The Glomma, Norway's longest river, swings past Askim on its way to the sea, and the town grew up on the energy it provides. A large hydroelectric plant at Solbergfoss harnesses the river nearby, and in the twentieth century Askim became known for its rubber works, which turned out tyres and boots for half of Norway. Today it is the main town of the inland Østfold district, with a modern centre, schools and shops, surrounded by wide farmland, lakes and forested ridges.
For riders, Askim is a gateway rather than a destination. The E18 runs straight past on its way towards Sweden, and the county roads around it head off through gentle, open countryside towards the lakes and the river. Much of the landscape here was shaped by the last Ice Age: the great Ra moraines, long ridges of gravel and boulders left by the retreating ice, cross Østfold, and some of the gentle high ground you ride over is exactly that.
Roads are smooth and quiet outside commuter hours, but the speed limits are low by continental standards and well policed. Moose are a real hazard at dawn and dusk, particularly where forest meets field; the warning signs are not decoration. Spring brings frost heaves on smaller roads, and gravel lingers on bends after winter.
Askim has several fuel stations, supermarkets and cafés, making it a sensible place to fill up and buy food before the long drive west towards the fjords. Norway is expensive, so a picnic from a supermarket is a common and perfectly respectable lunch for travelling riders. Take a short walk down to the riverbank before setting off; the Glomma is broad and powerful here, a reminder of how much water drains out of the mountains to the north.