Oslo City Guide

oslocityguide

Norwegian glossary (Alex)

rapha city guide

Continued on page 16 »»

general:un autobus — group that rides

together to Unish within time limitune chute — fall, crashun commissaire — referee who

travels by carun coureur — rider, cyclistun cycliste — rider, cyclistun directeur sportif — managerun domestique — support riderun échappé — breakawayune équipe — teamun grupeto — same as autobusla lanterne rouge — last riderun peloton — pack, bunche patron — the “boss” of the pelotonun poursuivant — chaserun soigneur — rider's assistantun sprinteur — sprinterla tête de course — leader

riding styles:à bloc — riding all out, as hard and fast

as possiblela cadence — pedalling rhythmla danseuse — out of the saddleun grimpeur — climberun puncheur — a rider, often smaller

in stature, literally with a punchy style, whoexcels on short climbs and sprints from smallgroups (e.g. Paolo Bettini)

un rouleur — a rider who specialises insteady, consistent riding. Rouleurs are often‘super-domestiques’ able to provide a shelterfor the team leader for hours at a time.

un sprinteur — sprinter

equipment:un bidon — water bottleun casque — helmetune crevaison — Wat, punctureun dossard — number on rider's jerseyun maillot — jerseyune musette — feed bagun pneu — tire

A brass band was playing ‘A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square’ as we cycledup to the roof of the Oslo’s Operahuset. Rising like pack ice out of the mirror-still waters of the OsloVord, the strikingly modern opera house was itself ahuge white stage under a heavy grey sky. As the rooftop audience appreciatedthe jazz, we surveyed the city, spotting, between an office block and a hotel, theHolmenkollen ski jump high on the hill, to which we’d climbed that morning.

Norway is a big country, with not much in it; it’s easy, from the Operahuset orfrom Holmenkollen, to admire the compact city that nevertheless containsVords, mountains and woods within its boundaries. And it’s easy, on the bike,to appreciate clothing that takes you from mountain climb to opera house,through cold, persistent rain, in comfort and style.

Se journey between the two offered a different take on urban riding.Se city’squiet roads, green spaces and buildings painted in muted ochre colours are aworld away from London, Paris or New York. It’s a place you might encounter,while cycling through the old town on a Saturday morning, wedding crowds intraditional dress, and more horses than cars on the road. But it’s also a city offronts: where imposing exteriors conceal to design hotels, immaculate restau-rants and bars playing techno late into the night.

It’s sedate, but sophisticated; understated, elegant and relaxed. When you visit,use this guide to help you discover a different kind of city riding.

“0ere were angels dining at the Ritz… ”

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August 29, 1993: it was clear from the gun thatmany of the peloton did not fancy the day’s257.6km World Road Race Championshipscourse around Oslo.Sey had good reason: newtarmac, road paint and the unremitting, drivingrain caused one of the most crash-afflictedWorlds in recent memory. When pros fall offriding uphill, something is amiss.

Many big names were quickly shelled; some dueto fatigue, some at sheer disgust at the conditions.Dag-Otto Lauritzen, local hero and Urst Norwe-gian to win a mountain stage in the Tour, was oneof the principal animators; so too were MaurizioFondriest and Claudio Chiappucci, both amongthe favourites. With them, in a small lead groupin the penultimate lap, was a young Texan, a riderwho seemed to thrive in the rain. And, as theUnal lap came, Armstrong, following Lauritzenup the biggest of the course’s two climbs, openeda small gap, saw discouragement in the faces be-hind him, kicked and was gone.Se scant crowdcheered as he carefully descended the Ekeburghill, site of many of the day’s crashes, to hit thelong, Wat run-in 18 seconds ahead. Only Chiap-pucci had the heart to give serious chase.

0e pros: Oslo 1993,the changing of the guard

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Later, Armstrong was to claim that only bychecking his cycling computer did he know itwas the Unal lap. It doesn’t seem that way. Watchthe video: the beefy Texan, whose great-grand-parents were from Oslo, celebrates from 600 me-tres out, arms raised, a smile of disbelief on hisrain-soaked face.

Se 21-year-old was the second-youngest WorldChampion ever, and the youngest since the war.In the sunny amateur race the previous day, 19-year-old Jan Ullrich was the youngest to take thetitle since Merckx in ’64 – only two years after ar-riving at the Urst uniUed German Nationals withno cycling shoes, and nevertheless placing fourth.In the post-race photos he clutches a teddy bear,and looks impossibly young.

From today’s vantage point, the day seems quietlypivotal. Stephen Roche, in his last internationalrace, retired after Uve laps. Fignon, for whom therace was meant to be a swansong, decided hisform was too poor to make a telling team contri-bution and ducked out the week before. Indurain,who still had two Tour victories in him, never gotcloser to the World Champion hoops than thissecond place. And two riders, who would loomlarge over the next dozen years, deUnitively an-nounced themselves to the world.

For better, or for worse, one era gives way to an-other.

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Until recently, Norwegians were per-haps as likely to come to cycling as asummer respite from ski-ing as theirtop cyclists were to ski cross-country(great cardio-vascular and leg exercise)during the cold, dark winters.Sesedays, ski-ing is still popular, but EdvaldBoasson Hagen and others visit theOlympiatoppen, the national elite sportinstitute only a short ride from Oslocity centre, where the facilities includea giant rolling road for indoor cyclingtraining.Se alternative: spiked tyres,heated insoles and cycling through theblizzards.

Despite the climactic difficulties, thereis a competitive local racing scene, thehighlight of which is, perhaps, theStyrkeprøven.Sese are long organisedevents, inspired by resistance Ughterand cyclist Erik Gjems Onstad, whocycled the length of the country – andFinland and Sweden too – monitoringthe Nazi’s retreat.

Sough they’re open to all, at the toplevel the Styrkeprøven are fully sup-ported team time trials, in which up to30 riders from each club work together.Se record for the longest Styrkeprøven– the 540-kilometre Trondheim-Oslo –is under 12 hours, at a 42km/h average.Se prospect of giving your all for theteam and being spat out of the backwith 300km to go doesn’t bear thinkingabout.

local clubsIn Oslo for a while and looking forsomeone to ride with? Try contacting alocal club. Rapha recommends:

Sportsklubben Rye[check addreses with alex]www.sportsklubbenrye.no

IF Frøy[check addreses with alex]www.froy.org

0e locals: ski-ing and Styrkeprøven

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Compared with many capital cities, riding in Oslo is easyand relaxing. If you stay away from the larger roads anddual carriageways north and east of the Operahuset, yourjourney unwinds on uncrowded roads, with, for the largepart, careful and courteous drivers. Watch out, however,for the tramlines, which can catch a wheel and are slipperywhen wet.

With the Vord to the south, Vigeland sculpture park to thenorth-east, the Munch Museum to the north-west and theEkeberg to the east, Oslo is easy to navigate around.SeOperahuset, kvadraturen (old town), town hall, palace andstation are all central, within 5 minutes’ ride of each other.Frogner and Grünerløkka, Majorstuen and Bislett – allneighbourhoods worth visiting, are an easy cruise away.

See below for bike-hire details, or use the municipal hirescheme.Sese bikes, which rather pleasingly resembleChoppers, have three hub gears and are great fun to ride.Some have a back-pedal brake; all are high-geared enoughhit a decent speed.To use them, you need a swipe card, whichcan be picked up at the tourist offices next to the NaturalHistory Museum and the station. Eighty kroner gets youa card for the day: keep each bike for up to three hours ata time, and you won’t be charged anything more.Sere arerelatively few docking stations around town, but the cityis small enough that you’ll make short work of all trips.

Riding the city

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Ride to… KvadvaturenOslo’s handsome old town, with its armoury, bank andcrumbling brick buildings, is perfect for a Sunday af-ternoon spin.

Ride to…the Vigeland sculpture parkCreated by artist Gustav Vigeland in the middle ofthe sprawling Frognerparken, the 32-hectare land-scaped sculpture garden is home to 212 of the artistsmuscular, stylised sculptures celebrating the humanform.Frognerparken: Nobels gate 32, 0268 Oslo

Ride to… Akker Brygge and the boat to BygdøyOnce the heart of the city’s working docks, the area’srenovated warehouses are now home to shops, de-signer outlets and boutiques. In summer, visit the Sol-siden restaurant, on the water, for the freshest seafoodyou’ll ever taste.Aker Brygge is also where the number 91 ferry busstops.Take your bike on the boat to the suburb ofBigdøye, where museums await – or simply watch thesun going down from the weathered wooden dock,and the boats putt-putting through the Vord.Solsiden: Akershusstranda 13, Skur 34, 0150 Oslo

Ride to…HolmenkollenFor a challenging training ride, strike out to the north,towards the ever visible Holmenkollen ski-slope.Seelegant steel structure seems to Woat in the air, andthere’s a museum and coffeeshop to pass the time. Orpunish yourself on the 6km climb, which leads tosome of Oslo’s wilder roads.Kongeveien 5, 0787 Oslo

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the hotelGrims Grenka, on the edge of the oldtown, is the Urst – and so far only – de-sign hotel in Oslo. Come for modernrooms with Bang&Olufsen televisions,a stylish Scandinavian lobby, and, in thesummer, a rooftop terrace.— Kongens Gate 5, 0153, Oslowww.Ursthotels.com/Our-hotels/Ho-tels-in-Norway/Oslo/First-Hotel-GrimsGrenka

the bakeryUnited Bakeries is the perfect place tostop after a turn around the VigelandSculpture Park. Order hot chocolate,boller (spiced bun) or a range of patis-series at the white-tiled, shabby-chiccounter, then try to bag a place in thesunny courtyard.— Frognerveien 58, 0266 Oslowww.united-bakeries.no

the bike shopRaske Sykler, just north of theSlottsparken, is a trustworthy, inde-pendent bike shop that is well used tohandling both road and mountain bikerepairs.— Rasker Sykler, Pilestredet 47, 0350Oslo. www.raskesykler.no

the pasta stopBruno’s Proseccheria serves cold meatsand large, warming bowls of pasta in animmaculately designed setting. Eattagliatelle with blue cheese and wal-nuts, or linguine with locally caughtseafood, surrounded by globes of lighthanging from the ceiling, white chinaelephants and ceramic guns stuffedwith red roses.Rådhusgata 30, 0151 Oslowww.proseccheria.no

Se coffee shopIn a quiet side street off the mainsquare of Grunerløkka sits Tim Wen-delboe, one of the world’s premier cof-fee bars. With bare, blackenedWoorboards and no food, nor much fur-niture, on offer, the setting is austere.Pull up a wooden chair next to theroasting and bagging machines, listento the scratchy transistor radio and loseyourself in one of the carefully selectedbrews.— Grunersgate 1, Oslo 0552http://timwendelboe.no

Refuel, repair, replenish…Eat, drink, sleep, and look after your bike.

Norwegian glossary (Alex)

rapha city guide

roads and courses:un col — mountain passune côte — hill, slopeune course — raceune course par étapes — stage raceune descente — downward slopeune étape — stage, legla flamme rouge — red marker at

one kilometre from Unishles graviers — gravelhors catégorie — a climb beyond

classiUcation (extremely difficult)les lacets — a succession of cornersune montagne — mountainune montée — upward slopeun parcours — route, courseune plaine — plains, Wat landune piste — trackune plaque de goudron — a patch

of tarune route — roadun virage — (dangerous) cornerun virage en épingle à cheveux

— hairpin bend

riding phrases:chasse patate — ‘potato hunt’: riding

between two groupsêtre dans la pampa — ‘to be in the pampa’:

to end up cycling on one’s own, left behindne pas passer un pont de chemin de

fer — 'unable to cross a railway bridge’: to beterrible at cycling up hills

sucer les roués — ‘to suck wheels’:to stay close behind another rider

tenir le gouvernail — ‘to be at the helm’:to stay at the rear of the pack

finir sur la jante — ‘to end up on the rim’:to be completely knackered on arrival

pédaler avec les Oreilles — ‘to pedal with

one’s ears’: to pedal without technique or styleterminer la course dans l’etc —

‘to 1nish the race in the etc.’ : to Unish near the bot-tom of the classiUcation

verbs:accélérer — to accelerates’accrocher à — to cling, hang on toattaquer — to attack, spurt aheadchanger d’allure — to change pacechanger de vitesse — to shift gearscourir — to ride