Atlantica - 01.06.2006, Page 81

80 AT L A N T I CA
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“The paths are very nice for a ride like this,”
Morten says as we ease up to a large reservoir. “But
they aren’t very practical for commuting to work.”
At the reservoir the group stops, where an
Arctic tern dive-bombs my head. Even in the
city, mountain biking has its dangers. We start up
again.
“When I was a child we used to shoot the birds
all the time with rocks,” Gudbjörn says. “Once I
threw a rock and hit a kría in the neck and it died
immediately.” He’s smiling. Even as a kid he was
a warrior.
Back at the bus station, the group breaks up.
“Are you coming on Sunday?” Fjölnir asks me.
He’s talking about the annual Blue Lagoon
Challenge, a 55 km race over the lava-encrusted
peninsula to the south of Reykjavík. The idea of
peddling so far sounds bad. At Hveragerdi we trav-
eled 24.7 kilometers; in Reykjavík we went 26. And
my legs already feel like dumbbells.
“Sure Fjölnir,” I say. “I’ll go.”
Five days later, we are walking back to Freyr’s
vehicle under steady rain at the Blue Lagoon’s
parking lot.
While I had tried to keep up with Fjölnir in
the race, he left me after the first 16 kilometers.
Every once in a while, as I pedaled in the no
man’s land between the fast bikers and the slow,
I’d see Freyr’s big troop transport moving along
the dirt road through the frozen-and-never-end-
ing lava flow. Freyr wasn’t riding; instead he
had been picking up the wounded who couldn’t
make it.
Freyr opens the door and I sit. Standing in the
light of the square doorway, with the rain falling
down, he pulls out a red and white ball of paper
towels. “Blood,” he says with a smile. It’s from a
girl who fell during the race. Freyr told me that
she was very calm despite running her face into
the lava gravel.
When we part I say, “Take care.”
“Have a nice,” he hesitates, “life.”
And that’s it. Even if I’m not a big girl’s
blouse, I’m definitely not one of the heroes. a
Finding Your Trail
Although mountain biking and the rugged hin-
terlands of Iceland seemed like an obvious fit
to me, I was surprised to find that there wasn’t
a larger infrastructure to get out there and do
it. Here is a compilation of what you need to
know to get on two wheels and off road.

THE PEOPLE WITH THE ANSWERS:
The Icelandic Mountain Bike Club is the
place to get information about anything from
short jaunts around Reykjavík to the most
fantastic rides in the country. The club holds
an open house on the first Thursday of every
month and organizes rides around Reykjavík
every Tuesday night. If you have any questions,
visit their website and drop them a line.
562-0099, www.mmedia.is/ifhk/tourist.htm.
For information on the hazards and possibilities
of biking in Iceland, visit www.icebike.net.
BIKE TOURS AND RENTALS:
The City Bicycle (Borgarhjól) in Reykjavík has
60 mountain bikes to rent at ISK 2,000 a day
and progressively lower rates for longer term
rentals, though being the only bike rental in
town, they aren’t eager to cut any deals. They
also rent bikes out of the youth hostel and
campsite.
551-5653. borgarhjol@simnet.is
Blue Biking offers tours ranging from short
rides in Reykjavík and up to five-day treks
across the interior, but focuses on corporate
clients and only accepts large groups.
565-2089. http://frontpage.simnet.is/bluebiking
In the West Fjords, West Tours operates a
seven-hour ride along what representative
Gylfi Ólafsson calls, “The most dangerous
road in Iceland.” To go ahead with the ride at
least seven people have to sign up for the ISK
5,300 trip. West Tours also has a fleet of four,
soon to be six, bikes for rent at ISK 2,500 a
day and ISK 17,500 for a week. Prices can
be negotiated for longer-term rentals and for
people not providing their own wheels on the
ride. 456-5111. www.vesturferdir.is
In the eastern West Fjords town of Hólmavík,
the tourist office has three bikes for rent at ISK
900 a day, and are willing to negotiate prices
for longer rentals.
451-3111. www.holmavik.is/info
A very enthusiastic Hlynur Oddsson runs
the small company Adventure Tour in East
Iceland, out of Seydisfjördur. Oddsson takes
cyclists on trips around Bjölvur Mountain
and to the very busy bird breeding ground at
Skalenes. Tours range from ISK 2,000 – 6,000
with bike rentals starting at ISK 1,500 for a
half day.
865-3741. www.iceland-tour.com
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