Leiesykkel is the Norwegian word for a rental bike, and el-sykkel is the word for the electric variant. Bike rental for serious multi-day touring is well-developed in Norway: the major active-travel operators stock proper gravel-style touring bikes with rear racks, hydraulic disc brakes, modern tubeless tyres in the 32-38 mm range, and either traditional drivetrain or electric assistance. Most cycling trips we arrange include the option of either bringing your own bike or renting locally; in practice, most international visitors rent.
Standard rental quality is genuinely good. The bikes are typically Trek, Giant, Cube, Norco or similar mid-tier brands of recent vintage (most operators replace their fleet every two to three years), well-maintained, properly fitted at pickup, and shipped to the trip start point if needed. Pickup and return are at the start and end of the trip respectively; the rental period covers the full multi-day route. Helmets, panniers (for travelers carrying their own day kit) and basic repair kits are included.
Electric bikes have changed the calculation for several Norwegian cycling trips. The Trollstigen day on the Ålesund-Åndalsnes route - about 1,000 meters of cumulative climbing on gradients up to 10% - is genuinely demanding on a standard road bike but becomes manageable for a much wider range of riders on an e-bike. The same is true of the steeper sections of the Hardanger orchard country, the inland mountain crossings, and the longer days on the Lyngen and Vesterålen coastal routes. E-bike rental typically runs roughly double the standard rate (NOK 600-900 per day versus NOK 300-450), but for travelers who would otherwise miss the experience because of the climbing requirement, it transforms the trip.
What to bring for any Norwegian cycling trip regardless of bike source: padded cycling shorts (the local rental operator does not supply these), proper cycling gloves, a good cycling-specific rain jacket (Norwegian weather), spare inner tubes (not always included in the basic kit), and a small saddle bag if you do not want to load the rear panniers for in-day storage. We send a detailed kit list with every booking. See The Helgeland coast by bicycle for a longer treatment of how the format works in practice.