[Michel]

Hi Raphael,

wow; looks like all trains on the complete route between Oslo and Trondheim are cancelled for two weeks ☹

You could ride on National Cycle Route 7 to Hamar (~140 km from Oslo) and take the train on the Røros line to Hovin. There, ride west to join the “Coast and Mountains” version of Bergen – Trondheim (or just go enjoy some nice gravel shortcuts towards Oppdal)

• This reply was modified 3 months, 2 weeks ago by  Michel Alexander.
• This reply was modified 3 months, 2 weeks ago by  Michel Alexander.

[Michel]

“Mother North 2025”: If you take the shortcut, you miss Aurlandsfjellet and Rallarvegen. The latter one is a seldom experience because it’s only for cyclists and hikers. Can be pretty busy in summer because it’s so popular but the views are amazing.

I’m not familiar with the “eastern” part of the route but it looks like lots of amazing gravel 😎

Maybe you don’t need a shortcut after all? Let’s say you take the train to Hjerkinn and start your ride there. You have the adventure of your lifetime, and after ~1000 km your reach Lillehammer, where you could either take the train or continue the ride to Dovre. This would give you some flexibility.

In sum, you should either come to Norway several times or take more time to experience “all” the highlights ☺ Have a great trip 🚲

• This reply was modified 3 months, 3 weeks ago by  Michel Alexander.

[Michel]

Hi Fabricio,

great idea to ride one of those popular tracks without the time pressure 👍

I have only ridden only parts of these routes but I’ll try my best to give you a qualified opinion:

“Bright Midnight 2025”: I won’t recommend the shortcut Lom – Vågåmo. You don’t want to miss Sognefjellet, Tusenmeteren and the view on Jotunheimen at Valdresflye 😊

Some ideas for shortcuts that would save some kilometers (see screenshots):

After Trollstigen, when you reach the fjord, take the ferry Linge – Eidsdal, get some fantastic views on Geirangerfjord, mabye even climb up to Dalsnibba. The original road goes trough long tunnels between Stranda and Hellesylt. On your way to Oppstrynsvatn, you would need to pass a long and steep hike-a-bike section. On the other hand, you’d miss the famous Strynefjellsvegen when you take my shortcut.

After Sognefjellet and Tusenmeteren, you could skip Slettefjellet (steep climb, but they say it has great views) and take the boat on lake Bygdin instead. Matthew made a video about both Tusenmeteren and the boat trip on lake Bygdin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqHyZyvI0-I&t=231s

Another idea: Why don’t you just skip Tolga (start and finish) and turn left on Kvikneveien in Tynset? I have no idea about the traffic and the landscape, but it would save some kilometers.

• This reply was modified 3 months, 3 weeks ago by  Michel Alexander.
• This reply was modified 3 months, 3 weeks ago by  Michel Alexander.

[Michel]

One factor would be the length of your rides. For day trips, Oslo might be a good option. A multi-day trip would offer more varied landscapes.

National Cycle Route 9 (The Wilderness Route) Oslo – Trondheim offers lots of nice gravel sections.

You can find several great shorter gravel routes (some loops) north of Oslo which can be reached by train: https://cyclenorway.com/en/route-area-east/

cyclenorway.com

East Norway Gravel Paradise - Ultimate Bikepacking Destination

Europe’s best gravel bikepacking! Explore iconic and hidden routes, and find essential tips to plan your ultimate adventure through breathtaking landscapes.

[Michel]

Yes, coming from Rovaniemi/ Neiden/ Varangerbotn, you should cross Tana River at Tana bru. Though scenery ist much nicer east of the river. Consider taking a detour via Varangerbotn peninsula ????

BTW: There is another ice road further south near Polmak. Services like Komoot and Ride with GPS are aware of the issue of misleading ice roads but didn’t manage to solve it yet.

• This reply was modified 6 months ago by  Michel Alexander.

[Michel]

I prefer digging a hole but your idea is not as absurd as one might think: On Lofoten islands, they gave free poop bags to tourists, which helped to avoid even more human waste in the national park: https://www-nrk-no.translate.goog/nordland/baesjeposer-en-suksess-i-lofoten-1.16527657?_x_tr_sl=no&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=de&_x_tr_pto=wapp

[Michel]

Sportshjørnet (MX-sport) seems to be the place you are looking for: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sportshj%C3%B8rnet+(MX-sport)+AS/@69.7277303,30.0400518,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x45cb48e5ac09fb53:0x891525bf4a2e51c5!8m2!3d69.7277303!4d30.0400518!16s%2Fg%2F1tj9rxr8?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDczMC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

They have at least one very good review about a bike repair on Google Maps. Good luck!

Enjoy your Trip on the Varanger peninsula ☺️

BTW: Which route did you take to get there? And how long did it take? I always took ferries and trains to get that far north. I would love to read a trip report about your yourney ????

• This reply was modified 10 months ago by  Michel Alexander.

google.com

Avant d'accéder à Google Maps

Avant d'accéder à Google Maps

[Michel]

Try https://www.norcamp.de/en/camping.map.0.html

And good luck findling “a cheap hotel” ????

norcamp.de

Camping Map

comprehensive camping map with all campsites, cabins and camping-pitches in scandinavia (norway, sweden) with contact details, opening months, pictures, reviews, prices, ...

[Michel]

Training is a good idea, considering all the mountain passes on the route 😆

[Michel]

I find it hard to believe the midnight sun would damage the tent fly more than the “regular” sun 😆
Though the midnight sun won’t heat up your tent, it will make it very bright in there. You should definitely bring a sleeping mask to tell your body it’s night. 😎

[Michel]

A free-standing tent is an advantage if you find a perfect spot on rocky terrain. But on official campsites, you won’t have any problem with any tent most of the time.

Options for finding a good spot are many if you prefer wildcamping but can – surprisingly – be quite limited in places. The upper soil layer can be very thin. It all depends on your route and your demands on a camp spot.

For more flexibility even in remote areas, I’d recommend a free-standing tent.

[Michel]

Sounds like a really fantastic adventure ????

I did a similar trip last year (Lofoten – Tromsø – Alta – Lakselv – Tana bru – Berlevåg – Vardø – Neiden – Rovaniemi): https://ridewithgps.com/routes/53435346 (More detailed: https://www.komoot.com/de-de/tour/1598937343?share_token=a72p84J4JWA6fnfvGwxkiBXnXE8HbL7CYHw1R9KvRPVCNQ4idq&ref=wtd)

I skipped Nordkyn peninsula last year but I’ve been there in June, and i can only recommend it (see https://cyclenorway.com/en/go-further-north/)

The rough scenery on Varanger peninsula is breathtaking. You might even consider a detour from Vardø to Hamningberg.

Lessons learned from those trips: Take your time. Stop, when you see an information board; it might lead you to a great micro adventure off bike (examples: nature reserve Roddenes north of Lakselv, Silfar Canyon, Rullesteinfjæra at Tanafjord, Saviostolen near Bugøyfjord).

And enjoy riding under the midnight sun ????

• This reply was modified 6 months ago by  Michel Alexander.
• This reply was modified 6 months ago by  Michel Alexander.
• This reply was modified 6 months ago by  Michel Alexander.
• This reply was modified 6 months ago by  Michel Alexander.

ridewithgps.com

Von Moskenes nach Rovaniemi

2295.7 km, +14627 m. Bike ride in Moskenes, Nordland

[Michel]

It’s the view on the whole boat trip I had in mind (e.g. Preikestolen from below).

Let’s wait and see how far away from the pier I will end up today ????

[Michel]

@mpage The “Arctic East 700” isn’t a cycling event but a highly recommended route to the northeast end of Norway, see https://cyclenorway.com/en/routes/the-arctic-east-700/

Sorry for being a smartass ????

[Michel]

Mid August can be a great time to travel up there, when the falls starts and the leaves change colour and the first northern lights start dancing on the dark sky ????

Some areas in the far north might seem very remote but infrastructure is quite good (buses, grocery stores …)

I hope you’ll enjoy your trip ????