Reykjavík is a small capital of about a hundred and twenty thousand people that behaves like a bigger one. The city sits on a windy peninsula in the south-west, with the sea on three sides and a ring of mountains across the bay, and it is heated almost entirely by geothermal water, piped in from the ground. The outdoor swimming pools, filled with hot water, are the social centre of the city, and a morning soak with the neighbours is part of local life. The landmarks are the concrete tower of Hallgrímskirkja, whose design echoes the basalt columns of Iceland, and the glass facade of the Harpa concert hall by the harbour.
For a rider, Iceland is a country of extremes, and the weather is the first of them. The summer riding season runs from June to August, when the light is nearly endless and the roads are open, but wind and rain can arrive at any time, with gusts strong enough to move a loaded bike. Dress in waterproof layers, check the forecast daily and pay attention to the road warnings. The Ring Road, Route 1, is paved, but there are gravel sections elsewhere, and the high-country F-roads are for four-wheel-drive vehicles only.
The long day heads south-east along Route 1 to the coast, past the waterfalls of Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, to the harbour at Landeyjahöfn, where a ferry crosses to the Westman Islands. Surtsey, the youngest island in the world, rose from the sea in a volcanic eruption that began in 1963, and is now a protected research site. Landing is not allowed, so you see it from the sea or the air, and the ferry is the nearest approach. The coast road has long, straight stretches with the glacier Eyjafjallajökull in view.
Fuel is easy in the capital and along Route 1, but stations are widely spaced in the empty parts, so fill up when you can. Food is not cheap, though a hot dog from the famous harbour stand is an institution, and so are lamb soup and fresh fish. Watch your speed, since fines are high, and take a bath in a hot spring if you can. The long summer evenings make the drive a pleasure.