Off:Roader Sweden
Dates
2nd - 6th July
Difficulty
3/5
Total Distance
360 kms
Ride Overview
For the authentic Swedish cycling experience, come to the heart of Småland in southern Sweden and ride the outstanding gravel on offer.
Sweden is a gravel cyclists paradise, with this part of Sweden boasting thousands of kilometres of pristine, unspoilt gravel, winding through Nordic forest, passing quaint and quintessentially Swedish farms and hamlets as well as endless lakes.
Guided through the undulated landscape, you’ll ride some of the smoothest gravel in the world, leaving civilisation far behind and have the opportunity to cool off in lakes on the way around.
There will be plenty of ‘Fika’ (Swedish coffee, sandwiches and cake), delicious Swedish meals such as meatballs, mashed potato and lingonberry jam, and of course sauna.
Deposit £299 | Private Single £1,499 | Shared Twin / Double £1,325 per person
Bike rental available for £199 – see options in the checkout.
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: From Fika (coffee stops with sandwiches & cake in the morning & feed stops) to finishing the ride with a lake swim & sauna, this ride gets to the heart of Swedish culture & miles away from the tourist trail.
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.
Included in Ride Package
Accommodation
4 nights in a range of small 3* & 4* hotels. Choose private single, shared twin (2 beds) or shared double (1 bed) rooms.
Airport Transfers
Fly into Gothenburg (GOT) on 2nd July and our friendly team will be there to collect you on arrival day and drop you back when you leave.
3 Epic Stages
Plus a 30km prologue on arrival day.From the start line to the finish line, the route is fully signed. You will also be sent the route files in advance.
Meals
Bring some money for drinks in the evening but our package includes 4 dinners, 3 lunches & 4 breakfasts.
Checkpoints
Real food and mechanical support are waiting for you approximately every 35km with a mix of sweet and savoury snacks and local specialties.
Luggage
We move your overnight bags from hotel to hotel each day and provide a day bag to collect at lunch with spare kit etc.
Stages
A nice warm up on your first evening here. Setting off by the lake at the lovely Wiredaholm Resort, this 35km loops heads north around the lakes for a relatively flat / rolling introduction to the wonderful gravel in Småland
Distance: 35km
Elevation: 400m
Ride Difficulty: 2/5
% Off Road: 85%
From Wiredholm, 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 are 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 half way 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.
Distance: 117km
Elevation: 1282m
Ride Difficulty: 3/5
% Off Road: 85%
Leaving Wallby, you circle around Skirösjön heading east towards Slagdala. Once back onto the gravel (after just a couple of km), you have almost 10km of flawless forest gravel. 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. Cool off with a swim before you eat and continue on towards Eksjö, a Unesco World Heritage Site, famous for its ‘Gamla Stan’ (old town). Old, painted wooden houses and buildings, interspersed with cobbled streets and intimate alleys take you back to how life must have been hundreds of years ago.
Distance: 104km
Elevation: 1014m
Ride Difficulty: 3/5
% Off Road: 80%
This is where you really find your unspoilt peace. Mile after mile with scarcely a car in sight. On our test ride, we went 2hrs without seeing a moving vehicle during this stage. The route always varies, with occasional tarmac breaking up extended periods of lovely gravel. It’s never too rough, even on some of the ancient forest roads.
There is a long and fast descent into Gränna, a town famous for its cobbled highstreet and tucked away cafes. It lies on the banks of Vättern, Sweden’s second largest lake.
Coming out of Gränna is an extremely steep gravel climb. The Strava segment name (Gränna Monster Climb) tells you all you need to know! Low gearing or a willingness to get off and push for 200m are needed! The views from the top are far reaching and very impressive. Once the altitude has been gained again, the route is fast and flowing to the lavishly appointed Wiredholm Golf Resort. Lakeside sauna awaits, as well as a traditional Swedish dinner.
Distance: 106km
Elevation: 1413m
Ride Difficulty: 3.5/5
% Off Road: 85%
Event Overview
Our Off:Roader series are non-competitive, designed to take you off the beaten track with a group of friendly, supportive riders. The whole event is social starting on day one with a flat stage and a cold beer all together at the finish line.
Each evening we eat together and have a ride briefing where our UK event manager goes through the next stage & our local hosts talk us through the region we will be riding through.
The routes are fully signed – we roll out each day in small groups and you will soon settle into a little peloton of riders going at a similar speed to you.
Our team is on hand at every step of the way – at the start line, riding on the route, at regular checkpoints and always a phone call away if you need anything. We take delight in our reputation of providing multi stage rides of a lifetime and nothing is too much trouble to ensure you have a great time.
Event Overview
Our Off:Roader series are non-competitive, designed to take you off the beaten track with a group of friendly, supportive riders. The whole event is social starting on day one with a flat stage and a cold beer all together at the finish line.
Each evening we eat together and have a ride briefing where our UK event manager goes through the next stage & our local hosts talk us through the region we will be riding through.
The rides are in small groups led by an expert guide. Group size is 6-10 with a set average speed. You will have the GPX files all the group ride together & stop for lunch and at the feeds.
Our team is on hand at every step of the way – at breakfast, on the rides, at the feeds and in the evening. We take delight in our reputation of providing multi stage rides of a lifetime and nothing is too much trouble to ensure you have a great time.
Accommodation & Meals
The hotels in Sweden are a good standard. We stay in three hotels (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. Accommodation is half board.
Evening meals are seater dinners or buffets with a range of local dishes. Vegan, gluten free and other dietary options are available. There will be secure bike storage at each hotel.
Equipment & Packing
We will send a full packing list but early July in Sweden should be great weather with warm to days and long evenings of light. We recommend a waterproof jacket & layers (arm warmers, gilet etc) to pack on all multi day rides.
Evenings are casual, don’t forget to pack swimmers as some hotels have pools and wellness areas. You will need to bring one small soft-sided item of luggage which we will take from hotel to hotel and you will get a small day bag on arrival where you can pack extra clothing etc to collect at the second checkpoint.
Either gravel bike or hardtail is suitable for this route. A gravel bike is better suited, as suspension isn’t needed but hardtails will 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.
Event Program
Tuesday 2nd July: Depart UK, arrive into Gothenbury. Optional prologue & then welcome dinner and briefing.
Wednesday 3rd July: 9am stage start. 7pm briefing & dinner
Thursday 4th July: 9am stage start. 7pm briefing & dinner
Friday 5th July: 9am stage start. 7pm briefing & dinner
Saturday 6th July: Departure day, see below for transfer times.
FAQs
Off:Roader Sweden has no technical or rocky sections and most of the riding is on fast rolling, smooth gravel. We ride in small groups led by a guide based on rider speed so the quicker, more experienced riders will be in the front group and the back group will go at a more relaxed pace. All groups are no drop and the aim is to take in the beautiful local scenery rather than claim KOMs!
On 2nd July, we will run two transfers from the airport at:
– 12.30pm for arrivals before 12pm
– 7.45pm for arrivals before 7.15pm.
The transfer to our hotel in Vireda is approx 2 hours.
If you plan to arrive in Gothenburg earlier, you can make your way to our first hotel, or return to the airport on25th June to join the transfer.
On 6th July, we have two transfer from our hotel to Gothenburg Airport as follows:
– Arriving at the airport at 5am for flights departing after 7am
– Arriving at the airport at 4pm for flights departing after 6pm.
Yes, we have Sonder Caminos available for £199. Bikes will be ready to collect at the first hotel and our mechanic will set you up on the bike. You can add a bike in the checkout.
Yes! You can take your bike box. This will be stored at the first hotel and our mechanics can help with bike builds / packs.
Yes, in the checkout there is a box to put whoever you want to share a room with. If you are booking a double room (2 people, 1 bed) please select 2 people in the checkout.
You can secure your place with a deposit of £299. This is non-refundable so we strongly suggest you get travel insurance before booking (you can also purchase cancellation insurance in the checkout).
Full payment is due 3 months before departure (March 25th), we will send you a reminder when this is due.
We time all our Off:Roaders to catch each destination in it’s prime. 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 ride.