The Åre Bike Festival has one clear purpose - get people stoked on riding off-road.

From downhill to pumptrack, XC and trail riding to analogue or e-assisted hill climbs up Åreskutan and all manner of kids’ skills workshops, everyone at the annual five-day Åre Bike Festival is unquestionably hooked on bikes. Located in Northern Sweden on a world-renowned mountain, this festival is held at a time of year when the sun barely sets and if you’re lucky, you may well spot some reindeer. 

“In this part of Sweden there aren’t many roads, meaning that it’s often pitched as the Unbound of Europe ”

In this part of Sweden there aren’t many roads, meaning that it’s often pitched as the ‘Unbound of Europe’, with majestic mountains, glistening lakes and vast forests that are criss-crossed with pristine gravel tracks. As a rider, you’re drawn somewhat deliriously into nature on wave after wave of perfect gravel. What’s not to love when you’re sold a location like this? 

As a rider who is less adept at the more gravity-focused disciplines found at the Åre Bike Festival, the Specialized and Fjällräven Gravel Ride had my name on it. And going by the slogan of their collab, I was curious to explore the ‘Great Nearby’ here in the vast Swedish north. Since their joint collection was first launched in early spring, I’d been keen to see the kit in action and where better than its natural habitat? Other than the far, far, far north of the country, here is where Sweden’s topography is at its most diverse while still being widely accessible, especially if you’re coming by train from Stockholm. 

The mid-week gravel ride sat somewhat hidden on the festival's schedule, overshadowed by more adrenaline-packed events, the big names at the downhill events and even the Red Bull Pump Track World Champs qualifiers. It was scheduled for 9 am in Åre Björnen, which is a little way outside of Åre where Specialized had based their XC and gravel test fleet. Up here, halfway up the mountainside, it was clear how the long, cold winters forge the landscape, seeing a treeline that’s much lower than in Central Europe. While Björnen is scattered with quaint wooden homes, most people – us included – were here for its well-maintained XC MTB park, where our ride would finish.

As the weather sadly deteriorated, the ride leader Oscar, a former MTBer turned race series presenter and organiser kitted out in Specialized Fjällräven, wryly commented “Welcome to the Swedish summer.” I bought hand warmers and jumped around to warm up whilst waiting for the other riders to get fitted for their Specialized Turbo Creo SL Expert EVOs. There was an athletic-looking rider from Stockholm who chose to stay analogue and ride their own bike, a slick tyred Cervelo, but the rest of us were game to try the Creos’ pedal assist. While I’ve ridden a lot of eMTBs, e-gravel bikes are still a novelty to me. This one felt particularly good, which surely had something to do with it having the exact same geometry as my road bike and only weighing a little bit more. 

“The roads simply aren’t tarmacked, so gravel isn’t the exception - it’s the norm.”

The interesting thing with this part of Sweden is that most of the roads simply aren’t tarmacked, so gravel isn’t the exception - it’s the norm. From Björnen, we were straight onto the main gravel road that continued to climb past the Froa Gruva copper mine before descending towards Kallsjön lake and Huså, to the north of Åre. There was an enjoyable freshness after the effort of the climb and, like any self-respecting gravel ride, we made a quick detour into the woods, carrying our bikes over some spång (typical wooden planks that took us over bogs) and through the undergrowth until we reached a telephone booth-turned-toilet and BBQ area for hunters. It was a curious sight in the middle of the pines, but it didn’t surprise me – Swedes are notorious for enjoying some peace and quiet while having a fika, which usually consists of strong coffee and a bun.

“The sprawling lakeside estate was full of livestock that roamed the grounds eating fresh berries”

The chill made its mark, so it was soon time to move on. We swooped down the long hill towards the lake on the other side of the mountain before swinging right. We were headed towards Fäviken, the famous restaurant run by Netflix star chef Magnus Nilsson. While the restaurant was no longer open, the sprawling lakeside estate was full of livestock that roamed the grounds eating fresh berries and who were undoubtedly later destined for a small, high-end charcuterie in nearby Undersåker.

The sun came and went as we skirted around the edge of the lake on undulating overgrown double track – it was a nice variation from the pristine gravel of the road. We were treated to a light show as the sun flashed over the greys, greens, and oranges of the landscape. When the sky turned blue for a brief moment, Oscar signalled for us to stop, opened his handlebar bag and whipped out cinnamon buns and cups, before manoeuvring a flask from his frame bag. It was time for fika, one of the most popular pastimes in Sweden. 

"It was time for fika, one of the most popular pastimes in Sweden. "

We soon got back riding, heading over the same hill we’d flown down earlier that morning. Having ridden the climb before, I know how it drags on, but this time it was far more enjoyable, although I don’t want to put it down just to the motor. There was good company and everyone was relaxed. I chatted to a couple who only owned fat bikes, having reasoned that if they were only going to own one bike, it was best to make it as winter-proof as possible given that there was likely to be snow on the ground for six months of the year. By the end of the ride, they appeared to have been won over by the Creos they were riding and fully on board with the gravel mindset of ‘that path looks doable, let’s try it.’ I spent most of the ride in Eco mode and it felt incredibly natural. On the final bumpy trail from the copper mine back to Björnen, I opened up the 20 mm travel in the Future Shock, which sat just above the headtube, and it was a pretty significant improvement in terms of comfort.

“That path looks doable, let’s try it.”

We finished the ride with two marked routes on the immaculately groomed XC park. Despite the rain, they were running smoothly and everyone was soon having a good time. I had to noticeably take care not to accelerate too hard around the uphill corners, but the Creo handled like a pro with the motor off on the descents. 

“Bikes are bikes and there’s one out there for everyone.”

After another fika stop, I rode the 7 km into Åre and watched kids race on the pump track. Their excitement was contagious and it made me glad that such a festival existed. Whether these kids will later find their way up the mountain towards Björnen and the smaller gravel gathering remained to be seen, but bikes are bikes and there’s one out there for everyone.

Photos courtesy of Oscar Ekstam