No Money for Bike – Part 4

Kvaløya & Tromsø

Kvaløya was familiar territory, having been here on a couple of winter ski touring trips since moving to Norway. Opting to take the Southern road for a change of scene, I enjoyed a final night camped out by a beach, watching sailboats glide by. The lack of rain and mosquitoes was also a nice feeling, delving back into type-1 fun: cracking open a beer also helped.

Savlon for the saddle-sores, and prepping the bivvy, and all was good for my final night on the bike ride. There was a lot of excitement building to know it would be over soon, but equally the desire to continue and keep riding was growing. For me this had been a bit of a trial run to attempt a new way of travelling, to get back into bigger adventures, and generally see how things went. After the bumpy start, and learning a lot of lessons, it was time to start putting thought into taking this type of adventure and building on it, but that was for another day. For now, Tromsø, and the final surprise.

My last day in the saddle consisted of a relaxed bike ride in the sun, picnic by the beach, and finally reaching civilisation. The feeling of returning to a city was strange. I needed some packing materials to get my bike on the plane, and being in a shopping mall was a bizarre experience after 10 days sleeping in the undergrowth. Sushi conveyor belts, elevator music and retail therapy all made me want to get back on the bike and leave again. But with the duct tape and various other items bought, it was time to leave and cycle across town, as I had a mission. My reward for a 600km bike ride was upon me: a mountain running race, the Tromsø Skyrace, would be happening the following day. The sufferfest continues…

The next misadventure: Tromsø Skyrace