Biked May 2022

Written December 2025

Intro

It's still early morning as we pass through a small saddle and get our first glimpse of Hamnoya. The morning is breathtaking, the colors offered by a seemingly never-ending golden hour are hitting their peak and illuminating the small fishing village below us. "This is what I came for." I say to Amanda as we catch our breath at the top of the climb. "It's amazing," she replies back. We are half a day behind, owing to SAS's temporary loss of our bags back in Dusseldorf, and a bit tired due to the midnight ferry ride, but none of those things are front of mind as we gaze down on an open road through the arctic paradise we came to explore. It's only been a few hours but I can already tell this is going to be a ride to remember.

Day 0: Lost Bikes in Bodo

mAY 26, 2022

We started with a train from Essen to Dusseldorf airport, navigating our clumsy soft-sided bike cases through the hard-working transit system of North Rhine-Westphalia. From Dusseldorf we flew SAS to Oslo where we had an overnight layover at a hotel near the airport. This is where, I believe, we became separated from our bags. The next morning, we returned to Oslo airport and boarded an early morning flight to Bodo, north of the arctic circle. I had considered taking the train north instead but, with time limited as it was, we decided to just fly. We arrived in Oslo mid-morning, expecting to catch a fast ferry in the early afternoon to Moskenes, on the southwestern end of the Lofoten Islands. Alas, it was not to be as I was informed at the airport that our bikes were still in Oslo and that we would have to come back later that afternoon to get them.

Somewhat chagrined, we caught a bus into Bodo to find a cafe where we could reserve a last minute Airbnb, change our ferry reservation and get some lunch. We found Bodo to be a wonderful little town, walking through it in the middle hours of the day. At lunch, with a perfect view out to the ocean, I was able to cancel our original Airbnb on the islands that evening and rebook one in town. The next ferry was at midnight but it would still be nice to have a place to get organized and sleep for a little bit.

After lunch, we walked around Bodo for a few hours then returned to the airport for our bikes. They were, of course, the last things to be unloaded, so we were kept in suspension, watching everyone else get their bags before our large Dakines were eventually rolled out from the back. I took about an hour to assemble my Trek and Amanda's Scott after which we transferred personal things from our Cotopaxi backpacks to our Ortlieb panniers. We stowed the Cotopaxis in the bike bags, folded them down and checked them into long term storage at the airport. This, among many other things, was what made the Lofoten an attractive option - long term storage at the airport for the bike bags. With our things transferred, and the bike bags stored, we were officially in bike packing mode! 

We rode to the Airbnb and checked in before dropping our things and riding back downtown. It was about 5 pm and we figured we would eat and try to get to bed before 7 so we could clock 5 hours of sleep before the ferry.

We had dinner at Pangea Kitchen & Bar, which was tremendous. The Korean chicken nuggies were so good. After dinner we stopped by a local bar for a beer and then rode back to the Airbnb. Once there, we closed every shade in the apartment to try and keep the sun out. It was nearing the summer solstice and we were now north of the arctic circle so the sun wasn't really going to set for us. Once we had made it as dark as possible we got in bed and tried to make the most of the four or so hours we had before the ferry ride.

Day 1: Midnight Sun

mAY 27, 2022

Later that evening, around 11, we woke and got our things together. It took our bodies for a bit of a ride. Not only were we waking up around midnight but the sun was still very much out and about. It felt and looked like mid-to-early morning despite being almost midnight.

We packed and loaded up the bikes. It was crisp and a little breezy as we rode down to the ferry dock. Along the way, we saw a group of boys playing frisby-golf at a wooded park and a highly inebriated woman walking home from the bars downtown. I guess any kind of sleep aid is probably handy this time of year this far north.

We arrived at the ferry about 20 minutes before it was due to depart. There are two types of ferries from and to Bodo - slow, car-carrying ferries and fast, pedestrian-only ferries. This one was the former. We were shown where to put our bikes and locked them up, then made our way to the upper-decks and found a quiet place to sit and watch the water. The sun was getting to its lowest point as we left the dock and Amanda soon fell back asleep.

The ferry ride was about 3 hours long and very similar to many of the rides I had taken on-board Washington State's ferries. The islands we passed were stark and beautiful. At one point in the journey, I went outside to photograph one such impressive peak with an orange backdrop. The crossing went quickly and at around 3:30 am, an announcement came over the speaker to return to vehicles which we took as a sign to go down to our bikes. About 30 minutes later we rolled off the ferry and onto the island of Moskenes.

We started with a small climb up from the dock to a nice bike path along Moskenesveien road. The morning was a watercolor of pinks and reds, making for an inspiring start to the day. In that moment I was actually a little glad our bikes had been delayed just for the opportunity to see it. The bike path continued parallel with the road and we cruised along it, heading east and slightly north.

The morning passed by in more brilliant colors, the golden hour lasting much longer than it typically would, given our latitude and time of year. Around 5 am we arrived above the gorgeous town of Hamnoya, where we stopped to take some pictures. It was probably one of the most picturesque fishing villages in Lofoten and I loved it. We crossed a bridge and descended down into it. At the outskirts we noticed wooden wracks in many yards loaded with drying fish. We passed a camper van with French license plates and a guy launching his drone. Looking around, the first rays of light hitting the impassive stone mountains behind town, I could imagine the footage being epic. Soon after Hamnoya the road went through a tunnel but an optional bike path kept us above it and we continued our path along the sea. The next hour saw our path traverse from the south side of the Lofoten island chain to the north side. At Ramberg, we stopped in at a small cafe for a bite to eat. We had a wrap-type sandwich with cream cheese and some coffee. The area was still pretty dead and, overall, I had been very happy with how few cars had been on the roads.

After our break, we rolled on, completing our pass through the island of Flakstadoya. On the east side we went through our first tunnel - the Nappstraumtunnelen - which was a bit scary. The bike lane offered plenty of buffer, but the traffic had picked up a bit and the tunnel really augmented the volume as vehicles went by. In all, the tunnel was a few kilometers long and took us about 10 minutes to get through. Once through to the other side, we came out on the big island of Vestragoya.

We soon passed through the town of Leknes and bought some dinner ingredients for the evening. The AirBnB I had gotten for the night appeared to be nice but was a good distance from any surrounding towns so we thought it would be good to get some food before we arrived.

From Leknes, we crossed back to the south side of the island chain and made our way along the coastline. We were into the afternoon at that point and the day was heating up a bit, even by the coastline. We wound along the coast for another couple hours, including under the mighty Dalstinden mountain, before arriving at our little Airbnb on the mainland side of a moderately sized spit.

The home was owned by a nice older gentleman named Helge who met us at the house and got us checked in. The day had turned gray at that point and some rain was threatening so we were glad to be inside. After getting checked in, we unpacked our things and made dinner. After dinner we contemplated walking out to the spit or riding but decided to just relax, given the 50- mile day and very little sleep we had gotten the night before. So, instead we watched a movie and fell asleep shortly after (some of us, before it was finished).

Day 2: Views for Days

May 28, 2022

The next morning we tried to sleep-in but failed pretty miserably. Between the light and the early bed time the night before, we weren't really set-up for success on that venture.

We ate a simple breakfast of bread and butter and were on our way by just after 9 am. The day was beautiful, again, and I silently thanked the weather gods for giving us what was shaping up to be 2 beautiful days in Lofoten.

We left the house and, soon after, left Vestvagoya island, crossing a short bridge to Skjoldmyra island and then another to Austvagoya island which we would stay on for the remainder of the trip. We crossed along the bottom of the island, enjoying the day. The Lofoten were quiet and the weather was crystal clear as we cruised along. About two hours of peddling brought us to the small city of Kabelvag, where we stopped for lunch and to watch a random school-kids parade.

After we had finished our lunch and the kids had finished their parade, we got back underway, heading northeast and another hour on we reached the turn-off for Svolvaer, where we would return to the next day to head back to Bodo. The mountains here, along the coast, were massive and I had to keep reminding myself to look forward at the road in front of me. We made a turn north shortly after Svolvaer and we charged on, eventually turning back west at the tiny island of Vestpolloya.

We backtracked west for several miles, climbing over a few steep grades and stopping by one of the two larger lakes along the way. As the route started to break north, we came across a little hobby farm in Sandsletta and stopped for a quick bite. They had some great cheese and adorable goats. We delayed at the little farm for a while until I realized that the one and only little grocery store in Laukuika, where we were staying that night, was closing soon and we needed to get there before it did.

The day had turned rainy and dark as we left the little farm and made our way north. Shortly after leaving, I discovered an issue with my right shoe. The cleat had dropped one of its two screws allowing my foot to rotate without unclipping from the pedal. This culminated in a 10 minute debacle as I attempted to get my foot to release, which wouldn't happen because, to release the cleat, I had to twist it out of the pedal but, with only one remaining screw, the cleat would just spin freely. Finally, with Amanda's help after she had gotten some good video of me on the ground, I was able to get my foot free. I re-tightened the cleat, hoping it would stay put and we were back on our way.

We arrived in Laukuika in light rain and made it to the grocery store with 10-15 minutes to spare. We ran inside and got supplies to make spaghetti and a caprese salad, as well as avocado toast fixings for the next morning. After the shopping spree, we biked the final few blocks to our Airbnb. We were welcomed by a guy in his mid-30's who helped stow our bikes and showed us to our rooms. His name was Petter and he was fixing his home up as a kind of hostel. He finished the tour with the kitchen which he said we had full use of before announcing that he was headed down the coast to surf and wouldn't be back until early the next morning. We glanced out the kitchen window to the increasingly nasty conditions. "You are going surfing in this?" I asked. "These are the best conditions," he said gruffly, with a smile, "Enjoy!" and, like that, we had the place to ourselves.

We made our dinner and relaxed in the living room. I had some schnapps and added it to hot chocolate that Petter had said we could have, while we watched the storm roll in. At around 10, we made our way up to bed and passed out.

Day 3: Around the Horn

May 29th, 2022

Petter did, indeed, come back around 3 am. He took full advantage of the endless sun, which meant he wasn't awake when we left. We noted his very thick wetsuit drying in the mudroom on our way out. "I don't know how you surf in that thing," I said once we were outside.

We started around 10 am, letting the last residue of the storm clear out before us. The day was gorgeous, again, as we sprinted along the north coast of Austvagoya. We passed through a bunch of quaint little villages, Gjersvoll, Delp and Grunnfor - crossing a large bridge between. Soon after, we came to a place called Sommarhusstranda on the map and, shortly after, one of the most gorgeous stages of the trip. The road, Midnattsolveien road, circumvented a large inlet with high mountains on each side. The inlet was still making striking reflections of the rock towering above. It was positively stunning.

We crossed over the top of Austvagoya and turned back south towards our destination, Svolvaer. We cruised down the middle of the island, making a few short but stout climbs along the way. At the little island of Vestpolloya, we rejoined the path where we had left off the day before and continued south, enjoying the beautiful sunny day. Another few hours brought us into the outskirts of Svolvaer, where we found our Airbnb and stopped for the day.

We were met by Stefan who had turned the basement of his home into an apartment. He helped stow our bikes and showed us our room for the night. After, I decided I was not done with' the adventure for the day and decided to climb the peak behind the house, called Floya. It took me a few hours but, at the top, the views down to the water were amazing. I also got a little low-5ᵗʰ class climbing in on the little summit block which was... fun to get down.

Once I had safely descended, Amanda and I headed into Svolvaer for some dinner. We found a great place to eat and grab a beer with some fabulous views down to the water. We returned to the Airbnb after a fun night, sneaking into the apartment and passing out soon after.

Day 4: Back to the Mainland

May 30th, 2022

We woke around 4:30 am the next morning, a little sad to be leaving the Lofoten. The archipelago goes on for some distance beyond Svolvaer and we would have dearly liked to keep exploring but, alas, it was not to be. So, instead, we packed our things up and rolled out shortly before 5, heading downhill to await the ferry.

We stopped in town briefly to grab some coffee for the crossing as well as a bite to eat. The day was bright and reflecting strongly off the deep blue of the ocean. After, we headed down to the dock and checked in at the Nordland Fylkeskommune ferry desk. There was a little waiting area where we relaxed for 10-15 minutes before an announcement was made, in several languages, that our ride’s arrival was imminent. Taking a peek out the window, I saw a very sleek, moderately sized boat approaching quickly from the east. 10 minutes later, we were shuttling our bikes down the dock and onto it.

We boarded the ferry and gave our bikes over to one of the attendants who got them stowed safely away. Soon after the ferry was backing away from the dock and off back east. I've been on my fair share of ferries - the old, beloved Washington State ferries, the big, grand B.C. ferries and, recently, the cruise style ferries in Finland but nothing moves like the little ferries in Norway. I've never had a boat that big literally pull me back into my seat.

We zoomed east, back towards the mainland, sad to see the Lofoten disappearing into the distance. During this crossing, Amanda and I spent plenty of time outside on the observation deck. The fast ferry made a few stops at some islands between Svolvaer and the mainland but the eventually got us into Bodo right around 9:20 am, as expected. Our flight was at 3 pm so we had enough time to make a quick stop in downtown Bodo for a bite to eat before huffing it to the airport. Once there, we dismantled our bikes and got them into their bags which, I hoped, would see their way safely back to Dusseldorf without incident this time.

It had been a wonderful trip with scenery that outstripped even my lofty expectations!

1) Road Safety: For the most part, we found the roads to be very quiet and drivers to be exceptionally gracious to bikers. One piece of advice would be to avoid the heart of summer. We were told, more than a few times, that the camper vans get insane in Mid-June and are that way through August.

2) Carry Tools: There are good bike shops on the Lofoten but they can be a little spaced out so make sure you have what you need for basic repairs and flats. We never needed it but honesty, a hitch probably wouldn't be hard to get.

31 Camping: We didn't camp because we don't have the kit for full bike packing but we saw lots of places where camping could easily be done and a few choice places where it was forbidden. I think camping would be an awesome way to do the Lofoten.

4) Tunnels: Tunnels were a little scary if, for nothing else, the noise. If you've never ridden in traffic, consider giving it a try so you aren't surprised.

5) Ferries: Ferries fill up fast. Get a reservation early so you don't miss out. We used Nordland fylkeskommune on our return trip and Tonghatten Nord to get to the island.

6) Air tags: Put an air tag in your bike bag - trust me, it’s just nice to know where they are.