First Tour (Norway)

[Doormat]

Hi I'm planning on doing about a 3/4 week tour in the beginning of August. I'm 20 and doing it Alone. I'll mostly be wild camping. Flying into bergen from Dublin (flight most likely to oslo then on to Bergen) I plan to cycle to Voss, then take the Rallavegen to Flam where I'll take boat through the fjord and back to Flam. Continuing on down the Rallavegen and to its end, I'll hopefully then make it to Oslo.
If I have time/money I might cycling/train it to Stockholm.

Here's just a few questions.
Should I have a GPS? Id rather not (feels like cheating) but I don't want to get lost and I'm not great with a map as I often don't know where I am to begin with.I don't want to waste days trying to find my way or take a one wrong turn and be set back days. Norway seems to have little towns in the centre so it should be straight forward enough just following one road from town to town? (Obiviously knowing the towns names before I go and where non cyclist tunnels are)

I'll be bring my SLR camera and phone which will need charging, do you recommend a dynamo? There a bit expensive so I'm not sure. Was gonna buy extra batteries and portable chargers. Anyone use a dynamo? Might need to for lights in tunnels?

I'm currently using just standard running shoes and pedals. I see clip less and cleats would greatly increase my efficiency cycling but there adding to my basket of expenses would cage pedals suffice or should I just spend a bit extra for clip less? Better for long run.

Also would I need fully waterproof clothing or is shower proof enough for touring and wild camping? Again thinking of money, waterproof always seems expensive ha.

Finally, a lot of people recommend a power meter for efficiency and to teach me how to pace etc but they are as expensive as my bike!! Can't understand why, is there no work around?

Yes I'm fairly new to cycling and really noobie to touring.
I'm saving for a tour bike at the moment and all of the above expenses are scaring me as I'm a student with little money
Planning a weekend tour to test myself first before I go.
Thanks

[pal]

I can't answer all your questions, but a couple of thoughts (based on my experiences of touring in Norway):

GPS: generally I think you don't need it for Norway -- there aren't that many roads to choose from! (And the signposting is generally good.) A useful feature of Norwegian roads is that they have regularly-spaced signs (usually at 1km intervals) giving the number of the road and the distance to (or from) the next major junction (or sometimes to the nearest county boundary): useful for reassurance that you're on the right road, and for keeping track of how far you've gone. The one exception could be getting through and out of Bergen (though you could avoid having to do this if you head south/east from the airport, I suppose): threading a route around the main roads and tunnels can be fiddly. The same will apply for getting into Oslo. I use the OMaps app on my phone for city navigation: you can pre-load maps (so avoid data charges), and then just use it like google maps. The only other navigational foible to be aware of is that Norwegians are very keen on building new tunnels (and, to a lesser extent, bridges) -- it's worth checking the latest maps before you set off, or you might find that the road suddenly starts doing unexpected things...

Waterproofs: Norwegian rain is Proper Rain. I suppose that might be an argument for not bothering with waterproofs (on the grounds that even with waterproofs, you'll still end up getting wet...), but I'd say it's worth trying to stay dry for as long as possible (especially if you're camping). It can get pretty cold, too, so I'd say it's worth having some sort of leg covering which you'd be happy cycling in in the rain -- leg warmers, perhaps, if you don't like cycling in waterproof trousers.

Power meter: definitely not an essential for touring, imho. Some sort of cycle computer can be useful for navigation (and for the satisfaction of knowing how much ground you've covered), but a very basic one will do the job perfectly well (and in many ways is preferable for touring, because the battery will last pretty much indefinitely: one less thing to charge).

Charging stuff: I take a solar charger, which usually provides just enough juice for a phone (and can be topped up at power-sockets too, and then just used as a spare battery pack). You're right that it's important to have lights for the tunnels (and worth considering taking a high-viz vest too).

Norway's a great place to cycle: I hope you have a great time!

(ps re train to Stockholm: it's very easy to take a bike on Norwegian trains, but pretty much impossible to put one on Swedish trains. So Olso-Gothenburg would be ok with a bike, because that route's run by NSB [Norwegian Railways], but getting beyond that would be trickier. Mind you, Gothenburg to Stockholm is quite a nice ride too!)

[Doormat]

I can't answer all your questions, but a couple of thoughts (based on my experiences of touring in Norway):

GPS: generally I think you don't need it for Norway -- there aren't that many roads to choose from! (And the signposting is generally good.) A useful feature of Norwegian roads is that they have regularly-spaced signs (usually at 1km intervals) giving the number of the road and the distance to (or from) the next major junction (or sometimes to the nearest county boundary): useful for reassurance that you're on the right road, and for keeping track of how far you've gone. The one exception could be getting through and out of Bergen (though you could avoid having to do this if you head south/east from the airport, I suppose): threading a route around the main roads and tunnels can be fiddly. The same will apply for getting into Oslo. I use the OMaps app on my phone for city navigation: you can pre-load maps (so avoid data charges), and then just use it like google maps. The only other navigational foible to be aware of is that Norwegians are very keen on building new tunnels (and, to a lesser extent, bridges) -- it's worth checking the latest maps before you set off, or you might find that the road suddenly starts doing unexpected things...

Waterproofs: Norwegian rain is Proper Rain. I suppose that might be an argument for not bothering with waterproofs (on the grounds that even with waterproofs, you'll still end up getting wet...), but I'd say it's worth trying to stay dry for as long as possible (especially if you're camping). It can get pretty cold, too, so I'd say it's worth having some sort of leg covering which you'd be happy cycling in in the rain -- leg warmers, perhaps, if you don't like cycling in waterproof trousers.

Power meter: definitely not an essential for touring, imho. Some sort of cycle computer can be useful for navigation (and for the satisfaction of knowing how much ground you've covered), but a very basic one will do the job perfectly well (and in many ways is preferable for touring, because the battery will last pretty much indefinitely: one less thing to charge).

Charging stuff: I take a solar charger, which usually provides just enough juice for a phone (and can be topped up at power-sockets too, and then just used as a spare battery pack). You're right that it's important to have lights for the tunnels (and worth considering taking a high-viz vest too).

Norway's a great place to cycle: I hope you have a great time!

(ps re train to Stockholm: it's very easy to take a bike on Norwegian trains, but pretty much impossible to put one on Swedish trains. So Olso-Gothenburg would be ok with a bike, because that route's run by NSB [Norwegian Railways], but getting beyond that would be trickier. Mind you, Gothenburg to Stockholm is quite a nice ride too!)

Thanks very much for the useful information. yeah I cant even afford a power meter anyway
when I get water proofs, im going to get high vis ones so that I don't need both high-vis and a water proof.
Thanks fort he heads up on the Swedish trains, would never have thought about that.

[psmiffy]

Are Swedish rail not doing that midsummer thing that they throw their normal bicycle rules out - Im sure there was a thread on here a while back

[pal]

I have a feeling that they've abolished even that (certainly there's no mention of it on their website any more) -- and when it did exist it applied only to small set of routes. Frustrating!

[StirlingCrispin]

" plan to cycle to Voss"
You can do this easily by train from Bergen and will save you battling away on busy roads.
At the least use it to the train from the city and then cycle from there. (Dale to Voss is 35 miles and quiet roads all the way).

(Think it's 106 miles from Bergen to Voss by bike on decent roads, although it seemed further in the torrential rain).

We stayed in the hostel at Mjollfjell, just up the road from Voss. (Stunning. From here we caught the mountain railway to Flam for a day out. There was a cycle track beside the railway for the descent to Flam- get off at halfway and freewheel down.

The Vik to Voss mountain road is a classic too.

PS: You will need full waterproofs. It rains a lot in Norway!

Drop me an email if you want more info and I'll dig out maps and stuff.

Enjoy!

[beardy]

Finally, a lot of people recommend a power meter for efficiency and to teach me how to pace etc but they are as expensive as my bike!! Can't understand why, is there no work around?

Is there a possibility that they were having a joke at your expense?

Though congratulations should be in order for asking a question not previously asked on the Forum.

[pwa]

Just a word on shoes / pedals. I use clip-in pedals, but there really is no need for what you are doing. Your best option might be MKS pedals with half toe clips (small cages that your toes nestle into, stopping your feet slipping off the front of the pedal). Don't use any clips that involve straps because some non-cycling shoes might not slide out as easily as you need in an emergency. Bike+ are one source of these pedals.