West of Lake Mjøsa, Norway's largest lake, the land rises into the gentle hills of Toten, some of the best farmland in the country. Reinsvoll is a small community here, set among fields, farmsteads and patches of spruce forest, with long views over the lake and the hills beyond. It is a quiet place, where you are more likely to meet a tractor than a tourist.
The region has a long history of farming and industry. Nearby Raufoss is home to a big industrial park whose roots lie in an ammunition factory founded in the nineteenth century, and Gjøvik, on the shore of Mjøsa, has a cavern hall built inside a mountain for the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics. Mjøsa itself is deep and long, and the old paddle steamer Skibladner, the oldest paddle steamer in regular service in the world, still plies its waters in summer.
The riding here is pleasant, with rolling roads through farmland and forests, and views over the lake. To the north and west, the roads climb towards the mountains of Valdres and Jotunheimen, leading eventually to the Sognefjellet, the highest mountain pass in northern Europe. Traffic is light, but speed limits are low and enforced, and wildlife, especially moose, can be a hazard. In spring, frost heaves and gravel make the minor roads uneven.
Reinsvoll is too small to count on for fuel; Raufoss or Gjøvik is where to fill the tank and find a proper meal. A picnic by the lake or a coffee in Gjøvik's harbour are good ways to break the ride. Norway is expensive, so supermarket lunches are common among travelling riders.