Norway

[Jimmy Doug]

Yes, I think your landlord is right, snorri. My first major cycle tour was to John o'Groats. Rained every day for a week. I got used to it. But I'd hate to go all that way and find I can't see the places I've been dreaming of seeing for so long. But, yeah, I'd be very surprised if it didn't rain when I got to Bergen. I thought I might hang around there for a couple of days and wait - but that might turn out to be a very long wait indeed!

 

[willem]

The roads were in good condition, but the best rides were (semi) off road trails. Of the 17 sometimes very experienced people of my group five had serious problems with wheels, and needed expensive and not very good replacement wheels, even though all of them had had their bikes serviced professionally before they left (which also tells you something about bike shops). Getting a very good hand built rear wheel with the widest possible tyres before you leave may well be much cheaper than risking it.

Willem

 

[P_Dalen]

I'm a Norwegian commuter/everyday cyclist who did some touring in my holidays about 15-16-17 kilos years ago. I live in Oslo and had some great bicycle tours from Oslo to the mountains and Western Norway.

Yes, you should be prepared for rain and wind, but if you are lucky, you may also experience very nice and sunny days in the mountains in July-August. Western Norway is more rainy and windy, the Eastern part is much drier (but not that spectacular either....) I have never been cycling in Northern Norway.

I recommend Rallarveien, an old construction road along the railway track at Hardangervidda. I have been riding there several times from Haugastøl (about 1100 m above sea level) to Flåm (at sea level). The road is available for cycling only in July-August, maybe September (otherwise unridable due to snow). Rallarveien is very popular, so there are quite a lot of cyclists there in the few weekends that the road is open. You may however combine it with other beautiful mountain climbs, such as Flåm (Aurland) - Nalfarhøgdi- Lærdal (1300 m climb in about 20 km or so, then down to sea level).

Other attractive places that I have been riding myself (most of them involve lots of climbing)
Trollstigen-Geiranger
Geiranger-Grotli-Lom
Lom-Juvasshytta, 1880 m above sea level (close to Norway's highest peak Galdhøpiggen)
Juvasshytta-Sognefjellet-Skjolden
Jotunheimveien (Bygdin-Vinstra)

In Oslo you may actually make various 30-100 km roundtrips on gravelled roads in the woods right north of the city. I frequently make an extended trip home from work on roads like this (recorded mid-April, still some snow):
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=70pGLAuCroA

Good luck and welcome to Norway next summer!

 

[Jimmy Doug]

Cheers - you've given me a lot of places to check out. I've already decided I seriously want to do the Troll Road - might be fun on a fully loaded touring bike! I've also heard about the Rallarveien route and I'm in two minds about it. I'd really like to do it, but from what I've seen it seems moutain bike country. Do you think it's possible with 20kgs of baggage, or am I asking to break a spoke?
The road in your vid looks really beautiful btw.

 

[Red Light]

Cheers - you've given me a lot of places to check out. I've already decided I seriously want to do the Troll Road - might be fun on a fully loaded touring bike! I've also heard about the Rallarveien route and I'm in two minds about it. I'd really like to do it, but from what I've seen it seems moutain bike country. Do you think it's possible with 20kgs of baggage, or am I asking to break a spoke?
The road in your vid looks really beautiful btw.

The only reason you would break a spoke is if the wheel had been poorly built with not enough tension in the spokes. Unfortunately lots of wheel builders and almost all the machine built wheels are poorly built. I've got tandem wheels which have carried two people with their panniers and a Bob trailer for all the camping gear and they have done thousands of miles without breaking a spoke so unless you have stupidly low spoke count wheels, your wheels should survive without a problem.

Unfortunately with you being in France I can't recommend someone who would be able to fix your wheels for you.

Or you could do it yourself using the book by Roger Musson or by Jobst Brandt and do it yourself with the added bonus of if you pack a few spare spokes and a spoke key, you can always do your own repairs on the road.

 

[P_Dalen]

I rode all these distances with full load on the bike - except from the climb to Juvasshytta at 1880 m altitude (when the baggage was left in a cabin down in Lom)

Rallarveien is a little rocky, but I have been riding there once with loaded panniers and my 8 years old daughter on a trailer bike - no problem. (However, bring a couple of spokes and a spoke tool)

 

[willem]

I would recommend talking as little as you safely can. The climbs are steep and long. Of our group, two inexperienced riders had to abandon the trip because they had taken more than they could handle.
Willem

 

[psmiffy]

I would recommend talking as little as you safely can. The climbs are steep and long. Of our group, two inexperienced riders had to abandon the trip because they had taken more than they could handle.
Willem

out of breath?

 

[rich p]

out of breath?

it was the spare spoke

 

[Jimmy Doug]

Hi guys,

@Red Light: While I was in Greece, I was cycling along, thinking to myself - I've been cycling enthusiastically for 25 years and I've never had a broken spoke. Low and behold, the next day I had one! Up to that point, I thought it was something that happened to others. I had, in total, three broken spokes on that trip! It never occured to me that it might be because of poor wheel building as I'd never had an issue with any of my bog-standard wheels before - that's why I assumed it was probably due to the poor quality roads in Greece - the worst I've ever cycled on. But if my trouble was due to poor wheel-building I'm just not going to be able to do very much about it. I really can't afford a hand-made wheel. I do like the idea of ordering the book you mentioned, and I might do that, but I'm sure it'll take me a while to really get efficient at it and I'll probably make a few mistakes at the beginning.
@P Dalen: In that case, I will definitely aim to do the Rallarveien. I've Googled Juvasshytta and I find it really, really tempting. Something else to think about.
@Willem: When I go touring, I try to stay as light as possible. Everything I put in my bag, I weigh and try to imagine life without. All my stuff is light-weight. My tent, for example, weighs less than 2Kg. But it quickly adds up. Usually, I don't make it to 20kgs but more like 15kgs. However, I think in Norway the weight of my bags will inevitably increase. I'll need more rain-gear, spare clothes in case I get wet, more food (in the north) because of the distances between the towns. This is why I reckon I'll have 20kgs.
@pssmithy. Had a look at your crazyguyonabike site. Congrats - it's very interesting.

 

[Red Light]

I really can't afford a hand-made wheel. I do like the idea of ordering the book you mentioned, and I might do that, but I'm sure it'll take me a while to really get efficient at it and I'll probably make a few mistakes at the beginning.

Roger Musson's book is available for free on-line as a PDF or you can borrow Jobst's book from the library. And rather than building your own wheel you can start with an existing one ( providing its not too old with frozen nipples) and hand finish it yourself.

 

[Jimmy Doug]

Very interesting. Think I'm gonna get me a jig!

 

[Dayvo]

OK, Jimmy, ready?

Cycling in Scandinavia is, IMO, a dream, especially cycle touring. The roads are mostly excellently surfaced, with relatively little traffic (away from the larger cities) with fantastic scenery. And drivers are very courteous.

The weather can be uncertain, but if equipped with the right gear, it's not a problem. In the summer months, the days are light until very late, and then only a bit murky for an hour or so around midnight, so if you're not tired, you can ride on through the night in good 'daylight' and sleep later on in the day/afternoon.

Camping, both wild and organised isn't a problem. Nor should you have any trouble with food, as long as you stock up for the day at a shop or petrol station whilst you have the chance. Knocking on a door to get water or asking for directions isn't a problem and you may even be offered a bed, or at least a tent space in the garden.

Almost everyone speaks good English, so communication is easy. As someone previously mentioned, some of the tunnels are out of bounds for cyclists, so make sure you know of their whereabouts when planning you route.

Pack sensibly and you'll be fine. Either do it yourself, or get your lbs to tighten the spokes on your back wheel, just for peace of mind, and take some spares, just in case.

With regard to your route, I'd suggest flying with Norwegian to Stockholm from Paris, take the ferry across to Turku (in Finland) and cycle the coastal road ALL the way north to the Swedish border, come down the east coast of Sweden to Sundsvall, then traverse west to Trondheim and come down the west coast as best as possible, bearing in mind there are a lot of fjords reaching a long way inland for you to negotiate.

From there you'll be able to 'do' the Trollstigen and head west towards Molde for the Atlantic Way, or the other way around, if you prefer.

Down to Bergen, Rallarvegen and pop in to stay with us for a day or two, then off to Kristiansand, ferry to Hirsthals in Denmark and slowly make your way back to France. Should be a great 2-3 months!

If you have any specific questions with regard to rules and regulations, internet weather sites, campsites, B&Bs or Youth Hostels, lbs etc, just pm me.

 

[Jimmy Doug]

Cheers Dayvo,

Is there a particular reason why you advise north to south rather than south to north? The prevailing wind maybe - or perhaps it doesn't matter? I was thinking of starting in France and heading out in the direction of Norway rather than vice versa - but I can change of course. Also, why do you advise going along the coast road in Sweden rather going via northern Norway? Is it perhaps because northern Norway is very empty and difficult to find supplies?

 

[doog]

it was the spare spoke

behave