{"id":31590,"date":"2025-06-19T12:02:36","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T11:02:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyclenorway.com\/?p=31590"},"modified":"2025-06-19T12:02:36","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T11:02:36","slug":"statens-vegvesen-pulls-plug-on-cycle-norway-funding-but-well-keep-going","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cyclenorway.com\/en\/statens-vegvesen-pulls-plug-on-cycle-norway-funding-but-well-keep-going\/","title":{"rendered":"Statens Vegvesen Pulls Plug on Cycle Norway Funding – but we’ll keep going."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When people think of Cycle Norway, they often picture the open road, quiet forests, and the thrill of discovering a country by bike. What they don\u2019t always see is what goes on behind the scenes to make it all possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until recently, Cycle Norway received a small but helpful amount of support from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (Statens vegvesen). Early this year, that funding was pulled entirely. It\u2019s hard to say why. The confusing rule book was thrown at us, and that is usually a polite way of saying we have no interest in supporting you any more. For some people, supporting Cycle Norway in the age of mass unsustainable tourism is a no-brainer. However, things are usually more complex than they seem. It\u2019s not unreasonable to suspect that supporting an independent platform like Cycle Norway, one that offers an alternative voice in Norway\u2019s cycling landscape, might not align comfortably with the interests or internal dynamics of a state-led system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Of course, I can\u2019t say that for certain. But the timing and context raise questions. Cycle Norway exists outside traditional tourism pipelines and challenges the way information is controlled and shared. That kind of independence isn\u2019t always welcomed. Still, I remain grateful for the support we once had, and are more than happy to work with Staten Vegvesen should our values align in the future. But what matters most is that I\u2019m still here, still going, because I believe in this project and I\u2019m not ready to give up on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You understand that Cycle Norway is not a big travel brand backed by investors or public funds. It\u2019s a one-man operation built on passion, grit, and the belief that cycling can change how people experience Norway. Every krone that keeps the platform running now comes directly from the people who use it. Paid memberships aren\u2019t just transactions, they\u2019re acts of support that keep a vision alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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My promise is simple: I\u2019ll keep updating and improving the site, adding new content that\u2019s worth your time and trust. I have big plans ahead\u2014and I\u2019ll keep going until the money runs out. But I hope it never will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I was young, I used to visit my gran every summer in a small town in rural England. Each day during the holidays, we\u2019d walk into the village and stop at the bakery, the butcher, and the caf\u00e9 with the amazing homemade shortbread. One day, after we\u2019d bought some meat from Brian the local butcher, she turned to me and said: \u201cAlways keep your money local.\u201d<\/em> I didn\u2019t think much of it at the time, but looking at the world today, I understand what she meant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Most of our money now flows to multinational corporations. They dominate the high streets, the digital world, and our spending habits. Local businesses, where pride, craft, and community once thrived, have been hollowed out. People are employees, not owners. We\u2019ve lost the personal touch, the character, the soul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cycle Norway shouldn\u2019t exist in today\u2019s world. Competing with Meta, Google AI, and the endless algorithm-driven noise is a losing game. And yet, here we are. Running the site costs a minimum of \u20ac15,000 per year, before a single salary is paid (which it isn’t). That covers web hosting, security, premium plugins, professional photography, route research, admin, legal fees, and more. Every route you see has been ridden, filmed, and written up, often in remote areas and tough conditions. It\u2019s a full-time job done on part-time resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Now that public funding has disappeared, every person who spends \u20ac30\u201360 to become a member is directly keeping this project afloat. That\u2019s the reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And no, your money might not be going into your own local economy. But it is<\/em> supporting a small, local online business rooted in a real place, run by a real person. It\u2019s a business you can visit, talk to, and rely on. One that exists to inspire you to help you have a better, more meaningful experience of Norway by bike. That might sound like a clich\u00e9 in the age of self-help fluff but there\u2019s nothing clich\u00e9 about being on two wheels, in the wild, feeling alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To everyone who has joined and supported Cycle Norway, THANK YOU<\/strong>. Just last week, I returned from four long days on the road with a professional photographer. That project alone cost over \u20ac5,000\u2014not counting 14-hour workdays. We don\u2019t have the budget for this kind of work. But I’m willing to dive into my personal savings because I’d rather spend my money on meaningful pursuits than material products I don’t really need. Producing honest, soulful, enduring content is our answer to the trend-chasing world of mass tourism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This platform is built to last. The routes we publish today are meant for riders, not just now, but 10, 20, 30 years into the future. It\u2019s a long-term vision, rooted in respect for the land, the culture, and the journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, if you believe in a different kind of travel and a different kind of economy, support Cycle Norway. Keep your money local. Help build something that still has a soul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When people think of Cycle Norway, they often picture the open road, quiet forests, and the thrill of discovering a country by bike. What they don\u2019t always see is what goes on behind the scenes to make it all possible. Until recently, Cycle Norway received a small but helpful amount of support from the Norwegian […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":31592,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,6],"tags":[44,83,19,84],"class_list":["post-31590","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-news","tag-bikepacking","tag-cyclenorway","tag-featured","tag-funding"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t