Day 14 - Riders on the Storm

As we were in a B&B and there was a window of relatively dry weather in the afternoon, we opted to take our time enjoying the spoils. It gave time for a proper breakfast, allowed for hand-washed clothes to dry and gave us chance to be cheeky in asking for all other clothing to be washed and dried by the owners.

They were happy to oblige, but the downside was it was no priority for them, so by the time we got the clothes back and everything onto the bike it was 2pm. We now had only 2 hours before heavy rain was scheduled, on a bike trip that would take at least 5.

Those first 2 hours were a lot of fun. The rain was falling, and building, but we had a fairly relaxed climb followed by a nice, long downhill ride on a winding Road that overlooked a beautiful large lake.

Not long after, the rain really got going and we spent the next couple of hours getting progressively soaked - a particular problem for Simon, whose water-resistant trouser completely soaked through.

We made it to a grill house in the nearest town and bought a burger to fill up and justify taking over their business with drip-drying clothes. Happily, like in most places in Sweden, coffee was free, so we were able to change, dry off and get fed and watered before our last push.

With the rain staying strong, and the wind picking up, we decided it was the time to go, riding in the fading light with wet gloves, coats and shoes (Simon was also down to shorts).

I quite enjoyed the ride - it felt a bit more adventurous - but we were both glad to reach our campsite, with sodden shoes, damp clothes and waterproof gloves holding small pools of water, and access our 'dolls house' of a cabin for drying and resting.Read more