Gravel in Norway

[Jon in Sweden]

I'm just back from four wonderful days of riding in the Dovre area of Innlandet, in Norway.

We had extraordinary weather (heatwave conditions really) throughout, with temperatures hitting 37c solidly on the final climb of the penultimate day. I had fortunately started to get used to the heat by that point.

I organised the trip, and was joined by a Danish friend from Sweden and two British friends, who I collected in Oslo.

I'd highly recommend it to anyone. The gravel ranges from buttery smooth to MTB single track. The climbs can be extremely tough, but also avoided if you want. We did Tronfjell, which is Scandinavia's hardest climb (twice as hard as Alpe d'Huez, apparently) and plenty of other big climbs.

I am available to organise and guide tours, should anyone wish. It's not my day job, but it's something I have a fair bit of experience with.

[mattsccm]

Oh how I would like to take my bikes to Norway. Back for the third year in succession in a fortnight but sadly bike less again.

[Jon in Sweden]

Oh how I would like to take my bikes to Norway. Back for the third year in succession in a fortnight but sadly bike less again.

It is at least lovely that you get to go again. I've done four trips in the last 3 years. It's a long drive for me (9-10hrs) but it is at least just a drive. What makes it affordable is that I can take everything with me from home, and accommodation there is cheap.

Whereabouts are you headed to?

[tenbikes]

Nice to see some summer photos of Norway.....all mine are white:)

I go most years but only to track ski or hut to hut ski tour. I need to get much fitter to bike there!

[Wakemalcolm]

Matthew Tolley in Norway, of YouTube fame, has curated a network of gravel trails routes throughout the country.

They can be viewed on his cycle Norway site
https://cyclenorway.com/en/national-gravel-routes/

One day.....one day.

[ChrisButch]

I'm just back from 2 weeks in Espedalen, between Vinstra and the Jotenheimen. Actually for walking, but what I saw of the gravel trails looked superb. In the past I've known them only in white as ski-touring routes, but they look equally alluring for gravel riding. Particularly struck by the Mjolkevegen, a 230-km trail from Gol to Vinstra.
In last week's heat ( 29 on the summit of Ruten!) they were a bit of a slog on foot, but on the bike they would have been just right.

[Mtb tourer]

We are in Dombas , and on the national 1 gravel route Oslo to Trondheim. Parts are also St Olav Pilgrim route. Doing it in reverse, as we cycled down from Kirkenes and onto the Nord kapp route to Trondheim. Where it meets the E6 into Dombas it's part Pilgrim way so it's not developed, don't want Pilgrims on a tarmac cycleway. Perfect for European cycle tourists who prefer fat tyres on mtb tourers and gravel bikes.Away from the road noise and few views of the road. Just 2 crossings of the E6,one was a few minutes wait and the other was a break in the traffic.

[Mtb tourer]

Pics heading into Dombas. The cycletrack/gravel/ St Olav way all join together along the E6.

[Mtb tourer]

Up on the plateau

[mattsccm]

Heading for a week around Trondheim and then about the same in Andalsnes primarily because the Trollstiggen was closed when we went there in 2024 and I want to head up to the top of the Troll Wall which I have wanted to look down since 1974. Pedalling up the Trollstiggen has also appealed for a decade but I can't track down any road bike hire nearby. We were near Fagernes last year but up in the hills then over the hill to Roros. Much gravel in both places.

[Jon in Sweden]

Pics heading into Dombas. The cycletrack/gravel/ St Olav way all join together along the E6.


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We rode the cycle path between Hjerkinn and Dombås last Tuesday! I've done it three times now (I also have the course record between the two towns) - it is lovely, the but gates are a little annoying when you're trying to go fast!

The plateau looks amazing! If you're on Strava, can you look me up please and send me the route? I'm Jonathan Robinson.

It's lovely that so many of you are in Norway, or have been there before.

[Mtb tourer]

Jon in Norway , Strava kom ? You need to be loaded up,,for everyone else is or on a hired Ebike.Some of the Transcontinental race were on it yesterday so you may be having a lost your KOM notice from Strava .Here is the full gravel route
https://cyclenorway.com/en/national-gra ... ntralruta/

[Mtb tourer]

Crossing the E6 twice you would need some luck to catch a lull in the traffic at both crossings.
Surprised that Norway never put 2 underpasses in As it's the main route to the north for commercial lorries it would cause lots of grief if construction was on going.

[Jon in Sweden]

Jon in Norway , Strava kom ? You need to be loaded up,,for everyone else is or on a hired Ebike.Some of the Transcontinental race were on it yesterday so you may be having a lost your KOM notice from Strava .Here is the full gravel route
https://cyclenorway.com/en/national-gra ... ntralruta/

I'm still on top!

The KOM looks really slow on paper (29kph) but there are 6-7 gates. I still averaged just over 300w for just over an hour, which with all the gate opening, is decent.

It is a bit odd that the course does cross the road rather than bridge it or tunnel under it.

I would also love to descend into Dombås on a road bike on the E6. That's got 100kph written all over it!