Stay Warm Dress Appropriately
Tips on what to wear in any season in Iceland:
Daytrip Summer
In general: Summer biking is similar to Autumn riding in many countries.
If you have biking clothes, great! If not: dress as you were going hiking. Appropriate clothing makes the trip more enjoyable. Check out the photo gallery to get a feel of what our guides and riders wear. An average summer day in Iceland is 8°C (46F) to 18°C (65F). Weather changes fast and you can get sunshine, rain and wind in the same 15 minutes.
- Shoes: The terrain is rugged, best to wear shoes with good sturdy sole. Plastic road biking shoes are not great for Icelandic terrain if you need to hike.
- Pants: Depending on the temperature of the day: Our guides usually stick to bike shorts and kneepads. Other combos that work are: Long johns and bike shorts or breathable pants.
- Shorts and legwarmers.
- Top: Thermal or synthetic baselayer, water/windproof jacket. Sometimes, but rarely a T-shirt is enough. We recommend bringing a small backpack to store extra layers of clothing.
In general: Layers, breathable clothes, water/windproof jacket. (Gore-Tex or similar) . Thin gloves are nice to have. Padded underwear / bikeshorts nice but not a must. In any case: No jeans. No cotton. The reason: cotton is in general heavier than competitive synthetic fabrics. Because it absorbs very much moisture it gets heavy when wet.
Local weather forecast: https://en.vedur.is/weather/forecasts/areas/faxafloi/#station=1
Daytrip Winter
- An average winter day in Iceland can be -5°C (23F) to 8°C (46F) – find your daily forecast here: https://en.vedur.is/weather/forecasts/areas/faxafloi/#station=1
- Appropriate clothing makes the trip more enjoyable.
- Shoes: The terrain is rugged and can be icy, you want to wear shoes with good sturdy sole. Over the ankle, no sneakers or sandals. Warm socks to keep your toes warm.
- Pants: Wolly base layer, windproof / breathable shell, biking shorts in winter are OK if you have a full length long johns, wolly baselayer.
- Top: Wool baselayer, water/windproof jacket.
- Hands: Bring warm gloves. (Icebike has a few to spare if you forget yours)
- Head: It is good to have a thin hat or buff underneath the helmet. (Not needed on a warm day but very good to have on a cold day or an evening ride)
- In general: You’ll get warm quickly by pedalling. Thick, long heavy jackets will make pedalling harder. Generally a mid layer is not needed but nice to have a warm sweater to put on post ride. You are welcome to store extra items of clothing at our Base or in the support vehicle.
- In any case: No jeans, no cotton, the reason: cotton is in general heavier than competitive synthetic fabrics and because it absorbs much moisture it gets even heavier when wet.
Multiday trips Summer
You will receive a full kit list upon booking a trip with us. It is fine to bring more than you think you need – you can leave any items you don’t use at our shop, cabin or SAG vehicle whilst riding. To stay safe and enjoy riding in Iceland Highlands you need to be ready for all kinds of weather.
