Cheers to never lugging 40kgs of luggage around again.
I’m finally on the home stretch to Gothenburg. I’ll be spending a week in this city at a friend’s place before locking my bike up and flying to Iceland for two weeks. By the time I come back here my two motorcycle cases should have arrived. Thank baby Jesus that I’ll never have to balance 40kgs precariously on the back of my bike again.
I learnt from my monotonous autobahn experience in Germany that skipping highways and opting for scenic country roads is definitely the way to go. They are simply more enjoyable, less dangerous and less fuel consuming.
Unfortunately Google maps doesn’t let you calculate a ride using small streets on your phone, so I used this fantastic offline maps app and followed it haphazardly in a northerly direction. This was actually pretty difficult and time wasting, in the future I’d recommend doing it like this instead.
My route
▣ Highly recommend ▣ Boring but safe ▣ Shit. Boring, strenuous & dangerous.
“Farmland dotted with cows, wind turbines and red walled, white roofed Swedish barns. With hardly any other vehicles on these roads aside from the odd tractor, allow yourself to be hypnotised by your engine’s purr”
On this route
The country roads are beautiful between Malmö and Gothenburg. I assume that’s the case around most of the Swedish countryside, so you could potentially choose anywhere off the beaten track and get blown away.
Expect to pass through relatively flat terrain. Begin riding through farmland dotted with cows, wind turbines and red walled, white roofed Swedish barns. The air is soft and perfumed with a mixture of lavender, grass and livestock. With hardly any other vehicles on these roads aside from the odd tractor, allow yourself to be hypnotised by your engine’s purr. Go as fast or as slow on these roads as you please, however if you slow down, you can hear the rustle of grass and insect chatter. The atmosphere is pleasant, relaxing yet energetic, and I recommend slowing down for a moment to let it all soak all in.
After a short while you’ll come across quaint towns with tightly curved streets and traditional Swedish houses resting amongst crafted gardens. Pass by crisp, white walled churches backing onto oddly cheerful looking graveyards. Beware of train tracks in these areas without signals, be sure to slow down and look both ways before crossing. Your helmet will block out a lot of the warning noise.
Move through to more twisty, secluded roads, alternating through dense areas of dappled forest and farmland with huge, glistening lakes. Pass by children picking berries by the side of the road and overtake locals bicycle-riding up steep hills. Take note of the sunny warmth of the farmland, as you ride out from the cooler, crisp oxygenated air of the forest.
Be sure to close your helmet fully when whizzing through these areas. I dared to experience the cooler forest air on my face and ended up with a million live bugs inside my visor. Not fun.
If you accidentally miss a turn, and have an enduro bike, then continue on and take one of the smaller, less travelled roads. These steep, gravel roads are narrow and tricky, but extremely fun. The feeling of going wherever you like is liberating.
Finally, the crescendo. Ride out onto a fantastic view of rolling farmland, soft cloud shadows gently move across the landscape and the patchwork of colours extending seemingly forever. If you manage to ride on a perfect summers day, the sky and land are as blue and green as you will ever see in your life.
Drove back out to the coast for a swim and lunch break before the long haul to Gothenburg
Lunch break in Ängelholm
You summed up southern sweden perfectly. I am a Brit living in Malmo and spend most of the year riding around on my Guzzi. Its truly bike heaven, especially in the summer. Working in Bergen, I totally second your opinion there too. I never had so many near death rides as I have in Western Norway. If you head back this way, drop me a line and I will show you some great places around southern sweden.