Cycling In Norway, 2007 home cycling Norway, 2007 Updated 05 February 2008

Contents

Introduction

Over the years we have been trying to complete as many rides as possible from Nick Crane's classic "Cycling in Europe" guide, and his description of a ride from Bergen, coupled with the cheaper tickets available from Norwegian.no, makes this an attractive starting point. If we can get the bikes on the 'plane.

We effectively had two weeks, and planned to stay mostly in huts, but with a lightweight tentipi in our bags as insurance against the problems of finding shelter in peak-season tourist blackspots like Geiranger.

But what bikes to take?

Furthest north, Justad Vandreheim, Stamsund, Lofoten, 28 June 1991

In 1991 I decided this would be the ideal - a bike small enough to go on the luggage rack on a long-distance train, but with everything for two nights away from settlements. But I found out that the Bickerton isn't an ideal touring companion. The "Aluminium Noodle" is lighter than the Brompton, but it moves in different directions underneath you. And you have to guard against catching a front pannier or pedal on the ground when you lean into a turn. Sporting when travelling downhill at 40 kph, but hard to stop with its side-pull brakes. On the plus side, this bike was fitted with a monster rear sprocket on its Sturmey-Archer hub, which made hill climbing a doddle. It also folded small enough to fit into a fairly narrow luggage locker at stations and airports. Best of all, it meant that when the train or ferry dropped me off somewhere, I was always ahead of any other travellers who were looking for a bed on foot!

In 2007 it looked for a time like this bike would have to be in our baggage with our other two folders (a Brompton and a Moulton TSR-27) after I neglected to confirm places for the bikes on the flight with Norwegian. I had a very tense two days between exchanging emails with Jon (and being told that they only take four bikes per flight) and getting confirmation (after a 48 hour wait) that the airline could find space for the bikes after telephoning through to their reservations office in Norway... I have now updated "Flying with Bikes" as a stern reminder of the pitfalls of booking a flight through an airline website!

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