Home › Forums › Specific Route Question › Short Cycle Routes Recommendations – Gravel or Road!
I might be searching for something that doesn’t exist but I am looking for a selection of short bike routes (ideally not massive amounts of climbing) to pick from for the next few weeks. I have two constraints – a knee injury and a couple of dogs in a campervan that I can’t leave on their own for too long – they both leaves me a little limited in what I can do! We will have gravel bikes with us but happy to ride road or gravel and we will be in Norway from 18th September to 10th October. Would love to do some loops but if it has to be linear thats fine. Loops using ferries would also be great. Generally not wanting to be out much more than 1 – 4 hours and thinking about routes between 15km and 60km. I was out last summer and cycled over the Trollstigen, the Lysebotn and Sognfjellet (absolutely incredible) but sadly my body really can’t take anything like that just now, so really looking for some satisfying rides with great scenery. Any advice or favourites that people have?
Thanks
Maddy
Hi Madeline, can you tell me where you are starting from and where you plan to go in the van?
Hi Matthew. We are really flexible. Our ferry will come into Kristiansand and our only limitation is that we have three full weeks in Norway so realistically we don’t want to be driving further north than Tromso. We will try to follow the weather as much as possible and in an ideal world would do a loop covering some coastal areas, crossing through the fjords and higher mountains and then over and down the east of the country which we didn’t see much of last year. My partner is keen on seeing some really nice coastal areas and I have been looking at walks between Alesund and Floro. I was also looking at the area around Roros and there looks to be a dead end road heading east from there that might be a nice out and back. In short, anywhere in the southern part of Norway! We have specifically bought and borrowed gravel bikes for this trip so anything thats a nice introduction to gravel would also make me happy!
When I said Tromoso I meant Trondheim…..
There are many, many routes you could do. Look at the routes on the site near to the location you are in and choose small sections of them. For example cycle 15-20km and turn around or find a road that can loop back to the start.
If you’re after flat terrain. Head to the fjords and cycle the roads along them. Lustrafjord, Hardanger, Hjørundfjorden, and Sognefjorden all have great roads to cycle on.
For example:
Choose a section of Hardanger: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42464973?privacy_code=vOhmcNV1Hc2SlVJX
Hjørundfjorden: https://www.komoot.com/tour/1304995140
Lustrafjord: https://www.komoot.com/tour/1304996474
Check out my top five fjord roads here: https://youtu.be/SmgqzdDWU4E
Other examples:
1) Gamle Strynefjellsvegen is an amazing 27km (54km both ways), but it will close in the next few weeks
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41403109?privacy_code=jqwJuos1XHltCJRU
When it closes it will say here: https://www.vegvesen.no/trafikkinformasjon/reiseinformasjon/fjelloverganger/#/gamlestrynefjellsvegen
2) Do the flat part of the Telemark Canal: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42482340?privacy_code=iiers0xtb2d61RC2
3) Do the flat section of Tour de Dovre: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39611333?privacy_code=xazexPNZobuJfiwv
4) Small Island loop from Molde: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42506637
5) The islands East of Alesund are flat and nice to cycle (make a loop from parts of this bigger route): https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42506648
6) Small Røros loop: https://www.komoot.com/tour/1305014727
Those routes sound really interesting, Matthew, but the links land on an error message saying the route is private. Do we have to be friends on Komoot or RideWithGps in order to access them?
Hi, all the ridewithGPS should be accessible. The komoot ones here should work:
https://www.komoot.com/tour/1305014727?ref=&share_token=a2oHTahi7eWI0tdWWu537w66bLycsWh8UL9nHfb8V7tyF8C3EC
https://www.komoot.com/tour/1304995140?ref=&share_token=aBAed9F0crx3p5PrualVWO7h1nol1plsaKX2YbOOl9KN93lY6f
https://www.komoot.com/tour/1304996474?ref=&share_token=adKwsUGUMbSd4U5zo1Ct6iDMGS4GlqqnoyGp2YsjsObaq5txrk
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