Cycling in Norway

[dave Foster]

Has anyone experience of cycling in Norway?  We are going to Fyske in the Summer.  Presently we have no information on this area beyond that our son is there.  Area approx 2 hours from Bergen?

[William]

I cycled through that area in 2005.

Not Fyske itself but I was across the fiord, enroute from Oslo to Bergen.
Its spectacular country, being in the fiords, but there aren't many roads, and there are lots of hills, as you could imagine.
The roads are quite narrow, but smooth and well engineered without ultra-steep grades. There can be a lot of traffic at certain times of the day, especially after the ferry has come in and around weekends.

The other thing to beware of in Norway are the tunnels, many are closed to cyclists , and some of the ones that you are allowed to ride in are quite scary. Sometimes there will be a new tunnel for motor traffic and cyclists have to take the old road which climbs up and over.

The other problem is that close to major cities like Bergen, you will be on a motorway and suddenly come to a sign that says "no bicycles on motorway" and there is no obvious alternate route.

Because of the tunnels and motorways, you will want a good map, hopefully with elevations on it so you can figure out if your road
is level, close to the water, or climbs up and down to avoid cliffs.

I'd say it is definitely worth riding there, as long as you know what you are in for.

[dave Foster]

Thanks that provides food for thought.  Certainly another point that comes up is how expensive it is to get to Norway does anyone have any budget ideas?

[ianblackwell]

Hello,
I was there this year up in the Lofoten Islands .
The tunnels are not really a problem , go to the cycle tourer website , there is a map of all the tunnels on there telling you which are open to cyclists .
You will need a high vis vest , good bright flashing lights and wait for all the other traffic to pass before you go in them . Most are well lit but there are a few exceptions .
Costs are high , imagine everything in Waitrose doubled and you are not far off !
Some items are surprisingly cheap but others are ludicrous .
If you like a drink , stock up on Duty Free , the problem is not really the cost in the state owned off licences but finding one outside the main cities is near impossible .

[triaesthete]

Hi Dave
It's beautiful, uncrowded, unpolluted and easy to get close to nature.
Go equipped for cold rain :think Scottish highlands and sleet in summer and old snow on high ground in May etc.
You can camp almost anywhere within reason.
People generally have a positive atitude to Brits and most speak some English.
Beware tunnels under fjords as some of these have steep descents and climbs and can be a bit fume laden.
Have a good trip
Ian