Oslo Cycling — Mørkrunden Follo Loop
About this Route
← Oslo & Oslofjord Cycling GuideMørkrunden takes you south from Oslo, through Follo and into Østfold. You start at the Opera House, ride out of the city along Enebakkveien and continue past Ytre Enebakk and south to Spydeberg. That's where the loop earns its name: eighteen kilometres without a break on Mørkveien, past Mørk farm and the golf course.
142 kilometres and 1,662 metres of climbing, but no ascent above 196 metres. The difficulty is in the distance, not the terrain. The way home runs through Garder, Kroer and Kråkstad, on narrow roads without a centre line between farms and fields, with two station cafés along the way.
Mørkrunden is my go-to loop when I want a properly long day without wrecking myself on the climbs. 142 kilometres, out from the Opera House and back to the same place, and most of it on roads where you'll barely see a car. It works just as well on your own as with friends.
You ride out of the city along Enebakkveien, and the hardest work of the day comes straight away. Between kilometre 1 and 3 you climb 116 metres, and it's the steepest thing you'll meet all day. The legs are fresh, it's easy to put too much into it, and you'll feel it again towards the end. Past Klemetsrud the traffic tends to pick up, so I prefer to start early, while the road is still quiet. On towards Ytre Enebakk it flattens out, with a couple of short rollers, and you can hold a good pace without working hard for it. After Ytre Enebakk the traffic thins out.
From Burstad on the terrain rolls. Short rises, but you carry the momentum over the tops, and it moves along nicely if the legs are behaving. Stasjonskafeen in Spydeberg sits in the old station building, and that's where I usually stop. Buns and coffee, and tools to borrow if something has worked loose along the way.
Shortly after Spydeberg you turn onto Mørkveien. Lovely small roads without a centre line, and the forest stands close on both sides so you're sheltered from the wind. There's next to no traffic. You pass Mørk farm and the golf course, and the terrain is flat enough that the speed almost holds itself for the next eighteen kilometres. These are the kilometres I think about when I'm on the turbo in March.
At Ringvoll the landscape opens up with long straights, and the surroundings are worth looking up for. Then come Garder and Kroer — narrow lanes between farms and fields, past Kroer church. These are perhaps the finest and most popular roads cyclists have in Follo.
At Kråkstad, Stasjonskafeen sits right at the railway station. Plenty of pastries and good coffee, a local favourite among cyclists, and the perfect place to take the break. On towards Ski the terrain stays flat, past fields and strawberry farms. The rise after Ski isn't especially steep, but it can feel heavy that late in the ride. Siggerudveien carries on in the same style, rolling and fast, and then you're back in the suburbs with a flat run-in to the Opera House.
It's a long day. But it's one of those loops where I get home already knowing I'll do it again.
Kilometre by Kilometre
Leave the Opera House and head south on Enebakkveien. Flat and fast — you can hold a good pace early. Some traffic on weekdays, so an early start pays off. The road gradually quietens as the city gives way to the Follo countryside.
Rolling terrain with small punchy crests — not long enough to hurt, but enough to keep the rhythm interesting and the speed high. At 56 km, Spydeberg is the natural food stop. Stasjonskafeen at the station is excellent.
The turn onto Mørkveien after Spydeberg is where the ride opens up. Low traffic, smooth asphalt and terrain that rewards high tempo. Forest on both sides, little wind exposure — some of the finest cycling roads in Follo.
Quiet lanes through two of Follo's most charming villages — virtually no cars, rolling farmland and a relaxed pace. A welcome change of rhythm after the fast middle section.
At Kråkstad station there is a cosy café if you need a final boost. From here the route rolls through open farmland past large fields and farms — the terrain undulates gently and never feels like proper climbing, even if the kilometres add up. Past Ski there is a short, punchy rise that has a habit of feeling harder than it should at this point in the ride. Siggerudveien continues in the same vein — rolling and varied, but nothing severe. The final kilometres bring you back down into the Oslo suburbs and the flat run to the Opera House.
Gallery
Route map & elevation profile
Highlights
- •Mørkveien is the middle section and the reason the loop carries the name it does. You turn onto it just after Spydeberg and stay on it for 18 kilometres without a break — smooth asphalt, forest on both sides, barely a car. This is where you get the speed up.
- •From Ytre Enebakk south, Follo opens out. Long straights past Ringvoll, big fields either side, a winding stretch towards Kroer church. Nothing dramatic, just consistently good for mile after mile — and the road is more or less yours.
- •Both café stops are in the station buildings at Spydeberg and Kråkstad, both still working stations. Buns and pastries at each, and in Spydeberg they'll lend you tools if you need them.
- •Start and finish is the Opera House in central Oslo. You're clear of city traffic within the first few kilometres, and from there it's open road for the rest of the day.
Must know
- ⚠Stasjonskafeen in Spydeberg is closed on Mondays. If you're riding early in the week, make Kråkstad your food stop instead — so you don't arrive at a locked door at km 56.
- ⚠Stasjonskafeen at Kråkstad sits around 400 metres off the route and closes mid-afternoon. It's a short detour, not a stop you roll straight past. If you're running late, plan the break elsewhere.
- ⚠The steepest climbing comes between km 1.4 and 3.4, while the legs are fresh and you're still in the city — 116 metres at just under 6%. It's easy to burn matches there. Settle down, you've got 140 km to go.
- ⚠The 1,662 metres of climbing arrive in small doses all day rather than as long ascents. You never get a steady rhythm to settle into, and the short rises add up more than the profile suggests.
- ⚠Best from March to October. Much of the route crosses open farmland, so it's exposed and cold in the shoulder season — dress in layers.
Café & Water
- km 56Stasjonskafeen Spydeberg
Cosy café with great pastries and drinks. Buns and sandwiches. Popular with cyclists. They also lend out bike tools if needed.
- km 107Stasjonskafeen Kråkstad
Same style as Stasjonskafeen in Spydeberg — cosy, great pastries, popular with cyclists.
Frequently asked questions
- How hard is it?
- 142 kilometres with 1,662 metres of climbing and no ascent above 196 metres. It's rated hard for the distance, not the profile. If you're used to long days in the saddle, it goes fine.
- Why is it called Mørkrunden?
- The route passes Mørk, the Mørk golf course and Mørkveien through the middle section. It's an established name among cyclists in Oslo and Follo — we've only borrowed it. You pass the golf course at around km 69.
- Do I need to carry food and water?
- No more than on any long ride. The two station cafés are the natural stops, but there are petrol stations and shops along the way where you can fill bottles and pick something up.
- How much traffic is there?
- Little, apart from Enebakkveien heading out of Oslo. That carries a fair amount of commuter traffic on weekdays. On a Sunday morning the roads are more or less yours — that's when the loop is at its best.
- How does it compare to the Son loop?
- Same Follo terrain, but Mørkrunden is 24 kilometres longer and pushes south into Østfold rather than out towards the fjord. The Son loop is 118 kilometres. If you want the longest day on Oslo's south side, this is the one.
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Route Details
- Country
- Norway
- Region
- Oslo & Oslofjord
For experienced cyclists. Significant elevation and demanding distances.