Cycle Norway

Cycle Norway is a digital platform for cyclists wanting to explore Norway through self-guided routes, curated regional experiences, and an active community of like-minded riders. Unlike a traditional tour operator, the platform is a comprehensive cycling resource — combining hundreds of personally verified routes, detailed regional guides, curated multi-day experiences, a freemium membership system, and a social layer where cyclists can connect, share, and plan together.

The scope of this project went well beyond building a website. We were tasked with designing and developing a platform whose architecture had to support a large and growing content library, a subscription model with conditional access logic, a multilingual audience, and a companion social platform — all executed to a precise, non-negotiable design specification. The work was delivered across multiple rounds, each expanding the platform’s capabilities as the product evolved.

This was one of the more architecturally demanding projects we’ve taken on — not because any single part was unusually complex, but because every layer of the build added constraints that had to be respected by every other layer simultaneously.

We approached this as a platform build rather than a website project — architecture and system design came before any front-end decisions.

Strict design execution with Elementor and custom code
We built the site on a custom WordPress theme with Elementor used for layout composition, supplemented by substantial custom code throughout. This combination gave us the design precision the client required while maintaining the editorial flexibility the platform needed. Where Elementor’s defaults couldn’t meet the design spec, we overrode or extended them with custom development.

Custom content architecture for tours and regions
We designed a multi-level taxonomy and post type structure to handle the full depth of the tour content:

• Separate post types for routes, experiences, and regional guides
• Hierarchical region and sub-region taxonomies
• Dedicated page templates for each content type, adapted to the specific layout requirements of that content
• Tour and sub-tour relationships handled through custom logic rather than default WordPress hierarchy, giving the client full editorial control over how content is grouped and presented

Subscription plugin integration and customisation
We integrated a premium subscription plugin and extended it significantly to fit Cycle Norway’s freemium model. Rather than wrapping content in simple paywalls, we built a conditional logic layer that runs across the platform — controlling what each membership tier sees within tour pages, route detail views, downloadable files, maps, and other areas. The result is a coherent tiered experience where free users see genuine value while premium content is naturally revealed as an upgrade.

Multilingual implementation
Full multilingual support was implemented across all content types and templates, including dynamic membership flows, conditional content states, and the community platform. The site correctly serves Norwegian and English audiences across all layers of the platform.

Social and community platform
We designed and built a companion social platform integrated into the Cycle Norway ecosystem — giving cyclists a space to connect with other riders, join interest groups, and participate in forums. The platform is positioned as a cycling-specific alternative to mainstream social media, tied directly into the Cycle Norway membership system.

Phased delivery
The project was delivered in multiple rounds, with each phase extending the platform’s capabilities. This phased approach allowed the product to launch and grow incrementally — adding subscription features, expanding the content architecture, and building out the social layer without disrupting what was already live.