Travellers return

VATTERUNDUN 3
Originally uploaded by westlothianclarion

Andy and Mandy sent in this wee report about their amazing 300km ride in Sweden:

We have just returned from 2 weeks cycling in Denmark and Sweden, part of our trip was to take part in the VATTERUNDUN which is a 300km cycle event around lake Vattern in Sweden starting in Motala. It is the biggest recreational cycling event in Europe with 17,000 participants. There are all sorts of cyclists doing it from full racing teams to folk on town bikes with shopping baskets and disabled participents on recumbrents using their arms.

Mandy and I used the tandem and had a riding time of 11hrs 39 mins, a 16mph average. We started at 4am and there was alot of missling rain but it cleared up. All riders were chipped for timing at various stages, the whole organisation of the event was excellent with great food stops and rider back up and support cars .

Some riders started at 8pm the previous night and then at 2min intervals throughout the night. The big pelotons that passed sometimes had up to 70 riders in them, they approached from behind with a sound like a swarm of bees, we were doing 20mph at some stages and they shot passed as if you were stopped. There were plenty of people trying to make it round too, like the father and daughter on very basic mountain bikes and some on single gear bikes like an old police bike, people just giving it their all, in, maybe, the only event they do all year but still a great achievement for them.

Our total mileage for our whole trip including this event was around 800miles for 10 days cycling, staying, mostly, in youth hostels. Hope to keep up the miles and not let it go to waste now we are home!