What kind of ride is this?
Length of Sweden Sverigetempot is a brevet . Simply, a non stop ride with checkpoints, were you are required to arrange your own meals and accommodation? We are manning the halfway checkpoint at Östersund at a hostel. You may ride alone, or with others. The ride is sanctioned by RM; Randonneurs Mondiaux.
The maximum time for all riders is 210 hours. One or two groups will start each morning: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
Thursday is allocated for the riders who think they may need all of the allowed time. The last group is meant for riders aiming for 150 hours or faster.
The manned control in Östersund will open sometime Sunday night. The opening of the finish will be when the first riders from the last starting group arrives.
Though this is not a race, most us us enjoy the thrill of records. The fastest time to Smygehuk so far was in 2016 when three riders completed the ride in 104 h 57 m (on a 2160 km course).
How much is the registration fee and what is included?
2500 SEK
(approx. 230 EUR).
- Transport of a bike case (hard or soft) and personal things that you don’t carry on your bike, to Smygehuk
- Bagdrop in Östersund. (A cardboardd box of 11,5 litres). We will of course bring it to the finish as well.
- Pre ride pasta buffé (cancelled due to C-19)
- Lodging at a hostel in Östersund (945 km) including hot food and 24 hour breakfast buffé.
- Lodging one night at the finish in Smygehuk
- A basic accident insurance
- a medal from Les Randonneurs Mondiaux, LRM.
What is the maximum time?
The maximum time for every rider is 210 hours. The choice between 210, 180 and 150 hour starting groups (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday) is based on how fast the rider wants to ride and or how much he or she wants, or of course needs to rest.
What about the coronavirus?
We follow the official Swedish restrictions.
The Length of Sweden will go ahead as planned! /2021-05-17
Do I have to qualify?
You don’t have to qualify. However, we strongly recommend riding some brevet-rides (for example BRM 200km, 300km, 400km and 600km) beforehand, especially if you are not familiar with riding brevet type rides.
When can I sign up?
As of now all the starting spots have been spoken for. You can sign up for the waiting list at rider.sverigetempot.se. There will be starting spots made available to the waiting list.
What if i don’t receive any confirmation email after signing up?
First, check your spam filter. If you don’t find it there, send us an email.
Will I get any money in return if I cancel my start?
No, but you are free to find a new participant to whom you can sell your starting spot.
What is the recommended place to stay before the start?
There are two places to stay in Katterjokk open all year: katterjokk.nu (Katterjokk Apartments) and katterjokk.se (Katterjokk Tourist Station, the first establishment at Katterjokk).
Katterjokk has a restaurant and a small but well stocked grocery store. Riksgränsen has a grocery store.
Björkliden, Sweden (29 km south of the event centre in Katterjokk)
Staying in Narvik, Norway (44 km from the event centre in Katterjokk) could be an option if you fly in via Narvik.
Will there be aurora borealis?
Unfortunately not, July is very much in the off season for aurora borealis or northern lights.
Instead you will get to experience midnight sun in the north of Sweden, above the arctic circle to be exact.
What animals are worth mentioning..?
You will most surely meet reindeers in flocks on the road in Lapland. If you tire waiting for these peaceful animals to move out of your way, just start pedaling calmly). Mosquitos can pester you when you stop, especially up north, so always carry a repellant. There aren’t any aggressive dogs to chase you, nor lethal reptiles waiting for you beside the road for that matter.
Will I be covered by an insurance?
We advise you to arrange your own insurance but we will have signed a basic accident insurance for you.
You will sign a liability waiver before the start.
Is group riding/drafting allowed?
Yes.
Do I have to wear a helmet?
Yes, wearing a helmet is mandatory while riding. Not by law, by our safety policy.
Can I bring a support car?
Yes but support from the car crew is only allowed at the checkpoints.
Can I receive support from friends by the wayside?
Well, a coffee while having a chat won´t hurt… but basically, any support shall be offered to everyone doing the brevet.
What kind of bike is allowed?
All kinds of bicycles (including recumbents and velomobiles, trikes, hand bikes) are allowed as long as they are driven to 100 % by muscle power. No e-bikes of any kind. A fixie must have two external brakes.
Are tri bars allowed?
Yes. Any length.
What are the roads like?
The general rule has been that the whole route is paved. Next year may have one, maybe two very short passages with gravel. You will have been informed in June about the outcome. (However, in the north there are yearly road works going on for kilometers at a time. We try to reroute if we get to know about any larger road works. Prepare for at least 28 mm wide tires for Sverigetempot.
The measured elevation gain is about 12 000 meters.
Do I have to follow a fixed route?
Yes. If you miss a turn, you need to return to the place where it happened and get on from there. You can use any means of transportation when returning to the route.
When will we know the final route?
The route will be finalized about a month prior to start. Our ambition is to inform you about road constructions and to avoid the bigger ones. In the most northern part we have to calculate with one big road construction. In that area taking an alternative route often leads to a very long detour. Sometimes we don’t get the info on every road construction which means that you have to be prepared for a surprise gravel section or two.
What about food etc along the route?
During daytime in the first 1300 km (800 miles) there are some sections with 150 km (90 miles) between services. There are numerous sections with 60-90 km without food or drinks to buy. Still, you will find villages and small towns scattered along the same route. At 950 km you reach the town of Östersund where we treat you with a manned control. For the around-the-clock riders, there are 24 hour fast food/petrol stations just along the route in the villages Dorotea (700 km) and Sveg (1200 km) and in the city of Skövde (1700). In Karlskoga there is another one but but you have to make a small detour to reach it.
Any bike shops near the start and elsewhere?
Kiruna (140 km or 80 miles south on the route) has Intersport with a basic road bike assortment.
The route passes close to Velo Rapide in Östersund (94 km), Ski, Bike & Run in Åsarna (1030 km), Sportson in Skövde (1700 km) and Racerdepån (Campa and the usual) in Falköping (1720 km).
Finally, here is where you have to provide proof of your passage. And how.
a photo including yourself (and a fellow rider) AND an identifying sign or building from the location.
letting a person you meet on the street perform the procedure that is done at an establishment exhanging .
at the final control in Smygehuk, we keep the card. We will send it back to you when the medals have been delivered to us.
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Length of Sweden Sverigetempot 2016. Photo: Johan Björklund
Sverigetempot 