26.06 Noresund - Gol Game Over 😭

88 km, 5 hours 42 min cycling, 15,4 km/h, 943 m total ascent

Grand total 683 km and 7487 m ascent

Game over. My bum was getting worse and worse, started the day with two open wounds, and that HURTS. Made it to Gol with some teeth clenching, but I can't go on like this. Starts to get infected etc. you end up in hospital. So very disappointed, but I can't do anymore about it. Have to prepare better next time. More long rides, and probably change seat. Maybe this one is not suitable for touring,  although such seats used to work well when I did Trondheim-Oslo etc.

Wrong seat?

Try to make it better

Apart from that the route through Hallingdal valley is nice, good weather and the smell of fresh  cut grass everywhere. One of the good things of cycling, you experience more impressions than in a car.

Coffee in the Thon hotel at Bjørneparken (Bearpark, hadn't heard of it), and a relaxed lunch in the sunshine in Nesbyen. This gets me updated on Norwegian geography!

Cycling along national road Nr 7 is not ideal though. Lots of traffic,  and hardly any place for bikes. But I must say almost all cars are quite considerate. Still it does not always feel good having big trailers swishing close along.

This is what I like. 1m is enough, give us more of this!

But look back, it is not everywhere. In fact maybe 20 % of the stretch I biked. NOT GOOD ENOUGH!

 20 km before Gol I took a nice sideways on the east side of the river.

Nesbyen substation. With this picture I can register a working day  ☺.

Tried the same for the last 10 km, also nice, but quit a low standard, more like a track. Walked a couple of slopes in fact (partly due to my &condition&, bumpy road not ideal.

Walking here. Too bumpy 😣

#Cycling #tour #Hallingdal 

25.06 Jondalen - Noresund

94 km, 4 hours 50 min cycling, 18,7 km/h, 757 m total ascent, 226 m net descent

Rather uneventful and easy day. Funny spade in Flesberg. They call a spade for a spade.

Coffee in Lyngdal (my own, not much to buy today), and lunch on a bridge. A primer.

At Ørpen camping, a bit north of Noresund in Hallingdal. They still have those small huts, but there are ever fewer. Makes it harder to do without a tent in the future. I must admit, tent is not my favourite option. Too old for that I guess.

Would have liked a few km more, but no other options for more then 30 km, which I found too much. Tomorrow Gol, and then the mountains, Valdresflya. 1390m...

And people have funny ideas about cycling: talked with two trailer drivers the other day. They wondered what I had done wrong - they cycling as hard labor (straffearbeid). 

And I have passed half - 600 km, 526 left according to Google maps ( from Lindesnes it is about 490 km, so almost half).

#cycling #tour #Buskerud #Hallingdalen

24.06 Vrådal - Jondalen

115 km, 6 hours 46 min cycling, 16,9 km/h, 1537 m total ascent, 170 m net ascent  

Cycling back from Hans across the locks between Vråvatn and the Heddersvik fjord in beautiful weather.

Then 140m up in today's first ascent (of four). Right down 250 m with 11% and hairpin bends. This one worried me a bit, but no reason, the disk breaks work perfect and you need to break less than you think, even wit a lot of luggage. Safety first though.

Down to Kviteseid. The sign is the symbol of the Telemark road (Telemarksveien)

Coming down to Kviteseid it is right up again to Brunkeberg. Not too steep, but another 250m. Beautiful flowers at the roadside help to keep your spirit up.

Right down again to Seljord, coffee and cheesecake. Deserved!

So through the beautiful Flatdal before starting the day's third major climb up to Svartdal. Pause with picture at Nutheim, looking back and down to Flatdal.

Then the day's finest stretch, 27 km downhill with tailwind. Makes you feel in great shape! Then from Ørvella it is up-up-up again. It seems that is what Telemark is about. Thought to stop at Bolkesjø, but there was nothing there (according to the map it was). Fortunately I got a hut at Storaas,  another 5 km a 40m - pfff.

A good day, but bum still worrying me. Hope it doesn't get worse.

Why do they place these signs at 5,007 or similar (this is the case for nearly all down here). Do they place them wrongly and then adapt the number? Seems weird. Or is it just to give lonely cyclists something to wonder about (works)? Suggestions welcome.

#cycling #tour #Telemark