....cool kit!
..whats happens when it hits ice?
Cycling Across Finland
Wow....
Thanks all.
To clarify - we will be travelling July-August so apart from the mosquitoes, which we are pretty used to (I grew up in Far North Queensland for those who know Australia a little) I think the time of year should be pretty reasonable: for the berries (mmmm), temperature, and fact that we will have long days, so we can get the riding out of the way in the early light and still have plenty of daytime to explore/relax.
My mother is Finnish, so language won't be an issue (for her, at least... my Finnish is pretty non-existent). I guess our main concern with taking our own bikes is the cost. By the time we ship a bike over and back, it probably will have been cheaper to buy a reasonable 2nd hand one over there - even if it means taking a trip down to Helsinki to do so.
With regard to camping (this will probably sound a bit naive) but are things like bears/wolves of any concern? I mean, we get snakes and spiders over here, but very little in the way of wildlife that can actually EAT you.
Cheers for all the help everyone, much appreciated.
Thanks all.
To clarify - we will be travelling July-August so apart from the mosquitoes, which we are pretty used to (I grew up in Far North Queensland for those who know Australia a little) I think the time of year should be pretty reasonable: for the berries (mmmm), temperature, and fact that we will have long days, so we can get the riding out of the way in the early light and still have plenty of daytime to explore/relax.
My mother is Finnish, so language won't be an issue (for her, at least... my Finnish is pretty non-existent). I guess our main concern with taking our own bikes is the cost. By the time we ship a bike over and back, it probably will have been cheaper to buy a reasonable 2nd hand one over there - even if it means taking a trip down to Helsinki to do so.
With regard to camping (this will probably sound a bit naive) but are things like bears/wolves of any concern? I mean, we get snakes and spiders over here, but very little in the way of wildlife that can actually EAT you.
Cheers for all the help everyone, much appreciated.
Yesterday there was in the newspaper that wolves have just eaten 10+ dogs somewhere eastern/central Finland, but that is dogs. I don´t think wolves have touched a human in 100+ years. And I know of one case of a bear killing a human. That was about ten years ago, and the man happened to be in between a mother bear and its cub. It is almost 100 % certain that you will not see a single wolf or bear.
It's not a problem in southern Finland, but in lapland there are (well, not every year) millions of mosquitoes, blackflies and midges. They are everywhere.Nils wrote:To clarify - we will be travelling July-August so apart from the mosquitoes, which we are pretty used to
I go to lapland many times a year, but never in july because of the mosquitoes. I just can't stand it.
I recommend "hyttyshattu" and gloves. Mosquito repellents can irritate skin.
buy a bike in Finland here..brand new..
http://www.biltema.fi/
..and leave if with someone when you leave to sell and send you the money...
..Biltema bikes are fine, I've had Scott, GT and Marin all my life, now I have Biltema (Yosomite)...it runs Deore componentry with Alex rims and Rock Shox...its a no name but it was dirt cheap, has an ok frame and comes with a warranty..which makes it easier to resell...
..buying new will save loads of probs and reselling in Finland should get you around half back what you bought it for...you could even advertise to sell it before you buy it!
http://www.biltema.fi/
..and leave if with someone when you leave to sell and send you the money...
..Biltema bikes are fine, I've had Scott, GT and Marin all my life, now I have Biltema (Yosomite)...it runs Deore componentry with Alex rims and Rock Shox...its a no name but it was dirt cheap, has an ok frame and comes with a warranty..which makes it easier to resell...
..buying new will save loads of probs and reselling in Finland should get you around half back what you bought it for...you could even advertise to sell it before you buy it!
Me as a travelling cyclist I strongly do NOT recommend to buy a cheap bike from Biltema or other places! Not only have I been riding a lot on different bikes with loads of luggage on different grounds, I have also been working in bike shops fixing bikes for 10 months in total. And I have seen the difference between different brands after they have been in use for some while (including the brands mentioned in this thread).
Scott bikes are usually ok, but for some reason the ones sold in Finland are more often than not assembled carelessly. Thus, I could recommend Scott bikes for your plans, but before starting the journey I suggest to bring it to a bike mechanician to check if everything is ok.
Deore components are good enough, I used components of similar quality during my trip through Oz (and other trips). Yet, the frame needs to be very stiff, so does the rack or your bike will produce quite scary vibrations when you ride with luggage. Also, make sure you have good rims (double-layered).
It is not a bad idea to get accustomed with how to fix a bike. Learn how to change different parts, how to adjust the gears (you'll probably need to do it), how to adjust the spokes and how to recentre the rims. And, needless to say, how to fix a flat tyre.
If you want to go a step further in maintaining your bike, learn how to change a broken spoke and fix a broken chain. Take two or three spare spokes for each size you use along. This is not exagerating, it might come necessary on such a long trip. the density of bike shops (or population in general) is not sooo high in Lapland.
Scott bikes are usually ok, but for some reason the ones sold in Finland are more often than not assembled carelessly. Thus, I could recommend Scott bikes for your plans, but before starting the journey I suggest to bring it to a bike mechanician to check if everything is ok.
Deore components are good enough, I used components of similar quality during my trip through Oz (and other trips). Yet, the frame needs to be very stiff, so does the rack or your bike will produce quite scary vibrations when you ride with luggage. Also, make sure you have good rims (double-layered).
It is not a bad idea to get accustomed with how to fix a bike. Learn how to change different parts, how to adjust the gears (you'll probably need to do it), how to adjust the spokes and how to recentre the rims. And, needless to say, how to fix a flat tyre.
If you want to go a step further in maintaining your bike, learn how to change a broken spoke and fix a broken chain. Take two or three spare spokes for each size you use along. This is not exagerating, it might come necessary on such a long trip. the density of bike shops (or population in general) is not sooo high in Lapland.
Dunno. Never rode on ice with it. The recumbent bike I had was not so good on loose ground, so going off-road or travelling long distances on gravel roads was out of question. This is a particularity of the model I used to have, as the center of weight is on the front wheel. Other recumbents with a mroe balanced distribution of the weiht on both wheels are quite ok on loose ground and maybe also on snow. But on true winter conditions (as it used to be in Finland until this "winter"), I would probably never trust a recumbent!cow-heada wrote:....cool kit!
..whats happens when it hits ice?
On the other hand, you have a big advantage in aerodynamics. Especially if one has a shell as I used to have behind the seat. But even without a shell expect to be 5-10% faster than on a "normal" bike.