Norway is a cyclist’s paradox: impossibly beautiful and quietly unforgiving. My husband and I set out on a multi-day cycling trip across the fjords, covering long distances with relentless elevation, starting in Vossevangen and heading west.

Day 1: Vossevangen ➡️Balestrand

• 97.7 km
• 1,795 m elevation

The roads traced the fjords like a sketchbook line. Smooth pavement. Long climbs. No wasted scenery.

Day 2: Balestrand ➡️Førde via Gaularfjellet

• 103 km
• 1,846 m elevation

Gaularfjellet delivered tight switchbacks and steady gradients that demanded patience more than power. At the top, the Utsikten viewpoint offered a reward that reset everything.

Day 3: Førde ➡️Sandane (Ramsdalsheia Mountains)

• 105 km
• 1,599 m elevation

This stage was quieter but just as demanding. Towards the end, I lost my right pedal with 13 km remaining. No mechanical miracle. Just finishing what we started. With one leg.

The Women’s Jade XZ Shoes proved invaluable here, stable enough to keep riding when ideal conditions were no longer an option.