Ideas for an Iceland gravel bike adventure

Mordor, here we come...

I'm writing this as a brief source of ideas for people considering an off-road bike adventure in Iceland. These thoughts come from my own experience of Iceland and, specifically, the Rift gravel race in 2023. These led to me considering an epic South-North cross Iceland ride, only to conclude that this would not be practical for a variety of personal reasons. Instead, something more modest and flexible might be a better approach for most people, especially if not everyone will be riding, while still giving a true feel for Iceland at it's most magnificent.

For the record, the main issue scuppering the cross Iceland ride for me was that it would probably involve being away from home for around 10 days or more, and that isn't something that works well these days. Also, it seems a shame for others to go all the way to Iceland and not see some of the remarkable non-cycling sights that the country has to offer. Lastly, a mix of cycling and sightseeing allows potential to swap days around, which could be critical given that the weather in Iceland even in the height of summer can be so treacherous.

So, my recommendation is to spend three days at most cycling into and around the highlands, sandwiched within another 3-4 days of general sightseeing.

For practical reasons, I suggest staying somewhere in the vicinity of the small communities of Hvolsvollur or Hella near the south coast. There are many guest houses and places with excellent chalets/huts where you can park and store bikes easily, with cooking facilities if needed. The main reasons for basing yourself here are that this is close to the start and end of the proposed cycle ride (reducing the challenges of getting bikes to/from the ride), fairly well sited for days out to Reykjavik and other key sights, and not too far from Selfoss, a large town by Iceland standards (but that means it is still a lot smaller than Horsham) with varied dining options and a decent supermarket for stocking up on supplies. NB - if you want alcohol, remember that you have to go to dedicated state alcohol shops called 'Vinbudin' for that, and they keep short hours and don't open on Sundays . There is one in Selfoss and also Hvolsvollur.

A possible itinerary could be as follows:

• Fly in day 1, pick up vehicles and drive to the accommodation, stopping at Selfoss for supplies on the way

• Spend a number of days sightseeing/cycling (mix and match as people prefer, some might not be cyclists), taking account of the weather and switching days if necessary.

• Return and fly back on the last day.

You will have bikes/bike boxes to contend with so you should plan for this by renting suitable transport in advance. Depending on party numbers, a mini bus and/or a transit style van might be needed.

Also, though Iceland can be expensive, you can save a great deal by booking accommodation and car rental early - you would still have the option to cancel if needed. Icelandair are a good option for flights, their service is pretty reliable.

The best time to go is probably Mid July-mid August - but avoid the time of the Rift ride itself for obvious reasons and also steer clear of the early/late season when the weather is even less reliable and some roads might not be open or may have to close early. You are not that far from the Arctic circle and much of the Icelandic interior is out of bounds for around 10 months of the year.

For the cycling, I recommend that you ride out from Hvolsvollur and follow the route of the Rift gravel race for around 50 miles until you reach the Landmannaleid trail, then head east to camp in the famously scenic hiking location of Landmannalaugar (you will need to have pre booked). You could stay there for 2 nights, allowing for a day of sightseeing, and then ride back - either by retracing your steps or by following the rest of the Rift ride (though that's longer and less scenic). If the weather is not playing ball, you can switch the ride to other days and shorten it/abandon the stop at Landmannalaugar.

Remember that cycling in Iceland is very challenging and the weather can potentially be extremely serious, Here are a few tips:

1. Make sure that you have checked with the Icelandic authorities on weather and terrain conditions and the viability of river crossings. Let them and the locals where you are staying know where you are going and that you have arrived safely, and always have a means to communicate (cell phones won't work reliably in the highlands).

2. Get yourself properly fit before you go and do some testing example rides (e.g. on the South Downs Way) beforehand. The distances and elevation that you cover may not be huge, but the terrain can be extremely draining and will sap your strength quickly.

3. Take obvious safety measures, tools and supplies in case you get stuck, and always travel in a group. Unless the road ahead is obviously clear, ride cautiously as the terrain can be quite treacherous, especially the sand that accumulates at the side of the trails.

4. Take full advantage of the very long days - start early so you have plenty of contingency (in Midsummer it wont get dark until around midnight).

5. Re the rivers - I recommend that you take merino socks and just cycle or wade through - your feet will get warm again quite soon. If you cycle, watch for large rocks as you can easily fall and then your entire body will be soaked - not exactly ideal!

Here is the Strava link for the Rift ride, from which you could load a GPX to examine the route more closely. I'm happy to advise more on this, just ask.

A blog about our experience on the Rift is here, and you will also find a full length video 'Storming Valhalla' on our movies page showing the Rift ride in some detail - the part of the ride that I suggest you do is shown in the first 30 mins of the film, you can ignore the rest unless you are finding it weirdly interesting. There is also a 15 minute film on our holidays in Iceland that might give you some of a feel for what you might see.

Finally, here's a quick graphic of various sights you could visit around the region... The Red line is the route of the Rift ride itself - though I propose that you only ride the first half of this.

1. Reykjavik - not a big town but good fun and a reasonable amount to see, well worth a day, or two at the most

2. Thingvellir - a Rift Valley between 2 continental plates, the site of the ancient Viking parliament and now a set for game of thrones…

3. Kerid - huge volcano crater you can walk into

4. Geysir - hot springs and the original ‘Geysir’ waterspout

5. Gulfoss - pretty amazing waterfall (one of many)

6. Seljalandsfoss - another amazing waterfall that you can walk behind, especially pretty in late evening sunshine

7. Svinafellsjokull - impressive glacier you can walk up to

8. Jokulsarlon - the famous lake with icebergs in it. This is well with seeing, but its the furthest away from Hella - around 4 hrs drive each way. No problem given the long days, however.

9. Reynisfara black beach, with ‘giants causeway’ like rock formations

10. Westmann islands - a 30 min ferry ride to a set of islands where a volcano appeared overnight in the 1970s, causing a mass evacuation and fight to prevent the lava closing the harbour. A fascinating day trip and amazing sights from the ferry.

11. Raufarsholl - a remarkable lava tunnel you can walk through

Hope that gives you some ideas of how to approach a ride in the icelandic highlands - have fun!