Road cyclists in Helsinki area?
Road cyclists in Helsinki area?
Over the past year I've become quite keen on road cycling, and what with the spring not too far around the corner I was wondering if there are any clubs that do runs at weekends etc. I've never really ridden in a group before so I'd need to learn the basic etiquette in a situation where my lack of working Finnish wasn't a problem. Alternatively, if there are other people out there in the same situation maybe we could get a small group together in the spring for occasional rides to Porvoo or wherever at weekends? I'm OK but not megafit, can maintain 30kph over 50km+ on a good day.
Re: Road cyclists in Helsinki area?
Hi smoo
Well, if I were over there I certainly would be interested...
I have looked at a number of sites on cycling in Finland... There is an annual event a kind of road rally sort of thing in August going from Tornio to Kilpisjärvi... Looks interesting and the people looked like they were having a good time...there seemed to be a lot of foreigners, as they had a name list on the link. I think that could even give a person a nice training incentive. I also found a site dealing with some serious looking Hki road cyclists... They looked quite fit , well equipped and very serious about what they were doing...
I'll see if I can dig out those sites in the next couple of days...there are likely other groups if you can find them.... I'm not sure if there are that many cyclists on the FF though...
Well, if I were over there I certainly would be interested...
I have looked at a number of sites on cycling in Finland... There is an annual event a kind of road rally sort of thing in August going from Tornio to Kilpisjärvi... Looks interesting and the people looked like they were having a good time...there seemed to be a lot of foreigners, as they had a name list on the link. I think that could even give a person a nice training incentive. I also found a site dealing with some serious looking Hki road cyclists... They looked quite fit , well equipped and very serious about what they were doing...
I'll see if I can dig out those sites in the next couple of days...there are likely other groups if you can find them.... I'm not sure if there are that many cyclists on the FF though...
Re: Road cyclists in Helsinki area?
Thanks Rob, that's great! I guess I could just ask someone at the local bike shop. I know there is a cycling track here so there must be people who also get out on the road. During the summer you see a few roadies out and about, but they always seem to be on their own or in small groups. I've heard that there is a sports/athletics club in Porvoo that has a very keen cycling group, and when I have cycled to Porvoo in the summer I have always seen a few serious looking cyclists on the same route.
Ironically, one of the problems with road cycling here is that there are so many cycle paths, at least until you get right outside the extended Helsinki area. Most roads seem to have them, but they are usually shared with pedestrians (or the sidewalk is divided into a pedestrian lane and a cycle lane) and have frequent sharp kerbs and other obstacles. I still haven't worked out what the deal is with that, i.e. to what extent it's acceptable to cycle on the roads where there is a separate cycle path. I do it myself in certain places and see other roadies doing it, but I've also heard that strictly speaking it's illegal, and certainly where the road itself is narrow you can see that some drivers might get a bit annoyed at being held up by a cyclist when there is a path provided.
Ironically, one of the problems with road cycling here is that there are so many cycle paths, at least until you get right outside the extended Helsinki area. Most roads seem to have them, but they are usually shared with pedestrians (or the sidewalk is divided into a pedestrian lane and a cycle lane) and have frequent sharp kerbs and other obstacles. I still haven't worked out what the deal is with that, i.e. to what extent it's acceptable to cycle on the roads where there is a separate cycle path. I do it myself in certain places and see other roadies doing it, but I've also heard that strictly speaking it's illegal, and certainly where the road itself is narrow you can see that some drivers might get a bit annoyed at being held up by a cyclist when there is a path provided.
Re: Road cyclists in Helsinki area?
Have you considered joining a club? It seems that being part of a club is the Finnish way of doing things, especially in any kind of of sports discipline.
Check this site for links to just about all Finnish cycling clubs, they will be under 'jäsenseurat'.
http://www.pyoraily.fi/
CCH (or Cycle Club Helsinki) might be the most obvious choice but then again i haven't bothered to check where you live. edit: just checked and Helsinki is the answer!
As for newbie etiquette in a road group, there is one simple rule, stay at the back!!
Check this site for links to just about all Finnish cycling clubs, they will be under 'jäsenseurat'.
http://www.pyoraily.fi/
CCH (or Cycle Club Helsinki) might be the most obvious choice but then again i haven't bothered to check where you live. edit: just checked and Helsinki is the answer!
As for newbie etiquette in a road group, there is one simple rule, stay at the back!!
Re: Road cyclists in Helsinki area?
Here's the link about the Kilpisjärvi to Tornio two-stage pyöräily Marathon...
http://www.lapland.fi/marathon/en/main.html
...and I think this is the site I was looking at last spring, but it looks a little different now...well laid out, lots of info:
http://www.pyoraily.fi/
... but English-free as far as I got...good practice, though. I now know terms like:
Anaboliset aineet and Anabolis-androgeeniset steroidit... or maybe I mean... 
Won't long before I''ll be able to watch "Le Tour" in Suomeksi...
http://www.lapland.fi/marathon/en/main.html
...and I think this is the site I was looking at last spring, but it looks a little different now...well laid out, lots of info:
http://www.pyoraily.fi/
... but English-free as far as I got...good practice, though. I now know terms like:
Anaboliset aineet and Anabolis-androgeeniset steroidit...
or maybe I mean... Won't long before I''ll be able to watch "Le Tour" in Suomeksi...
Re: Road cyclists in Helsinki area?
Thanks both, that's great; I'll maybe check out some of those clubs.
Looks like the ice & snow has belatedly arrived.. just as I was thinking on Sunday afternoon that it was possible after all to have temperatures above zero and no rain at the same time in Finland in January!
Looks like the ice & snow has belatedly arrived.. just as I was thinking on Sunday afternoon that it was possible after all to have temperatures above zero and no rain at the same time in Finland in January!
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xavier22001
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2011 7:50 pm
Re: Road cyclists in Helsinki area?
Hi,
Sorry I'm digging this post out of the closet!
I'm also a new enthusiast to the sport, I had a first cheap road bike for this season and rode quite a lot with some friends and alone. Now that I got to a somewhat acceptable level of fitness I got a proper carbon road bike and would be looking to ride in some sort of club or with other riders where they wouldn't mind that I don't speak Finnish!
Maybe a foreigner team of some kind?
My goal is to join the tour de Helsinki next summer (maybe as a team), and possibly ride in some other events/races.
I checked a few links of some teams but they're all in Finnish, maybe there's a member of the Forum who also happens to be in a cycling team that already has some foreigners and can give me more info?
thanks!
Sorry I'm digging this post out of the closet!
I'm also a new enthusiast to the sport, I had a first cheap road bike for this season and rode quite a lot with some friends and alone. Now that I got to a somewhat acceptable level of fitness I got a proper carbon road bike and would be looking to ride in some sort of club or with other riders where they wouldn't mind that I don't speak Finnish!
Maybe a foreigner team of some kind?
My goal is to join the tour de Helsinki next summer (maybe as a team), and possibly ride in some other events/races.
I checked a few links of some teams but they're all in Finnish, maybe there's a member of the Forum who also happens to be in a cycling team that already has some foreigners and can give me more info?
thanks!
Re: Road cyclists in Helsinki area?
Hi!
I've compiled a couple links about cycling in the Helsinki area on Fillarifoorumi: http://www.fillarifoorumi.fi/forum/show ... nki-Region. You can also ask questions in English in that thread (you should be able to sign up with the help of Google Translate, at least).
I'm unsure whether there are any foreigner teams, specifically, but generally speaking almost any group will have people happy to speak English (but keep in mind the warning signals will always be in Finnish). You should have no trouble finding some rides.
The road season will probably go on for another couple weeks still but many – including myself – have already moved to cyclocross (or MTB), so if you've off-road equipment, you'll have more options.
I've compiled a couple links about cycling in the Helsinki area on Fillarifoorumi: http://www.fillarifoorumi.fi/forum/show ... nki-Region. You can also ask questions in English in that thread (you should be able to sign up with the help of Google Translate, at least).
I'm unsure whether there are any foreigner teams, specifically, but generally speaking almost any group will have people happy to speak English (but keep in mind the warning signals will always be in Finnish). You should have no trouble finding some rides.
The road season will probably go on for another couple weeks still but many – including myself – have already moved to cyclocross (or MTB), so if you've off-road equipment, you'll have more options.