Glorious Gravel – Off Road Adventures in Cycling

Off:Roader SWEDEN

THREE stages | 328km

Nights

4

Stages

3

Difficulty

3/5

PRICE FROM

£1649

Nights

4

Stages

3

Difficulty

3/5

PRICE FROM

£1649

OVERVIEW

HIGHLIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION

GETTING THERE

PACKING LIST

FAQs

OVERVIEW

This authentic Swedish cycling experience brings you to the heart of Småland in southern Sweden, to ride some of the smoothest gravel in the world.

 

Guided through the undulating landscape, leaving civilisation far behind, you’ll venture through Nordic forests, passing quaint and quintessentially Swedish farms, and countless lakes, where you’ll have the opportunity to cool off along the way.

 

We ride together in small groups & stay in a mixture of local accommodation and hotels, eating together each night to make this a social week of exploring this gravel paradise.

Included in Ride Package

Accommodation

4 nights in a range of small 3* & 4* hotels. Choose private single, shared twin or shared double rooms.

Airport Transfers

Fly into Gothenburg (GOT), our team will be on hand to collect you & drop you back off on departure day.

3 Epic Stages

Fully supported rides with guides leading small groups, van support & regular feed stops with a short warm up ride on arrival day.

Meals

Bring some money for drinks but our package includes 4 dinners, 3 lunches & 4 breakfasts.

Regular Stops

Regular feed stops approx every 25-35km with lunch stops in beautiful locations, local cafes / restaurants.

Luggage

We move your overnight bags from hotel to hotel each day and provide a day bag to collect at lunch.

WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED: Flights, Insurance (mandatory), Drinks with lunch & evening meals

REAL RIDER REVIEWS

ITINERARY

DAY 1

Arrival in Gothenburg (GOT), transfer to Wallby (transfer takes approx 2.5 hours). Time permitting end the day by beautiful 30km evening warm up ride.

DAY 2

Stage One: Wallby to Eksjö - 105km, 1014m elevation, 80% off road

DAY 3

Stage Two: Eksjö to Vireda - 106km, 1218m elevation, 85% off road

DAY 4

Stage Three: Vireda to Wallby - 117km, 1282m elevation, 85% off road

DAY 5

Departure day, transfer back to Gothenburg airport.

*Most of the on road sections are on quiet country roads with barely a car in sight. We spend no time on roads like home. Due to the nature of gravel riding, the routes may change based on weather / trail conditions.

RIDE HIGHLIGHTS

Pure Scandinavian Escapism

Ride for hours with just nature & each other for company as we head into remote & secluded forest trails.

Delight in local Swedish culture

Sweden in the summer is all about getting outside and enjoy the beautiful countryside. This 4 night break takes us miles off the tourist trails and into the heart of rural Smaland with plenty of stops by lakes for some wild swimming. Start the day with a sauna and lake swim, end the day with a beer by the lake. It doesn't get much better!

Food as Fresh as it gets

From Fika (coffee stops with homemade cake) in the morning to lunch by the lakes, wild cherries & blueberries on the rides & local delicacies for dinner, Sweden is a foody delight.

World Class Gravel

More than anywhere we’ve ever ridden, the gravel here is beautifully smooth and even the most remote trails are still in great condition. There are hours & hours of glorious, flowing and rolling miles with few big climbs so this route is suitable for riders of all abilities.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Accommodation

We stay in three hotels, half board (the route is a loop starting & ending in the same village). Two of the hotels are in the country and on lakes where we will finish the ride with some wild swimming & a traditional sauna. The other hotel is in the charming town of Eksjö.

Bike & Tyre Choice

This route is what gravel bikes were made for. Suspension isn’t needed but you could also choose to ride a hardtail and keep up without issue. Tyre choice: 35mm as a minimum. 38 to 42mm is ideal and you might want to consider 45mm plus for maximum comfort. It’s not that the tracks are rough, only that you’ll carry more speed on the fast sections with more rubber in contact with the road. An all rounder gravel tyre will be ideal.

Food

Swedish food is one of the highlights of the trip as it's high quality and flavoursome. Breakfasts are standard buffets at the hotels (always with a few interesting options to start your day!), lunches are in local restaurants, evening meals are a mixture of set menus or buffets in the hotels, with options to cater for specific dietary requirements.

weather

We time all our Off:Roaders to catch each destination in its prime. Late June, early July, will be very long days (sunset after 10pm) and temperatures likely to be in the mid 20s and sunny. We will keep you updated with forecasts as we get closer to the trip departure date.

Terrain

Småland is home to some of the smoothest, fastest rolling gravel you will find anywhere in the world. Mile after mile of ‘champagne’ gravel awaits you on a route that’s 85% off road. Our route features sections of forest tracks connecting the gravel roads together. These are a little rougher and more technical, but both seasoned and new gravel riders alike will have no problem riding them. Swedish gravel is unlike anything we have in the UK. The closest comparison would be the smoothest sections of gravel in Kielder or Aberfoyle. The route is still challenging, although more from the undulating terrain and the length of the stages rather than the gravel.

The Route

The trip starts with an evening warm up ride taking you up and down the hills of the west Skirö, with a mixture of smooth sand roads, and more challenging forest gravel. Stage 1 will bring you north west through pristine forest and unridden gravel roads. You’ll have your first swimming opportunity as we pass the Bathing beach at Solgen, before continuing to Eksjö; a Unesco World Heritage site. Stage Two, after some unspoilt peace mile after mile of glorious gravel through forests to begin, we descend towards Örserum, and you are wowed by the views of Lake Ören. Lunch is in a perfect spot right by the lake, before we’re back onto more unspoilt gravel. Stage Three overall profile of the route is downhill, with some fast gravel through Småland forest and alongside lakes, before a trip to the lakeside sauna and a dip in the lake to finish.

7 UNMISSABLE HIGHLIGHTS IN SWEDEN

NUMBER One

Super smooth, fast rolling gravel
The gravel in Sweden is some of the best in the world with almost no technical sections - perfect for riders new to gravel or those that like it smooth.

Each day is spent mostly off road on the huge network of fire roads, forestry tracks and a few short sections of singletrack. The terrain is rolling but there are no major climbs on the whole trip so it's easy to stay riding in a group and chat the miles away enjoying the views, the clean air & the glorious silence.

NUMBER TWO

Fika - the world's best coffee stops?

Sweden takes it's coffee stops very seriously and fika is a social break for coffee and cake - perfect for a mid ride stop to chat through the day so far.

We take fika at various local cafe's with delightful homemade cake, coffee and fresh juices. Perfect to take 20 mins off the bike to soak in the environment and share stories with fellow riders.

number three

Start & end your day with a wild swim

Unlike in the UK, you can actually enjoy the beautiful lakes in Sweden and on three of the four nights, we stay by a lake. On a warm early morning, nothing beats starting your day by jumping into a fresh lake and after a 100km ride, getting straight into the water feels amazing.

Along the ride, on most days we stop off at least once for a mid ride swim as the temperatures in June & July can be mid to high 20s so a cooling dip before lunch really hits the spot.

Number Four

Stroll around historic Eksjö

After starting the trip in rural Smaland, our second night brings us to the historic wooden town of Eksjö.

Our hotel is in the heart of town and before dinner there is plenty of time for a stroll through the lanes for an ice cream and a beer.

Number five

Epic riding deep in the forests

The heart of this gravel adventure is the hours of group riding deep in the forest away from the modern world with just ourselves for company. Over the 3 days we see hardly any people but get to bask in the natural surroundings and super fresh air.

Number six

Delicious, fresh food straight from the land

Sweden is a fantastic food region with excellent local dishes available at lunch & dinners - expect hearty cuisine with lovely meat options but also excellent vegan meals.

Along the route we also see lots of wild lingonberries & blueberries that are ready to eat in June / July and taste delicious!

Number seven

When in Sweden... sauna

It just wouldn't be a trip to Sweden without some regular saunas along the way. Our hotels for 3 out of 4 nights have a sauna by the lake, perfect to mix up the warmth of the sauna and the cool of the lake.

Perfect before or after a ride. Perfect on your own or chatting with your new ride mates, you will definitely miss the regular saunas when you head home.

STAGE DETAILS

Route Summary:

A nice warm up on your first evening here. Setting off from the beautifully located Wallby Säteri, your route takes you up and down through the hills to the west of Skirö. Almost all of the route is on gravel, with a mixture of buttery smooth sand roads and slightly more challenging forest gravel. You’ll pass numerous lakes, with every chance of seeing an osprey or black throated loon. A short and challenging hill awaits on the way up to Skurebo, followed by a long and fast descent through sweeping corners, forest and meadow. Once back in Nye, we cycle through a lovely avenue of broadleaf trees and onward to more gravel. Then its back to the hotel and a chance to visit the sauna and take a dip in the lake before dinner! 

Ride Distance: 32km   Ride Elevation: 453m   % Off Road: 85%   Difficulty: 2/5 Technical Difficulty: 1/5

Route Summary:

Leaving Wallby, you have almost 10km of flawless forest gravel to start the day. Fast, sweeping corners, gently downhill and past many lakes. Once in Slagdala, the route heads north towards Kvillsfors, climbing steadily. Various pretty hamlets and vantage points await. The climb out of Kvillsfors is a treat, gaining over a hundred metres in several kilometers. Fika awaits at the first rest stop, which is 30km into the ride.

The ride continues on, heading NW through pristine forest and unridden gravel roads. The next rest stop is at Mellby, at the bathing beach at Solgen. A stunning spot for a swim before lunch. Afterwards, we continue on more beautiful gravel tracks towards Eksjö, a Unesco World Heritage Site, famous for its ‘Gamla Stan’ (old town) with its old, painted wooden houses and buildings.  

Ride Distance: 104km   Ride Elevation: 1015m   % Off Road: 80%   Difficulty: 2.5/5 Technical Difficulty: 1.5/5 

Route Summary:

This is where you really find your unspoilt peace. Mile after mile with scarcely a car in sight. Each time we’ve ridden this, we’ve gone at least 2hrs without seeing a moving vehicle during this stage. The route always varies, with occasional tarmac breaking up extended periods of lovely gravel. As we descend towards Örserum, you are wowed by the views of Lake Ören to your left. Lunch is in a perfect spot right by the lake. After lunch, we’re back into the forests and back onto the gravel.

The route is fast and flowing all the way to the lavishly appointed Wiredaholm Golf Resort. Another lakeside sauna awaits, as well as a traditional Swedish dinner. 

Ride Distance: 106km   Ride Elevation: 1413m   % Off Road: 85%   Difficulty: 3.5/5 Technical Difficulty: 1.5/5

Route Summary:

From Wiredaholm, you’re immediately on fast gravel. The overall profile of the route is downhill, but you still reach over 300m altitude, winding through the Småland forest. There is no shortage of lakes to stop at, if cooling off is required, and there is an outstanding bathing beach 18km before the finish. A real treat is where the route runs directly alongside Solgenån, a long narrow lake a little over halfway through the stage.

The final run back into Wallby is a relaxed few kilometers of backroad asphalt. A chance to cool the legs off before rolling to the finish, jumping into the sauna and diving into the lake.

Ride Distance: 118km   Ride Elevation: 1282m   % Off Road: 85%   Difficulty: 3/5 Technical Difficulty: 1.5/5 

ACCOMMODATION

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PACKING LIST

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GETTING THERE

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Flights

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Transfers

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Outbound

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Your Guides

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Rental Bikes

getting to sweden

Fly Into: Gothenburg Landvetter Airport (GOT)

 

Flights From:

There are regular direct flights operated by Ryanair from London Stansted, Edinburgh and Manchester, by British Airways from London Heathrow, and Norwegian Air from London Gatwick.

 

Transfer Times:

On arrival day, the transfer will depart from the airport at 13.00.

On departure day, there will be two transfers. The first will leave the hotel at 2.30, for flights after 7.30, and 15.00 for flights after 20.00.

Transfers from the airport will take approximately 2.5 hours. 

 

Note: transfer times are subject to change should flight times change. Final times will be confirmed and sent to you a month before your trip.

Accommodation & Meals

The hotels in Slovenia are a good standard. We stay in a mix of superior 3* and 4* hotels. Choose between a single, shared twin or double room. You can add your preferred room mate in the booking notes.

 

In Kranjska Gora & Bohinj the hotels overlook the mountains & lake. Our hotel in Lipica is world famous for it’s white horses and we finish overlooking the Adriatic. Luggage is transferred from hotel to hotel & bike boxes are transferred from Bled to Portoroz on the first afternoon.

 

Evening meals are buffets with pasta, salads, meat & vegetables. Lunches at feed stops are local restaurants as we try some of the local delicacies. Vegan, gluten free and other dietary options are available.

packing list

Cycling Kit

Bibs/shorts | Jerseys/tops (consider LS t-shirts for cooler temperatures)

Gilet | Waterproof jacket | Arm warmers

Cycling shoes | Socks | Mitts 

Helmet | Sunglasses

2 bottles | Chamois cream | Sun cream

GPS device with handlebar mount

Bike spares

2 x inner tubes suitable for the size of your tyres

Spare tyre | Tyre levers

1 x puncture repair kit (if running a tubeless set up, have a tubeless repair kit including plugs and spare sealant)

Multitool | Chain link specific for your bike chain

Spare rear mech hanger for your bike

Small pump | Rear light

Spare batteries/charging cables for lights

Personal Medical kit

1 x crepe roll bandage | Gauze or similar absorbent dressing

Small set of scissors | Tweezers | Pain Killers (paracetamol)

Steri-Strips | Antiseptic (spray, cream or wipes) | Bug spray

Assorted plasters | Rubber gloves | Prescribed medication

Hotels & Meals

Accommodation: We’ll stay in a mixture of typical Swedish and regular hotels each night. You can choose between a private single room, shared twin (2 beds) or shared double (these will also generally be twin beds with separate duvets) room. All of our hotels are hand picked and we stay in some really special places, in the countryside, on a lake, and in a Unesco World Heritage site.

 

Meals: 4 breakfasts, 3 lunches on the road, 4 dinners are included in the package. Drinks with lunch & dinner are excluded.

 

We stay at:

Vetlanda – Wallby Säteri

Eksjö – Eksjö Stadshotell

Vireda – Wiredaholm Golf & Konferens

Vetlanda – Wallby Säteri

DATES & PRICES

START

FINISH

SINGLE ROOM

TWIN/

DOUBLE ROOM

DEPOSIT

£1849

£1649pp

£299pp

£1849

£1649pp

£299pp

DATES & PRICES

Single

£1849

Twin

£1649pp

Deposit

£299pp

Single

£1849

Twin

£1649pp

Deposit

£299pp

FAQs

Swedish gravel will suit both the seasoned gravel rider as well as someone who is very new to gravel. The smooth gravel is fun, fast and non-technical and there is mile after mile of it. It really is gravel paradise! The small sections of forest track that connect the smooth gravel roads provide some challenge, however on a technical rating of 1-5, we would rate them about a 1.5! Think small sections of sand, chunkier gravel and some grassy woodland trails with a few rocks and roots.
The terrain is undulating and the routes are over 100km each day, so a good level of fitness is required to complete the entire route. We can, however, shorten some of the stages if the distances are too challenging.

The local airport is Gothenburg Landvetter Airport (GOT). There are regular direct flights from London Stansted, Edinburgh and Manchester (Ryanair), London Heathrow (BA) and London Gatwick (Norwegian Air).

On arrival day, the transfer will depart from the airport at 13.00.

On departure day, there will be two transfers. The first will leave the hotel at 2.30, for flights after 7.30, and 15.00 for flights after 20.00.

Transfers from the airport will take approximately 2.5 hours. 

Note: transfer times are subject to change should flight times change. Final times will be confirmed and sent to you a month before your trip.

The weather in June and July is generally warm and sunny, with temperatures around 20-25 C°. Occasionally, you’ll get downpours/thunderstorms, but they are usually fairly short. It stays light until at least 10pm and sunrise is before 4am, so bring an eye mask with you in you’re a light sleeper!   

British citizens do not require a visa to enter Sweden.

 

Travel insurance is compulsory for our trips, and you are required to provide us with your policy information before departing.

 

Your insurance should include adequate cover for cycling abroad, any emergency medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and your bike. We also recommend it includes cancellation insurance, should you be unable to join the trip for specific reasons such as illness.

 

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