Roslagen Cycling Tour with Fika and Swim

We had reserved one women’s bike and one men’s bike. The women’s bike wasn’t very well suited for a ride of nearly 2 mil. It was perfectly fine for biking to the store and back, but not for longer rides. It was incredibly sluggish to pedal and detracted from the experience of the ride. We’re experienced cyclists and know what a good bike should be like. The women’s bike should also have been a "mountain bike" or something similar. However, the staff at the bike rental shop were very friendly, and the package combining biking and a hotel stay was "nice." The hotel put together a delicious picnic lunch to take along on the bike ride. The service at the hotel was excellent, and the dinners were fantastic—top marks! We’d love to do this again, but next time we’ll book two men’s bikes :-)

Above all, I’d like to praise Utflyktsbutiken in Norrtälje. The staff made us feel very welcome and at ease. The rental bikes were excellent, equipped with a bike basket, helmet, and 7 gears. They were sturdy and easy to ride. The best we’ve rented during our more than 20 cycling trips over the years. A bit pricey, but on the other hand, we received excellent cycling maps. None of us managed to download the GPX files for digital maps. So we were very happy with the printed maps we received with the bikes. Instructions on how to access the GPX files should be clearer. Before departure, we had ordered Map No. 29 (Northern Roslagen) at a high price. In the past, there were always cycling maps available at tourist offices for free or at a low cost. The inn was very cozy, with nice, bright rooms and a hearty breakfast. The dinners, which were included, were also excellent. However, it would be nice if a packed lunch were included in the cycling package. On our first ride around Gillfjärden, there were no good places to eat along the way. But we found lunch on our own at the golf course restaurant. Please consider adding this to the cycling package. The road leads uphill toward Kvilunda.

We don’t agree that the cycling takes place in a safe traffic environment. We’ve never experienced such heavy traffic with cars constantly whizzing by before! At the same time, there wasn’t even a separate bike path next to the main road for long stretches! We definitely couldn’t enjoy the scenery. And we never had time to see any cultural sites or historical landmarks. But the swimming spots were lovely and enjoyable. Even though we didn’t find any "local treats" in the picnic basket, the “love cookies” were absolutely delicious. After Uddeboö and the swim in Gillfjärden, the roads were bike-friendly.

We had therefore hoped for a car-free outing the next day and found Finsta and Birgitta’s Cave on the map. From town, there was a bike path all the way to the embankment. But to our astonishment, it was blocked off shortly afterward by tall gates. The municipality of Norrtälje had not informed either Utflyktsbutiken or its own road maintenance staff that the embankment would be closed until week 38. So we couldn’t even get to the church in Malsta or the swimming spot next to it.

Since we added an extra day, we got to enjoy Norrtälje’s beautiful surroundings to the fullest. We took walks along the river, visited outdoor cafés and pubs, and even managed to take one last swim in Lommaren.

Overall, we’re happy and satisfied, and we’d love to come back. But next time, we’ll be better prepared—specifically, we’ll look for safe and peaceful bike paths without heavy traffic on main roads where the speed limit is 70 km/h.