MOUNTAIN BIKE TOUR IN NORWAY

ACCOMMODATION

With multiple days spent outside in Norway’s varied landscape, it is important to have a comfortable place to retreat to which will provide you with a good night’s rest. This is why we have teamed up with some of the best accommodations to ensure that your time indoors provides you with ample amenities for well-deserved relaxation.

Our number one provider of this relaxation is the historic Store Ringheim. Surrounded by greenery at the foot of the Hanguren Mountain, the former farmhouse has been redone and upgraded to a modern and spacious accommodation. Serving some of the best locally and seasonally produced food in Voss, the quaint and quiet location just 3 kilometers from town is the perfect get away after a busy day in nature.

MEALS

• 7 healthy Breakfast is included in the package and will be served fresh daily at your accommodation.
• Lunches – Sandwiches can be packed for take way at hotel breakfast
• 4 Dinners included a traditional Norwegian dinner and two other evenings we go out to explore the local restaurants to experience the Norwegian cosy towns. The cost run at approx. €17 – €28 Euros per dinner in the local restaurants.
• Trail snacks, post-ride brews and a local brewery tour

Please note that the tap water in Norway is some of the cleanest in the world – please refrain from purchasing bottled water.

FLIGHTS & TRANSFERS

Airfare is not included in this package and will need to be booked separately by the individual.

Many airlines fly to Bergen including KLM, Lufthansa,  Air France, Delta, SAS and Norwegian Air.

RIDE STARTING POINT

• We offer pick-up on DAY 1 from the Bergen Flesland International Airport (BGO) at 10:30 am, 1:30 pm and 5:00 pm.

If you’re arriving prior to DAY 1 we recommend staying at Hotel Zander, in Bergen. The group will meet at Hotel Zander at 6:30 pm on DAY 1.

If you’re arriving prior to DAY 1 you will need to arrange your own transportation from the airport.

We recommend taking the Flybussen airport bus to downtown Bergen. The bus will drop you off at the Bergen Bus Station Platform N which is a short walk to Hotel Zander. You can purchase a bus ticket when you arrive at the airport or in advance HERE.

RIDE ENDING POINT

• The ride ends at Hotel Zander in Bergen on DAY 7.

We offer an airport shuttle to the Bergen Flesland International Airport on DAY 7. We will depart the hotel at 10:00 am, 1:00 pm and 3: 00 pm. It is a 30-minute drive to the airport.

NOTE: If you are traveling with your own bike, we recommend you book a departure flight after 12:00 pm on DAY 7. This will provide you with more time to pack your bike and enjoy breakfast on the morning of DAY 7. A guide will be available from 7:30 am – 9:30 am to assist with bike packing.

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FITNESS AND SKILL REQUIREMENTS

Ensuring you are on a Ride that’s right for you, and ensuring you are ready for the physical and technical demands of a Ride, is of utmost importance to us. It helps ensure that you will be riding with other people of a similar skill and fitness level as you, and that you will be able to make the most of the experience and enjoy it to its full potential.

Here’s how you can assess whether or not you’re ready fo a particular Ride, and how we can help:

We’ve developed a 7-level Skill and Fitness Rating System with the help of some of our most senior guides. Click HERE  to review the Skill and Fitness Rating System. Though we recognize this is a very objective process, you may want to ask a friend who rides with you regularly to assess where you fit in, or Contact Us with a detailed description of your riding experience, and we’d be happy to help with your self-assessment.

We have several photos and videos available for each Ride that depict what can be expected on a particular Ride. Many of those videos were taken by our guides, staff and/or past clients on actual trips, and therefore showcase some of the trails you’d be riding and the level of skill required to handle those trails. Be sure to watch most of the videos available for the Ride(s) you are interested in, and assess whether or not the riding is appropriate for you.

When booking a Ride, we ask each Rider to tell us about their mountain biking experience, and to let us know if they have ever traveled with their mountain bike. The answers are reviewed by our staff and provide valuable insight as to whether or not the desired Ride is a good fit for them.

We follow up with a phone call if we think a Rider might not be quite up to the challenge (or might be ‘over qualified’) for certain Rides and discuss their skill level and fitness in detail to discover whether they are indeed a good fit, or if another Ride might be more suitable

Please pay close attention to the skill and fitness ratings for the Ride(s) you’re interested in, and be honest in your selfassessment.

RIDE ADD-ONS

We offer several add-ons (like mountain bike rentals, post-ride massages and single room upgrades) to help complement your Ride. See the add-ons tab to see pricing for each available add-on.

To book your Ride add-ons, you can either:

a) select them when you make your initial booking;

b) add them to your account via email at any time prior to start date (restrictions apply on the timing of

certain items)

TRAVELING WITH YOUR BIKE

If you’ve never traveled with your bike, don’t worry – it’s much easier than you think! Your local bike shop may have options to rent a bike bag or case, or if you’re planning on going on more than one bike trip, we recommend investing in a quality.

Our guides recommend any of the following products: THULE bike bag

BIKE DAMAGE DISCLAIMER

While participating in a Outdoor Norway trip, the Rider assumes all risk and expense related to loss or damage to the mountain bike, whether rented from a third party or owned by the Rider. This assumption of risk includes loss or damage due to transportation, theft, vandalism, accident, misuse or other events leading to the loss or damage of the mountain bike.

We recommend that Riders purchase their own insurance to cover their bikes, either through your homeowners or tenants insurance plan. It is uncommon for regular travel insurance policies to cover the cost of high-end, expensive bikes if damaged, lost or stolen.

GENERAL BIKE RENTAL INFORMATION

If you don’t feel like hauling your own bike around the globe, renting is an alternative option. However, as our rental bike fleets change often, we are unable to guarantee special requests, promise a particular brand, model or wheel size. If you are attached to the look, feel, geometry and specs of your bike, we highly recommend bringing it with you to ensure the best riding experience.

Note: If you are renting, and would prefer to use your own pedals and/or saddle, bring them with you and we’ll swap them out when you arrive. Our guides will have the required tools.

For bike rental pricing, please visit the Ride Add-Ons tab. Note that a small number of our Rides include bike rentals in the pricing (this would be mentioned in the ‘What’s Included’ tab).

ASSEMBLING YOUR BIKE WHEN YOU ARRIVE

If you’ve never assembled your bike, not to worry! Our guides will be on hand to assist.

BIKE RENTALS

Full suspension CUBE Stereo 160mm, 27.5+ with a dropper post.

WHAT’S THE IDEAL BIKE FOR THIS TRIP?

We recommend you bring a solid trail or light all-mountain bike with roughly 150 mm front and rear travel, a dropper seat post and grippy tires similar to Schwalbe Magic Mary Addix Ultrasoft 2.35.

We recommend running tubeless tires. Ideal bike weight is 12 – 14 kg (25 – 32 lbs). – a good compromise between being light enough for long climbs and beefy enough for technical trails.

A well maintained, well-functioning full-suspension mountain bike is mandatory.

We ask that all Riders be respectful of the group, and show up with the appropriate bike to minimize bike related delays before or during riding.

ARMOUR AND HELMET

Knee and elbow pads are recommended. The terrain in Norway is rocky, rooty and can be slippery.

WEATHER AND CLOTHING

The weather in Norway during the summer months can be quite warm during the day, with cooler mornings and evenings.

Temperatures can range from 15 – 25 degrees Celcius (59 – 77 Fahrenheit).

We recommend you bring layers for riding, as well as a high-quality rain jacket with a hood.

GENERAL PACKING LIST

Below is a comprehensive list for you to use as a guide only. These are items we suggest you consider bringing regardless of the Ride you are on – please also check the Ride-specific packing list above (if applicable), as there may be items that are specific to your Ride.

In efforts to pack appropriately, we encourage you to understand your destination’s climate during the month(s)

you are visiting. We also encourage you to refer to the Itinerary tab to understand the activities you will be taking

part in.

If you need a few items for your ride, check out your local bike shop or shop online.

You know your personal needs better than anyone so please pack accordingly. The following are suggestions based on our experiences in various destinations.

On the bike:

● jersey tops (mix of short sleeve, 3/4 sleeve and long sleeve)

● quick-dry cycling shorts with a quality chamois (padding)

● full-finger bike gloves (2 pairs recommended)

● cycling socks (synthetic or lightweight wool. We recommend Merino)

● arm and leg warmers

● helmet

● rugged yet versatile riding shoes (for your choice of clipless pedals or flats)

● knee and elbow pads

● if you ride clipless and you are renting a bike, please bring your pedals and shoes (Rental bikes are equipped with flat

pedal)

On and off the bike:

● rain jacket (Goretex with pit-zips)

● windbreaker (lightweight and form-fitting)

● sweater (fleece and form-fitting mid layer)

● quick-dry weatherproof pants with zippered pockets

● top and bottom base layers (synthetic or lightweight wool. We recommend Icebreaker)

● sunglasses (clear lens and polarized lens)

● backpack with hydration system (2-3L water capacity)

● cycling water bottle (with squirt lid)

● camera (phone, GoPro, point and shoot)

● ear warmer (toque or headband)

Chill time:

● swimwear

● flip flops

● small camp towel (to use for swimming etc.)

● comfortable, casual clothes for relaxing in (such as jeans, t-shirt, hooded sweater)

● down-filled coat

● trail shoes or hiking boots

● flashlight or headlamp

Personal and First Aid:

● toiletries i.e. toothbrush and toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner, soap, feminine hygiene products etc.

● sunscreen (oil-free for sport)

● anti-bacterial wipes

● anti-bacterial gel

● chamois creme

● first-aid kit (ibuprofen, band-aids, Polysporin, tweezers)

Random stuff you don’t realize you need, well, until you need it:

● electrical and/or duct tape

● international travel power adapter and converter (if required)

● zip-lock bags

● zip ties

● mesh laundry bag

● eyemask and ear plugs (if you’re a light sleeper)

● alarm clock

TOOLS TO BRING

We recommend bringing the following tools with you. Rest assured your guides will have a full tool kit, but it’s a good idea to

have the following items with you in case of trailside breakdowns:

multitool (preferably with chainbreaker)

tire levers

small bottle of chain lube

small tire pump (not a floor pump)

SPARE PARTS FOR YOUR BIKE

Although there may be some parts available locally, we recommend you bring the following parts with you to avoid

availability problems in case of broken parts:

Rear derailleur hanger (at least 1, preferably 2)

Front and rear brake pads (1 set of each is sufficient)

Extra chain if your chain is more than 6 months old

2-4 spare tubes (our guides can’t realistically carry enough 26″, 27.5″, and 29″ tubes for everyone)

2 extra spokes

Any rare parts that might be hard to find locally (Shimano and SRAM are generally available in all our locations, but Magura levers, for instance, might not be available everywhere)

N.B. If you are renting a bike, the above is not necessary.

CANCELLATIONS

You may cancel your reservation and get 100% of your money back within 14 days of booking. After that 2-week window, our lifetime deposit policy comes into effect. For more on our cancellation policy, please visit https://www.outdoornorway.com/terms-conditions/

TRAVEL INSURANCE

Travel medical insurance is not mandatory but highly recommended for all of our trips. If you have your own travel medical insurance it needs to:

a) cover evacuation (e.g. air evacuation) and hospital costs while in other countries

b) cover mountain biking trips (some policies include mountain biking in their list of ‘extreme’ sports that are not covered).

We strongly recommend also getting insurance that covers the following:

• Trip cancellation up to 100% of your trip cost

• Equipment protection for delay, loss, theft and damage (if traveling with your bike/expensive equipment)

• Trip interruption up to 100% of trip cost

• Medical expenses up to $50,000

• Emergency medical transportation up to $1,000,000

Please note that our cancellation policy is strict. If you decide not to purchase cancellation/interruption insurance, and then get hurt or sick before or during your Ride, please don’t ask us for a refund.

For travelers from around the world, we recommend World Nomads.

For U.S. travelers, we recommend Global Rescue (Individual Medical Plan with Signature Travel Insurance Plan)

EMERGENCY CONTACTS

If your loved ones need to contact you during your trip for emergency reasons, they can reach us during office hours at the following numbers: +47 4597 1515

If you do not receive an immediate answer when calling the above numbers, please leave us a detailed message, with a phone number and your email address and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Should you or your family require local contact with our Norway team, please contact our Ride Director,

NAME: Marcio Franco

EMAIL: franco(at)outdoornorway.com

PHONE: +47 970 87 318

TIPPING

Recognizing and compensating our guiding team for the level of service you’ve received is a personal matter. We pay our guides very fair wages by industry standards but given the seasonality of their employment, they do welcome tips to help supplement their income (and recognize their hard work).

At the end of the ride, if you feel you have received outstanding service and that your guides have contributed to a highly enjoyable trip, we encourage you to provide them with a tip of your choosing. We know that tipping may not be customary for everyone, but please know they are highly appreciated in the guiding industry.

A typical gratuity varies between 2% – 5% of your Ride price per guide, depending on your level of satisfaction. e.g. $4000

trip = $80-$200 per guide. Guides are grateful for tips in USD or the local currency. You may wish to tip guides individually based on your time spent interacting with each guide, or provide the Lead Guide with a tip to be divided evenly amongst the team.

WIFI:

Wifi is available on all hotels of the ride.

Norway has a good 4G coverage and currently implementing a 5G

ELETRICITY ⚡️

Norway uses the standard Euro plug socket with two round prongs so you can use adapter types “C” or “F” (often labelled as a Northern Europe adapter).

The standard voltage is 230 V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz. Make sure to check the voltage labels on your appliances or chargers to see if you need to use just an adapter or a converter/transformer with an adapter.

LAUNDRY:

Laundry is available on all days of the ride upon request.