Battling the Crazy Winds Of Vesterålen - Bikepacking Norway

[@BikeTouringMike]

This was one of the windiest days of the tour, and it made it very difficult to document. I wasn't able to either put up the drone or even set up my tripod for ride-by shots for most of the day. Looking forward to sit down and edit next weeks video which I know is going to be a great one. One of the best days of the tour if I remember things correctly. See you next week!

[@MarcTravels]

Was great to meet you and yeah I had to make a 1000km detour to Finland 😅 cheers mate 🤙🏼

[@BikeTouringMike]

Yeah, I know. That stupid airline strike. But still, "the tortoise and the hare" 😉. Great to hear from you Marc! Take care of yourself and Maree down in Tunisia!

[@WheelsonaBike]

Your videos are like an advertising campaign for cycling in Norway. Stunning. I understand the comfort of a Campground and a shower. Small things make a big difference while on the road. Looking forward to next week's episode.

[@BikeTouringMike]

Thank you Agnieszka! You're too kind!

[@erikl.1860]

Norway is great for cycletouring. Water everywhere, and you can set up your tent wherever you want, for free! I went to Northcape from Belgium (and back to Belgium) and this was the best tour I’ve done so far. Except for the mosquitos (that was beginning of July).

[@wannagobiking9071]

Awesome video again Mike! Can we agree you will be putting up a weekly video for the next day, 3 years? Great, thanks😊

[@Tokyo_Fan]

Beautiful view. Thank you for sharing the comfortable bike tour.

[@alexmorgan3435]

A++++. Marc and his gf Marie are now heading for Tunisia on his electric Zero motorcycle and Marie in a Jimny.

[@Rlaplante73]

Beautiful scenery...thanks for taking us along :)

[@donaguitar]

nice video again, and the island seems less filled with tourists, that museumis a really beautifull building. And you crossed Mark, I follow him on youtube too, and I saw your encounter already, he is riding a motorcycle, now an electric one and he is planning to go till New Zealand with his girlfriend who is from there. And yes wind can be a real pain, I remembered a trip to Amsterdam I had really strong headwind from Rotterdam till Zandvoord I was really broken, I found a campground and could pitch my tent behind the shower building protected from the wind.

[@BikeTouringMike]

I had been following Marc since he started his journey to The North Cape, and figured I would look out for him passing me along the road. But the odds of him turning up at the very same ferry as I was taking has to be huge. We talked a lot about hime going electric, and I'm happy to see him trying to go around the world on his Eve.

[@reeceholmes8546]

thanks Mike

[@BikeTouringMike]

Thank you Reece! Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@mikleht]

haha bringing a drone for my trip through norway was waste of space. Always too windy to dare to use it! The bridge definitely looked frightening on the film too! Anyways, great video as always, take care.

[@BikeTouringMike]

Yeah, I'm a bit of a coward when it comes to using the drone. I don't know if it's the drone or if I'm terrible at flying it, but it always behaves weirdly in high winds. While goos drone pilots like Marc that I met in the video was able to fly his drone over those bridges, no problem at all. I'm jealous...

[@IvanIsVladimira]

Hope one day i will go the same route

[@BikeTouringMike]

Hope you'll be able to go there one day.

[@LeNaInLoVe]

This "barren landscape" holds one of the oldest pineforest in the Arctic. Oldest one found is around 900 yrs old. It was also quite "barren" due to a very cold May, so spring/summer-summer came very late. this year. To make it up we got record temperature overnight. But as you've noticed, the weather can change from 1 hr till next. Can be wise to pay attention where the wind comes from, however little wind, and also look at the forecast. ;) Anyways, always interesting to watch "my area" through the eyes of visitors, and ofc you, biking, you get all your senses hammered 😁

[@jeffmarlow1780]

Stunnung video Mike. Thank You.

[@BikeTouringMike]

Thank you Jeff! Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@colinwellman9480]

Nice one Mike. I've followed your bike tours soon after you started your channel. Your film making gets better and better. Mind you the spectacular scenery helps a little.😉 Thanks for sharing your trip and I look forward to the next episode.

[@BikeTouringMike]

Thank you for your positive feedback Colin! Great to hear!

[@W1NDUR]

Beautiful and relaxing video! Cheers from Stokmarknes:)

[@thelostone6981]

I’ve only been to Vesterålen once, but I love it! Such a nice video! I’m now subscribed.

[@ingeleonora-denouden6222]

End of last summer (September 2022) at a campground in the Netherlands I met someone just returning from Nordkap on his bicycle ... Could have been the same man you met 🙂

[@BikeTouringMike]

The Dutch man I met was ending his journey up at the North Cape like I was. And his family would meet him later in northern Finland. That's all I remember. I kept running into him along the road for the next couple of days as well.

[@marcknight4568]

Haughty roten ships!😀😉😉👌😄😄😃😊

[@jeffzhejiang]

All your videos are so great, I really enjoy riding along with you on your adventures. I don't know if you like to read suggestions for future content but I have been considering a first bike packing trip in Europe and, while I have some ideas, I would like to hear your suggestions for good routes for a first timer. Keep up the great content.

[@BikeTouringMike]

Thank you Jeff! Yes, that is exactly the feedback I need, tips for new videos! I don't know what type of an adventure you're after but the Eurovelo 15 is a good trip to start with. It follows the river Rhine for the most part and is really flat so you'll be able to do some big days. Plus there are plenty of accommodation options along the way. I haven't done it myself, but I've been car camping in that area and it's great. Hope to do a tour there soon.

[@phillcubed1745]

Superbe again Mike - interesting places and interesting commentary - many thanks

[@BikeTouringMike]

Thank you Phil! Glad you enjoyed following along.

[@stefankeznickl5020]

Great! Thy for your crazy vlogs! Appreciated!!! 🚲🏔️Very inspiring!

[@BikeTouringMike]

Thank you Stefan! Glad you enjoy them.

[@johnleenane4571]

Love the wildness of that island, spectacular views as always 👍

[@BikeTouringMike]

Thank you John! Yeah it was quite a difference compared to Lofoten. But it's going to get even more wild the further north the road takes me.

[@timobesamusca9332]

Great video Mike! I am planning my next trip to Scotland 🏔️ looking forward to that, but maybe Norway will follow after that! I have a question: in the video I saw you getting some groceries at a supermarket. How do you lock / protect your bike and luggage whenever you go into a store? Would love to hear your advice!

[@Chunky246]

Most European roads are very narrow and twisty, and as you say it's because they are very old. Older than the USA!

[@BikeTouringMike]

I was cycling in Italy two years ago, and down there that is even more true. Feels pretty special to ride your bike along roads that have been there for thousands of years.

[@slowp100]

The lunch price is similar to what it would cost in a very touristy resort here in the U.S. It hurts to pay it, but we must, especially if traveling by bike. I am confused. I thought Euros were used everywhere.

[@BikeTouringMike]

No, Norway isn't part of the EU. There are also a couple of other countries including my country Sweden that have chosen to continue with their own currency. Other countries are Czechia, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Poland. However in most of these countries you could probably use Euro as a method of payment.

[@bolleolympus]

Håper at du ikke tar det så hardt at du ødelegger brusken i knærne! Fra nå av er du den nye Kongen i Sverige! ✌👍🛡❤

[@BikeTouringMike]

Haha, nä jag ska försöka ta det lite försiktigt.

[@Elixir9]

Mike what cameras are you using ?

[@BikeTouringMike]

On this trip I used a Canon G7X Mark II + a GoPro Hero 7 Black for the POV shots. The drone is a DJI Mavic Pro.

[@tonysegadelli9421]

Do you not have a dynamo or other way of charging on the go? I saw one bikepacker use a solar panel but that was Western Africa where power is hard to come by outside of the cities. My daughter also thinks Norway is beautiful due to your videos but unfortunately I can't yet convince her to bikepack

[@BikeTouringMike]

No, I don't have a dynamo unfortunately. I have a small solar charger but I didn't bring it on this trip. I don't think it would've done any use. Even though there were plenty of sunny days, the sun is standing so low up there so the power from the sun is very weak. I usually just bring a bunch of battery packs that I charge as I go along, when stopping for lunch or at campgrounds.

[@tonysegadelli9421]

@@BikeTouringMike I wondered whether the sun's angle maybe a problem