You literally biked the same path that i did in 2015. Tears wet seeing it again in video like this. Gonne share it to EVERYONE whos interrested, and just say THAT was my trip. Even down to the tunnel choices and how falling rocks is THE LAST WORRY after doing a few of those bastards! Oh and i stopped for warm apple pie in one of shops in fruit land :D
"falling rocks is THE LAST WORRY after doing a few of those bastards" - 😂 That's exactly how I felt!! I'm glad the video brought back your own memories of this epic journey!
I did this ride in July of 1981, mostly on the bitumen though! Then rode Bergen to Stockholm via the Jotunheimen. The whole experience was totally brilliant- and back then almost no traffic on most of the roads. Those unlit tunnels are a bugger though- I didn't have so much as a flashlight/torch!
Wow, that sounds absolutely epic Anton! In 1981 there must of been so few cars on the mountain roads. But lucky for you because you really need a torch and lights in them tunnels!
I was first introduced to the beauty of Norway through the videos of Reidar Humlestal (trucker) and Rail Cow Girl (engineer), but I've lately been following your incredible adventures in this wonderful country. I was a biker years ago but now I'm 73 and terribly out of shape. I still love to vicariously bike travel, though.
Great video! I biked the whole way with you on my stationary bike. I was so glad that you took the lead going through the tunnels! It looked so, so dangerous! I look forward to bike with you on other videos. Thanks much!
In 2008 I drove the death road 7 the first time ever.... with a small car and kissed the earth when beeing in Ulvik...alive 😃 At that time, nearly the complete road was so small that each kilometer comes a little place besides the road to make place for the traffic comes from front of me!!! But at one moment a hugh truck was comming after a curve and all I could doing at this moment is to stand on the brake, close my eyes and hopping to alive! The truckdriver did the same and stopped only 2 metres in front of me. Afterwards I must drove with my car back to the last little place besides the road to lett the truck passing away. Finally I needed perhaps 1 hour to get rit of my fear. Nowadays the death road 7 is a luxery big road. But I NEVER EVER would driving it by bike!!!! Thanks for all your fantastic Videos!!!
Living in Ålesund and loving to explore this beautiful land from the bike saddle. Been binge watching your channel since I found it. Amazing inspiring stories you have put up here. Thanks for that and keep on riding 🤙😄
What a journey! Thank you for taking us along with you. Brutally accurate representation of the tunnels, and I can say this from only experiencing them on relatively flat terrain. Mentally exhausting, especially with people like our friend the tour bus driver... Keep safe, and enjoy all your future adventures. Greetings from a fellow Oslo inhabitant and roadie!
Thanks Benjamin for your feedback , nice to hear you understand how mentally draining some roads can be. The tunnels can psychologically mess you up. Anyways, safe travels and I hope you have an epic cycling season 🚴🏻♂️☀️
Surprised that you haven’t tipped off the road looking at that beauty! “Hit over the head with a rainbow”, love that and still looking forward to seeing this in real time. Thank you Matthew.
I came across your travelogue and wanted to say thank you for sharing your ups and your downs, the exhilaration of rewarding sceneries, endorphins and quiet places, and the reminders that there are hazards on the road- and tough times as well. I am a former cyclotourist, and your journey made me relive mine... Happy travels!
Here's an idea: Travel Norway has asked you for some opinions. What about requesting a sign or flashing light at the beginning of each tunnel, and a bicyclist can hit the button and for the amount of time it takes for an average bicyclist to comfortably transit the tunnel the sign flashes "Watch for bicyclist in tunnel"
I had been clipped by a car's mirror in Switzerland a few years back and this close shave has made me very wary of tunnels. I had to go through a tunnel in the Lofoten Islands that went under a fjord and it was my most frightening cycling experience ever. Matthew, what really surprises me is the authorities don't maintain the old roads that bypass the tunnels. I really believe that the tunnels put off many cycling tourists from visiting Norway. I have used that Norway tunnel website too but it appears that even if it says that the tunnel is bypassed the road could be blocked due to a rockfall. (I do appreciate that the website depends on user participation to keep the status up to date)
Your videos are absolutely stunning, inspiring, and addictive to watch multiple times. Always wanted to bikepack Norway and these keep that plan fresh in my mind for the future. The way to show the raw beauty and appreciate the sheer rugged landscape is akin to my passion for the Canadian Shields rugged features locally in Northern Ontario. Thanks so much for all your videos and your pursuit of making Norway more cyclist friendly through your continued work! Safe travels Matthew.
Great video along "Death Road 7" Weirdly this was my 1st ever full days riding in Norway back in 2013. I left Bergen heading inland avoiding the E16. Luckily for me it didn't seem that bad. I may have been helped by the fact that it was midsummer weekend and I cycled it on a Saturday and Sunday so I guess that reduced the number of vehicles on the road. Anyway I was just ecstatic to be riding in Norway, probably the best 2000km cycling of my life. I am currently living my life vicariously through your videos and desperately hoping that Norway re-opens (and the UK lets me out ) so I can get up to Bodø and on up to Nordkapp in June this year. Keep up the great videos, enjoy your cycling and stay safe
Great to hear Stephen! There are few places in the world that can viral cycling out of Bergen towards Hardanger Fjord and the mountains. When I was on Death Road 7 it was mid to late afternoon and a lot of traffic was heading back to Bergen. I chose the wrong time for sure! I agree doing the journey early on a weekend would be much safer. Glad you got to experience the views along the way! Hope you get back to Norway soon - the north is very special to cycle! Safe travels.
Hey, I just wanted to say that you are making amazing videos mate! I was super shocked when I saw that you just have one subscriber with such a production value. I want to embark on a similar journey next summer but I probably will take a train to avoid the death road thanks to you haha. Oh and at 36:55 there was a sign 'sykkel i tunnel' that had a button below that you press and it lights up a light giving a warning to the drivers for a few minutes.
Sebastian Wojtasik many thanks for your feedback - appreciate it! Hope you have a great journey next summer! Note, you could take road 48/49 which I hear is a bit safer. But the train to bypass certain tunnels is also a good option. And yes totally missed that Sykkel sign! Safe travels my friend.
Nice trip but especially beautiful made video! Love to hear more on your experience with the Canyon Grail, it is one of the last bikes on my shortlist :)
Thanks! If it's on your shortlist then you should get one. You won't be disappointed, it's one of the best gravel bikes on the market. I'll do a full review on it in a couple of weeks.
What a great video. Thx for sharing this amazing journey. Thx for sharing this. I have done the Uvdal to Geilo stretch.... not so nice..;-)). When ever you get the chance, you may wanna check the rout RV17, Helgeland Coast (you probably know already?). Thats just as beautiful (beside from the tunnels, of course.). Again, Thx for a great video. Ride safe.
Thanks for your comments! I actually rode the RV17 this summer. I got incredibly lucky with 6 days of blue sky from Trondheim to Bodø. I totally agree, breathtaking road, not too hilly, with fantastic camping sites. Overall I felt most of the tunnels were pretty quiet and safe (although crazy long)! I think it was the ferries I struggled most with (waiting around). What was your experience like?
@@matthewnorway Thx for your feedback, Matthew. So glad you enjoyed RV17. I agree, ferries might be a challenge. I spent a lot of time researching squedules, But actually experience one ferrie just stoped running due to technical issues. No backup. (This was july a couple of years ago..;..))... Typical arrogant norwegian ferry policy). I was lucky though, and found a gentleman with a small boat willing to ship me and a fellow biker across the fjord. Regarding tunnels; my trick is singing terrible Eurovision tunes as load as I possibly can. For some reason it helps ...;-)).... Thx again, looking forward to more footage from your trips... Ride safe.
@@EirikArnesen glad to hear you managed to get across the fjord Eirik! That must of been quiet the adventure! And good to hear I’m not the only one singing in the tunnels!
Hey Matthew, I noticed at 36:55 you cycle past a cyclist in tunnel sign. If you press that button on the sign, it lights up for 5-10 minutes, depending on the length of the tunnel, warning drivers that there is currently a cyclist in the tunnel 😉
That cycling sign is a prime example of a lack of understanding from a cyclists perspective. You are descending at high speed coming into the tunnel. By the time you see the sign you have flown past it. In addition there is no where to pull in safely. Which means you have to slam on your breaks with cars behind you. It’s all ludicrous and so badly thought through. In addition , the tunnel is modern, bright, wide and you descend at speed. You don’t need a cycling button there. Death road seven is extremely dangerous to cycle but the one place where you don’t need a cycling sign they install one. Brilliant.
Fantastic video. I can relate to "Tokahjelet" tunnels, after have raced Bergen-Voss seven times. The feeling of relief when I reached the bottom. But as you say decending in tunnels reduces the chance of being hit from behind. I can also recommend the full Jotunheimen Rundt route/race (was yesterday). I did it twice and it's spectacular.
Thanks for your comment and congrats on your race achievements (twice is impressive!). To be honest, I've tried twice to get on the Jotunheimen Rundt, and both times it was fully booked 😔. I will try again next year :). It does look as epic as you can get!
1st mins of vid, tunnels. I agree totally, my experience with tunnels in Norway was very scary, first one I went thro, I thought I was gona die. Perfect example of road infrastructure designed without any thought for any user other than cars/trucks etc and many of the high narrow bridges were much the same. The blocked off road, I would have crossed the barrier, the road was most likely passable by bike. I managed to bypass a few of those lethal tunnels by using the dissused roads.
I know 🤦♂️ in hindsight I should of picked my bike over that first barrier. The old tunnels on death road 7 are worst I’ve experienced in Norway. But fortunately the newer tunnels are better to cycle in.
I'm amazed by you riding up those tunnels. I've ridden the route through Hardanger and up over the mountain passing Kvamskogen myself, but I opted to stop and hitchhike with my bike to the top of the mountain 😂
im hoping next year that i can do Bergen Oslo or as my plan is ending in Larvik to easyer going to Denmark again and last year i did Stavanger to Kristiansand over Lysbotn and wow what a trip and yeah i wanna do alot of biking in norway as its my favorit biking place because of the views once you beat the mountains
DAAC86 that sounds like a great trip with ending in Larvik so you can jump on the ferry home and not have to dissemble your bike 👌. Stavanger over Lysbotn is epic and it’s just as good going over the mountains to Bergen! I have an Oslo to Stavanger video coming soon that followed part of your route. Good luck with your Norwegian adventures next year!
Great video! I live near Norheimsund and I have syckled to Bergen several times. Some of the tunnels it seems you can't syckle through you actually can, but the ones you can't, are really scary!
@@matthewnorway I haven't done that actually, because it's 50 km longer. It is absolutely safer, because the traffic is pretty light. However I think you can syckle outside 3 of the 4 tunnels up tokahjelet and you can sycle besides the tunnel before the big lake👍
I've recently completed the same trip. I wild camped on the side road of the first tunnel at the start of your video. Unfortunately I had to bypass the gravel section from Haugastøl to Voss as there was too much snow in between (I gave it a good try though before admitting defeat)! I was gutted to have missed that section cos it looked amazing from the train. Cool to see what I missed on your video though. Hoping to cycle Bergen to North Cape next!
Congrats on cycling such an epic route! Sadly its been colder than expected in the mountains this year and that snow just won’t melt. I had a similar problem on another mountain gravel route - had to turn around. Unfortunately that is Norway - nothing is guaranteed - nature is the boss.
That is indeed an amazing trip. Last year i did Oslo to Voss. Going down to Flåm after Myrdal then ferry to Gudvangen and up (through f*ing tunnels) to Voss. Now is winther and time to start planning the next trips. Do you know if there are any resources to find places to camp in Norway, something like Shelter app for Danmark?
A good video. Showing upsides and downsides of this ride through theese beautiful sceneries. Then suddenly Monty python got hold of the subtitle machine, and turned it in to a great comedy about the outdoor lifestyle. I felt for you through the pouring weather, steep climbes and various road conditions. And laughed my ass of my chair from the comic translations. Keep up your good work, but fire your subtitle gang of loonies :-)
Amazing, what an adventure and well put together, but those tunnels, good god, I've ridden similar tunnels in Japan but nowhere near as dodgy as these.
as usual, an inspiring and accomplished ride and documentary. Recently discovered your fine channel and has be daydreaming of an extended bikepack in the spiring (either Italy, Belgium or ..... Norway :) so thanks for the inspiration and information. do you happen to have the gpx file for this and other Norway rides? thanks again & a big chapeau!
Thanks for this great video, Matthew. I've recently decided to go on a bike touring trip myself, and all kind of wild plans are forming in my head. I was wandering if you could say anything about the reverse trip: Bergen - Oslo. It seems most people take the Rallarvegen from east to west. Would it be a lot harder, going from west to east? Thanks for your insights!
It's a bit harder but nothing too bad. You'll have no problems if your reasonable fit. You can always push the bike up any steep bits. It's a beautiful 80km.
Hi Matt, love your videos. Keep them coming. I understand you are 5'8. What's your Canyon grail frame size ? I have ordered one I am 5'8 too with legs inseam at 79cm and I am not sure if I need a S or a XS. I usually ride a 52 with other brands. Thanks 👍
There was one cyclist i meet here in Alta, he had been at the North Cape and was on his way home. He wanted to take the bus to get past all tunnels here because he did not like cycling thru them. You can cycle around them i think but its alot longer
Hi. I cant` seem to find the road that you took from Hokksund to Roberg. I want to do this route next year. Is there any chance of a more detailed route ? Thanks . Good video. Enjoy your future adventures.
Hi, is the Komoot map link in the description box not clear enough? www.komoot.com/tour/81865479?ref=wtd From Hokksund you head North on Skotselvveien, then follow these roads (most of them are gravel) Tollamoen Holteveien Bingsveien Sønjuveien Nyseterveien Fv64 Fv2822 You will then arrive in Lampeland and just follow Road 40 up to Røberg (jumping onto the side roads where possible).
Great ride! Awesome! Maybe my new bike will be delivered next week... hope i can follow your track in august! By the way... how is the cellular network in this area? Do i need a satellite communicator in case of emergency? regards rom germany
Thanks! The cellular network will be on and off in the mountain. But you don’t need to worry about any extra communication equipment. The bike road follows the main Bergen - Oslo train line over the mountains. It’s a popular area for hiking and there are large cabins along the way.
Awesome film, I'm going to Norway next May, but I'm keeping well away from death road 7, I'm allowing myself the luxury of the famous train ride. Thankyou for this great insight, and safe travels Matthew.
A lot of gravel bikes come with a single chainring for weight reduction. I was tempted, but glad I went for a double one. My gravel bike has a 11-34t cassette and it was perfectly fine for all the climbing in Norway. If you have a reasonable level of fitness 34-34 will push you up 10-30% gradient with all your bags.
Hi Erwin, my set up for this trip was all Apidura. The frame bag and seat bag are very good but unfortunately the handbar one sucks (constantly falls down on to tyre - poor attachments). There are many other types on the market. This web page gives you an overview of the best ones. www.roadbikerider.com/bikepacking-best-handlebar-packs/
12:25 well, it seems even in Norway you'd find bad drivers. Of course when you cycle a lot and over different places and cultures, you get used to it, but it gets no less dangerous.
Hey man, together with 2 friends were planning to spend 3 weeks traveling from Oslo to Bergen (and further) and a big part of our trip will be going thru the places you mentioned in this video. Could you give us an insight on how was the weather albeit how much was it raining, how cold the night were etc? Also, was there any difficulty on the off road trail? Anything that surprised you? Did you encounter any dangerous wild life? Were there lots of critters or snakes so a tent is recommended or one might get around with a Bivy? And lastly, how about shops on the off-road part, were there any on the way? Now I’m sure some of these questions could’ve been answered in your video, and I’ve watched around 50% of it, however I skipped the parts with hills and off-road because I didn’t want to spoil the trip anymore :p Thanks man
Dominik Deluga : Hi, the climate in Norway is unpredictable throughout the year. Expect to experience extreme differences in temperature even in the summer. On my trip I left Oslo in 30oC (86f) and had 5oC (41f) in the mountains. Layer up with light weight clothing. I took a season 2 sleeping bag with comfort level 2oC (35f). I never felt cold at night but it can drop significantly during the night compared with day temperatures. Expect at least 5 days of rain if your doing a three week journey especially on the west coast (although you may get lucky!) But it usually doesn’t rain all day and consider it just part of cycling in Norway. On the wet days I ride less and on the good days ride more (have flexibility in your schedule). No dangerous wildlife in Norway. Safe to camp with tent or Bivy anywhere really. Just note, there are annoying mosquitoes and other midges in the forests and around lakes (bring repellent). The mountain roads are in reasonable condition but bad weather can cause erosion and landslides - meaning perhaps pushing your bike through certain sections. But nothing is of major concern. Going through the mountains is a must and pretty epic no matter the weather! Have fun and safe travels!
Dominik Deluga : forgot to mention, there is always a supermarket in every small town you pass. And plenty of gas stations so food is never an issue. Just stock up before you hit the mountains. But there is even mountain huts that sell supplies if you run short. Norway is an extremely organized and efficient country to travel around.
@@matthewnorway Thank you for your insightful reply Matthew, this really helps alot! We are very experienced in backpacking, but its our first trip bikepacking, plus in very wet conditions as I'm hearing :P Thank you once again!
In Spain you not aloud to pas a bike, unless there 1,5 meters to the bike. And it seems that they are following that rule ;-). Not i my country Denmark or in Norway ;-(
Wow! Whats up with those superhumans who cycle over 100km in a day, and keep going the next day!?! The most i have cycled in a day is 50km (with a MTB), and then it felt like my knees had turned to jelly, LOL! Im planning to buy a GOOD solar panel next month, and MAYBE do a month or 2 of bikepacking this summer - IF i can manage without my computer for that long... Its a good chance it will end after just some days...
I thought British drivers were dangerous a holes but they don't seem to be a patch on Norwegian drivers!! What dangerous a holes many of them seem to be passing so close and fast not only in the tunnels. Digger driver was a total c**t almost driving right over you. They are up there with Aussies who are down right psychopaths when they see a cyclist. Mike Hall was killed in Australia. The guy who killed him maintained he hit a kangaroo! Such a shame drivers are so inconsiderate as Norway is such a stunning landscape to ride through. Have any touring cyclists been killed on Norway's roads or in those tunnels? Just a tip I found the fast forwarding and very short time intervals showing images quite wearing and in the end irritating. I found my self skipping to sections trying to find video which was at normal speed. I guess you did this to cram as much in as possible? It might be counter productive? But Norway looks stunning and you obviously went to a lot of effort to produce the video. Trying not to be too critical. I was thinking of cycling in Norway but having seen what drivers are like I am thinking maybe it would be safer on a motorcycle such as an adventure bike so I can still go off road on the trails, but I would really rather cycle as I prefer cycling but Norwegian drivers looks like they hate cyclists. Death Wish! And there were far too many ads in your video every few minutes. I gave up. Sorry.
Yes a lot of drivers in Norway hate cyclists, they pass you as close as possible and some use the cleaner for front window when passing you just to give you a wet shower. Iv'e had cars so close they have touched my handlebars when passing...I usually only try to ride on gravel, almost all accidents cyclist encounter are being hit by a car or truck..
