Storseisundet is the bridge everyone has seen, even if they do not know its name: the long, curving span on the Atlantic Road that seems from the front to rise up and end in the sky. It is the longest of the eight bridges, about 260 metres, and it climbs to a height of some twenty-three metres above the water, enough for the fishing boats to pass beneath. The way it is built, with a bend in the middle and a steep hump, makes it look from one angle as though the road ends in mid-air, and the optical illusion has made it a favourite with film crews, car advertisers and photographers.
The experience of riding it is better than the photograph. As you approach, you see the road rise and curve, and then you are up, with the sea on both sides and the land laid out below. On a clear day the horizon is wide and the light bright, and on a stormy one the sea thunders against the skerries and the rain hammers sideways. The best way to see the bridge is from the parking area on the rock beside it, from which you can walk to a viewpoint and look back along its curve. A short loop path leads out to the shore.
The weather is the big thing here. In winter, storms can be violent, and waves have been known to break over the road, but even in summer a strong wind can make a motorbike twitch on the high span. Hold the bars firmly and keep your speed down. Rain, fog and low cloud can all spoil the view, so be flexible and come back at another hour if you have the time. Evening and early morning are the best times for light and for fewer tourists.
The road around the bridge is well kept, with parking areas, toilets and a small café at one of the rest stops, where you can buy coffee and waffles when the season is on. Fuel is in Kristiansund, about twenty-one kilometres to the north-east, so make sure you start the day with a full tank. It is worth stopping to watch the birds: gulls, eiders and the odd white-tailed eagle all use the thermals around the skerries, and a patient visitor may see a seal.