Bikepacking Summer 2024 Day 12:
About wrong turns, thunderstorms, bad mood and blue skies

After yesterday's experience, I adjusted my route for today. I'm cycling a little less through the wilderness and more on country roads, especially as I've announced my arrival at my relatives in Skövde for tomorrow evening. It's 180 kilometres there, and my aim today is to cover more than half of it.

The start of the stage doesn't really work out. A belt left on the bike gets caught in the rear wheel and blocks the bike so abruptly that I can't get off the pedals fast enough and I once again ‘drop dead’.

As I slowly regain my rhythm and cycle through the woods, I'm followed by a noise that reminds me of Captain Hook's wooden leg. The noise gets louder and louder until a cross-country skier in summer training appears behind me.

Fed up with all the distractions, I put on some music and can finally relax. I cycle carefree along winding roads through the woods, kilometre after kilometre. At a stop, I realise that I've taken a wrong turn and Garmin has recalculated the route. Because of the music, this has passed me by acoustically. I trust the new route and carry on. 

After a while, I take a break and consult the map. Not only am I more than 30 kilometres east of my original route, but Garmin has obviously dispensed with any shortcuts and sent me not only on the longest possible route to Jönköping, but also on the highest possible route. The 180 kilometres to Skövde have just become 200 kilometres. From now on, I curse the little beeping devil on my handlebars on every climb.

The rain radar shows heavy rain in purple. I try to escape the worst of it by skilfully planning breaks. Shortly before Jönköping, however, the floodgates open above me too. Leaves and branches fall from the trees, but I carry on. In Husqvarna, with a view over Lake Vättern, the clouds break and the sun bathes the wet landscape in a warm light. I cycle along the lakeside promenade towards Jönköping, eat a falafel and then tackle the last long climb towards Habo. Once I reach the top, I make peace with the world and my Garmin and make camp for the night in a forest.