Cycling in Iceland

 Back Pictures only

Intro
Opinions
Why cycling in Iceland ?
Weather
Clothing
Bicycle
Food
Campings and campinggear
Roads and traffic
Where to go
The circle road
Other roads
The interior
Arrival and departure
Maps
Books
Links
Webforums and newsgroups
Some tips
Finally

Intro

Cycling in Iceland, an unusual thought for a lot of people. But interest is growing. When I started this site in December 1998, there were only a handful of other sites. Nowadays there are over a hundred, and at least a dozen new ones a year pop up. But a good information source is never wasted. Below you'll find a compilation of the experiences I had on my ten bicycle trips (and one car trip), and of people I met.

Opinions

Quote (from the book Insight guides : Iceland) : Cycling in Iceland has become increasingly popular in recent years. To Icelanders this development is, it has to be said, all but comprehensible. A very large proportion of Iceland's rural roads are still gravel-surfaced, and some of them are bumpy, stony and downright hazardous. The country is mountainious, and often very windy. If it rains, cyclists get plastered with sludge. If it is dry, they choke on clouds of dust. Cycling around Iceland is strictly for masochists.
Quote (from me) : It's not that bad.

Why cycling in Iceland ?

First the easy part: why Iceland ? Because it's a country with magnificent, raw, bizarre and fascinating landscapes, unique in Europe and probably the world. A place where you can see scenery that makes you wonder what nature had in mind on its creation.
But why cycling ? I don't think it's the ideal way to move around in Iceland. You are less limited and vulnerable with a 4-wheel Drive. You can cover longer distances and stay drier in a bus. And you're closer to nature on foot.
The first reason for me to go cycling is, that this way of transport gives a good balance between money and freedom. Renting a car costs loads of money, and you keep a distant feeling with the environment. The bus or walking limits you to the places where you can stop or go. But I have to admit, that on every cycling holiday, I also used the bus to cover long distances. And I always had some hiking days. I even did some organized one-day trips. You just pick the best way of transport for your goal : to see Iceland.
(By the way, my second reason to go cycling is to loose at least five kg of weight ;-)).
I don't think you should go cycling for the athletic achievement. It's a shame to spent little time in interesting areas just because you want to do circle road or even the whole island in 2 weeks. Neither should you go, when you've never done a cycling holiday before. Or when you hate rain or wind-in-front. Cycling in Iceland is not as hard as it sounds, but it is different from a campingtrip in Italy or France. The unpredictable weather, the sometimes dreadful roads, the vast, barely populated country and mostly the raw nature make it an unusual experience.
You won't be the only cycler though. If you stay in the more popular areas, you will meet at least a couple a day. I met cyclers from e.g. Holland, Belgium, Italy, Denmark, Poland, England and of course Germany. I even met a bicycle tourist from Iceland once ! But it still happens, that when you're taking a rest, you're asked by strangers how you're doing. Or that you end in an unknown photoalbum as the guy or girl on the bicycle.

Weather

The weather is often mentioned as the reason not to go to Iceland. I think I've seen nearly all weathertypes there, even a snowstorm in August 2006 at Kerlingarfjöll. The first time I was in Iceland we had three weeks of bright sunshine. My second was pretty good, with a lot of sunshine but also some rain. My third tour was one with a lot of dark clouds and rain. On my fourth I had a lot of mist, but it was mainly dry. Four of my last five tours were excellent again, with only few days with mainly rain. But my sixth tour had (in complete contradiction with what I write below) a long period without wind but long spells of bad weather.

My prediction for a three week holiday in the summer are
- temperatures between 5 and 15 degrees Celcius
- at least three days with bright, sparkling sunshine
- at least three days with mostly rain
- the rest of the days ever changing weather
- at least one storm
- and there will always be wind !

I can't tell much about cycling outside the summer, because I always went in July and August. I suppose it is possible between April and September. But you'll have to deal with a closed interior roads, minimal tourist facilities and sometimes bad weather.

Clothing

Clothing should (of course) be wind- and rainproof. My cloths are nothing special. I usually wear a fleece sweater, with a rainjacket on top when it rains. I wear cycling pants, and sometimes long cycling trousers. A lot of people I met on the ringroad dressed up warmer, with Goretex jacks, caps and gloves. I can't really understand why, because it's seldom very cold. You only need them when you go to the interior.
A helmet can be a good idea, but is not required by law (I never wear one). But it will protect you against attacking birds.:-)
My shoes are suitable for cycling and hillwalking. I usually plan some walking days as well. They look like ordinary walking shoes but with a thicker sole. If you go inlands or want to do jeep-tracks you should think of taking some fastdrying linen sneakers, in case you have to cross a stream. It is not recommendable to do this bare-footed because of sharp stones in the water. Another option is to use neopreen surf shoes with a sturdy sole.

Bicycle

On my last six tours I used a randonneur-type bicycle. It has 24 gears (42/32/22 at the front, 12 to 28 at the rear, tyres 37-622, double butted rims). Most severe problem I've had were a broken rear pannier carrier (in 2003) and front carrier (in 2006). Apart from that only little trouble (a broken chain, and some loose screws and flat tyres). A randonneur type bike is good on normal roads, and usable on gravel roads and clean mountain tracks. It has its limitations on sandy tracks (deep cuts in the sand, the wheels dig themself in), roads with lots of stones, and unpaved tracks uphill (the wheels slip). If you want to do mountaintracks or big parts of the interior than accept that you have to walk a lot or use an ATB/mountainbike. And even with these you can have troubles like loose or broken parts. I've seen quite a few of them.
There are several bicycle shops in Reykjavik, and most are not far from the campsite. But there are only few in other parts of the country. I've seen shops in Akureyri, Egilsstaðir, Isafjördur and Selfoss. The local supermarket's hardly have any bicycle stuff. And even a car repair workshop might be a three days walk away. So bring your own tools and spare material. The spare stuff that I take would be : The spare outer tyre is arguable. If you start with good tyres or plan to ride the ring road, you won't need one. If you want to do lots of interior roads it may be a good idea, unless you want to take the risk of losing some days. With my non-MTB size tyres, I don't want to risk a return to Reykjavik to buy a new one, so I bring a foldable spare.
In the summer, lighting on your bicycle is only necessary in bad weather. You might leave it at home. It gets dark quite late. In the beginning of August, I had around 23.00h enough light to write postcards. And the few tunnels are all lit.

Food

Iceland is an expensive country. Only milk and some fish products (salmon) are reasonably priced. But prices vary quite much between shops. A newspaper article, had an example of a product with a price difference of 180% between the least and most expensive shop. Least expensive are the Bonus supermarkets but you'll find them only in larger towns.
Some price indications in Icelandic Crowns in 2006 (click here for a currency converter) :
1 Sliced bread Isk 250 - 400
1 l Milk Isk 110
1 Apple Isk 60
1 kg Bananas Isk 200
300 gr Smjörvi margarine Isk 210
100 gr salami Isk 200 - 240
1 jar (450 gr) blueberry jelly Isk 350 - 450
Knorr pasta in sauce Isk 260 - 350
300 gr frozen vegetables Isk 180 - 250
0,5 l Cola Isk 130 - 180
Maryland doublechoc cookies Isk 180
The assortment in the shops is not very large. You sometimes wonder what they eat themselves. They cannot barbecue every day :-).
You can buy food in the villages, and there is often a foodsection in petrol stations. Buy food when you have the opportunity, unless it's certain that you will have another opportunity later that day. Be sure, that your next opportunity really is a next opportunity, because sometimes a village isn't a village. A notorious example is Grimsstaðir at the crossing of road nr 1 and nr 864 (road to Dettifoss). On some maps this looks like a village but it is in fact only two farms (with sleepingbag accomodation), and a piece of land used as a campground.
When you go in the interior, you might not get a chance to buy food for a couple of days. The campsites in the interior don't sell food. Notable exceptions are cafe Fjallafang at Landmannalaugar, a small camping shop at Hveravellir (Kjölur) and (fastfood) restaurants at Hrauneyjar (south Sprengisandur) and Kerlingarfjöll (Kjölur).
Fresh bread is often not available before noon. And check the expiration date of foodstuffs, especially in smaller shops.
There are no strict rules for opening hours of shops. A lot of shops are nowadays open until 22.00 hours and on Sundays. But in less touristic areas shops may close at 18.00, early (14.00 ?) on Saturdays and are closed on Sundays. Large petrol stations are often open on Sundays.

Campings and campinggear

There are about 150 campsites in Iceland and the number is still growing. Most of them have a toilet, and warm and cold water taps. Warm showers are becoming more common nowadays, but campsites with only a toilet and cold water are still not unusual. For example the campsite at Geysir has only cold water even though a warm stream flows only meters from the site. You'll find more luxurious sites in the tourist area's like Reykjavik, Mývatn, Ásbyrgi and along road nr 1. Only few of the campsites are comparable with sites in tourist countries (campshop, laundrette, swimming pool). If there is a town near the campsite you can take a shower in the local swimming pool. The few campsites in the interior are usually of the primitive type (only cold water), although the more popular have hot showers nowadays (e.g. Askja, Nýidalur, Hveravellir, Landmannalaugar). And if you are lucky there is a natural warm pool nearby (Laugafell, Hveravellir and Landmannalaugar).
Prices for campsites range from ISK 500 to 1000 a night (1 person, 1 tent), and sometimes a campsite is free. Showers often cost ISK 50 to 200 for 5 minutes. There used to be a brochure with all the campsites ("tjaldsvaedi") available at tourist information centres, but I haven't seen it the last four years. Gerry van Roosmalen put the 2001 edition online here.
Camping in the wild is common, and often necessary. But don't expect to find nice pieces of flat grassland. You'll be glad when you find a stretch of land that's flat and not too rocky.
The tent I used for my first two cycle-trips was not special, a common dome-type. On my first tour I had only little trouble with it, because it was new then. My second tour was a disaster with a leaking roof, broken zippers and a ripped sheet. Icelandic weather knows how to test your equipment. Nowadays I use a tunnel-type tent which held quite well during my last five tours. The tents we used on my first tour (the jeepsafari) were specially prepared. The travel organization had had bad experience with an Icelandic storm. They used dome type tents with stronger zippers, and leather patches on vulnerable places. Always tighten your stormlines, even when it doesn't seem necessary. You never know how weather changes overnight.
Tents do not require mosquito-netting, because Icelandic midges are vegetarians (they do not sting). There are only few insects luckily. The Mývatn area can be a pain, although I didn't have any trouble myself (and I was there four times). I did have troubles with hundreds of stupid flies near mount Hekla. This was one of the few times that I used a mosquito net on my head, and I was glad I brought one.
A good sleeping bag is necessary. It may freeze at night.
Until 2003 I used a stove with unleaded petrol for cooking, since petrol is widely available. After trouble with my last petrol cooker I switched to a Karrimor gas cooker. What a relief. No more pre-heating and no more black pans. Disadvantage is the price of cartridges compared to petrol. Camping-gaz (piercing type) and Primus gas (screw-on type) cartridges are available at petrol stations and sometimes in the local shop. You can also buy them at the Reykjavik campsite.
I have limited experience with sleeping with a real roof above my head. There are Youth Hostels but they are too far apart to do a YH-only tour. Sleeping bag accommodation is found in inhabited areas. It could be anything, from a bed on an attic to a standard hotelroom without the sheets, but they are almost certainly clean. Price is between ISK 2000 - 4000. The price of a full-service hotelroom starts at about ISK 6000.
In the interior you have mountaincabins. The ones with a warden are usually nice homelike buildings. For the popular ones you'll often need a reservation. The unattended ones vary between 'good but dirty' and 'it is dry in here'.

Roads and traffic

There are few roads in Iceland. And although 98% of Iceland's main road (nr 1) is asphalt nowadays, there are still many roads without it. They have a sandy or rock surface, with lots of stones. To give you an idea of which roads are asphalt I created a small map. On the dirt roads, you ride on the two or three small tracks that are left free of stones by the cars. But you are in trouble when you meet a "road-recovery-vehicle". These machines repair the unpaved roads by scraping of the top layer with a snowplough. This is no problem for car drivers, 'cause they get a nice flat road. For cyclers it means struggling on a thick layer of sand and loose stones. I met ATB-ers that where cycling beside the road instead of on it, just because it was better. B.t.w. you're not allowed to cycle just in the wild. You have to stay on the roads and tracks. Icelandic vegetation is too vulnerable, and it might cost nature years to restore the damage made by bicycle tyres. Of course car-tyres are worse...
There are few tunnels, only 8 at the moment, but more are planned or under construction. Here is a map and some information about them. The only tunnel that is prohibited for cyclers is the Hvalfjördur tunnel, on the ringroad a little north of Reykjavik.
I think that Icelandic drivers drive save, although quite fast (so they won't feel the bumps in the road). They never try to cut you on purpose, but their cars are huge compared to the small roads. And you might be hit by a stone when they pass. A new phenomenon for me on a recent tour was drivers yelling or honking when they passed me. It happend only twice, both times in the weekend and on a busy road, but it had never happened before in six earlier tours. The amount of traffic depends on where you are. As a rule of thumb, you can say, that the further you are from Reykjavik, the less traffic there is.
Apart from the real roads there are also jeeptracks. The quality varies from bad to unridable. The surface might exist of sand or huge rocks, slopes are steep, and streams are unbridged. Sometimes the river is the road.
I do about 60-90 km a day, with an average speed of ten km per hour. Once or twice I did more then 100 km (140 max). But the 18 km from Búðardalur to the campsite at Laugar cost me 5 hours because of extreme headwinds. And the 34 km on Hellisheidi (East Iceland) cost me the whole day (heavy rain and wind, rivers of brown mud flowing over the road, I had to walk most of the time). Don't plan your distances too long.
You can do less interesting parts by bus. Bicycles will go on the front or back or in the luggage compartment, if there is space left. On the circle road this is not always the case, since it is the most popular route for cyclers. If there isn't room, you'll have to wait a day. Fortunately bus drivers are very helpful to fit it all in their vehicle. I even traveled once on a bus with several bicycles standing in the path between the chairs. When you're bicycle is tied to the outside of the bus, it's best to protect vulnerable parts. My bicycle was damaged by another bike that banged with its handlebar on the horizontal bar of mine during the ride. A recent development is, that they use smaller busses (20 seaters). Good for the environment and cheaper for the bus company, but difficult to stuff a bicycle in, let alone more than one. The busfee is fair, unless you take a special "tourist" route through the interior. A trip from Reykjavik to Laugarbrekki (200 km) cost me ISK 5000 in 2009. A bicycle costs ISK 1000 - 2000 extra. You can find more information at the site of the Icelandic Bus Association (BSI) or this travel site. If you want to cover a loooong distance like Reykjavik - Egilsstaðir or Reykjavik - Isafjördur flying may be faster and cheaper. Egilsstaðir - Reykjavik cost me ISK 10600 in 2003. I bought the ticket at the airport an hour before the flight, a reservation was not necessary. Neither was packing my bicycle in a box or bag.
Someone told me that it is better to cycle the island clockwise than the other way round. You're supposed to have less wind in front. It has something to do with areas of low air pressure circling clockwise. My experience is, that you always have wind in front. Days with wind in the back will be precious memories.

Where to go

The circle road

Circleroad map The most obvious way to go is the circle road (nr 1). It will give a good impression of the whole country. The road is about 1500 km long and a full tour will take about a month (three weeks if you are in a hurry). Most of the road is asphalt nowadays. Only in the east (6 and 7 on the map) will you find unpaved stretches.
Areas along nr 1 are :
  1. Reykjavik - Hveragerdi is interesting with raw lavafields. The road is hilly (max 375 m). But worse, there is an awful lot of traffic.
  2. Hveragerdi - Hvolsvöller is mostly farmland and not very interesting. The road is mostly flat.
  3. South of the Mýrdalsjökull are interesting area's (Skógar, Vik, Dyrhólaey), and the view on the mountains is great. The road is flat, except for small humps near Vik.
  4. Travelling from Vik to Skaftafell, the first part is a dune like area with a distant view on Mýrdallsjökull. After that you cross the big, moss grown lavafield Eldhraun. When you pass the immense mountain Lómagnúpur you´re on the sandurs, big sandplains with rivers flowing through. The road is mostly flat.
  5. South of the Vatnajökull (Skaftafell, Jökulsarlon) are interesting area's. The road is flat. Stunning views on the glacier.
  6. The east fjords are beautiful, although more "common" than other areas. You cycle mostly along the sea with a great view on the surrounding mountains. The road is usually flat, but along fjords you have stretches with short steep climbs. And at places where you round the capes the road will climb to about 100 meters above sea level. East of Höfn, under the once notorious Almmannaskard pass, is the only tunnel in the circle road. The pass Breiddalsheidi, where the circle road turns inlands, is 470 m high. Several stretches of unpaved road in this region, usually at places where the road gets hilly.
  7. The 170 km road between Egilsstaðir and Mývatn is interesting when you like deserts. The first 60 km are tarmac and slightly uphill, when you cycle along the river Jökulsá á Brú. But after a stiff climb you're on the plains, at the mercy of the wind and rain. Near the farm Mödrudalur the circle road reaches its highest point (600 m). This part of the circle road is partly unpaved.
  8. Lake Mývatn (Lots of volcanic curiosities). I would call it a "must see" for people on a visit to Iceland. This also means that it is very touristic. The road from Mývatn to Akureyri is quite flat (two climbs, both around 300 m).
  9. The road between Akureyri and Varmahlid is a 14 km long pass connecting two mountainous rivervalley's. The maximum heigth is about 530 m and the climb on the east side is quite steep (8%). There could be a lot of traffic, but if not, it's a nice ride.
  10. The north of the circle road is mostly farmland with views on the surrounding mountains and moderately interesting. One major climb to the west of Varmahlid (400 m) and a few shorter climbs.
  11. The north of the western part of the ringroad is a rivervalley leading to a 400 m high mountainpass, surrounded by moorland, often in the mist.
  12. The southern part is most farmland with views on the surrounding mountains. Sitting in an old lavafield you will find the Grábok crater, which is quite nice. You´re not allowed to cycle in the tunnel under Hvalfjördur, so you have to cycle the fjord itself, which is very nice. A lot of traffic, with the exception of the Hvalfjordur.

Other roads

Otherroads map Other road's (west to east,north to south) are :
  1. The Westfjords. This area is nice, quiet and sometimes spectacular. Tourists often skip this area, because there are only few traces of volcanic activity. Geological this is the oldest part of the country, with steep bald hills that rise up from the sea. E.g. Látrabjarg, the most western part of Europe, is a steep 400 m high cliff crowded with seabirds. There are some steep (10% or more) and high (500+ m) climbs in the area, when you go from one fjord to another. The most difficult one, but also a beautiful one, just south of Isafjördur is shortcut by a tunnel nowadays.
    The area is sparsely inhabited. On the south side, and east of Isafjordur/Sudavik you won't find a village for more than 200 km, so bring enough food if you plan to do this. On the east site of the Westfjords is only one lonely but beautiful road, leading to the hamlets Nordurfjódur and intrigueing Djúpavík. The most northern part of the Westfjords is completely deserted. There are no roads (and you're not allowed to cycle, if possible). But you can make long hikes without meeting anybody.
  2. Snæfellsnes in the west is nice, and easy to cycle. There are some interesting area's around the Snæfellsjökull.
  3. When you have a day left, or want to avoid the busy road from Reykjavik to Keflavik, you can take a closer look at the Reykjanes peninsula. Take road nr 42 along Kleifarvatn, and from there the (bad) road to Grindavik, and the most western point (Reykjanesviti). Near Grindavik is the famous Blue Lagoon, a swimmingpool with salt, very blue water which is the wasteproduct of a nearby powerplant. The Blue Lagoon with its hotel and conference centre is the best example of the more luxurious, less adventurous tourist that Iceland's tourism industry targets on nowadays.
  4. Near Reykjavik, you could (should) visit the so called Golden circle : Thingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss. Lots of tourists. According to the loads of summerhouses {especially near Thingvellir), it's the place where Reykjavik spents its weekends.
  5. The south between Selfoss and mount Hekla is mostly farmland and moderate interesting. There are some nice places, especially at the border of low- and highlands, but you have to know where to find them.
  6. The peninsulas north of road nr 1 all have their own characteristics. What they have in common is, that they are often skipped by tourists. The roads that round the peninsulas are usually unpaved and flat or slightly hilly. But there are some steep climbs like the mountainpass south of Olafsfjördur. My favourite peninsula is the big one (where I put the number ´6´ on the map) between Skagafjördur and Eyjafjördur, with its beautiful mountains. There are also good hiking trails in the area.
  7. Situated northeast of Mývatn is the Jökulsargljúfur National Park with Hljóðaklettar (weird rocks) and Dettifoss (big waterfall). Depending on which road you take 70 or 110 kilometers from Mývatn. I prefer the shorter (west) one (nr F862), although it is often described as a very bad mountain road. But the view on Dettifoss is better, and you pass Hljóðaklettar. And it is not that bad, probably better than the east road (nr 864).
  8. The peninsula in the north east is flat, except from small hills south of Raufarhöfn. The east coastal road (nr 85) from Thorshöfn to Vopnafjördur is also almost flat. The landscape is nice but not spectacular, and only visited by tourists looking for birds, beaches with driftwood and peace. The Langanes peninsula is even more remote with birdcliffs and a deserted village. There is accommodation in the youth hostel at Ýtra Lón.
  9. The Eastfjords are beautiful and fairly easy to cycle. Unlike the Westfjords, the road goes mostly along the coast without long, steep climbs to other fjords. But there are exceptions like the 630 m high pass to Seydisfjördur, where the ferry from the Faroer arrives. The fjords look more populated and greener than the Westfjords. And the surrounding hills are a little higher. With the tunnel between Faskrúdsfjördur and Reydarfjördur opened, the main traffic stream from the coast to Egilsstaðir has moved. But a tour along all the fjords is still very nice. Öxidalur is a 21 km long shortcut of the (old) circleroad between the coast and Egilsstaðir. But it is very steep (20+ %) and sometimes muddy.
  10. A one-day trip around lake Lögurinn near Egilsstaðir is not bad (90 km). Using the new bridge at Hengifoss, you can also make a shorter tour (60 km).

The interior

Interiorroads map Quite a different story is the interior of Iceland (the area within the circle road). You might call it the real Iceland with large deserts of black sand, lava fields, unbridged rivers and fantastic views on the glaciers. You should do these only with a mountain bike, and preferable in a group. The weather can change here in an hour from nice and sunny to snow/sandstorms, with no place to hide. You'll need your cap, gloves and Goretex jacket here !
The roads aren't open all year. Depending on weather and road, they open between May and July. The Icelandic Public Road Administration has an information sheet (PDF). An extract with the table with opening dates (2000) will you find here. The site with the current road conditions is here.
New tracks are created and sheep tracks are upgraded to open new destinations and suite the traffic in the interior. The quality of the roads is bad. Icelandic cardrivers are advised to do them in groups, and only when they have a radio-transmitter on board. Roads that are easy in bright weather, may take hours when there's a lot of wind. Be prepared that it takes longer than expected, so bring some spare food. As said before, you can't buy food there.
In spite of this, don't expect, that the road will be completely deserted. Driving the interior with a 4x4 has become increasingly popular. On weekends the main interior roads sometimes look like desert highways.
In July and August there is a scheduled bus on the main routes.
Before you start, get information at a local tourist office about the weather, roadconditions and rivers. Don't underestimate it. In recent years a few tourists died when their hike ended in bad weather, even when they were close to a mountain cabin.
The main interior roads (west to east) :
  1. Husafell and the Kaldidalur pass (west of the Langjökull, road nr 550) are good when you don't want to go through the "real" inlands, but still want to taste a little (45 km, max 730 m high) of the Icelandic desert. Avoid Husafell on the first weekend of July unless you want to join a bunch of loud, drunken, horny teenagers. Avoid Husafell and other festival areas (e.g. Westman Islands and Thorsmörk) in the first weekend of August (Bank holiday) for the same reason. The Kaldidalur-route usually opens halfway June. From Husafell a track with number F578 goes north to Arnarvatnsheiði. A big non-glacial river and 15 km of almost unrecognizable track are the biggest obstacles. The part north of lake Arnarvatn Stóra to the village Laugarbakki is fair.
  2. The Kjölur-route (between the Langjökull and Hofsjökull, road nr 35) shouldn't be a problem in good weather. All rivers are bridged and asphalt has already covered a fair amount of the southern part. Worst stretch is between 10 km north of Hveravellir and the bridge across the river Hvitá in the south.
    The road north of Hveravellir (an area halfway the route, with beautiful hot springs) is part through a rivervalley, and part across Icelandic moorland. Neither bad nor inspiring. But in good weather you have a good view on a gigantic, white, upside-down saucer named Hofsjökull.
    The southern part is more interesting, with a view on lake Hvitarvatn and the Langjökull glacier. If you have the time, then make the short detour (10 km, some unbridged streams) to Kerlingarfjöll. There is a sleeping bag accommodation, a campsite and one of the biggest thermal areas in Iceland. You can combine the Kjölur with a visit to Geysir and Gullfoss. The road usually opens halfway June and reaches a height of 670 m.
  3. The Sprengisandur route (between Hofsjökull and Vatnajökull, road nr F26) is very rough. I did it twice, once with a car and in 2006 taking an alternative route, by bicycle. There are no real highlights on this route. Biggest attraction is cycling for days on a bad road in a deserted landscape of sanddunes and lakes, and crossing two glacial rivers on foot. Still, for a lot of people riding the Sprengisandur is the highlight of their journey. To be save, you need to take 6 days of food, and some luck. The road usually opens by the end of June or early July and reaches a height of 1000 m.
    The road has several branches and alternatives. In the south, there is an unnumbered track passing the lakes in the southern Sprengisandur on the west side (the F26 runs east of them). It starts about 2 km south of Nýidalur and ends about 3 km south of Versalir. Apart from some parts where they put lots of stones on the road, quality may be better than the F26. And if wetter is good, you have a nice view on the wetlands at the foot of Hofsjökull glacier.
    Halfway the F26, about 5 km north of the mountaincabin at Nýidalur is a track going east to Askja (see Gæsavötnleið below).
    Twenty kilometer north of Nýidalur is a sidetrack (nr F752) going north to Laugarfell. There are some non-glacial river crossings, which shouldn't provide a problem. In Laugarfell is an excellent natural warm pool. From Laugarfell you have three options. First you can go east, back to the F26. Or you can continue north to Akureyri (F821). This track climbs slightly to a bleak desert without vegetation but after 20 km it descends steep into a narrow river valley. The last option from Laugarfell is to go west and follow the F752 along the edge of the desert to Varmahlið. Apart from a glacial river 6 km west of Laugarfell the latter shouldn't be a problem.
  4. The area to the southwest of the Vatnajökull is one of the most interesting areas in Iceland with places like Landmannalaugar, Veidivötn, Thórsmörk, Eldgjá and Laki.
  5. There is a road from the Sprengisandur to Askja, named Gæsavötnleið (F910). Actually there are two. The new one, north of the big shield Trölladyngja, is bad. The old road, close to the Vatnajökull is more scenic, but awful. They are often closed and if not, could be dangerous. They cross one or two big rivers and the ground is either wet or sandy. On the southern route there is no drinking water for 80 km. Expect to push your bike for at least 15 kilometers in the sand near Askja. The tracks usually open halfway July or not at all. A detailed description of the southern route is at the site of Ivan Viehoff.
  6. The track to Herðubreiðalindir and Askja (F88) west of the river Jökulsá á Fjóllum is quite good, even though you may have to walk short stretches with sand. There a three non-glacial unbridged rivers, one of them quite big (Lindaá). The track on the east side of the Jökulsá river (F905) is more difficult with longer stretches of sand. These roads open at the end of June.
  7. You could consider to go to the north of the Vatnajökull (Kverkfjöll), road F902. You can cycle to a height of 1000 meter and from there walk up the glacier to Kverkfjöll. I went there by car, and found it the most impressive part of my vacation. There is a river that comes from a large icecave and on top of the glacier there are hot springs, that create sculptures in the snow. You have a magnificent view on the glacier. All of course if weather permits, which is not often. The whole journey (Mývatn-Askja-Kverkfjöll v.v.) would cost you a week to ten days on a bicycle, I guess.
  8. I already mentioned the 170 km circle road between Egilsstaðir and Mývatn, but I would also call this a (relative easy) ride in the interior. The road is good, and there are no unbridged rivers. Some years ago the highest part of the road was moved eastward to a lower area, and turned into an asphalt road. Since then it is expected to be open all year. But the old, unpaved road, now numbered 901 is still rideable and more scenic. It usually opens halfway May. When weather permits, you have a good view on the Askja area and the Herdubreið mountain. When weather is bad, it is a tough ride.
  9. There's an asphalt road (910) from lake Lögurinn to the Kárahnjúkar building site and Dimmugljúfur canyon in East Iceland. It has a sideroad (F909) to the mountaincabin, west of Snæfell mountain (not Snæfellsjökull). From there it's only 20 km (bad track) to the Vatnajökull glacier. From Kárahnjúkar the track goes unpaved but in good quality north where it ends at the "old" F910 in the direction of Askja and Nýidalur (see Gæsavötnleið).
  10. There are more smaller tracks in the interior (like the track from the Kjölur to Laugarfell along the north of Hofsjökull glacier). This is 4WD paradise. But even experienced Icelandic cardrivers would think twice before doing them alone. I did one on my 2002 tour and saw only seven cars in four days. These tracks are for people who go to Iceland to seek loneliness. Which means that if you are in trouble, you'll be on your own.

Arrival and departure

I don't know what's the best way for you to go to Iceland. But it's almost certain that you will arrive/depart at Keflavik airport (by airplane) or Seydisfjördur (by ferry).

Maps

These are the maps that I would recommend : The Ferðakort and Mál og Menning maps are widely available in Iceland, and are probably available in your favourite outdoor-sports shop or in specialised maps-shop.

Books

Below is a personal selection of books on Iceland : Other books about cycling in Iceland (most of them I only know they exist) :

Links

See my links page for links to lots of bicycle tourreports and other useful links on Iceland.

Webforums and newsgroups

The only English language webforum/messageboard dedicated to cycling in Iceland is from The Icelandic Mountainbike Club.

There must be dozens of travelsites with a webforum with an Iceland or nordic section, like Lonely Planet (also with an on your bike section), Fodors, Trip Advisor and Virtual tourist

Forums dedicated to bicycle travel are e.g. Globike.net and MTB Review

There are several Usenet newsgroup concerning Iceland :

Another option for asking questions is someone who made a tourreport (see my links page. People who cycled there are often willing to answer questions. I wonder why that is. Probably because they want to share an unusual experience :-).

Some tips

Finally

Be flexible in your plans. A tight daily schedule is not feasible because of unpredictable weather conditions. And if necessary take a bus.
Don't let the weather spoil your holiday. After my third journey I had mixed feelings about it, because I had had a lot of rain and often strong winds in front. But later I realized, that the bad feeling was because of the troubles with my tent and bicycle. And that I also had lots of beautiful days with clear blue skies and wonderful scenery. So I prepared myself much better for my fourth journey. And, in spite of a broken tentpole and two heavy storms, I remember it as a troublefree, relaxed tour.
So if you go well-prepared and are aware that you could become wet a couple of times, but accept this as part of the fun, you'll have a fantastic holiday in a magnificent, impressive and fascinating country.

Disclaimer

Although most of what I wrote are facts, there are of course some subjective views in it. With these you have to know, that I'm from the Netherlands, a small, flat, mostly cultivated and rather crowded country. Someone who lives in Yellowstone Park, Alaska, Patagonia or on the moon may have a different view on Iceland. And although I double-checked most of the facts, it may be possible that something is different from what I wrote. If something has really changed I would like to hear it from you. But please, don't complain to me when you had fastened the stormlines of your tent every night, but never had a storm !