🚲⚡ Electric bikes in Oslo and Trondheim: rental, storage at the office, safety
For nomads and relocants for a month: how to get an e-bike ‘for work’, where to store it near the office, how to stay dry and what are the rules on the metro/train. Below is a brief overview: rental services, daily/weekly options, secure parking and combining with Ruter/Vy.
📍 Where to get one and for how long — city services and ‘classic’ rental
🚲 Oslo (city bikes).
- Oslo City Bike — a quick option for everyday use. For a short ride: Discover Oslo (72 hours) — 119 NOK; 30-day subscription — 179 NOK (includes 60 minutes/trip on regular bikes). E-bikes are available in the system for an additional fee (e.g., 1.9 NOK/min for a 30-day subscription, separate billing/unlocking; details in ‘Products & prices’). Работает 05:00–01:00.
🚲 Тронхейм (городские велосипеды).
- Trondheim City Bike — 3-day pass 109 NOK (up to 180 min/trip), 30-day pass — 99 NOK (60 min/trip). Hours: 06:00–24:00. These are mostly ‘manual’ bikes; convenient for short everyday trips.
- Bonus: if you already have an AtB travel card (7/30/60/90/180 days), city bikes can be used free of charge for up to 30 minutes per trip — a good combination of tram/bus + bike.
🔄 Classic e-bike rental (per day/week).
- Oslo: Oslo Bike Rental — rents e-bikes for multiple days (pick up in Bogerud; more suitable for weekly plans). There are also rentals such as The Oslo Tour with daily e-bike rates (approximate price: ~350 NOK/24 hours, check the booking page for details).
- Trondheim: Trondheim Bike Adventures — a fleet of premium e-bikes (city/MTB), bookable for a day or longer.
Tip: for 2–4 weeks, it is often advantageous to rent city bikes for weekdays + a classic e-bike for separate ‘long-distance’ days.
🔐 Storage and security — parking at the office, locks, rain
Where to park at the office.
- Look for a locked bike room/inner courtyard of the building. If there isn't one, use station-based bike hotels (sykkelhotell): access via the Bane NOR Parkering app, 50 NOK for 30 days per station (auto-renewal, SMS notifications). Oslo also has municipal sykkelhotell Oslo at the same price.
How to lock your bike.
- Two locks: U-lock for the frame to the rack + cable/chain through the wheels/saddle. Remove the battery and keep it with you in the office.
- Rain protection: saddle cover, cover for the display/battery, quick ‘bag’ for the chain.
- In the evening: well-lit area, camera/courtyard, minimal ‘night’ outdoor exposure.
🚇🚆 Combining with public transport — metro/trains and ‘bike+rail’
Ruter (metro/tram/bus/boats in the metropolitan area).
- You can take your bike with you if there is space. On the underground — free outside rush hour, during rush hour (Mon–Fri 07:00–09:00 and 15:00–18:00), bikes are charged at the child fare; on buses/trams/boats — child fare always (if there is space).
Vy (trains).
- Bicycles usually cost 50% of the adult single fare, but no more than NOK 265; place your bike in the designated area and travel in the same carriage with your bike. Space is limited — staff will decide whether you can take your bike on board.
When to park at the station and continue by train.
- Long part of the route by rail, ‘last mile’ by e-bike: park your bike at sykkelhotell near the station (accessible via the app), then continue by train/metro. For daily routes, this is often faster and drier in bad weather.
🪖 Safety gear
- Helmet, front & rear lights, gloves
- Saddle cover, backpack rain cover
🔒 Locks & tools
- Two locks (U-lock + cable)
- Mini pump
🔋 Battery & backup
- Fully charged battery
- Plan B: travelcard / Ruter-Vy route
🛣 Route
- Office → park → home (safe bike lanes)
- Use planner with bike paths/green corridors
- For rail connection: stations with sykkelhotell nearby
📝 Mini checklist (quick start for 2–4 weeks)
- Download the Oslo/Trondheim City Bike app and look for 72h/30-day.
- If you need a full-fledged e-bike, book one from Oslo Bike Rental / Trondheim Bike Adventures for the days you need.
- Register for sykkelhotell at your ‘home’ station: 50 NOK/30 days through Bane NOR Parkering (or Sykkelhotell Oslo).
- Check the rules for transport: Ruter (free on the metro outside peak hours) and Vy (up to 265 NOK max).
- Put together a rain kit: a rain cover, saddle cover and spare socks.
The best combination for a workation: a city bike for short everyday trips + a ‘classic’ e-bike for long days, storage at a sykkelhotell and a backup with Ruter/Vy. This way, you can get to the office and ‘to the park after work’ without any unnecessary risks or getting wet.
FAQ
In Oslo, there is Oslo City Bike (with an additional charge for e-bikes) or Oslo Bike Rental for multi-day rentals; in Trondheim, there is Trondheim City Bike (manual bikes) + Trondheim Bike Adventures (e-bikes). For the office, there is sykkelhotell: 50 NOK/30 days via the app.
Yes. Ruter: free on the metro outside peak hours and at the ‘child’ fare during peak hours; on buses/trams — ‘child’ fare (if space is available). Vy: up to 50% of the adult fare, maximum 265 NOK, parking in special areas.
U-lock + cable, saddle cover, front/rear light, gloves, thin membrane, battery/display bag.
For sharing, there are mostly 3-day/30-day products (Oslo 72h = 119 NOK; 30 days = 179 NOK; Trondheim 3 days = 109 NOK; 30 days = 99 NOK). For classic rentals, there are daily and multi-day options (weekly rentals available upon request from the rental company).
