What size tyres (and how long) for Iceland?

satanas

I'm thinking of doing a long trip to Europe in 2011, and have been wanting to go touring in Iceland for many years. The bike I'll be bringing will take maximum 32mm tyres with guards, and (maybe) 35mm with no guards. Will 32mm tyres be enough??? I gather that it's rather wet, so would prefer to keep the guards. I'm light, and know how to travel light, so this might make things a bit easier...

Also, any tips on where to go or how long it might take - and when to do it - would be appreciated!

JHcp

It very much depends on what you intend to do in Iceland. If like some you just want to do route 1 of which about 85% is now tarmac and the remaining 15% is generally a well maintained gravel surface then you would get away with 32mm tyres.

However if you wish to go into the interior on the less well maintained gravel roads where there can be a lot of loose gravel and sandy surfaces then a wider tough tyre would be preferable. We have used 42mm wide Schwalbe Marathon XR's which were great and helped prevent us from sliding about too much in the sand, although there were times in the deep sandy parts where we had to get off and push.

Iceland can be wet so yes mudguards would be useful.

As far as where to go, well Iceland is like no other place in Europe the cold desert areas are amazingly beautiful in there own way. Places not to miss are Myvatn, Godafoss, Landmannalaugar, Geysir & Gulfoss, the Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon and the western fjords.

The best time for Iceland would be late June, July and August any early and some of the interior will still be cut off through snow.

You will find more information and pictures on our Iceland page.

Hope that helps.

Jon

satanas

Hi Jon,

I've just looked at your site - some very useful information and links. Thanks! Sadly, Schwalbe don't seem to offer much in the way of tyres that could actually fit my bike, apart from the basic Marathon and Racer, although I suppose the 37mm tyres *might* fit with about 1mm clearance. There's no way I can bring two bikes to Europe from Oz!

I'll look at a map when I have more time (and am not in India and so can find one!), and try to figure out where you're talking about, but it sounds to me like I could probably get away with the ring road, and maybe some of the interior, with appropriate care. I was thinking of going there in May, so 32mm might be okay for where I could get to then.

Thanks again,
Stephen

Noctilux

One word of caution in using the maximum width of tyres you can squeeze between the stays:
Should you need to replace a spoke or two in the field - you will have to be better at truing a wheel than me
I will be packing a thin folding tyre in case of emergency next time.

Magnus Thor

32mm should be fine on tarmac and the properly mainained gravel roads. You can get basic Marathons in 32mm, wich should serve you well. I wouldn't tour here in May, since you can still get snow and even blizzards in the northern parts of the country. In fact right now a lot of roads are blocked in the north and northwest because of blizzards and even here in Reykjavik the temperature was around 0 C this morning. I would suggest late June or July for best weather. That way the country won't be quite so gray and depressing.

If you need any further information, just PM me.


Magnus Thor
Iceland

satanas

Thanks everyone!

My post was more very early hypothesizing than anything else, so not much point me asking lots of questions until closer to departure - i.e., next year at least. One question now though - how many days food might need to be carried to cross Iceland through the interior?

Noctilux/Leica: I (sadly!) spent too many years as a professional bike mechanic, so would hope to break zero spokes, and would be able to true non-destroyed rims. However, I agree that decent clearance is a good idea. My problems will be above the tyre, rather than beside it, especially if I use the Bontrager Satellite Plus fork I have sitting in a box in my shed as intended...

Magnus: Thanks! I was hoping you might chip in, and will contact you closer to the date if things go ahead. I'd like to come as early as feasible as I hope to be in Norway for Styrkeprøven in late June and would like to do a bit of riding there beforehand; afterwards I plan to head south towards the Alps...

megilleland

Some Icelandic Cycle Touring notes here by Rich Simmons on his visit in 2003 which may be helpful. The expert on Iceland is Dick Philips. I visited Iceland in the early 1970s, but this was a four wheel, overland camping expedition, before I discovered bikes. The scenery is a geological fantasy - deserts, glaciers, waterfalls, volcanoes, hot springs, geysers and sparse populations in the interior. Any shrub over 4 feet is a tree. Watch out for old lava flows which provide sharp surfaces to cut tyres. Also around Lake Myvatn midges! If you go July August 24 hour daylight.

Another website here with cycling notes.

satanas

Thanks again!