This summer I’ve decided to combine two of my fave things, libraries and cycling, with Tour de Libraries.
The concept is simple; ride your bike and visit a library. Do as many stages as you like and share the library and cycling love with #tourdelibraries2021 – we’ll ride all July
Hoping to see lots of library and cycling joy to be shared from around the world – I’ll be shaing myself on both Twitter and Instagram (ride data tracked on Strava)
Below featured some library and cycling moments from the different stages in my own Tour de Libraries 2021
My Tour de Libraries 2021 ended up with 12 stages, 17 libraries and 480 km. It was pure awesome. See you next year!
Cheers
Stage 1: Guldborgsund Public Library
34 km at Falster in the southern part of Denmark. Hilly and open landscape with lots of fields and space. Stopped at Guldborgsund Public Library in the city of Nykøping. Neat library which matches the landscape – lots of space and openness. The cold tap water was also great 🙂
Stage 2: Solrød Public Library
47 km from Køge to Dragør, Denmark. Great ride by the sea and crossing the bridge between Zealand and Amager which gave a spetacular view. Stopped at Solrød Public Library which is a great library. Neat collection, lots of different zones, friendly staff and nice atmosphere.
Stage 3: Vinderup Public Library
Headed towards Jutland today and took a great ride on the roads around Sevel and Vinderup with Vinderup Public Library as the target. Short stage on 20 km with nice landscape, lots of fields and great biking roads.
The library was just closing as I came but I ran into the local librarian, Jonna, which both provided me with fresh cold water and a great chat about librarianship, community service and skills. Jonna been a librarian for 40 years and knows what it is all about – super lovely to meet her. Vinderup Public Library is a classic one-room library, neat collection and the best of staff
Stage 4: Struer Public Library
Todays stage was a 50 km ride from Sahl to Struer. Great weather and nice ride by the sea. Struer is the acclaimed ‘City of Sound’ due to the large impact on the sound industry with companies like Bang & Olufsen etc but rumors says it also holds a pretty amazing library.
Unfortunate my roadbook was not fully updated so the library was closed when I got there. Looking through the windows it looked stellar and I really hope the roads take me back one day
Stage 5: Holstebro Public Library
Neat 43 km ride from Idom to Sahl in the west-middle part of Jutland. Stopped at Holstebro Public Library on the way and enjoyed the calm shade from the proud building at the center of Holstebro City. The ride was great with parts of both long straight roads and small curvy elements in the countryside. As common in these areas lots of fields and windmills 💚
Stage 6: Skive Public Library
FAN – TAS – TIC 53 km ride from Sahl to Skive and back again with an awesome library pitstop on the way. Hilly roads, green and yellow fields, windmills and great weather was on the menu plus a very cool library much worth a visit. 3 floors with different zones for different purposes, kinda unique wooden decor, neat calm colors, great collections and super friendly staff that greated me when I’ve arrived and had a little something special for me in the form of an extremly cool homemade lasercut bicycle bookmark
Perfect stage in Tour de Libraries
Stage 7: Libraries of Ulstrup, Bjerringbro and Langå
Utterly epic stage with 38 km crossing 3 different municipalities visiting 3 different public libraries
First stop was Ulstrup Public Library in Farverskov Municipality, DK. Ulstrup is a small town with two great assests; The river of Gudenåen runs through (oh please give it a go if you are around) and they have a super neat local library. Ulstrup Public Library is a great one-room library with all wooden shelves and lots of local visitors
Second stop: Bjerringbro Public Library in Viborg Municipality, DK. Bjerringbro is hometown of global pibe water solution company Grundfos and a very nice public library at the heart of the city living together with cultural house, local archive and a cinema. Was greated by a book bicycle when I got there
Third stop: Langå Public Library in Randers Municipality, DK. The library was closed when I got there but super cool red brick building at the center of the city. Classy long hills in and around the city
Stage 8: Rønde Public Library
61 fantastic km ride from Sletterhage to Rønde and back in one of my fave parts of Denmark, Djursland. Hilly landscape, small roads, the sea all around and lots of small towns.
Rønde Public Library is a great one-room library and greated me with some cool cycling books and fresh cold water 🙏
Great library, great stage
Stage 9: Dokk1 / Århus Main Library and Hornslet Public Library
24 neat km towards Aarhus and one of the greatest libraries in the world, Dokk1. The route was excellent with sunny roads by the sea and Dokk1 is always a huge pleasue to visit; buzzing community, happy kids, concentrated students, a world of knowledge to explore in outstanding architecture. Thrilled to meet a great painting of poet and lifelong cycling aficionado Jørgen Leth.
On the way I stopped by my old childhood library, Hornslet Public Library – so many great hours spend there
Stage 10: Slagelse Main Library and and Skælskør Public Library
Fantastic 41 km sunny ride around the south-west of Zealand, DK, stopping by Slagelse Public Library which was like an oasis in the warm summer landscape. So much light, transparency and calmness in the library rooms.
Also paid my fave habor library in Skælskør a visit. Wrapped it all up with ice cream at beach of Kobæk just outside of Skælskør
Stage 11: Lyngby Main Library and Holte Public Library
Excellent and warm 35 km ride north of Copenhagen and a stop at two great libraries; Lyngby Public Library (pic 1 – 7) is classy, elegant and yet welcoming with open spaces, great lightning, ambitious collection and very friendly staff.
Holte Public Library is in the top of the local shopping mall and I meet one of my all time heroes, Little My
Stage 12 and final stage: Dragør Public Library and Ørestad Public Library
Last stage of my Tour de Libraries 2021 was an epic 29 km on the wonderful, flat and windy Amager (an island connected with Copenhagen). Excellent stops at the cosy and charming Dragør Public Library with the amazin library backyard and the fairly new Ørestad Public Library
Thanks for following along. Cheers, Christian
The Library Lab 