Day One of my bicycle tour around Iceland. This was filmed 19th July 2023, and covers the day’s ride between Vogar Camping and Mosskogar Campground.
Also read where to store a bike box in Iceland: https://www.davestravelpages.com/bicycle-box-storage-in-iceland/
So day 1 of the Iceland bike tour. And being day 1, there were a lot of new routines to get used to, one of which was switching the camera on and remembering to talk at the same time – which I totally didn’t do!
As a result, I’ve put this commentary together afterwards to go with the video I took on that day. To be honest, the cycling on day 1 between Vogar camping, through the outskirts of Reykjavik and on to Mosskogar camp ground wasn’t so spectacular anyway. It followed a few bike paths where possible, and the main road when no other options were available. I was navigating using the Komoot app which proved to be pretty good overall, although later in the tour, some of the maps were a bit dated in the Westfjords.
Anyhow, making this commentary gives me a quick opportunity to tell you briefly about my bike setup – As you can see, I’ve got the traditional bicycle touring setup of panniers front and rear, a handlebar bag and a rackpack. In addition to that, there’s a Brooks feedbag.
Now there’s a hundred and one ways to go bike touring or bikepacking, but this is the setup I prefer overall. I’d say most of the cyclists I saw during my time in Iceland had taken the racks and panniers approach as opposed to the bikepacking route. I didn’t see one trailer or recumbent bike being used for touring during my time in Iceland.
My bike is a Thorn Nomad 2 with a Rohloff hub – it’s a chain rather than a belt as it’s over 10 years old now but still going strong. If I ever decide to get a new bike, I’d probably go for the belt option. I had no problems with the bike on this tour, and not one puncture.
Just as with the method of bike touring, there’s also a hundred and one ways to make videos. I prefer making the chat from the saddle type of video. This should give you a chance to see what the road conditions are like, and later in the tour when I got more into the swing of things, a few insights into what was going through my head at the time – for whatever that’s worth!
Anyway, back to today’s ride. The idea was it should be a little warmup ride to make sure the bike and my legs were all working ok. Everything went pretty smoothly, and I ended up in the Mosskogar campground in the early afternoon.
I’d heard that there is a lot of leftover food and gas bottles from previous campers at the campgrounds closest to the airport, and this was the case here. I scored a ready to eat meal and a can of spam – ok not gourmet stuff, but that you very much, that will do nicely!
I camped in a small pocket of grass next to some trees – trees became something of a rarity further in to the tour.
All in all a successful day’s ride. Day 1 cycling in Iceland was complete with 3 hours and 35 minutes of actual riding, 53.6 kms in the bag, and a total ascent of just 350 metres. Spent the evening with my feet up, chilling and eating!
Good morning everybody this is the first day of my cycle tour around Iceland and today I am going to be cycling from here this is a great pointy stick by the way which is vogar I’m staying at a campsite and I’m going to be going through rubic and then staying at a campsite
Somewhere near here which is mosell it’s only a short day about 50 km and that’s basically because I landed yesterday and just want to make sure the bike is in good work in order so I will give you some clips from the road and some commentary speak in a
Bit so day one of the Iceland Bike Tour and being day one there were a lot of new routines to get used to one of which was switching the camera on and then remembering to talk at the same time which I totally didn’t do on day one and
Probably on day two so as a result I put this commentary together afterwards to go with the video took on that day now to be honest the cycling on day one between vogar camping through the outskirts of rubig and then onto mosar Campground well it wasn’t so spectacular
Anyway it followed a few bike paths where possible and the main road when there were no other options available and I was navigating using the kamut app which proved to be pretty good overall although later on in the tour some of the maps were a bit dated in the
Westfields anyhow making this commentary it gives me a quick opportunity to tell you briefly about my bike setup and as you can see I’ve got the traditional bicycle touring setup of P’s front and rear a handlebar bag and a rack pack in addition to that there’s a
Brook speed bag as well now there’s 101 ways to go bike touring or bike packing but this is a setup I prefer overall I’d say most of the cyclists I saw during my time in Iceland had taken the RX and Pano approach as opposed to the bike
Packing routes and I didn’t see one trailer or recumbent bike being used for touring during my time in Iceland so right over there I think is my first sigh in of reic over There the bike I’m riding on this tour is a thorn Nomad 2 with a rolloff Hub and it’s a chain version rather than a belt uh the bike’s over 10 years old now but it’s still going strong so if I decide to get a new bike probably go for
The belt option but for the time being I’ve got no problems with this bike at all and on this tour not one issue not even a [Applause] puncture as you can see from this clip I’m cycling along the main road here between the airport and rubic uh there
Are some bicycle paths but in places it is unavoidable you just have to get on with it fortunately there is a a wide shoulder for most of the journey and a little bit later on you cross the road and then there’s a bike path which leads you into [Applause]
Recul so I found a little bike path that starts at an aluminium plant of just starts randomly and you have to cross the busy road to get to it if you’re heading towards kic but fingers crossed it will take me all the way in and I can get off that busy
Road take the next right now right just as there’s 101 different ways of doing a bike to there’s also 101 ways of making a video about the bike tour and the type of video that I’m going to make is like a chat from the saddle type
Of video this should give you a chance to see what the road conditions are like and then later on in the tour when I get more into the swing of things a few insights into what’s going through my head at the time for whatever that’s worth anyway back to today’s ride the
Idea was that this was a little warm-up ride really just to make sure the bike and my legs were all working okay everything went really smoothly and I ended up in the moscoa Campground in the early afternoon I’d heard that there’s a lot of leftover food and gas bottles from
Previous Campers at the campground’s closest to the airport and this was the case here I scored a ready to eat meal and a can of spam okay it’s not Gourmet stuff but thank you very much that BL nicely and in the evening I camped in a
Small pocket of grass next to some trees trees became something of a rarity further into the tour so it was good to uh see some trees at the beginning at the very least all in all a successful day ride uh day one of cycling in iand
Was complete with about 3 and 1/2 hours of actual riding 53 km in total and a total Ascent of 350 M then really I just spent the evening with my feet up chilling and eating thank you very much for watching this video you know what
You got to do with a like And subscribe buttons and all that good stuff and I will see you in the next one cheers for now