Biking in Östersund

Here are about 8 km of slightly messy and technical paths that bring out the playfulness in you. The view of Storsjön and the mountains is incomparably beautiful and constantly with you during the trip. If you choose to cycle the trail counterclockwise, it slopes slightly downhill.
Along the path there are places to rest and sit for a while on one of the beaches is nice on a summer evening.

Bynäset was previously a military training area and has for many years been closed to the public Three years ago, the path leading around the peninsula was opened to the public and Östersund municipality has upgraded it. Bynäset has since quickly become one of the city’s finest recreational areas for cycling, hiking and running. Since you share the path with others, cheer happily and feel free to give preference!

To reach Bynäset, follow the signs to Frösö Park then west towards Rödön. You then turn left onto Bynäsetvägen after a few hundred meters and follow that gravel road until you reach a large car park. Here, the trail around Bynäset starts by passing the red portals.

Spikbodarna and Lillsjön are a nice area for runners, strollers and the town’s cyclists to get along with. This is not so strange because the area has some of Östersund’s finest paths. The finest paths can be found above the road E14 and south of road 87 to Stugun. Those that run between, above and below the ski tracks and are also suitable for those who are not so used to cyclists.
You are offered some beautiful magical greenery on the mossy paths that wind around old pines and on old mountain pasture paths from the time the town’s inhabitants had their animals there.

Sometimes the paths are technically tricky and sometimes smooth and fine and often with sharp turns. It creates a playful trail cycling where you get both fun downhill skiing and a little tougher climbing that is broken off with a little easier smooth trails.
The further up you get in the forest along the ski tracks, it can be very wet in summer. There is more swampland higher up.

Below Spikbodarna and E45 and the outskirts of Odensala is Lillsjön. A nature area with a small lake that is nice to swim in and around it runs a gravel and paved loop. In the forest and up towards the residential area in Odensala, there is a network of messy and somewhat technical paths. Some of them go in the old ski track that ran down from Spikbodarna. Here you will find both climbs and downhill trails with a lot of flow and tight turns. Occasionally it may be wet in the area.

Unfortunately, the paths are not marked in Lillsjön or Spikbodarna, but with a little desire to discover, you just take one path and follow it until the next one comes.

Via the Strava and Trailforks apps, you can find paths to cycle on for many hours.

You can reach Lillsjön either via western Odensala or via the industrial area Odenskog. The most suitable if you take the car is to start from the parking lot at Jemtbil just below Ica Kvantum. You can reach the nail sheds either by bike and then the easiest way to start from Lillsjön. From the gravel loop that passes the lake and the rest area, it is a little further ahead signposted Spikbodarna. If you drive, take off against Stugun at the large roundabout at Lillänge shopping center and then turn right after a couple of hundred meters. It is signposted Spikbodarna. The ski trails and paths start from the car park.

In Fugelsta

One of all the small villages along Storsjön, the farm’s owners and enthusiastic friends have been building cycle paths in the forest for almost 10 years. Interest in the trails has grown enormously and now cyclists from all over the country visit Fursteli. The cycle paths are open to everyone, but of the approximately 20 km of paths that have been built so far, a lot are not suitable for everyone.

The cycle paths are located in a forest area above Marieby church and there are world-class paths that are enthusiasts who have built paths since 2008. There are no steep downhill slopes but just nice flow on narrow paths through the forest down to the lake. Some trails are a little more technically challenging with roots and ridges while others are smooth and fast. The trails Brunflow and Världsmästarstigen offer dosed curves and some jumps you can roll over. Next to the forest edge there is also a pump track. Many of the paths have been given a sign with their name to make it easier for you to find them. The main trail of about 15 km is marked in red on the trees and starts next to the pump track and takes you up towards Svartsjöarna to then turn back down again. You pass the finest paths with short sections of gravel road transport. The trails are easy to cycle even with a simpler mountain bike with cushioning at the front.

To get to Fugelsta and Fursteli cycle paths, cross the Vallsundsbron and turn left towards Brunflo. Just before Marieby church, turn right and follow Svartsjövägen a bit up until you reach a sign with Brunkulla premises. Park at Fursteli Gård and preferably avoid all car traffic on the way up to the pump track.

The tour around Brunfloviken is incredibly beautiful on a summer day and the trip is nice and pleasant and suits most people.

If you start from Badhusparken and go round clockwise, you get the nicest part at the end. You have to get to Brunflo via cycle paths towards Ope and then along the road  E45 through Brunflo to turn down at the railway crossing and follow the road down to the intersection. There you turn right and then follow the rolling country road through many of  nice villages before you reach Vallsundsbron that take you over to Frösön and further back to Badhusparken.

If you start in Badhusparken and follow the walkway towards Lugnvik and then follow the signs to Kännåsen.

When you reach Kännåsen, turn left at the village’s only intersection and follow the road to the next intersection. There you turn right and then left towards Dille and Landsom. Here you pass many nice farms and have the mountains in the background. When you cross the E14, turn left and follow the country road through Ösa and Ås back to Lugnvik and the same road back to Badhusparken.

The Krokom-Ytterån tour follows the same route as the round over Kännåsen, but instead you turn towards Dille.
From Dille you continue and then take the road towards Kattstrupeforsen and Aspåsnäset and then turn down towards Krokom.

Continue to cycle a couple of kilometers on the E14 towards Åre before you take off and follow the signs to Nälden and then Vaplan and Ytterån.
Once in Ytterån, you then follow the signs to Rödön and Frösön here you will get beautiful views towards Bydalsfjällen and you pass many farms.

This round offers some climbs but also some nice downhill slopes.

Last year, Östberget were hosting a competition in the Swedish Enduro Series for the second year in a row. The trails are many and of different character and difficulty. It is predominantly more technical and difficult trails and difficult for the beginner, but a blue, slightly simpler trail was built before the summer of 2020. Down towards the Hornsberg side of Frösön and Gustavsbergsbacken there are trails with larger drops, difficult rock sections and steep slopes that challenge.

The simplest is the downhill course that runs alongside Ladängsbacken. It can be used by those who have some cycling experience and can be ridden with a bike with only front suspension. It offers nice dosed curves, and small jumps and rock sections that are rollable. If you still want to ride a trail on the mountain, there are slightly nicer trails and hiking trails between the ski tracks that you can cycle. A tip is to always walk the imaginary path before so as not to be surprised once you are on the bike.

Some of the trails are marked with bicycle signs and color markings. Red and black mean that it is a more difficult path. A blue trail that is a little bit easier was built last summer.
Östberget has the opportunity for lift-borne cycling. For updated openinghours look into the homepage of Östersunds muncipality.

Other days, it is cycling uphill to go downhill that applies. From mid-August, the lift will run in the evenings again. For those who do not have their own bike, Lagg & Hoj rents out all equipment.

Link to prices, route map etc.

To reach the lift-borne cycling, follow the signs to Gustavsbergsbacken out on Frösön. You park at the lift facility. On days when the lift is not open, it is easiest to cycle up to the lookout tower on the mountain. When you cross the footbridge over to Frösön, you cycle up Trädgårdsvägen, turn left onto Byvägen and follow it towards Tanne. Then turn right onto Toppvägen which leads up to the lookout tower.

The park has two jumping trails, a larger one that is about 400 m long and consists of 9 jumps and a smaller and lighter one with 4 smaller jumps and rollers. In the forest there are also 6-7 trails in different combinations with jumps, curves, wallride and bridges. If the jump feels a little too challenging, there is always an easier way past.
A balance track in wood is also available. It is recommended to use a mountain bike or BMX bike and of course ALWAYS a helmet.

As the area is always open to everyone, all cycling also takes place at your own risk. Brunflo Bike Park can be found beautifully located by the electric light track in the center of Brunflo. There are barbecue facilities in the area. At the start there is bicycle washing. Brunflo Bike Park has a Facebook page with current information.

Fursteli cycle paths

Fursteli is located in Fugelsta near Marieby and it consists several hand-built paths of non-profit forces. There are trails and tracks that most people can handle and it is also suitable for those who have cycled downhill for a long time. Fugelsta’s 15 km loop is marked with red markings on the trees. There are also other trails to cycle and you can find them on the Trailforks website or on the Strava app.

The trails is leading  down towards the forest with curves, flows and tricks and fit bikes, such as fatbike, hardtail or a regular mountain bike. Further down the trail, the world champion trail Brunflow appears and here is some jumps and minor drops that finally end in a pump track.

Fugelsta’s cycle paths are located near the village Marieby, on the other side of Storsjön, opposite Östersund. By car you go towards Frösön, take the Vallaleden towards Orrviken and when you have passed the bridge Vallsundsbron you turn left towards Brunflo. Just before the church in Marieby, turn right up onto a small gravel road where there are two red sheds. Parking is a couple of kilometers further up the gravel road. Via Trailforks you see where you can park.

Except renting the equipement you can also accompany Lagg & Hoj on a guided bike ride in summertime, for example, the city’s best views, the café with the best ice cream or to one of all the nice bathing spots around Östersund.

Look into Lagg & Hoj´s homepage for more information!

On Andersön there are many nice barbecue areas and opportunities for swimming on a hot summer day. From Badhusparken in central Östersund, it is about 19 km of easy road and you follow cycle paths out to the bridge Vallsundsbron and further towards Orrviken and follow the signs to Andersön. In the forest there are also two shorter trails with jumps, curves and bridges.

If the jump feels a little too challenging, there is always an easier way past. It is recommended to use a mountain bike or BMX bike and of course to wear a helmet. As the area is always open to everyone, all cycling also takes place at your own risk.

To Frösö Strand you can easily cycle from Badhusparken in Östersund along the cycle path that is marked over the walking bridge and then turn left towards the bridge Vallsundsbron.
Then you can cycle along the cycle path towards Mjällestigen on Öneberget with its ancient castle. In this area there are many nice places to stop for a picnic, either on a meadow or down by lake Storsjön, where there are also fireplaces to use.

Minnesgärdet is not far from the city center of Östersund.
From Badhusparken you cycle along the harbor on the road Storsjöstråket and after approx. 2 km you´ll arrive at Minnesgärdet where there is a fireplace and seating. You can also continue cycling along a gravel road towards Odensala or choose the trail cycling route that goes closer to the beach.
Along this road there is also a scene for orchids and later you will come to nice camps and very nice views of the mountains Oviksfjällen.

Bynäset is located on Frösön a bit beyond Frösö Park Hotel you can either start your tour from Badhusparken, it is about: 12 km country road. You can also start the bike ride from Bynäset if you have a car with a bike rack. Once at Bynäset, you can choose to cycle around Bynäset, or choose to walk around a 7 km long path. The path can be cycled on – you should keep in mind that there are a lot of roots, so you may be required to lead the bike at certain sections.
It is well worth walking around Bynäset, where a wonderful view spreads out over lake Storsjön and the mountain chains of Oviksfjällen.
There are plenty of places for picnic, barbecues and cooling baths.

The bike map is developed by Green Traffic and the municipality of Östersund. The proposals for bicycle tours have been developed in collaboration with the bicycle promotion. Green traffic is Östersund municipality’s activity for more sustainable transport and aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, among other things by making it easier to choose the bike in their daily travel.