Norway here we come.

Well excited! I've just booked the ferry from Newcastle to Bergan. Me and the better half spending the last week of June and the first week of July in Norway. We will actually have 15 full days of riding and will be 2 up on an 1150 GSA.

I think we will spend our time between Bergan and Trondheim either camping or in huts.

Originally we was going to go to Northcape but after all the reading I've done so far I think it will be 2 far in the time we have.

My mind is doing overtime now thinking of what we may need to do to prepare! My bike is an 05 model with 8k on the clock. I think i'm just going to make sure the bike is fully serviced, loads of tyre and brake pad left. I will also buy an 89 ltr ortilieb bag to go with the system panniers I have.

I'll keep reading but any tips on what to take and what roads to ride much appreciated?

Cheers
Dean.

Hi!
Welcome over the pond!

Two weeks - that is just perfect!
Read my thread called ''Norway norway Norway''.

A quick tip for you if you do not book any hytter/huts or rooms;
keep an eye on the weather forecast - if there seems to be no rain in the west part (Sognefjorden and the other fjords in the south west) then go there, because they get more rain in the west part then in the east part (the mountains are like a filter for some of the clouds).
Often there are no rain in the east part (east of Geilo/Fagernes) when there are raining in the west part (like Bergen/Ålesund).
And most of the fun roads are in the west part (the fjords).

If there are no wind, then to put up a tent close to water (a small lake or a river, a bog) and close to bushes might give you company from many small friends; mosquitoes. Mosquito Milk helps - it looks like milk, and many stores/gas stations/sport shops are selling it.

If you bring plastic money, like Master Card, Visa or simular, you can buy petrol 24hours/7days at 99% of the pertol stations!

You can put up your tent for two nights (in the same spot) in the forest for free! But please keep it clean and be nice to the nature.

Get maps from Cappelen, scale 1:300 000 or simular.
And bring an adapter for charging your mobile phone from our power/electrical system or from your bike.

Bikers over here are saying ''hello'' by raising our left hand or with moving some fingers a little - we don't nod that much, but some do.
I wave to all - the police too!

If you are going to Oslo;
the picture are me in the popular museum area Bygdøy in Oslo. There are some old viking ships there; ''Oseberg'', and ''Gokstad'', Thor Heyerdahls ''Kontiki'' and ''Ra'', Roald Amundsens polar ship ''Fram'', and a collection of old houses from different places in Norway; Folkemuseet.
If you are staying in Oslo then take the small ferry from the city and out to Bygdøy / the museum area.
And tell me so we can meet!

Liv.

Hi Liv,

You really do sell Norway, you have certainly influenced our decision to visit with your photos.

Our route is roughly as follows. We do not know any timescales yet - I guess we will just see how it goes.

Bergan
Voss
Through the tunnels to Flam (Before your visit I think)
Back track to road 13 and upto Hella
Sogndal
Lom
Left at Lom and upto Geiranger
Andalsnes - I think this is the famous Trollstigveien pass?
Dombas
Trondheim

Depending on how long the above takes and how much we enjoy it we will then either stay in the above area or head upto Mo I Rana. I would really like to go to the Arctic, even for just a day.

The above route is only showing the main towns and I do intend to explore slightly off the above route! In general does the above route sound OK to you or am I missing a gem somewhere?

Also, we want to stay in huts but we do not want to book in advance because we do not want strict plans! Will we be OK booking huts on a day to day basis - last week of June and first week of July? We have considered bringing a tent just for security in case we cannot get a hut - A tent is heavy and bulky if we do not need it though. Any advice much appreciated.

I'm trying not to get to excited because June is a long way off. I'm struggling though!

Thanks.

Hi Dean!

Your route looks good to me!

The hard part is to make a route and not miss anything AND to be at the view-points, like Dalsnibba (Geiranger) when the weather are perfect.
If you want to find all these roads/places you are going to ride in circles!
If the weather forecast are wet on your route, see if there are sun somewhere! It's normal to find sun at Geilo and Fagernes when there are rain in Bergen and Voss! www.met.no/
I just make a list of roads/places in the area of your rute, and then you pick what you want.
OK, here goes:
Bergen; Fløibanen aerial cableway up to Ulriken to see the seven peeks of Bergen (I have not done it but I know many love this) and walk the old dock ''Bryggen'' in Bergen.
Rv.7 to Norheimsund; the old houses in that area have slate on the roof! If you see some snow direction South/east from Norheimsund it might be a part of the glacier Folgefonna, and Sundve is a old&nice hotel, next to a restaurant (well, it was 5-10 years ago).
Rv.572 Granvik - Ulvik - Bruravik (not the thunnel Vallaviktunnelen) = a beatiful area, flowers&grass, popular area. (Ulvik are in Hardanger, if you want to google it.)
Ferry Bruravik - Brimnes, Rv.7 direction east, Eidfjord. If you love tiny steep roads then go up to an old farm called Kjeåsen, next to Simadalen. You have to go down the same road, so think twice before you ride up there.
Rv.7 Eidfjord 6km, another tiny&steep road; Viveli/Hjølmo. I do not know if the cafè are closed, and I have jeard there are a path to a waterfall. And the same road down!
Rv.7, Måbødalen, Vøringfossen, Fossli hotel; when I was there 10-15 years ago the old road was for the touristtrain only, so you have to ride the long (and cold!!) thunnels to Fossli Hotel. Get off the bike and walk a path on the back of the hotel and look down the waterfall - it's fun!
If you continiue at Rv.7 you get to Geilo, and then you are not too far from a special zoo: Langedrag, between Tunhovd and Nesbyen:
http://www.langedrag.no/default.aspx?ArticleID=5134&MenuID=5431
If you ride E16 Voss-Gudvangen(Flåm) do NOT miss Stalheim Hotel! Get off the bike and walk to the back of the hotel (go inside and out on the back) and look down at Stalheimskleivene. If it looks scary the find the thunnel - no problem!
If you like our old Stavkirke/church:
Rv.13 Vik/Viksøyri: Hopperstad stavkirke in a beatiful area.
E16 Lærdalsøyri/Lærdal - Tyin: Borgund stavkirke, the oldest.
E15 / Rv.55 Lom: Lom stavkirke, good food at Fossli, and there are rooms too.
Don't forget to ride as far as you can in Flåmsdalen, stop and see if the train Flåmsbana are going up! The hotel Vatnahalsen at the end of Flåmsbana does NOT have a road, so you HAVE TO leave the bike in Flåm and buy a ticket for the train to get there. The old navvy road, Rallarveien, are there, but do not ride it with an engine - pushbikes only.

-Can I get back to you when I have done some more thinking?

Cheers! Liv.
The picture:
Typical St-Hans in Norway; buy a ''stove'' called engangsgrill and bring some sausages! I'm at the pic, standing, black t-shirt, no hat.