranks and jokes they do in the ferry are still exactly the same as they used to be ten years ago!

Back in Helsinki, Finland!

Next morning I finally stepped on the soil of my dear Finland and an hour later I was home. Cold, crisp, familiar, sunny, beautiful! Ah. The journey is over!

Day 13: Mot Stockholm! Mot Stockholm! Mot Stockholm!

During the night I slept lightly and woke up in the morning before my alarm, eager to get out of my sheetless bed. I got started well before nine o'clock, ready to tackle the 170km challenge that I had set for myself! One of the first things I saw that morning was the East Coast of Sweden and the good old Baltic Sea. It felt cosy and familiar, looking just like the Finnish coast. After a few kilometers the road climbed on a really high hill, straining my legs but rewarding with a superb view over the Sea.

The Bay of Norrköping, from top of a hill

The Baltic Sea

After pics, I continued towards my first destination of the day - Nyköping. Once more, it was a sunny day, but surprisingly cold! To my astonishment, I even saw some piles of snow here and there. It was the first snow I saw since the beginning of February. (That was when the two-week-long winter ended in Berlin). I also saw a huge dead boar on the side of the road, apparently recently killed by a car. After passing the cozy Nyköping, I decided to eat in the next restaurant I would find. A mistake! Interestingly, as I was closing Stockholm the habitation got scarce. There was no restaurants, service stations, or anything in the next 40 kilometers after Nyköping! Just forests and fields. I finished my water supply and already got really thirsty, before reaching the next village in the afternoon, where I finally rested and ate a pizza. Anyway, already more than 100 kilometers before the lunch. Good!

The 600 kilometers of the previous days were also taking their toll at this point, however. My left hand was getting numb and tingling almost constantly - blood was not properly flowing in it because of the bad handle of the bike. My Achilles tendon was aching too, so I was happy that it was the last long biking day.

After the break I had only 65 kilometers left to Stockholm, but this was where the struggle seriously started. My stomach swelled more than usually after lunch and I felt nauseous. Biking was slow and difficult, partly also because the terrain was the most hilly so far during the whole journey. Constant up and down! Luckily, I knew I had a great benefit tonight. I didn't need to save any energy for the next day, so I could and would give all that I got! Even more important was, that I didn't need to stress about accommodation and getting there early, since my friend had promised to accommodate me and I could arrive as late as I wanted!

Getting close!

After five o'clock I reached Södertälje and kept a long coffee pause there. That restored my energy. But I got a new challenge - the route. It got tricky here, twisting and turning endlessly, snaking through the endless suburbs of Stockholm. There was literally a hundred turns, forcing me to navigate with the iPhone every few minutes. Going was really slow and it got dark. I tried to change to a simpler looking biking route, which I found on the map. Turned out it didn't exist, so I got back to the original route. At some point I thought that I was surely already in Stockholm, but when I rechecked my location from iPhone, I saw that I was still 20 kilometers away. I felt like a turtle - only 20 kilometers in two and half hours! I also had a feeling that I must have surely seen every single suburb, park and neighborhood outside of Stockholm.

Reaching suburbs of Alby at sunset, 20 more kilometers to go.

I was getting really fed up, but then I finally found a big car road, which I could use for the last 5 kilometers before city center. This road led me to Södermalm island in Stockholm! I started to smile broadly, knowing I had only a few kilometers left of the whole trip. The 170 kilometer challenge completed, sweet! It was even better feeling to know that I could finally rest properly, relax in Stockholm and then get home! I was also happy to meet my friend, who had also prepared a delicious dinner which was just getting ready as I arrived. Awesome!!

Arriving at Stockholm. Happy feelings!

Day 12: Easy rolling

Today was surely the easiest day on my journey so far. The morning began again with a sun shine, contrary to the forecast. Also the wind was still on my side and the road was straight and smooth. What more could I ask for? So I left the shores of Vättern and headed east, towards Linköping, Norrköping (many Köpings around here) and finally Åby, my destination for the day.

Flat landscapes + smooth road + wind on my back = Easy rolling

Since I had Internet in the motel where I had slept, I checked out a suitable accommodation already in the morning, called and booked it. It was a much more relaxed feeling to bike the day, having already secured a place to sleep for the night. I decided on purpose to make a shorter trip than yesterday, because I wanted to leave enough kilometers for the last day. I want to really try my upper limits and see if I can bike the remaining 170km in one day. So for today I had about 110 km.

The 110 kilometers went really fast, at least it felt like it. When I think about the ride now, I don't even remember much of it. Well, Linköping seemed to be a really nice city, even such that I could imagine living there. Norrköping, which to my knowledge is one of the largest cities in Sweden, I passed from west, so not much to be said about that. I arrived in my destination in Åby just after 4pm, long before darkness. Ample time to recover and prepare for the last day's challenge!

My hostel is a pretty big house, where I'm the only guest, again. There is not even a hostel keeper, I got the door code through telephone. There is no sheets either! However, a few times I heard someone come to the house and soon leave, never seeing who it was. A bit creepy! Edit: there is another guest after all - a weird old man who always mumbles and escapes me when I say Hi to him. And apparently he has some serious stomach problems, judging from the messy state of the toilet. A friendly tip for the reader: if possible, avoid the Vandrarhem hostels while travelling in Sweden.

Day 10-11: Mixed feelings

Since eight o'clock when my alarm woke me up at Day 10, there was a beautiful sunshine outside. It stayed such all day, but it was easy to notice the difference to the sunny days in Germany - regardless of the sunshine it was not warm here. The biking experience was very unlike that of Germany and Denmark in some other ways too. Unlike anytime so far on this trip, the road was incredibly straight, big, and silent. I would ride the same road for two whole days at least until the Lake Vättern. The road was the old E-4 ("Gamla E-Fyran"), a previously used main highway between Stockholm and Southern Sweden. Ten years ago they built a new, even bigger highway, so this one was all empty now! The services and shops had already vanished from the old road's side, so at times it felt too silent. Almost like the road itself was lonely. Just endless flat pine tree forests, then some fields, a few red painted houses here and there, sometimes a sleepy little town or village. Compared to their German counterparts, Swedish landscapes were quite homogenous. Part of the reason was of course, that I was not cycling on the scenic Sverigeleden biking routes, which are known for their beauty.

Break on the roadside.

During the first whole days in Sweden, I was getting a bit mentally tired, despite of the nice weather. I felt overwhelmed, thinking about the long journey still ahead of me. In addition to this, I was fretting about money issues, because I knew the costs were exceeding my planned budget heavily. This was due to two reasons. Firstly, the trip was taking longer than I had originally thought. Secondly, it was a daily challenge (especially in Denmark and Sweden) to find an accommodation with less than 50e. On average the accommodation had cost me about 40e per night, quite expensive! Consequently, I was usually eating in burger places, pizzerias and kebab restaurants to spare some money. Pros - I was getting lots of calories, which my body craved! Cons - the food quality in Swedish pizzerias was not convincing. 

For these reasons, I wanted to bike home pretty fast. But I have to say, that regardless of all the mental and budget issues, I still enjoyed the nature, challenge of the journey and the disconnectedness from the outside world. Especially being disconnected is something really rare these days and consequently all the more valuable. It gives a pause, helping to see the everyday routines from a different perspective and to put things in context.

Spring on a Swedish river side.

Back to the events of the first days in Sweden. On Day 10, I got physically much more tired than during the day before. I still got the best kilometer count so far (120), ending up in a town called Värnamo. Partly it was my body thanking me for the 1,5 days break in Copenhagen. But even more importantly I got far because the road was easy to follow and I didn't need to use time to check the route all the time, like in Germany. The second day was even better. I slept a good 9,5 hours in Värnamo and restored myself as well as possible. So from Värnamo I proceeded to Jönköping (maybe 80 kilometers) already before lunch. After lunch my energy only increased (which was  great as the terrain got really hilly).

After Jönköping the route sided the Lake Vättern for 50 kilometers. Vättern is the second biggest lake in Sweden, and definitely one of the most beautiful of the ones I have seen. It is a vast and majestic sight, not least because the lake giant is surrounded by steep hills and cliffs, making it resemble a Norwegian fjord! Viewing from my track on top of the cliffs, close to hundred meters above the shore line, the lake looked like a leopards skin - surface was glimmering in the sun, spotted with shadows created by dozens of clouds in the sky. I could see the steep hills on the opposite side, but could not distinguish the far end of the lake in the distance. Needless to say, the landscape made the rest of the second day a real enjoyment. Adding to the excitement, from my high view point I could see how a storm front was closing on me from the South-West, following me as I hurried north in the dimming evening light. I could clearly see the pouring rain over Jönköping, where I had been just a few hours ago. Eventually I biked faster than the rain and got out of the way. The storm front went North-East, passing me by only a few kilometers. Days journey was again a new record - 140 kilometers. In the evening I accommodated in the only Motel of Ödeshög, a small town on the shore of Vättern. As usually, the night was peaceful - I was the only guest in the whole place.

Landscapes after Jönköping - Lake Vättern.

Day 9: Crossing to Sweden

In the morning when I got out of the hostel, I felt like biking to the airport and fly home immediately. It was raining pretty much, cold and yes, very windy. Well, can't control the weather, better just get going. At least I had a really good outdoor jacket, which kept me dry. I was more worried about finding way, because my navigation was now solely depending on iPhone, which I didn't want to wet in the rain. I got about 45 kilometers ride north on the Danish side, to the city of Helsingör, where I would take the ferry to Helsingborg in Sweden.

Danish coast line. Sweden in the horizon on the right side!

When I was getting close to Helsingör the rain suddenly stopped, lifting my spirit immediately. Also seeing the Swedish coast on the other side of the strait made me rejoice, as it reminded me that I was getting closer to home, slowly but steadily. The ferry itself was easy to find and the crossing took only 15 minutes. The staff didn't look so well on me, when I enjoyed the ferry ride lying on the fine canvas benches of the snobby restaurant. (My clothes were not quite as dry and clean as their standard customers'.)

Helsingborg Castle

The mighty castle of Helsingborg welcomed me on Swedish ground. After getting some Svenska Kronor from ATM and eating in McDonalds it was good to continue biking, not least because of the heavy wind on my backside. Around six, just as it was getting dark, something unpleasant happened. A flat tyre, again! I was 10 km from the closest town, but luckily I got there by pumping the tyre full after every few kilometers. I found the Touristbyro, which was closed (typical). But these guys had been more clever than the average, as they had a nice list of possible accommodation options on the outer wall! Just picked up a number of a bed&breakfast and reached it. It was 10 more kilometers away, but the woman who I spoke with was extraordinary friendly and promised to pick me up with a car! Super nice, considering my flat tyre. Heja Sverige!

So I spent the night in a cozy Bed&Breakfast in a little village of Åsljunga. The days kilometer count was around 105, so not bad!

Day 7&8 : Copenhagen!

The 7th day's ride to Copenhagen was quite easy and uneventful, expect a few tire failures. When I was starting the day, I noticed that my tyre was flat. Found the hole, patched it and began the ride. No more than 2 kilometers after starting, the tyre was getting flat again really fast. Shit! Well, I did the same again and found a new hole! How could it be again? I checked the outer tyre and found out that a shard of glass had went through it and was sticking inside, which made immediately a new hole after patching the first one. So dear cyclist readers, remember to also check out the outer tyre, when patching holes!

Fixing a tyre.

The ride itself was just 40 kilometers of constant suburbs on a straight flat road and a smooth cycling lane. I got to love how in Denmark cycling is made so easy! After arriving in Copenhagen, I decided to take a hostel for 2 nights to prepare for the rest of the trip and rest a bit. In the evening I saw a Danish friend and we cycled around the best places in Copenhagen. My definite favorite is Christiania. It's like Berlin, but condensed in a small area.

The Hostel

On the next day I had to do many preparations, so unfortunately I didn't have much time to really enjoy the city, but next time I will (and that would be in the summer, please). My favorite things about Denmark were their super good English skills (everyone could and would help me when I needed it!). They also had Internet in hostels and hotels, which might feel like a no-brainer, but after five nights on the German side, it was actually a positive surprise. One more thing - I really admire the value liberalism of the Danish society and people! Ok, enough about Denmark now.

I also passed the bridge with the most bicycle riders in the whole world!

When I began to plan my route is Sweden, I became really worried about finding my way and navigating there. There were a few new problems. I noticed from Google Maps, that big roads in Sweden don't have sidelines for cyclists, and they also often have a fence between the opposite lanes, making it impossible for cars to pass cyclists. So that was not a route option. The other challenge was this: There were no official cycling routes from Danish border to Stockholm. The existing routes were zig-zagging too much and adding 200 to 400 kilometers of extra journey. On the other hand, going a random route on the small roads would get me lost all the time.

While searching for possibilities, I found something awesome. An iPhone app called Pocket Earth saved me and solved all of the problems! It allowed me to download the whole map of Sweden to offline mode. It contains also all services like hotels and restaurants. What is more, it allows to find cycling routes and also download them to watch when offline. Plus it knows which big roads are ok for biking. So I found myself a straight route from Copenhagen to Stockholm and downloaded it to offline mode. Now it works exactly like a GPS, telling me where I am and where to take turns, all without Internet. Great stuff!

After one and half days, I'm ready to hit the road again!