From beautiful Brändö we came to Kumlinge by ferry. We were excited to explore new surroundings and in the first few kilometres we already met some locals – a roe deer and a Caspian tern. We wanted to visit some cultural locations of Kumlinge but first we needed a freshly baked cinnamon bun with coffee and lemonade in a local café.
After coffee break we saw a signpost pointing to a church and thought why not to visit. When we arrived there we were totally blown away how stunning it was. The church of Saint Anne is first mentioned in a testament in 1484 and the paintings in the ceiling are original, from the beginning of the 16th century. The graveyard surrounding the church is very charming as well with its tiny pond and meadow flowers.
When we left the church we noticed we hadn’t had much to eat that day and decided to enjoy by eating out for lunch. Restaurang Kastören offers tasty local dishes which aren’t that pricy. At the end of our meal we had our tummies full and a smile on our faces. We took a light walk to the Kumlinge Marina harbour where the restaurant is located and noticed that a nature trail starts there. It goes to the church we visited and is said to be an excellent path to spot many animals such as cranes and moose.
Our camping spot was on the top of a rocky hill which had the best views and berry picking spots. It was also a perfect place to charge our e-bikes.
As we’ve been cycling more than 300 kilometres we also have some data about the bikes, which you’ve been eagerly waiting for. The battery capacity in our bikes is 550Wh and on our tour we’ve been using around 4-6Wh electricity for one kilometre. This means that with full battery we can go around 110 kilometres even if we have a heavy load with us.
Here’s a little nature piece for you to make these technicalities a little less heavy:
Our solar panels were ordered from elsewhere in the last minute and were a bit of a cheap version of what we actually wanted to have. These solar panels should have had a charge power of 100W but the actual charge power is around 50W. Better quality solar panels which are the same size should easily give at least 100W. What it really means is that with better quality panels 30 minutes of charging equals one hour cycling, while now with our panels one hour ride needs one hour of charging. So from empty to full battery it takes now around eleven hours when with better panels it’d take five.
Hey you made it through the information jungle! Here’s how easy it is to put up the solar panels:
If you got super interested in the technology of our bikes, you’ll find more info about it from L7Drive. Anyway, we’ve only been charging our bikes in the morning and evening sun, and when we’ve stopped to cook food. That’s been enough to let us cycle as much as we’ve wanted everyday. We are happy to say that riding the solar powered bikes is our new favourite way of travelling!
Emmi and Joel
Our green e-bike trip 