Reykjavik Bike Tours Blog

Hjólaverslunin Örninn með bestu reiðhjólin

2012-01-26T00:34:00.000Z

"Leiðsögn á hjólum um Reykjavík er tilvalin leið til að kynnast borginni," segir Ursula Spitzbart, stofnandi Reykjavík Bike Tours og höfundur bókarinnar Zwischen Licht und Dunkel – Abenteuer Alltag in Island.

Reykjavík Bike Tours hóf starfsemi árið 2009 og hefur síðan boðið uppá ferðir á reiðhjólum með leiðsögn um Reykjavík og nágrenni - aðallega fyrir erlenda ferðamenn og á fjölmörgum tungumálum.

Ursula segist finna fyrir auknum áhuga á reiðhjólaferðum um Reykjavík og nágrenni með leiðsögn. "Viðskiptavinir okkar hafa flestir heyrt um okkur frá vinum og kunningjum eða lesið lofsamlegar greinar um okkur og leita okkur uppi," segir Ursula

Fyrirtækið hefur frá upphafi lagt mikið uppúr leiðsögn um Reykjavík á reiðhjóli og ávalt verið með fagmenntaða leiðsögumenn útskrifaða frá Leiðsöguskóla Íslands, Háskóla Íslands og Ferðamálaskólanum á Bíldshöfða.

"Fagleg, skemmtileg og persónuleg leiðsögn skilar alltaf ánægðum viðskiptavinum og það er það sem við viljum að spyrjist út," segir Ursula.

"Við verslum nær eingöngu við reiðhjólaverslunina Örninn vegna þess að þeir selja - að því að við teljum - bestu reiðhjólin. Við erum með Trek navigator 2.0 borgar / fjallahjól sem eru alveg frábær bæði á malbiki og möl. Ennfremur erum við með 24 gíra Trek 4300 fjallahjól með diskabremsum og góðum framdempurum sem eru tilvalin hjól í miðlungs / erfiðari fjallahjólamennsku, t.d. á stígum í Heiðmörk," segir Ursula.

Aðspurð segist Ursula bjartsýn á komandi ferðasumar enda hlaut landið mikla athygli erlendis vegna Eyjafjallajökuls í fyrra. "Við skulum nú rétt vona að við fáum ekki nýtt eldgost á allra næstu vikum og mánuðum því það mundi bitna illa á fyrirtækjum í ferðaþjónustu og öllu því harðduglega fólki sem starfar í greininni."

Reykjavík Bike Tours býður ferðir með leiðsögn á reiðhjóli um Reykjavík nágrenni, t.d Heiðmörk, Gullfoss og Geysi, Vestmannaeyjar, og Bláa lónið. Ennfremur býður fyrirtækið uppá þjónustu við sérhópa, ferðaskrifstofur, skólahópa, hvataferðir fyrir fyrirtæki, steggjanir og gæsun svo eitthvað sé nefnt.

Reykjavik Bike Tours

Iceland Tourism Associaton - Hittumst 2011

2011-10-14T04:22:00.001Z

"Hittumst" 2011 - Icelandic Tourism Association Slideshow: Reykjavik’s trip to Reykjavík, Iceland was created by TripAdvisor. See another Reykjavík slideshow. Create a free slideshow with music from your travel photos.

Iceland Tourism Association - Hittumst 2011 - Natura Hotel. Ferðamálasamtök Íslands stóðu fyrir hittingi fólks úr ferðaþjónustu 11. október 2011.

Bjork at Airwaves in Reykjavik Iceland

2011-10-10T10:46:00.001Z

Bjork is Iceland’s best knows musician and for a good reason too.I’ve got great respect for her for preserving her own style of music and notselling out to some of the great record labels. If she had sold her music tothe big companies she would have lost some if not most of her artistic libertyof expression.

Bjork is probably the most famous Icelander – ever!

When I work as a tourguide I love telling people about Bjork because she is often the only personforeign visitors in Iceland know prior to their visit. For better or worse.What many people do not know is that Bjork has tried her hand in many differentstyles of music ranging from raw rock to jazz. Who would have thought?

Bjork’s jazz album Gling Glo sells steadily in spite of the factit came out perhaps 15 years ago. Bjork wasn’t all that serious about the albumat the time but it produced an unforgettable song – Oh So Quiet.

If you’re in town and want to get the best advice on what musicto buy, go to the store 12 Tonar (12 Tones) on Skolavordustigur street. Theshop is in an old corrugated iron building ( you go up some steps) which standson the left hand side of the street, about half way up, as you walk up towardsthe landmark memorial church in Reykjavik – Hallgrimskirkja – which looks likea space shuttle about to lift off.

Fantastic Northern lights last night in Reykjavik

2011-10-10T10:36:00.000Z

I was in Reykjavik last night at about 9:20 PM when the northernlights decided to appear. What a wonderful display of greens above the citylake - Tjornin. The green colour is produced as a result of a collision ofspace particles against some gases 100-200 km above ground, Oxygen in particular.

This display lasted for at least half-hour and I am sure thatmany tourists in Reykjavik did see the lights on one of the many northernlights tours offered. I was booked to to do a private norhtern lights tour for a family but someof the participants were rather young and could not stay up too late. As a result the cancelled the trip that night. Fifteen minutes later I saw the lights above Reykjavik City Hall.

Stefan Helgi Valsson

Reykjavik Bike Tours

Airwaves Music Festival Reykjavik Iceland 12-16 October 2011

2011-10-10T10:03:00.000Z

Iceland Airwaves Reykjavik Iceland 2011 starts October 12 andruns until October 16^th. The main event is sold out but there areoff-venue events also which remain free and open to everyone. Try listening tosome music in a local swimming pool! Or a hostel!

Gus Gus, YACHT, Monsters of Men and more are some of the localbands sure to rock your socks off! Personally, although mainstream, I findMonster of Men’s music most enjoyable. Singing, lyrics and music – I’m a fan.

Apart from those mentined there are about 200 other acts –Sinead O’Connor – remember her? Wonderful singer and wonderful music out ofIreland.

Expect to party with 10.000 other music fans this week inReykjavik.

Most of the events take place in the evening so there is plentyof time to see the sights. Try the Reykjavik Bike Tour with Reykjavik BikeTours every day at 10 AM, or Whale watching with Elding Whale Watcing Companyevery day (weather permitting) at 1 PM.

Winter Bike Tour in Reykjavik Iceland

2011-10-06T21:59:00.001Z

Why not bike in the snow? Dress properly and you'll enjoy the ride just as much!Click here to see a video.

French schoolgroup bicycles through Reykjavik

2011-10-06T18:33:00.000Z

French schoolgroup from Maison Familiale in La Tour d'Aigues in the south of France near Aix en Provence. They enjoyed a guided tour of Reykjavik Iceland in the French language.

Bicycle to health - Get rid of your flabby stomach

2011-08-15T15:51:00.000Z

According to a new study, just five minutes of cycling a day can keep flabby tummies at bay. Read Sun's article about Alexandra Burke experience. Getting fit is just like riding a bicycle - she says.

Bicycle to health.

Bicycle around Iceland Rondje-ijsland

2011-08-15T12:42:00.000Z

Maurice de Keijzer from the Netherlands will bicycle around Iceland 16-23 August to collect some money for KIKA - the foundation of Children with Cancer in the Netherlands.

Þórdís, Maurice's daughter age 3, died in 2009 from cancer.

If you would like to donate money to this great cause, or just to find out more about Around Iceland on a Bicycle Event - then visit www.rondje-ijsland.nl.

Iceland volcano

2011-08-15T11:28:00.000Z

A study has found that it is unlikely that the UK will see another eruption within the next 56 years like the one in volcano Eyjafjallajokull in Iceland last year.

BBC reports on a study published in the journal Geology - Another giant ash cloud 'unlikely' in our lifetimes.

Auf zwei Rädern durch Reykjavik

2011-08-13T23:59:00.000Z

"Für mich ist es immer etwas Besonders, eine Fahrradtour in meiner deutschen Muttersprache führen zu dürfen. Wenn die Gäste dann auch noch aus meiner Heimatstadt Nürnberg kommen, ist das natürlich das Tüpfelchen auf dem I", strahlt Ursula Spitzbart, Mitbegründerin von Reykjavik Bike Tours. Das junge Familienunternehmen bietet nun bereits das dritte Jahr geführte Fahrradtouren in und um Islands Landeshauptstadt an. Kurz vor dem Nürnberger Herbstvolksfestes hatte der Festwirt Peter Lössel, besser bekannt als "Gigerlas Lössel", eine private Fahrradtour gebucht. Nicht fehlen durfte bei der familienfreundlichen Fahrt auf zwei Rädern ein Stop an der bekannten Reykjaviker Würstchenbude "Bæjarins beztu", die Stadtbesten - wurde sie doch im gleichen Jahr, 1937, eröffnet wie die Imbissbude von Familie Lössel! Die "Eine mit allem" anstelle der in Nürnberg üblichen "Drei im Weckla" mundete allen Familienmitgliedern vorzüglich.

Paula (12), Peter, Ludwig (9) und Elisabeth Lössel.

"Auch die Kinder stufen deine Radtour auf der Beliebtheitsskala ganz oben ein!" resümieren die Nürnberger Islandbesucher am Ende ihres Urlaubes.

Gay Pride Reykjavik Iceland

2011-08-02T08:32:00.000Z

Gay Pride in Reykjavik takes place 4-7 August this year. It is an amazing festival enjoyed by hundreds of gay and 50.000 non-gay people.

The Gay Parade in Reykjavik takes place on Saturday and starts from the BSI long distance bus station for the first time. The reason why the parade does not start at the top of Laugavegur, Reykjavik's main shopping street, is because the procession has become too big and floats have become too many and too large for the small street.

Participants in the Gay Parade spend days, even weeks and months, preparing for the event. Dressed in colourful and often shiny and glittering outfits they dance to the music rhythm played on a mobile music system carried on several floats.

Gay Prime minister Johanna Sigurdardottir, Prime minister in Iceland since May 2009 and the first openly gay Prime minister in the world, proposed a bill for same sex marriages in Iceland. The law took effect in 2010.

Reykjavik Bike Tours

More dedicated bicycle paths in Reykjavik

2011-08-02T07:57:00.000Z

Reykjavik's major Jon Gnarr and city council promised in January 2010 to add significantly more bicycle paths in the city. Well, today - August 2011 - only 3 km have been or are about to be built. The ambitious plan was to build 20 km of dedicated bicycle paths in two years.

Aparently it is financing that is causing the delay. The money was supposed to be borrowed from the European Investment Bank.

Morgunbladid reports.

Paul and Hanna's Golden Circle bicycle tour

2011-07-30T11:49:00.000Z

Hannah and I departed for pastures blue and in Iceland we found a place uniquely beautiful and diverse. We had travelled independently as we usually do but had prebooked a few bits such as whale watching and snorkelling. One thing that caught our eye though was the opportunity to go on a cycling tour of The Golden Circle, having heard of the way people can be shepherded through the key sites a bit too quickly we wanted to see things a little more closely and with the wind between our … Well you get the picture.

Paul's blog about Reykjavik Bike Tours - Iceland biking with Reykjavik Bike Tours

Gay Iceland

2011-07-30T11:11:00.000Z

Iceland is an incredibly gay-friendly destination. The locals are relaxed and friendly and gay visitors are always given a warm welcome.

Reykjavik Gay Pride takes place 4-7 August 2011. If you are too late to book a flight to this chilled out capital, visitors can still enjoy a lavender-tinged ambience at Trúnó, the only gay café in the capital. Trúnó is a friendly, laid-back café with tiny library of queer literature, easy listening background music and lilac walls. The charming Norwegian waitress told me that the word ‘trúnó’ translates as ‘when you sit down and have a heart to heart with somebody and tell your deepest secrets...’

The fabulous nightclub, Barbara, is next door, and you can’t miss it with its bright pink walls and rainbow flags everywhere. Start the evening with a cocktail at Trúnó then party late into the next morning with Barbara.

Original article by Lucy Mallows - Gay Iceland

Lucy Mallows writes about Reykjavik Bike Tours in Iceland

2011-07-30T10:49:00.000Z

‘Follow me!’ shouted gentle giant Stefan, as he set off, pedalling along the middle of the road straight towards an oncoming car, which, with Icelandic good manners, slowed down and gave way. Our group of novice cyclists followed in slightly less cavalier fashion, through the streets of Reykjavik, Iceland’s cycle-friendly capital.

Original article by Lucy Mallows - Reykjavik: Cycling, swimming, and partying till dawn

Two types of bicyclists in Iceland

2011-07-22T23:59:00.000Z

People are different and people use bicycles for different reasons. Wade Shepard wrote an entertaining article about his experience on the matter while cycling around Iceland. He points out that while he and a fellow bicyclist share the road, they do not share the same passion for riding a bike. Wade uses the bike as a means of transport between beautiful places and real life experiences such as encounters with local people from Reykjavik Iceland and elsewhere. He runs into an avid cyclist whose mission is to ride a bike in his spandex outfit and collect sattelite co-ordinates of the journey. 100 km a day.

Source article - Two Styles of Bycycle Travel in Iceland.

Tour de Hvolsvöllur rekindled

2011-06-28T23:44:00.000Z

Tour de Hvolsvöllur bicycle race in Iceland has been rekindled after a break of several years.

Three distances are on offer 9 July 2011 - 110 km, 48 km and 14 km.

Those cycling the furthest start at 08:00.

Tour de Hvolsvöllur home page

Rent a bike in Reykjavik

2011-06-06T23:12:00.000Z

Reykjavik Bike Tours offers guided bicycle tours in and around Reykjavik: Classic Reykjavik, Coast at Midnight, Golden Circle & Bike, Westman Isles & Bike.

Bicycle tours in Reykjavik are great fun. Rent a bike and bicycle rental in Reykjavik.

Difference between Eyjafjallajokull eruption and Grimsvotn eruption for aviation

2011-05-27T23:02:00.001Z

The Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted in April 2010, causing prolonged closure of European airspace. 100,000 flights were cancelled during the volcanic ash crisis in April 2010, with over 10 million people affected. 8,200 flights were cancelled on the first day of the crisis alone.

Read the full article on TravelDailyNews.

Reykjavik Bike Tours

Volcanic eruption in Iceland seems to be over

2011-05-27T22:58:00.001Z

The Grimsvotn Lakes eruption in Vatnajokull glacier in Iceland seems to be over. Volunteers from the general public, unpaid rescue team workers, as well as the minister of tourism have joined hands to help the local people in a cleanup operation.

The eruption in Grimsvotn Lakes started Saturday, May 21, and produced more ash in only a couple of days than the infamous Eyjafjallajokull’s much longer eruption in 2010. This time, however, the ash was not as fine grained and did not spread as much as in last year‘s eruption, which is particularly good news for the aviation and tourism industries.

Iceland‘s international airport in Keflavik, 35 miles from the capital city Reykjavik, was closed one day as a safety precaution. In hindsight, it may not have been necessary to close the airport as the ash cloud did not reach it. Aviation authorities in Europe had better information this time on which to base airport closures than during last year‘s eruption. The experience gained from last year’s eruption avoided a repeat aviation chaos across Europe.

Ash is being cleaned from roads, village streets, residences, and institutions in the affected area south of the volcano.

The summer tourist season is under way and tourists have returned to the area.

First published on eTurboNews.

Reykjavik Bike Tours

Iceland eruption frightful for tour operators

2011-05-24T01:55:00.000Z

The eruption which started in Grimsvotn Lakes in Vatnajokull glacier in the southeast of Iceland about 350 km from Reykjavik on Saturday night reminds many of last year's eruption in Eyjafjallajokull.

“It’s a frightful situation for us and the tourism industry in Iceland,” said Rannveig Gretarsdottir, the CEO of Elding Whale Watching Company in Reykjavik, “We’re at the start of the tourist season, and I am afraid that the eruption will physically, or mentally, discourage foreign tourists from visiting the country. All we can hope for at this stage is that the eruption ends soon and for flights to return back to normal.”

“In our first year, we dealt with the banking crisis, in the second year, we dealt with the eruption in Eyjafjallajokull, and now, in our third year, we get to deal with another eruption,” said Ursula Spitzbart, the CEO of Reykjavik Bike Tours, “These are trying times for us in the bicycle tour business, as well as everyone else in Iceland involved in tourism.”

Last year’s eruption in Eyjafjallajokull started on March 20 and petered out in May. Visitor numbers compared to the previous year dropped by 20 percent in April and May due to cancellations and disruptions of flights. The end result for visitor numbers in 2010 was on par with 2009, which was a record year.

It is difficult to predict how long an eruption can last. The last eruption in Grimsvotn Lakes in Vatnajokull was in 2004 and lasted for a week. There have been several eruptions in Grimsvotn Lakes in the last decades, and they have all been relatively short lived. An eruption in 1873 lasted 7 months, but intensity was relatively low during that time. After a forceful start to this eruption, it started to show reduced activity on day 2 (Sunday).

This article was written by Stefan Helgi Valsson, first published on eTurboNews 23 May 2011.

Icalandair cancels flights due to volcanic eruption

2011-05-22T13:42:00.000Z

An eruption started in Grímsvötn lakes in Vatnajokull glacier yesterday evening. The eruption is on a 500-800 meter long fissure, or cauldron, according to geophysicist Magnus Tumi at the University of Iceland.

Sources quoted in the local media say this eruption is much more powerful than the infamous eruption in Eyjafjallajokull which took place from March through May last year. This said, it is likely not to cause as much trouble to aviation as the eruption in Eyjafjallajokull.

The asp plume has already risen to 20 km above sea level, 4 km higher than in the Eyjafjalljokull eruption last year. However, the ash is grainier which probably means that it won’t travel as far as the ash from Eyjafjallajokull. Latest reports say the eruption is waning.

Iceland’s international airport in Keflavik, 35 miles from Reykjavik and 200 miles away from the eruption, is closed – some say unnecessarily because there is no ash in the area yet.

The airport’s closure caused Icelandair to cancelled flights to Iceland this afternoon from Amsterdam, Paris, London, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo, Helsinki, Bergen/Stavanger. As a result flights from Iceland to Copenhagen, London, Stockholm, Oslo, Washington, Toronto, New York and Boston are cancelled.

During last year’s eruption flights were redirected to Akureyri airport in the north of Iceland and Icelandair moved its hub to Glasgow in Scotland. No decision of this kind has been made for the present eruption yet.

Everyone in Iceland is safe and there is no immediate threat to human lives.

Volcanic eruption in Iceland

2011-05-22T09:19:00.000Z

A volcanic eruption started in Iceland Saturday night 21 May 2011.

This time the eruption is in Eyjafjallajokull glacier - Europe's largest glacier.

The eruption is about 350 km away from Reykjavik and there is no sign of ash yet in the capital city of Iceland.

Flights are expected to be diverted, in fact Icelandair has cancelled all fligths to the country in the afternoon but all its planes managed to leave the country this morning with out problems.

Eyjafjallajokull eruption which started 20 March 2010 and lasted until May the same year caused great problems for avaiation.

This eruption is the largest of 23 eruptions that Omar Ragnarsson, the volcano newsreporter expert formerly at the State Television and Radio, has ever seen.

The ash plume rises 20 km in the air, 4 km higher than the ash plume from the Eyjafjallajokull eruption. This said, the ash is not as fine as in Eyjafjallajokull eruptions which means it will probably not travel as far.

The effects of the eruption is difficult to predict but it is certain that it will have immediate effect on air travel in Iceland this afternoon.

There is no danger to people, buildings or bridges at this stage.

Watch this blog.

Most bicyclists in Reykjavik Iceland use a helmet

2011-05-17T23:34:00.000Z

83 per cent of bicyclists in the Greater Reykjavik Area in Iceland use a helmet. This is the result of a recent field observation commissioned by VIS insurance company in Reykjavik.

Automatic counters were installed in seven locations in the city. A total of 1.045 cyclists passed in three days. 867 used a helmet. The results are comparable to previous field observations by the Iceland Sports Union on helmet use by bicyclists.

“We always ask our guests to use a helmet on our tours,” says Ursula Spitzbart of Reykjavik Bike Tours in Reykjavik Iceland. “If guests insist on not using a helmet they must sign a release in case of an accident”. But there are no exceptions for those 15 years and younger because according to the law they must wear a helmet. “We are strict about the use of helmets and all our guides wear a helmet to set a good example,” says Ursula.

“This said, a helmet may provide false security but at least it looks good in the pictures and it keeps our guest’s heads warm,” says Ursula smiling.

The World's Best Tour Guide?

2011-05-05T08:58:00.000Z

There are more than 100.000 professional tourist guides in the world. When I say professional tourist guides I mean tourist guides who have undertaken special training to guide visitors around a city, region or a country. They have also been accredited or authorized in some way by a local authority.

So when I came across this article, which can be accessed via the link below, I remembered a discussion I once had with a colleague tourist guide in Iceland - who got upset when I signed off in a blog...”Stefan The world's best tour guide”.

He clearly himself thought he was.

Anyway, since tourist guides often work alone and in isolation they do not have a comparison who is the best guide. Neither do the guests who regularly write amazing comments about their guide, perhaps the only guide in the country they know. As a result guides get a big head and soon start to think they are the best tourist guides in the country - perhaps even the best tour guide in the world.

This said, every tour, every tourist guide-visitor encounter is unique. Most of the time, both enjoy the encounter which of course is what it is all about. To meet a friendly local who knows the facts but also is a superb people's person, connects visitors and locals, introduces visitors to new things is the guide to seek. And if the tour involves driving - a driver-guide must above all drive safely.

Read the article in the Travel+Leisure, click here.

Here are some visitor comments about me, for which I am very greatful. Best tourist guide in Iceland?

Facts about Reykjavik Iceland as seen by Chris Leadbeater Mail Online

2011-04-22T21:59:00.000Z

Reykjavik is full of art galleries and museums. Yoko One tribute to John Lennon - the Peach Tower on Videy Island. Hallgrimskirkja. Blue lagoon - one of the most famous places in Iceland. Reykjavik Bike Tours - http://www.icelandbike.com, http://www.reykjavikbiketours.is

Should bicyle helmets be made compulsory?

2011-04-21T01:59:00.001Z

Some believe wearing a helmet is better while others refute the notion. Here is an article which gives a good overview of the situation.

Top 10 Hottest Summer Party Spots north of the equator are:

2011-03-31T07:08:00.000Z

Reykjavik in Iceland has done it again. Made it onto a list of top 10 of something. This time it has been named as one of the top 10 pleaces north of the equator to party this summer.

Reykjavik gets 24 hours of daylight for about 6 weeks in the summer so there's plenty of time to party. Reykjavik is famous for its music scene and crazy Friday and Saturday night pub crawls.

Source for this top 10 claim: eTurbonews

Winter Bike Tour in Reykjavik Iceland

2011-03-21T17:14:00.000Z

Reykjavik Bike Tours operate bicycle tours all year. There's no such thing as bad weather, only insufficient clothes!

Ok, we do cancel tours if it is too slippery or if the snow is too deep. We've once cancelled in September because of strong wind and horizontal rain as we call it over here.

We have some extra clothes on hand for those who come unprepared. Hats, gloves, raingear, socks, jackets etc.

Island - urgewaltig schön - Wasserfälle und Geysire

2011-03-20T11:08:00.000Z

Island ist das Land der Wasserfälle, Eisberge, Robben, Die Blaue Lagune, und Party in der Hauptstadt Reykjavik. Lesen Sie die Artikel: Island

Iceland in the press

2011-03-15T10:27:00.000Z

Reykjavik Bike Tours offers a city tour of the capital city of Iceland, a tour of the coast, tour along the Golden Circle which includes Geysir geothermal area, Thingvellir national park and Gullfoss waterfall. Also Westman Isles of recent (1973) volcanic activity and puffins in summer.

Loose weight while bicycling

2011-03-10T08:31:00.000Z

A recent article on Bicycling.com mentions some of the benefits of cycling. Among some of the positive effects of cycling are; weight loss, improved mood, muscle build up, less strain on your joints and ligaments than if you were running - and the best of all, while bicycling people do not feel so much that they're working out. It is all about fun.

Just spoke to a friend of mine who at the age of 50 had started collecting some extra weight. He described to me how he's lost 14 kg in 10 weeks as a result of bicycle training. Ok - he is a bit extreme since he cycles for about two hours a day on his road bike, and does weight training a couple of times a week.

We figured it out that he lost the equivalent of the weight of a Mars bar chocholate each day since January 1 this year.

Read the article on Bicycling.com

Helmets may be required for all bicyclists in Iceland

2011-03-02T22:31:00.000Z

The Dutch know how to bike and use various kinds of bicycles. It doesn't look like many of them use a helmet.

Ministry of the Interior in Iceland may in near future introduce a new law / regulation which make it compulsory for bicyclists of all ages to wear protective helmet and reflective vest.

The current regulation says all 15 years and younger must wear a helmet.

Bike ride on a winter's day in Reykjavik

2011-02-19T23:29:00.000Z

Hilmar Guðmundsson and Josef Marek enjoyed a bike ride around Reykjavik with us in February. Frozen lake Tjörnin in the background as well as Fríkirkjan church and Hallgrímskirkja church.

South Africans kayak around Iceland in March 2011

2011-02-16T02:35:00.000Z

Riaan Manser circumvented the African continent, some 37,000 km, on a bicycle 2003-2005. Now this brave South African is heading for Iceland 16 March with the intent to kayak around Iceland.

This time he's going to take his protege Dan Skinstad with him on this adventure. The duo will be accompanied by a crew of six photographers.

One of their main concerns is not to get eaten by an orca whale, same whale as starred in the Hollywood movie Free Willy. Other concerns are to meet Bjork and have to listen to her, the freezing water and temperamental volcanoes.

None of the above will stop Riaan and Skinstad from setting off on their journey around Iceland in a Kayak.

Riaan's partner Dan was born prematurely and suffers from a mild form of cerebral palsy.

Riaan and Dan - if you read this post, please contact us at Reykjavik Bike Tours. We'd love to meet you and show you our city from the saddle of a bike.

Source of this post is an article posted by Dan Nicholl on Sport iafrica.com 15 February 2011, click here to read it.

More about Riaan Manser and his adventures.

Cyclist Victoria Pendleton - I'd like big boobs but they'd slow me down

2011-02-08T01:04:00.000Z

Olympic gold medalist Victoria Pendleton spills her beans about how to have a healthy lifestyle in an article in the Sun Health 3 February 2011. Victoria's Fitness Secrets.

Rick Steves on Iceland

2011-01-28T23:04:00.000Z

Rick Steves interviewed writer Bill Holm about Bill's experience of Iceland. Bill speaks passionately about Iceland and Rick Steves shows his skills as an interviewer.

Listen to Rick Steve's podcast on Iceland.

There's two kinds of tourism in Iceland, Bill says; - the quick - the party in Reykjavik on the one hand, and then the - slow - countryside on the other.

You cannot say you've seen the USA if you've only be to New York!

Great wisdom.

Iceland is Ian McCarthey's favorite place to bicycle

2011-01-21T10:59:00.000Z

Ian McCartney a former geography teacher has cycled hundreds of thousands of miles in his life and thinks Iceland is the best of all places he ever visited.

Read the article in the Southern Reporter: Two Wheels Better.

NY Times says Iceland is one of the best places to visit

2011-01-09T01:52:00.000Z

Iceland features in 4th place on a list of 41 places to visit in 2011 compiled by the NY Times. Journalist Sally McGrane wrote:

Where a country’s hardships are a visitor’s gain.

Iceland’s economic crash has had an upside, at least for tourists. After the devaluation of the krona that followed the country’s 2008 financial crisis, the breathtakingly beautiful island is a lot more affordable, meaning that a hotel room that was $200 before the crash might cost $130 now.
While traditionally a must-see for nature tourists — who come for thermal springs, glaciers, volcanic landscapes and the Northern Lights — Iceland is stepping up the cultural offerings with Reykjavik’s new Harpa-Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Centre, a symphony and opera house whose stunning glass facade was designed in collaboration with the Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson. Opening ceremonies begin in May, with performances by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Icelandic Opera and local rock bands. Another draw is the third annual DesignMarch (in March), a festival that showcases Icelandic design, from clothing and textiles to furniture. And the Iceland Airwaves music festival, every October, is perennially cool.

Source, NY Times.

First person to bicycle around the world 1884

2011-01-04T19:49:00.000Z

Today, 4 January 2010, it is 124 years since Thomas Stevens from England set out on his tour around the world on a bicycle. He used a penny farthing bicycle for the journey. He packed a 38 Smith and Wesson hand gun just in case which would no doubt be useful in some countries today.

The first part of his world journey took him from San Francisco to Boston and became the first person to cross the US. From Boston he travelled to Liverpool, then south Europe to Iran. Then he travelled to the Middle-East and India and Asia.

For more information about his trip, see the Thomas Stevens first to bicycle around the world website.

How to not get hit by cars when on a bicycle

2010-12-25T22:53:00.000Z

Bicycle safe. com offers some great advise to bicyclists on how to not get hit by cars. Anyone who bicycles should read this advice.

Top 10 places to spend your 2010 Christmas: Iceland in top place

2010-12-10T17:09:00.000Z

According to CNN the best place to visit for Christmas this year is Reykjavik in Iceland, Nuremberg in Germany in second and Pogost in Belarus third.

The reason why CNN chose Reykjavik is because there are 13 Santa's in Iceland's local folklore . Actually, there isn't a single Santa in the local folklore until Coca Cola came to Iceland during the WWII. The 13 Jólasveinar or Yule lads have belonged to the local folklore for a few centuries and are vastly different in character from the man with the white beard in the red velvet suit.

Another reason why CNN chose Reykjavik is because in Hafnarfjörður, a neighbouring town, offers elf tours. Actually, the town does not offer elf tours as such but Sigurbjörg Karlsdóttir does. She was my student at the Iceland Tourist Guide School.

In spite of these not so serious shortcomings in factual correctness I am delighted that CNN chose Reykjavik to be in first place on the list.

Reykjavik Bike Tours offers guided bicycle tours in Reykjavik throughout the holiday season - and other guided tours by car or van upon request.

Read the article on CNNGO.com.

World Champions in Bike Polo 2010

2010-12-10T09:06:00.000Z

Discovered today something called bike polo. Never knew it existed before but according to Wikipedia the first game ever was played Ireland in 1891!

Following my research online I belive the current world champions are from Milwaukee in the USA who won the title at the Bike Polo World Chamionships in Berlin in August 2010. About 100 teams showed up for the event.

If you're interested in bike polo I suggest you check out these links:

Facebook - League of Polo
Hard court bike polo - media coverage
You tube videos from the World Championships in Bike Polo in Berlin 2010.

Iceland northern lights

2010-12-02T23:34:00.000Z

Northern lights are present above Iceland nine days out of ten. Sound too good to be true? Well, technically it is correct but there are several factors to consider.

Darkness – it must be dark. In summer it is 24 hour daylight in Iceland.
Cloud cover – it must be clear to be able to see the northern lights since they exist far above the clouds.
Solar activity – there must be solar activity for particles to be ejected towards the Earth.
Solar cycle – the activity of the Sun performs in 11 year cycles. In 2010 a new cycle has just begun.
Magnetic field – the right magnetic conditions must prevail around the poles.
City lights – can be a problem if the northern lights are faint. Best is to drive away from the city to a dark secluded spot, wait and watch.
Moon – can also be a problem, especially when it is full, because it can be quite bright and it may overpower the light from the northern lights.
Timing – as mentioned before, the northern lights are elusive. One day they may occur for a minute, or dance in the sky for hours. I’ve been giving northern lights tours for decades and always enjoy the last one just as much as the first one.

I’ve been giving northern lights tours for decades and always enjoy the last one just as much as the first one.

Golden Circle Bicycle Tour and Northern Lights

2010-11-29T00:00:00.000Z

Fancy a full day of activities in Reykjavik Iceland in November? How about visiting Geysir geothermal area, Gullfoss waterfall and Þingvellir - Parliament plains national park. Then jump on a bicycle in Reykjavik, learn a bit about the history of the city, get some excercise, watch the sun go down at four in the afternoon. Shop for two hours, go for an early dinner at one of Reykjavik's excellent restaurants, search for the northern lights, and go for a drink. Impossible? No it isn't. Visit our website - http://www.reykjavikbiketours.is/

Picture slide show from Reykjavik Bike Tours

2010-11-28T23:46:00.000Z

Reykjavik Bike Tours offers schduled day tours, private tours, incentive group tours, school group tours. Tours are: Classic Reykjavik; Coast of Reykjavik; Golden Circle and Westman Isles. Have a look at a slide show with pictures from some of our tours.

Reykjavik Bike Tours - slideshow

Safer biking when taking control of the lane

2010-11-25T02:00:00.000Z

A brillant animation from the Commute Orlando website shows clearly how a bicyclist can stay out of harms way when bicycling closer to the middle of the road instead of too close to the curb. Watch and learn...Click here.

When is it too cold to bicycle in Reykjavik?

2010-11-19T18:01:00.000Z

Cold is a relative term. Reykjavik for instance is warmer in winter than New York, Spitsbergen and Kululsuk but is colder than Barcelona and Cape Town. The secret to a comfortable ride in Reykjavik‘s capital in winter is to don the right attire for the occasion.

Today, for example, it is 8 degrees Celsius and hardly any wind which for the locals means it is a nice day for biking.

Last December Reykjavik Bike Tours took guest out on a bicycle tour fifteen times including Christmas Day and New Year‘s Eve. Ok, I admit, some days we had frost but I was never cold since everyone wore enough warm clothes.

Best place to see Northern lights

2010-11-19T09:18:00.000Z

Northern lights are best viewed from Iceland, Canada, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Alaska, Scotland and Greenland. Iceland is surely one of the most accessible places to view the elusive northern lights since it only takes 2.5 hrs to fly from Scotland, 3 hours from London, 3.5 hours from Frankfurt and 5.5 hours from New York.

On a clear night in winter you may experience the northern lights as soon as you‘re out of the terminal building.

Best time to view the northern lights is around midnight and the best place to view the northern lights is anywhere away from the city lights in Reykjavik.

Northern lights cannot be seen every night due to cloud cover, unfavourable magnetic field conditions or solar activity. But man! When you do see the northern lights it is all worth it.

Reykjavik Bike Tours offers private northern light tours when in season. Please enquire.

Reykjavik, Iceland: More pople use bicycles as mode of transport

2010-11-11T00:02:00.000Z

People‘s travel behaviour has chanced since the eonomic collapse in 2008 according to results reflected in a report made for the Ministry of transport. Less people use a private car and proportionally more walk or use a bicycle.

According to the report the current traffic is level with traffic statistics in 2006, two years before the economic collapse.

Today more people are sympathetic to improved public transport, paths for pedestrians and cyclists instead of adding more roads to the road transport system.

Source: mbl.is

Best way to see Reykjavik is by bicycle

2010-10-10T17:38:00.000Z

Expert employees from Bavaria in Germany enjoyed a bicycle tour with Reykjavik Bike Tours this morning. The weather was unusually good for October, about 12 degrees, sunny and no wind!

Ursula Spitzbart, originally from Nuernberg in Germany, led the group into the city centre to all the most historically important places and then through the University of Iceland campus before arriving at Nautholl restaurant.

After a bowl of soup, some sweets and coffee - Ursula led her group back into the city centre along the foothills of Öskjuhlíð hill on which Perlan building - the Pearl - stands, then along Tjörnin - the city lake - on the way to Elding Whale Watching Company.

The group photograph was taken on the steps of the University of Iceland. Click on the image to see larger photo.

Reykjavik Bike Tours

Iceland Airwaves 2010

2010-10-03T20:30:00.000Z

Get tickets for Airwaves now! You might loose out if you do not act quickly. A documentary film made by Bowen Staines and Gunnar B. Gudbjornsson called Where is the Snow?, showcases last year‘s Airwaves festival through live performances and interviews. Surely, you know Agent Fresco and Retro Stefson? Not exactly Bjork-style.

Of course the locals think Icelandic music is the best in the world like everything else coming from Iceland...

Vestnorden Travel Mart

2010-09-24T23:52:00.001Z

Nearly 100 buyers and 300 sellers attended Vestnorden Travel Mart in Akureyri Iceland 15-17 September 2010. Stefan Helgi Valsson of Reykjavik Bike Tours posted a few photographs on the net.

Click here to see photographs from Vestnorden Travel Mart 2010.

Participants included amongst others Reykjavik Bike Tours, Elding Whale Watching, Ice-Explorer glacier bus, Icelandair, Air Iceland, Greenland, Vatnajokull National Park, Glacier guides, Icelandic Mountain Guides, Super Jeeps, helicopter, adventure, bicycle, Panoramic, Iceland Travel, Agency, Tour Operator, Atlantik, Locatify guide system and more.

Reykjavik Bike Tours - A Life Changing Moment

2010-09-24T23:21:00.000Z

“You probably don't always get a chance to hear about the long-lasting effects of your bike tour company and how much of an impact it makes on people. Like I said, the bike tour was our very first activity in Reykjavik, and it really set the tone for our whole trip.

We met interesting people, got an understanding of the culture and people, and became comfortable with the layout and navigation of your city - all while doing one of my very favourite things to do! (I am an avid cyclist).

A year later, when I looked back on my time in Reykjavik, what I saw and experienced in the city by bike is easily what stands out the most.

I may not have returned to Iceland to study for a year if we had not taken the risk and done it!

Thank you.”

(signed) Becky Yates, Minnesota USA

Mountain bike trail in Iceland

2010-09-04T00:19:00.000Z

The first mountain bike trail in Iceland is to be inaugurated Saturday 4 September at 10 AM. The trail is in Kjarnaskogur forest, near to Akureyri. The route is about 12 km.

Ingi Gunnar Johannsson points out destruction and danger at Geysir Geothermal Area

2010-08-20T01:45:00.000Z

Kastljós (Spotlight) a news-related talk show on Iceland’s State television channel interviewed tourist guide Ingi Gunnar Johannsson in Thursday's programme.

Tourist guide Ingi Gunnar highlighted the importance of the area by comparing it to the fish product of Iceland. "Geysir geothermal is for the tourism industry what fish is for the fishing industry," said Ingi Gunnar.

Shocked by the condition of the area he said. "This natural wonder is like a painting made by Kjarval, Iceland's foremost classic painter, and it is being destroyed by visitors."

A two-year old girl fell into Blesi spring two weeks ago. A quarter of her body burnt but fortunately her legs and most importantly, her face, did not hit the water.

Tourist guides have for a long time ranted about the area. Personally, I am ashamed to bring visitors there because the geothermal formations are damaged by people's feet. It is broken up instead of being illustrious.

Watch Kastljós video 19 August 2010, click here.

Ursula and Anna in Thursday's Frettabladid newspaper

2010-08-20T01:31:00.000Z

Ursula and Anna are on a picture published by Frettabladid newspaper today 19 August 2010. The article is about cycling and the picture shows Ursula and Anna bicycle together. Anna is on her red bike with support wheels. Click here to see the picture and article which is in Icelandic. It is called Kynning á tilraunaverkefni.

Reykjavik collective bicycle ride on Culture Night

2010-08-20T01:07:00.000Z

"We'd like to bring attention to bicycling as an attractive option both for the environment as well as the pocket. And it is good for the spirit and mind as it releases a sence of freedom and happiness," says Morten Lange in an interview in Frettabladid Thursday.

Thora Bryndis Thorisdottir was the mastermind behind a collective bicycle ride through part of Reykjavik for the purpose of bringing attention to cycling and cyclists.

The ride starts behind Kjarvalstadir Art Gallery on Klambratun and heads towards the centre of town. Those who dare must take off their shirts and write slogans such as "green is good," etc.

New bicycle path in Reykjavik not a good idea

2010-08-18T23:25:00.000Z

Shopkeepers including a bicycle rental shop along Hverfisgata Street describe their dissatisfaction in the video clip below. They complain about losing parking spaces for their customers.

Friday this week the idea is to designate a part of Hverfisgata Street in Reykjavik as a bicycle path. The path is underway and has been painted green. Saturday there is Reykjavik Marathon and Culture Night – both sure to attract crowds in town. Hverfisgata is parallel to Laugavegur street, Reykjavik‘s main shopping street.

One argument against the bicycle path is that it is on the shadow side of the street – it would have made more sense to build it on the sunny side.

Shopkeepers and residents got less than five days notice of the temporary change which authorities say will last one month.

See the green path along Hverfisgata Street, click here.

Bobby Fisher not the father of the girl

2010-08-17T22:33:00.001Z

DNA - retrieved from the exhumed body of Bobby Fisher, proves that he is not the father of alledged daughter.

Bobby Fisher fell into disfavour with the US government for playing chess in the former Yugoslavia while the country was being boycotted. He was apprehended at an airport in Japan and imprisoned on the grounds that his visa was about to expire.

Sæmundur Pálsson, or simply "Saemi rock" who was Bobby Fisher's personal body guard during the world championships against reigning world champion Boris Spassky in Iceland in 1972 - single handed got him out of prison, with necessary help of Iceland's prime minister Davíð Oddsson, who granted Bobby Fisher citizenship without the usual 5-year application process.

Mit dem Fahrrad mobil – von Anfang an

2010-08-17T22:07:00.001Z

Das Reykjavik Bike Tours-Team bekam Verstärkung! Kaum auf der Welt, ist Andri David (8 Wochen) schon mit dem Fahrrad unterwegs. Während Mama Ursula radelt, genießt der kleine Mann im Fahrradanhänger den Ausflug auf seine Art. Auch die große Schwester Anna Karlotta (4 Jahre) ist begeistert von dieser Art der Fortbewegung.

Von der Familie für Familien: bei Reykjavik Bike Tours sind Kinder jeden Alters willkommen – vom Baby über das Kleinkind bis zum Teenager. Ausgerüstet mit Fahrrädern und Fahrradhelmen in verschiedenen Größen, Fahrradsitz und Fahrradanhänger zeigen wir gerne auch Familien mit kleinen Kindern Islands Landeshauptstadt.

Bicycle path instead of parking spaces

2010-08-17T21:43:00.000Z

Parking spaces will temporarily make way for a bicycle path along Hverfisgata street in Reykjavik on Friday.

The experiment will last one month and the idea is to promote bicycling in Reykjavik.

Some residents were not notified that parking along the street would no longer be available. They‘re told that they can use a parking garage for ISK 4,000 per month (GB 20, US$ 32, EUR 25). Residents complain as they have to walk much further carrying groceries and tools etc. Source; mbl.is, visir.is.

Bicycle around Iceland to raise funds for children with cancer

2010-08-17T21:37:00.000Z

The Njardvik Lion's club in Iceland wants to raise funds for children with cancer. Members of the club are cycling around Iceland right now, according to the State news agency. Today, they were in Akureyri in the north, and tomorrow in Skagafjordur valley.

Reykjavik Marathon 2010 record attendance

2010-08-17T18:36:00.000Z

Runners from 43 countries have signed up for the Reykjavik Marathon. Nearly 1.200 runners have signed up which is 10 percent increase over last year which saw record attendance.

Runners can choose from six different distances; whole marathon; half-marathon; relay; 10 k run; 3 k fun run; and Lazy Town run for the smallest children.

Most foreigners who have registered for the Reykjavik Marathon 2010 come from the USA, Germany, Canada and Great Britain.

Reykjavik Bike Tours in Dutch De Telegraph

2010-08-17T00:44:00.000Z

Toch is die zon verraderlijk, vertelt Stefan Helgi Valsson van Reykjavik Bike Tours, als we bij Austurvöllur, een klein plein in het centrum, een zwerver zien zitten op een bankje in de zon. ,,De zwervers kunnen gemakkelijk sterven van de kou, zelfs in de zomer. Ook toeristen die de natuur ingaan worden vaak door de kou overvallen. Source: De Telegraf - Reiskrant

Golden circle for a million

2010-08-16T23:22:00.000Z

The Golden Circle tour is the most popular day tour in Iceland visited by about 500.000 people annually.

Today, we learnt about a new way of sightseeing Geysir geothermal area and Golden waterfall – Gullfoss. Twenty minutes in a helicopter will give you a bird‘s eye view of Geysir geothermal area; Geysir; Strokkur and Blesi springs, and Gullfoss waterfall which is Iceland‘s most famous waterfall. And the price is ISK 39,000. Hypothetically 8 hours would then cost close to one million ISK, 936,000 to be precise.

Anyone interested in a helicopter flight over Geysir geothermal area and Golden waterfall - Gullfoss, check out helicopter.is

Reykjavik Marathon 2010

2010-08-15T11:32:00.000Z

The 27th Reykjavik Marathon takes place Saturday 21 August in Iceland's capital city.

Over 700 participants from abroad have already signed up and couple of thousand from Iceland. Needless to say, some people were reluctant to sign up in May and June due to the volcanic eruption in Eyjafjallajokull volcano. The volcano's name proved difficult for foreign news media professionals to pronounce. Some took a shortcut and just called it “The volcano”.

The inhabitants of Reykjavik and the whole of Iceland are very excited about the Reykjavik Marathon and Culture night which takes place on the evening of the Reykjavik Marathon. It is just perfect to run a marathon in the morning, rest, and enjoy free museums, music and fireworks in the evening.

Reykjavik Bike Tours departs at 10 AM as usual from Reykjavik‘s Old Harbour, next to Elding Whale Watching company, but there will be no scheduled evening departure. Private tours in Iceland are available HERE upon request.

ETOA produces its own ID badges for Europe and tourist guides are not happy

2010-08-06T01:25:00.000Z

The Federation of European Tourist Guide Associations (FEG) is outraged over European Tour Operator Association’s (ETOA) decision to produce its own pan-European ID-badge for anyone who guides tourists — seemingly to circumvent the need for area-specific professional qualification - by using the non-existing term "tour guide" for these persons. Source, click here.

Reykjavik Bike Tours goes to Vestnorden Travel Fair

2010-08-05T02:04:00.001Z

Reykjavik Bike Tours will be present for the first time at the Vestnorden Travel Fair in 2010.

As a new company at the fair, it is bound to attract great interest. Bicycle travel is getting more and more popular in Iceland with hundreds bicycling around the country every summer.

Reykjavik Bike Tour's city tours by bicycle have been very well received by visitors in town. Read guest's reviews on Trip Advisor.

Bombay Bicycle Club comes to Iceland

2010-08-05T01:21:00.000Z

Bombay bicycle club indie teen rock band is on its way to Iceland to perform at Iceland Airwaves. Members of the band, please contact us to join a free bicycle tour of Reykjavik. Read more here.

SEED volunteers propose a 10 km bicycle route in the south of Iceland

2010-08-03T00:02:00.000Z

A group of seven volunteers belonging to SEEDS and Bicycle competency is going to be bicycling in the south of Iceland. They'll be spending some days in Hveragerði, Þorlákshöfn and Eyrarbakki to speak to sport- and leisure representatives in the area regarding setting up a 10 km bicycle route in the area.

While the group stays in town the locals can bring their bikes for repairs.

Whales in Iceland

2010-07-31T23:25:00.000Z

Whales are best viewed alive – except when the bones are from the 7th century.
Whale skeleton of a large whale was found 20 metres above sea level on the north coast of Iceland. The bones were used in a whale-bone dwelling, with ribs supporting the walls and jawbones forming a doorway.
Source: The Independent.

Miss Iceland visits Winnipeg Canada

2010-07-29T21:20:00.000Z

Miss Iceland is in Winnepeg today, according to the Winnepeg Free Press. Guðrún Dögg Rúnarsdóttir - "Guorun Dogg Runarsdottir (pronounced Goothroon Duk Roonarsdoe-tyr)" is visiting Winnipeg for the day before heading up to Gimli to be a part of the 121st Gimli Icelandic Festival, where she will act as parade marshal.

The annual festival runs from July 30 to August 2.

French family bicycles around Iceland on a tandem bike with trailer

2010-07-28T10:06:00.000Z

How does a family trip around Iceland on a 100 kg tandem bike with a trailer sound? This is what Damien Artero from France, his fiancé Delphine Million photographers and filmmakers and their eight-month old daughter Lirio are doing right now.

They started their journey around Iceland in Seydisfjordur which is the place where Norraena (Norræna) ferry arrives from the Faroe Islands, Norway and Denmark.
Next, they’ll travel across the Kjolur highland route to Akureyri.

What a way to spend six weeks in Iceland.

They’ve been here for two weeks and will stay for another month.

Interviewed by Iceland Review – they said that travelling around Iceland was far from being the hardest country to cycle in. Bolivia and the Himalayas were the hardest.

Rick Steves spills his beans over the benefits of bicycle tours in Europe

2010-07-20T01:24:00.000Z

Some travelers are surprised when I tell them to consider biking in Europe. I explain that it's not only a cheap way to travel, but it gets you close to the ground and close to the people. Whether you rent a bicycle for a day in a bike-friendly city like Copenhagen, or decide to pedal across France for a month, you'll experience a more local side of Europe that many travelers rarely see.
Source: eTurboNews

Gay Pride Reykjavik Iceland centre is open

2010-07-20T00:54:00.001Z

The Pride service center opended Saturday 17th of July at the bookstore Ida in Laekjargata-street down town Reykjavik. The centre is open every day 11 AM to 8 PM.

Gay Pride Reykjavik 2010 programme / program

Friðrik Ómar - one of Iceland's Eurovision stars - sings the theme song of Gay Pride Reykjavik Iceland 2010. To listen to it in Icelandic, click Friðrik Ómar, and enjoy. The chorus is:

Ég er dáinn úr ást.
Finndu hjartað hamast stöðugt í brjósti mér.
Ég er dáinn úr ást.
Er það eins hjá þér?
Um alla storð
ég ber á borð þetta þriggja stafa orð.
Ég er dáinn úr ást.
Heltekinn af þér.

I've died of love.
Feel my pounding steady heart beat.
I've died of love.
Do you feel the same way?
Around the world
Say to all
This tree letter word
I died of love.
Posessed by you.

Gay pride Reykjavik Iceland 5-8 August 2010

2010-07-20T00:45:00.000Z

Gay Pride in Reykjavik Iceland is getting closer. Páll Óskar Hjálmtýsson - Paul Oscar - and Haffi Haff made a warm up with a joint performance over the week-end. This fabulous event that takes place once a year is expected to draw a crowd of about 80.000 this year.

Gay Pride Reykjavik Iceland starts 5 August and lasts until 8 August 2010.

Here is a sample of what goes on during the parade.

Amazing stunts on a carbon road bicycle

2010-07-20T00:42:00.000Z

As if bicycle stunts like those seen in this video are not difficult enough to do on a specialized bike - think again. This dude rides where ever he wants on his road bike. I'd love to see this kind of stunts done in Reykjavik Iceland.

Matthew Cull's 47 day cycling trip around Iceland

2010-07-18T03:16:00.000Z

My journey around Iceland by bicycle continued south along the east coast. At first it was fjords, those familiar channels of blue, or grey, below towering cliff bands and dotted with lonesome farms raising sheep from tundra.

This is how Matthew Cull describes his experience of bicycling in Iceland.

Danny MacAskill makes amazing tricks on a bike

2010-07-18T03:07:00.000Z

A video shot in Edinborough Scotland of some amazing tricks on a bike. Song is called Funeral by Band of Horses.

Pokemon - Bicycle theme

2010-07-18T02:59:00.000Z

Pokemon bicycle theme - instrumental.

Pink Floyd - I've got a bike you can ride it if you like

2010-07-18T02:57:00.000Z

I've got a bike and you can ride it if you like.

Grave Architects. First love of my life - a bike

2010-07-18T02:54:00.000Z

I knew that to learn to ride a bike it was for life.

Sweet Joyce Ann - Bicycle song

2010-07-18T02:51:00.000Z

Grease up the chain - it is a little bit rusty. Wipe off the seat - it is a little bit dusty.

Having so much fun riding on my bicycle

2010-07-18T02:49:00.000Z

Riding along on my bicycle - I am having so much fun.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Bicycle song

2010-07-18T02:46:00.000Z

How can I forget to mention bicycle? A bicycle is a good invention.

I want to ride my bicycle by Queen

2010-07-16T00:08:00.001Z

Best song ever? I certainly want to ride my bike where I like!

Gay Pride Reykjavik Iceland – same sex marriage

2010-07-15T23:50:00.000Z

Same-sex marriage is legal in Iceland. The bill was accepted by the Alþingi (Icelandic Parliament) 11 June 2010 and came into effect 27 June 2010. Iceland is the ninth country in the world to publicly allow same-sex marriages.

Iceland's Prime Minister, Ms Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir who is the world's first openly gay PM in the world, got married to her long time companion 27 June.

In August the greatest party in Reykjavik takes place. Some 80.000 people are expected at the Gay Pride Parade on Laugavegur street.

The popularity of the event has grown tremendously since its inception – from 1.500 to 80.000 expected in 2010.

The party starts Thursday 5 August and lasts until Sunday 8 August.

Elding Whale Watching offers a Queer Cruise Friday 6 August at 21:30. Admission is ISK 1.500. Look for the Elding Whale Watching ticket booth next to Reykjavik Bike Tours, down by the Old Harbour.

Ali Fedotowsky & Kirk DeWindt's One-on-One Date in Reykjavik Iceland

2010-07-15T02:11:00.000Z

Bachelorette Ali dates Kirk in Reykjavik Iceland. Look at some great footage of Reykjavik's landmark church Hallgrímskirkja Memorial Church, local café, sweater shop, and streets with houses clad with corrugated iron. See glimpses of Reykjavik while Ali and Kirk explore the relationship.

Gay Pride comes to Reykjavik 5-8 August 2010

2010-07-15T00:21:00.000Z

Reykjavik Gay Pride takes place 5-8 August 2010. As usual the city will come alive with a cacophony of colours and party feeling. This year, 70-80.000 people are expected to show up for the Gay Pride Parade along Reykjavik’s main shopping street Laugavegur Saturday afternoon at 14:00.

The gay community in Iceland organises Gay Pride for the twelfth time this year. Only 1.500 people watched the floats in the first year. Since then the event has become firmly established as a fun event not only for the gay community but for everyone wanting to have fun in Iceland.

The celebrations start Thursday 5 August 2010 and continue through to Sunday 8 August in the evening.

It is an absolute must to join the Queer Cruise Friday 6 August at 21:30. Cost ISK 1.500. The cruise is operated by the Elding Whale Watching Company — located next to Reykjavik Bike Tours down by the Old Harbour.

Yohanna Iceland's Eurovision star and runner upp in ESC 2009 sings about bicycles

2010-07-12T12:57:00.000Z

Yohanna took 2nd place at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2009. In this video she sings about white bicycles. Reykjavik bike tours uses black Trek 2.0 bicycles ;-).

Clearly, it it is much better to ride a bicycle three blocks than use the car. If you like Johanna's (Yohanna's) voice, go to youtube.com and search for her name.

Community experiment reveals benefit of bicycles

2010-06-20T23:57:00.000Z

Gísli Marteinn Baldursson, the Reykjavik city council member and chief advocate of bicycling in Reykjavik, did an interesting experiment on his street Melhagi in Reykjavik recently. He got 70 people to park their 60 cars on the street and stand in a group in front of the cars. This experiment really shows how much space the private car actually needs. He then symbolically brought a municipal bus, making the point that all 70 people would fit into the bus, and finally - there is a picture of all 70 people and their bicycles. See Reykjavik Bicycles video:

Safe biking in Iceland

2010-06-10T09:45:00.000Z

Iceland is perfect for cycling in all kinds of terrain and weather conditions. Although Reykjavik Bike Tours do not as of yet offer long-distance tours, we do appreciate the greatness of such travel. One day, we hope, there will be a safe bicycle path around Iceland. But in the meantime safetravel.is is a website that gives you advice on how to survive on Iceland's roads.

Reykjavik Bike Tours founding member of Health Tourism Association

2010-02-08T00:59:00.000Z

Stefan, Reykjavik Bike Tours's guide, assists Iceland's Minister of Tourism Ms Katrin Juliusdottir fitting her helmet moments before embarking on a guided tour along the South coast of Reykjavik's peninsula.

Reykjavik Bike Tours joined the new Health Tourism Association established on 28 January 2010. The purpose of the association is to serve as a common platform for all tourism companies that offer health-related products such as the Blue lagoon and Reykjavik Bike Tours!

Bicycling in Iceland brings human-scale sense of time, distance and geography to visitors

2009-10-31T09:16:00.000Z

“During the summer, a friend and I spent a month traveling around Iceland by bicycle, camping all over the country,” she said. “Biking was a great way to experience the land—it really helped me to gain a human-scale sense of time and distance and geography,” says Fulbright exchange student Elizabeth Tubergen who stays in Iceland from July 2009 to July 2010. Source.

Fight for the respect of bicycling as a mode of transport

2009-10-31T09:07:00.000Z

"Cycling still doesn't command full respect as a mode of transport," says Árni who is a member of a group that meets last Saturday every month at Lækjartorg Square in Reykjavik Iceland. Source

Travel in Reykjavik by bike and bring the city in focus

2009-10-19T09:45:00.000Z

"Getting around on a bike allows you to see more sights in less time, and to see them in a connected way, so the city as a whole comes into focus: its between-the-lines life, its pulse, its people and places." We - at Icelandbike couldn't agree more! Source.

Autumn bicycle ride through Reykjavik

2009-10-12T22:36:00.000Z

Reykjavik's Roman Catholic Cathedral

Ursula brings the place to life!

Landakot Roman Catholic School

Ursula welcomes a question from a guest

Are there elves or so-called hidden people in Iceland?

Ursula shows the guests one of the places where the hidden people live

Knock, knock...

Ingolf's square - dedicated to the memory of the first official settler in Reykjavik and Iceland.

Ursula explains how and why Reykjavik became the capital city of Iceland

Reykjavik's oldest house in the background, dates back to 1762

Ursula explains the origin of the capital's name and why Ingolf chose Reykjavik as is home. Christina Spittler in center

Ursula points out the hub of Reykjavik

Iceland's first train ever was used to transport rocks from a quarry to the harbor early in the 20th century

Ursula, the food technologist, tells a story about Iceland's most popular food, the hot dog

Reykjavik's Cathedral and Parliament (Alþingi). Ursula tells about the pots and pans revolution that took place in January 2009.

Statue of Jón Sigurðsson, Iceland's leader for the drive for independence from Denmark

University of Iceland was founded in 1911.

The main building dates back to 1940 and was designed by the State architect at the time, Guðjón Samúelsson

The three white columns above the door symbolise the first three faculties at the university; medicine, theology and law

Revolutions and Rainbows

2009-10-05T18:00:00.000Z

We met Stefan and Ursula of the ‘Free’ Reykjavik Bike Tour in the city centre, who we had been in touch with via e-mail beforehand. They just started the business several months ago, and rely on tips to make money from the venture, which they report has been extremely popular. More.