I finished my ride from Copenhagen to Gothenburg a couple of weeks ago. The original idea was to go all the way to Oslo, but my hay allergy got do bad despite medication that I decided to call it a tour. Here's some thoughts about the route and some gear choices:
- Route 9 + Kattegattleden
I started my trip from the national park Amager after arriving to Copenhagen on a flixbus. The route 9 to Helnsingør was a really good one; beautiful views and a bit exciting too with some climbs and descents. Surprisingly, it was easier to find wild camping spots in Denmark than on the west coast of Sweden, despite Denmark lacking "everyman's rights". Sadly when crossing over to Helsingborg on a ferry you will not see any views, since you need to stand by your bike down on the car deck. At least boarding was very simple, no need to buy a ticket in advance.
I was on a bit of schedule, so I didn't fully follow the Kattegattleden. Some of detours it took didn't make sense anyway, so I wouldn't feel pressured to do so. I've read some people describe the route as boring, but personally I found the sandy ocean views very beautiful. It almost fully consists of bike paths, so you will feel very secure. There are lots of amenities on the way. It's definitely a popular cycling route, so you will not feel alone even if you are riding on your own. My only gripe was the lack of wild camping options. There are a lot of nature reserves and camping grounds, and very few options if you want to sleep for free.
- Gear I liked:
2.1. M-Wave derailleur adapter + 12-42 Microshift cassette
Microshift has some new(?) Acolyte 8-speed cassettes that omit one of the useless (for me) low end gears, starting from 12-15… And going up to 42 and 46. I really wanted to get one, and with the cheap derailleur adapter piece the shifting works perfectly fine. I had to clean some of the gunky factory grease from the chain to get the shifting work, but after all I was so so happy with the gearing on this ride. I know most people ride on more gears, but my Claris has been serving me well, and my only issue has been the "dead" low gears that I never use.
2.2. gore 3/4 bibs
I absolutely love these bibs especially on a bike tour over the usual bib shorts. They are made from similar light summer fabric, so overheating is not an issue at all. They fit really well thanks to the calves being great at stopping the fabric from riding up, and they make sun protection so, so much easier. Not having to lube up my legs saves so much time and sunscreen. Huge thumbs up to 3/4 bibs, try them out.
2.3. rain coat/poncho
I learned my lesson from last year and sacrificed 100 or so gs to carry a raincoat. It didn't rain too much on this journey, but when it did, this coat was just a blessing. I try to plan around rain, but it's not always possible. I used the coat to keep my bike dry overnight, and was able to progress instead of being totally halted on the following day. Will bring a raincoat to my next adventure too.
2.4. Exped Dura R5 LW (>1 kg) sleeping pad
I fell in love with this chunky sleeping pad. It's comfortable, warm, makes no sound, and just feels nice and sturdy. Zero regrets, will ride with this weight around happily.
2.5. cutting down on warm weather clothing
Nordic summers aren't that warm. I decided to bring with me two long sleeve merino shirts, one long sleeve running shirt, and just one hawaii shirt for warm days on and off the bike. This was a good mix for me, and I was mostly wearing my merino stuff. Wind jacket was also on me while riding most of the time.
by Tiemuuu