Oslo Cycling — Mørkrunden Follo Loop

Mørkrunden is the one I reach for when I want a proper long day out but don't want to fight the traffic on Mosseveien. At 142 km it's a serious commitment, but the roads make it worth it — this is some of the finest cycling terrain in Follo.

The stretch out towards Ytre Enebakk is flat and fast — you can hold a good pace and the legs feel fresh. There can be some traffic on Enebakkveien, so I prefer to start early if possible, before the roads fill up. Once you're clear of the main artery the countryside takes over and things quiet down considerably.

The section between Burstad and Spydeberg is one I genuinely look forward to. Rolling terrain with small punchy crests — not long enough to hurt, but just enough to keep the rhythm interesting. You can carry real speed through here if the legs are good. I usually stop in Spydeberg for food before the next section — Stasjonskaffeen is reliable and well worth the break.

After Spydeberg, the turn onto Mørkveien is where the ride really opens up. This is my favourite stretch of the whole route — low traffic, smooth asphalt, and terrain that lets you hold a high tempo. Forest on both sides, little wind, and a sense that you've found a road most people don't know about. It's the kind of cycling that makes you want to come back.

The return through Garder and Kroer brings its own reward — quiet lanes, rolling farmland and virtually no cars. From Kråkstad the route rolls through open farmland past large fields and farms — gently undulating terrain that never feels like proper climbing, even if the legs are starting to feel the day. Past Ski a short, punchy rise has a habit of feeling harder than it should at this point. Siggerudveien continues in the same vein — rolling and varied, but nothing severe — before the road drops back into the Oslo suburbs and the flat run home to the Opera House.