Planning a Bike Trip to Iceland, on the Cheap

I just got back from Iceland, the land of ice.

I'd never been before, but my girlfriend and I wanted to ride bikes as much as possible while there – partly for adventure, but also to save money. Like most Americans, we hear about the urbane cycling cultures of Europe, and figured Iceland – in the shadow of the continent where bikes were invented – would appropriate some sort of two-wheeled utopia.

It isn't.

This post is not meant to hate on Iceland. They have a very nice island, and the people are wonderful, and we're so blessed to get to go there and so on, etc. But, like the U.S., there's is not a nation designed around bicycle transportation.

This post is for somebody in the planning stage of a trip to Iceland, and is intended to help them decide whether to ride bikes in that fine country, or not. 

We went at the end of September, but from what I've learned by talking to locals and other tourists, these rules are constant for most of the tourist season. 

In addition to this guide, I recommend you check out the Icelandic Mountain Bike Society's page: http://www.fjallahjolaklubburinn.is/english

• Step one: Bike Choice. 

Iceland has an abundance of one natural resource above all others. Can you guess what it is? I'll give you a hint: it turns into ice when it's cold.... It's water!

Everything in Iceland is wet, all the time. It rains almost every day, in almost every way: storms, drizzles, sleet... Any bike you ride in Iceland needs to have fenders and big tires. A rugged drivetrain would be great too, but not a single speed – for reasons I'll get into later.

Outside Reykjavik, there aren't a lot of paved bike trails. If your bike doesn't have off-road capability, forget it. I think 40mm wide, mud-shedding knobby tires are the minimum. Ideally, I would like either a fat-tire bike, or a regular 29er mountain bike with suspension.

The Surly Krampus and the Salsa Fargo are great options for the self-supported type. The Giant XTC 27.5+ or similar will work if you have a support vehicle or a light pack.

Or, if you want to keep it on the real cheap, an old, quality 26" mountain bike from the nineties would work great, so long as the tires are wide enough.

perfect.

In the past I've hated on fat-tire bikes, but Iceland is one place where they would be very useful. In addition to all the snow, Iceland's soil is so unbelievably soft that you can jump from the top of Eyjafjallajokull and land on the ground, straight on your head, and you'll be fine. 100% better than you were before, in fact. So, big fat tires that float are ideal, especially if you plan on carrying your touring stuff with you.

"But," you say, "I don't need a mountain bike, I'll be on the road the whole time." Oh no you won't. There's one main paved road in Iceland, called the Ring Road, or Highway 1. It is a curvy two-lane blacktop where cars drive 70 km/h, and for most of its length there are no shoulders. There are service paths off to the side, but they're unpaved gravel. SPECIAL NOTE ON ICELANDIC GRAVEL: it's black, soft, and contains larger rocks than typical US gravel. In some places, especially inland, the little stones are washed away, leaving just the big guys. In other places, it's basically beach sand.

Aside from the Ring Road, which I strongly suggest you avoid – I saw a few cyclists on it, and they looked frightened and miserable – there are side roads. Most of them were pretty decent, in terms of road conditions and traffic, but not all.

For these reasons, I suggest riding a mountain bike, and taking advantage of the utility-road and hiking trail network as much as possible. 

If you plan on spending most of your time in Reykjavik, I still don't recommend bringing a bike. They have decent public transportation, and everything is easy enough to get to on foot. 

Also, don't spend all your time in Reykjavik. It's a nice city, but it's probably the most expensive place I've ever been. Hostel: $90/night. Lunch: $25. Beer: $16/pint. Yuck. 

• Step Two: Planning a Trip

My girlfriend and I stuck mainly to the Southlands, which is more densely populated and easier to get around for the average tourist, so keep that in mind when considering my suggestions. 

There aren't a ton of bike shops in Iceland, so if you get a flat or have a mechanical, you're on your own. Bear that in mind too. Also, Iceland is rugged. If you aren't an accomplished cyclist, comfortable riding in all weather and road conditions, you should consider taking a car, at least for backup. Make sure your cycling shoes double as hiking shoes with non-slip soles, too. 

Here are some things that you WILL encounter: 

1. 50 km/h steady head winds, all day.

2. Constant rain

3. Bright sunlight that bounces off the road

4. Sharp rocks

5. Sheep poop

6. Near-freezing temperatures

7. High humidity, always

8. Trolls (at night)

One of the things above is not true. Keep reading and at the bottom I'll tell you which one.

I'm not trying to dissuade anybody, but I don't want people to think Iceland is easy. 

Hold onto the chain while spanning chasms. 

A good reason to stick to the Southlands is that there are lots of inns, hostels, and campsites all over, so if you do have a major meltdown, you can find a road and limp a few kilometers to a warm, indoor place. In our week there, we never encountered a single rude Icelander, nor did we meet an Icelander who couldn't speak English. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that most Icelanders don't want tourists dying of exposure, so a traveler can count on the locals to be good sources of information. Though with that said, Icelanders have a high tolerance for adverse conditions. They're viking-stock, after all. So if an Icelander thinks your adventure plan is a little too ambitious, they're right, and if they say something is a little sketchy, it will almost certainly terrify you. 

 With all that said, Iceland is not the place to have your first bike-touring experience. There are so many things that can go wrong, and the stakes are so high, that anybody trying to ride bikes through Iceland should look at it like an adventure, not a cruise. Do Ragbrai first, if you're looking to get into bike touring.  

My girlfriend and I rented a camper van. I remember one campsite we went to where three German through-hikers pitched tent. They'd been hiking for three weeks at that point, and were pretty tough dudes. Because of where that campsite was, they had to tent in wet grass. It rained all night, and in the morning their tents were stuck in 2 inches of water. Their attitude to waking up in a swamp was, "Oh this isn't too bad, at least we weren't washed away." That's the mindset you need if you're camping in Iceland. I do not have that mindset. I'm glad we had a van to sleep in. 

• Step Three: Where to ride

One thing that's different about Iceland than the States is that they're pretty chill when it comes to trail usage. Most of the hiking trails we saw accepted horses and bikes as well as walkers. 

The trails go just about everywhere you'd ever want to go, but there are a few things to keep in mind. 

1. Don't go off the trail. Iceland is currently experiencing a minor environmental crisis because the recent influx of renegade tourists are trampling sensitive flora and fauna. Moss colonies are especially hard hit. 

2. There are two types of terrain: near vertical slopes, and flat. Be prepared to dismount. This is also why a single speed is a bad idea. Many of the trails we saw got pretty technical, and steep, so a rider will want to be able to climb while sitting as much as possible. 

3. The touristy spots are pretty cool, and typically have a lot of amenities. If you do go for local spots, bring beer. They'll like that. But don't get beer at a grocery store, it's watered down. You have to get all your booze at a state-run liquor store. That's how it is there. 

4. In general, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the trails. All the ones I saw were well designed and maintained. Though, erosion is a problem, and there are some scary traverses here and there. 

5. Give horses the right-of-way, and a wide berth. You don't want them to freak out on a steep ledge. 

6. Expect lots of alone time. Iceland is vast.

I really liked going to waterfalls, and the black sand beaches, and seeing glaciers... There's lots of cool stuff to go to, but if you're riding a lot I suggest centering your day trips around hot springs. Lots of quality trails lead to and from hot springs, and many of them are free, public, and near other utilities. Check out the European Soaking Society's page for some hot tips.

The other thing to do is follow the grooves left by the Super Jeep tours. The super jeep and super bus routes will take you through some wild terrain, but because they leave parallel grooves you can ride side-by-side with a buddy.

• Step Four: How to Get Your Bike There

Renting is not a great choice in Iceland right now. There aren't a lot of quality, long-term adventure bike rental outfits there (but it would be a good business idea). There are, however, some guided bike outfits, if that's your thing. But if you want to be on your own, you'll have to bring your home bike with you.  

Your options: 

1. Ship it. 

2. Buy a bike

3. Pack it in your luggage. 

Tectonic plate rift valley.

Shipping is expensive. The cheapest I found was $200 each way, and they couldn't give an exact delivery date. Unless you can find some killer deal, you might as well just buy a bike when you get there. If you do ship, many guest houses and hostels are pretty cool about storing your bike for you, just let them know ahead of time. 

If you plan on buying a bike, remember that you'll pay a premium because everything that has to be shipped to a small, mid-Atlantic island is extra expensive. Iceland doesn't have much of a used market either. They don't really have thrift stores or junk shops, they aren't big users of Craigslist, and they don't do garage sales much. If you're looking for a used bike, you might have a hard time. 

So the best option for most people is to pack the bike in your luggage. If you use Iceland Air, and you can disassemble your bike enough to meet the checked luggage size requirements, then you won't have to pay any extra fees to get the bike over there (just don't tell them you're bringing your bike. Claim it as "exercise equipment" – pro tip.) Most people will use a bike bag, like this one. I'm not going to cover how to pack your bike in this guide, but maybe some other time. 

Added bonus: Keflavik Airport has a bicycle re-assembly area!

There are stands, tools, and sometimes helpful people in the bike pit zone. It's also a good place to get info on where to ride. 

Now, if you're a cheap ass bike tourer, and you use up all your checked luggage space with a bike, how will you camp? 

Not to worry, Iceland has cheap camping gear rental! 

Though Iceland isn't terribly bike-friendly, it is VERY adventure friendly. They have just about any adventure gear a person could want for rent, at competitive pricing. 

Also, there is a trail from Keflavik International Airport to Reykjavik. It isn't marked on Google Maps, but you'll see it when you're there. 

Bike traffic light in Reykjavik

• Step Five: How to Save Money

Forget it. 

Just kidding. There are ways to save money, here are some: 

1. Rent cooking gear. Our van came with cooking supplies, which were great. 

2. Shop at the grocery stores, and don't eat out. You might have to avoid fresh fruits and veggies too, as those things cost a premium and aren't the best quality. 

3. Avoid big tourist destinations, like the Blue Lagoon (duh). Even the bathrooms cost a dollar at the "Golden Circle" sites. 

4. Take advantage of public pools. They're cheap, warm, open all year, super fun, and provide showers with soap. 

5. In Reykjavik, drink at the hostel, only go out to dance. 

6. Make friends with other travelers, try to share costs and car-pool. Hostels will have notice boards for people looking to join with other groups to do activities. 

7. Camp on the outskirts of town, but make sure you're in a legal camping spot. Yes, some people pitch tent wherever, but that's highly discouraged. 

8. Don't drink. If you have to, buy everything for your whole trip at the duty-free shop in the Airport. 

9. Stay out of Reykjavik! Seriously, everything is SOOOO much less expensive outside the capital city. 

10. Buy or rent a mobile wifi hotspot device. Not only will you save on cell data usage, but you can use it to check road conditions and travel routes and weather and all sorts of other vital information that you'd normally have to go to a coffee shop to obtain. We rented one for $25 and it saved us a hundred times. Best decision. 

And, you know, like, have fun.

Oh yeah, the answer to which of the eight things you WILL encounter but is actually a lie:
...It's the first one. The headwinds will be more like 130km/h.

If you want to see what MTBing in Iceland can be like, here's a guy doing it:

And hey, if you like the post, maybe you'll like this one about riding through the most deadly locations in Chicago.