Most cyclists come to Norway for the views. Fair enough, the landscapes hit hard. Fjords slicing into rock, midnight sun casting long shadows, and the kind of silence that feels ancient. But what’s under your wheels tells a story too, one that goes far deeper than asphalt and elevation charts.

Let’s pull back the curtain a bit.

1. Norway’s Roads Were Never Built for Cars

What most visitors don’t realise is that a surprising number of Norway’s roads weren’t designed with cars in mind. Many of the narrow, winding routes cyclists now travel were adapted from old postal roads, horse trails, or trading paths. Long before tarmac, they were veins of human movement—connecting isolated communities across near-impossible terrain.

Take Gamle Strynefjellsvegen (pictured above), for example. Built by hand in the late 19th century, it was one of the first mountain connections between east and west. Cyclists are drawn to its firm gravel surface and distinctive stone mason road edges that echo the craftsmanship of a bygone era. But few realise they’re riding on a national engineering heritage site—a road literally carved by shovels and dynamite through snowbound stone.

2. The Secret Network of Alternative Cycling Routes

You might not find them on Google Maps, but Norway is slowly expanding a network of cycling-priority roads, quietly signed and maintained, often running parallel to busy routes. These aren’t formal EuroVelo trails, they’re local “sneaky routes” known by seasoned tourers and a handful of locals.

The trick is learning how to spot them: look for roads labelled “fv” (fylkesvei) with numbers in the 300s or 400s, especially if they cross low mountain passes or hug lake edges. These tend to be:

• Lightly trafficked
• Well-paved or packed gravel
• Maintained year-round
• Passing through old farming regions or historic trade routes

One recent development? The revival of gravel access through Hallingdal, linking Geilo to Nesbyen via old forest service roads, cutting off traffic entirely while offering views that rival Rallarvegen.

3. Why Tunnels Can Be a Blessing, Not a Curse

Cyclists instinctively avoid tunnels—and with good reason. Norway has over 1,000 road tunnels, and some are long, loud, and downright dangerous.

But here’s what many don’t know: some of the best cycling routes exist because of tunnels.

Why? Because when a new tunnel bypasses an old mountain road, that road becomes quiet, empty, and utterly perfect for cycling. A few gems:

• Road 13 to Odda – amazing old roads around most of the tunnels with incredible fjord views.
• The Eurovelo 1 from Bergen to Førde – There are several old roads around long tunnels with beautiful views.
• Aurlandfjellet – the world’s longest tunnel goes through the mountain for 24.5km making the old road over less used and perfect as a challenging climb in the heart of Fjord Norway.

4. The Cycling Myth of the “Best Month”

Most guides say June to August is the time to ride. That’s not wrong, but it’s also not the whole truth.

• May can be cold at altitude, but in southern regions it’s drier, quieter, and explosively green.
• September is criminally underrated – less traffic, stable weather in the south, and golden birch trees painting the mountainsides. My favourite month in Norway to ride!

Camping in the mountains in September holds a quiet magic. The shifting colours, the changing light, and the encroaching dusk are powerful reminders of life’s natural rhythm—its seasons, its cycles, and the steady passage of time.

Want a real local tip? Ride the inland routes in early autumn from Oslo to Stavanger or Bergen, where the roads are dry, the gravel is packed, and you’ll barely see another soul.

5. Why Norway’s Cycling Boom Is Quietly Revolutionary

Here’s a stat you probably didn’t know: since 2015, over 50 small municipalities have developed cycling tourism strategies often unreported in English-language media. They’re not flashy. No “cycling capitals” or gimmicks. Just real infrastructure investment in places most visitors never go.

• Grimstad has built dedicated gravel loops for e-bikes and families.
• Oppdal is converting disused farm tracks into a multi-use trail network.
• Røros has integrated local cycling tours with UNESCO heritage education.

This isn’t marketing. It’s grassroots development, and it means cyclists who venture off the established Nordkapp-Lofoten-Bergen triangle can now explore with confidence.

Final Thought: Ride Like a Local, Not a Tourist

The real Norway isn’t just found in postcards or Instagram loops. It’s in the long climb no one wrote about. It’s in the old man who waves you down to tell you where the better road is (happened to me several times). It’s in the rain that turns to sun just as you reach the top.

Norway doesn’t reward speed. It rewards awareness.

So yes, ride the famous routes. But also ride the forgotten ones. The ones without hashtags or signs. The ones that remind you this country was never meant to be easy….It was meant to be earned.

Want help planning a route that goes beyond the tourist trail? Book a custom route consultation or explore our premium route collections built by years of riding. No one knows Norway’s amazing backroads like we do.