They take their place in line early in the morning, expecting to be there for as long as 24 hours. But no wait could be more enjoyed than the one for Lund’s annual Tandem bike ride tickets.
Each May, Lund’s festive spring atmosphere is highlighted by an unusual but highly anticipated student event.
“Every student nation, except for Smålands, and several academic unions takes a busload of students up to Göteborg, from where each group rides on tandem (two-seater) bicycles back to Lund”, said Maja Reiz, one of Östgöta Nation’s two Tandem generals.
“The bicycle never leaves the ground,” Maja explained. “We switch cyclist pairs at regular intervals. All the while, everyone on the bus shows whoever’s biking tons of support.”
Spots on the bus are preciously limited. Östgöta’s members started camping out in front of their nation early today.
“I’ve been here since a little before noon, and the tickets are released tomorrow morning at nine,” said Rasmus Juntorp, a civil engineering student and one of the many hopeful cyclists.
The long wait is not as exruciating as it sounds. The atmosphere in front of Östgöta Nation displayed plenty of cheerful spirit. Students lined the sidewalks chatting with their friends, or read leisurely through their school books. A particularly sunny day probably helped.
“My friends and I will follow the Champions League matches tonight on our phones. We’ve got our thick jackets to brave the night,” said Rasmus.
Costing up to 700 kronor for a ticket, Tandem is 
rough on the wallet but promises much for your money.
“It’s a trip to Göteborg with fantastic company. It’s a bike ride through the country with two disco parties in between,” said Maja. “It’s a race, but we place having a good time over everything else. Rather than reward the fastest cycling pair, we offer a prize to those whose time comes closest to a secret chosen time.”
It is an event that has no trouble drawing interest.
The line at Östgöta is already long enough to sell out all the tickets.
“It will be a wickedly awesome experience,” said Rasmus.
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