Norwegians embody an active lifestyle, evident in their profound connection with nature and the outdoors. Popular recreational pursuits like hiking and skiing are deeply ingrained in their culture, with nearly everyone I know owning a pair of hiking boots and skis. While bikepacking or bike touring is still emerging, there’s anticipation for its growth. Will more Norwegians embrace this trend and add cleated shoes to their outdoor gear collection? Only time will reveal the answer.
Here, we introduce the pioneers of Norwegian bikepacking, who have ventured into uncharted territories, experimented with bike setups, and revolutionized cycling in this beautiful land. Their extensive expertise forms the foundation of this website, as recreational cycling undergoes unprecedented evolution. Our mission is to guide and shape this evolution.
Bjørn is a bikepacker who dabbles in ultra-cycling. Last year he rode the self-supported NorthCape 4000km race finishing in just 11 days! During the pandemic, Bjørn raced 3400km around Norway and finished second. In 2023 he head to Belgium for the Transcontinental race.
Living in Trondheim, Bjørn knows he’s spoilt for choice when it comes to adventure. Fjords, forests, gravel, and mountains are all on his doorstep. He can basically do it all in one ride. Bjørn is always on the lookout for new roads to ride and test out. He enjoys the planning part of his adventures just as much as he loves riding them. Marking the spots on the map, and connecting the route is part of the fun.
"A common theme on my rides is that I am overly optimistic and way too confident in my own abilities, but it seems to be a good recipe for adventure."
In the winter of 2023, Bjørn decided to cycle up to Nordkapp (the top of Europe) from his hometown of Trondheim. It took him just 10 days! His Viking blood runs deep! We look forward to sharing some of his favorite routes with you!
Karen grew up amongst the forests and lakes on the countryside in southern Finland, however soon found herself bored of the flatlands and curious about what the world had to offer. After a few years of living the simple van life in the European Alps, she’s now settled down in Norway. The endless mountains and nature provide all the possibilities to keep snowboarding, biking, and adventuring in general.
"Get the toys, do the adventures"
Biking for Karen means exploring and adventuring, and that addictive flowy feeling of spinning wheels. Whether on a singletrack with her mountain bike, or on a long gravelroad whilst bikepacking – the joy of finding a new area, a good berm or her favourite mushrooms by the trail is the best. She’s a big fan of maps to find new paths from, heading out for seemingly impossible or type 2 fun missions, and youtubes’ endless “How to fix..” videos. She’s not a fan of full lycra suits, trips that are too planned, or long paved stretches.
Originally from the UK, Ian has been fortunate enough to live and bikepack in several countries. He now lives in Oslo with his Norwegian wife and young family. He completed his first bike touring adventure at the age of 7 and has loved the open road ever since. His definition of a good time is a long day in the saddle, off the beaten path, trying to reach the day´s destination before nightfall.
"A ship in a harbour is safe, but that is not what ships are for."
Ian has ridden extensively on many remote gravel sections on the eastern side of the country. He has shared with us some lesser-known forest trails that are wonderful to explore alone or in a group. When Ian is not riding, his day job includes running and managing one of Oslo´s busiest bicycle repair workshops, called Paahjul. It is situated in the very heart of Bjørvika, the city´s newest neighborhood and social meeting place.
Eirik grew up in the picturesque town of Risør, on Norway’s south coast. Everybody called him ‘Sykkel Eirik’ (Bike Eirik) as he was never off his bike. When other kids his age bought mopeds or got their first cars, Eirik preferred to invest in atop-end mountain bike. He was considered the ‘strange kid’ for not fitting in. But that decision allowed Eirik to develop excellent bike handling skills that have given him decades of enjoyment on two wheels. He also learned at an early age how to fix, maintain and update bikes. He’s still a techie at heart and finds great joy in optimizing his bike setup for bikepacking.
“As a self-employed man, it can be difficult to concentrate at work when all you think of is that next bike adventure and Google maps is a click away”
As Eirik gets older there will be fewer KOMs to achieve. He believes bikepacking is the perfect activity to keep the cycling passion alive. His father is 77 years old and is an inspiration, still exploring and enjoying Norway by bike. Eirik hopes he will be doing the same at that age.
Eirik is from the pretty coastal town of Stavanger where he spent his youth and early adult life as a skateboarder. He competed in the US and other countries and was considered one of Norway’s best. His love of riding bikes began around 5 years ago. It’s surprising what skills can be transferred from a skateboard to a bike! Eirik explains riding came about as a way to discover new places and roads both near and far from home.
“On a bike you move at a perfect pace, and putting camping gear on it and heading off road away from traffic is the ultimate way to experience nature. ”
In early 2020 Eirik embarked on an epic bike journey from Norway to Nepal. He reached Prague before Covid 19 closed all borders. The scramble to get home was quite eventful involving several trains, a boat journey and even carrying his bike over a fenced border crossing! When he got back his focus shifted to exploring regions closer to home and ideally accessible by train.
Hans Flensted-Jensen is a passionate cyclist from Denmark who moved to Norway in 2013. He has been cycling since he was 15 years old on and off as life permits. Hans founded Oslo Dawn Patrol in 2018, which is an open social ride in Oslo in the early hours of the morning, taking place all year round, providing a unique social community for cyclists at all levels.
“For me cycling is not about how fast or how long I go. Rather, it's about what it does for my mental health and how it just makes me a better person!”
Although Hans rode competitively as a teenager, he has been riding for recreation, health, and adventure for the past decade and more. He enjoys exploring the natural beauty of Norway, particularly the gravel roads in Nordmarka outside Oslo, as well as road cycling on the west coast of Norway. He is not the one doing the long unsupported bikepacking trips, but rather goes out exploring on day trips – both from Oslo and around Norway.
Meet Matthew, the British cyclist whose passion for cycling in Norway borders on obsession! His journey into bikepacking commenced in 2018 when day rides on a road bike no longer satisfied his adventurous spirit. The allure of exploring distant roads grew stronger each day.
"I guess you could look at this website as a thank you letter to Norway. It's been five years of unbelievable adventure!"
Matthew vividly recalls his inaugural bikepacking expedition, setting out with nothing but a tent and the promise of adventure. That sense of anticipation has stayed with him ever since. Now, with over thirty thousand kilometers of bikepacking under his belt, Cycle Norway emerges as a testament to his enduring love affair with exploration on two wheels.
Cycle Norway is dedicated to making Norway, safer and more enjoyable to experience by bike and to inspire and inform a growing audience of the opportunities available.
