In this post, I thought I’d write about routes around Linköping, which are suitable for unicycling. I try consciously to avoid traffic (both vehicular and human!), so I can enjoy my rides in peace, and I pick routes with a strong bias towards asphalt, as I lack experience of off-road riding. In the future perhaps, as I gain more experience, I’ll expand upon this post with non-asphalt options. Another point of consideration for me while designing routes is that I don’t generally design one-way routes, so this means that the distance will have to include both the onward and return legs. Since my current average speed is quite low, the time-cues for rides would perhaps be only relevant to myself so I’ll mention both time and distance for the routes.

Sub 1-hour ride/5-7 km

• A ride that starts on Södra Oskarsgatan near the Post Office (behind Linköpings rececentrum) and goes along Tornbyvägen. It’s a combination of flat and some gentle downhill till we get to Engströms bil, at which point there’s a nice but brief climb. The route has a few traffic lights which need dismounting, and a handy skill to acquire is to grab the traffic light pole or idle/hop when stopped for the light to turn. While the lights are a slight irritant, this route is very lightly trafficked, and that’s a strong plus point.

• An alternate route for a hour’s worth of riding is to ride along the river Stångån upto Tannerfors canal locks and to ride back, but this route is very popular amongst runners, bicyclists, and even walkers with dogs, so it can be a bit challenging/irritating at times.

90 minute ride/11-13 km

• It was last year when I started riding along Ekängenvägen and there are a bunch of options with it. One of the simplest 90 minute rides is an out-and-back ride along Ekängenvägen, with the U-turn being executed at the Stensättervägen bus stop netting 12 km. An alternative which is roughly the same distance is to take a right turn off towards Östra Härg and riding into Gränsliden, and then back home. A small variation of this latter route also involves a little bit of riding on a gravel track, but that would be conditional to good weather, at least till I get more comfortable riding off-tarmac. Here’s the link to the route with the gravel patch

• Another interesting option for a 90 minute ride is to ride along Bergsvägen and ride around Skäggetorp, climbing up Glyttingevägen and riding through Ryd-forest. The Glyttingevägen climb is a nice way to pratice steady climbs. Done in the reverse, I can use this to practice brake usage, as it’ a steady descent with great visibility all around.

2-hour ride/16-20 km

An out-and-back ride to Ekängen is a nice way to get in a 16 km ride on an excellent bike path, with very few intersections/stops. This is a great ride to help fix posture issues and also to practice longer stints in the saddle.

Another nice ride that nets 18 km is a ride to Haga kryka, via Rydskogen and Tift södergård, and returning along Bergsvägen.

Ekängenvägen-Hästhagen-Tägneby-Skälv-retur 20k:

A ride along Ekängen with a turnoff onto Hästhagen leads to a dirt road that connects back onto Ekängenvägen, albeit on the other side. The road is a 70 road but very lightly trafficked, and seems popular among bicyclists. Ride past Tägneby, all the way to Skälve before turning right to Linköping, instead of going straight onto the road to Beatelund. An additional possible variation is to continue towards Beatelund, but then take the turn towards Linköping at Rystads kyrka. The circular loop nets 13.3 km. If the loop is ridden only once, the ride nets 20 km, but every additional loop will net a further 13.3 km, so this route can be used to net 20.65, 33.95, 47.25 etc. Riding upto Rystads kyrka would make the loop a bit bigger.

With this alternate route, one can ride distances of 21.3 km, 35.3 km, 49.3 km etc.

3-hr ride /24-27 km

In the 24-27 km range, there are a number of options, with two along Ekängenvägen; the first option is to ride past Ekängen and looping back by Rystadskyrka, crossing E4 via the underpass, passing by the Saab Draken plane.

The other option is almost the same, except for turning off onto Hästhagen, and is about one kilometer shorter.

Another route that nets around 26 km is a ride along Bergsvägen, crossing Kagakyrka and heading westward till Ledberg before turning south towards Malmslätt, before returning downtown via Rydskogen.

4-hour ride/28-34 km