Touring the countryside

My favorite part of bicycle touring was the lack of traffic, especially on the island. It was really nice to have my headphones in, follow the route and enjoy the sea view. I wasn’t concerned about cars, especially on the gravel paths that were further away from the main road. It was so peaceful and it felt a lot more relaxed than biking in Copenhagen. I also got to enjoy the nature around me a lot more, such as the wildflowers and wheat fields I saw. I really liked going down the hills, and feeling the sun and wind on me.

One thing that surprised me the most about bicycle touring was how nice the cars were. This was less true in Svenborg and on the way to Odense, but in Aerø islands, every car that passed me slowed down. The drivers also gave me plenty of space and many of them smiled at me. I think the signage was also easy to follow, which made the bike tour experience more enjoyable.

For lessons to take back to the states, I would encourage more paths that are pedestrian and bike only. The only longer bike ride I’ve done in Oregon is to the end of Fern Ridge Path and back. I really enjoyed that ride, especially with the wetlands near it. If there were more routes like this that I knew of near Eugene I would go on them a lot. I’ve biked up Fox Hollow before and that was really intimidating when cars passed me, because there’s so many corners, cars speeding and the bike lane isn’t wide enough. I would love to see more protected bike lanes on longer bike tour routes and more paths that are completely closed off to cars (such as the gravel ones on the island).

I didn’t end up going on the train to Odense, as I just biked the last part. But for me, the rail path from Korinth was so nice. Even though it was narrow, I didn’t feel unsafe. It was flat, quiet, didn’t have cars and was near a lot of nature. I think all of these aspects made it a safe route for tourists and for recreation. The rail path from Korinth or the island route was probably my favorite bike ride we’ve experienced on this whole trip. The past four days have also made me excited to do more bike touring when I get home, as the miles always intimidated me before. After doing 100 miles over the past four days, I feel a lot more confident as a distance biker.