cycling in Finland

[sparky]

Hi
I am looking to move to Helsinki with my partner and was wondering what facilities are available for cycling (BMX, mountain bike mainly)?

Thanks Mark

[Karhunkoski]

4th link from a quick google:

Mountain biking in Finland is really easy as we have a so called "every mans right" which means that you can walk, and also ride a bicycle, almost everywhere. This "every mans right" applies to state owned but privately owned land as well, Helsinki, Finland up in Northern Europeas long as you don't enter anybody's home yard and obey limitations on e.g. nature conservation areas.

And as Finland is geographically about the same size as Germany, or state of California, but with only 5 million people and a lot of pine woods, there are a lot of places to go mountain biking.

Lots of info here:

http://jro.1g.fi/mtb/

[DaBr]

It is very interesting hobby and I like to ride

[Pete]

In my own experience here so far, i have found that the number of good places to ride mountain bikes in Helsinki are few and far between.
I got so disappointed and fed up with the situation that i no longer have an mtb at all. Instead i have resorted to singlespeed road bikes as my cycling hobby.
Where i used to live in Australia, i was just minutes away from fantastic trails that makes the stuff here pale into comparison.
Sure there are places to ride around Helsinki, however finding and linking them together to make a decent ride isn't so easy to do. You really have to get lucky in finding where they are. Then there is the weather situation as well, it is wet here so often that trails are unrideable alot. I personally don't like to chew up trails by riding on them when they are wet but some don't seem to care...
Another factor is rocks, they are bloody everywhere! I know someone might say that it just involves utilising better riding techniques but unless you have actually seen what it's like, don't try and make a wise ass comment. Slow techy trails are sometimes fun but i like fast and flowy much better. Those kinds of trails i haven't seen much of at all. Get out of Helsinki though and the situation will change. There are MTB parks in a number of places around this country catering to XC, DH and freeride.
As for BMX, well i think it's all street and dirtjumps here, both of which i suck at. However if you can do that kind of thing then you'll definitely find places to go.
Road based cycling is where it's at here, in my opinion at least. There are hundreds of kilometres of bicycle lanes and 'highways', you can ride all over the place without having to deal with too much traffic. Plus the bike lanes are usually in great nick most of the year round.

[G.Pizza]

Hi all,
just moved to Finland from Brazil and I would like to know a few bike parks close to Espoo, mainly freeride. Pete mentioned that there are many outside Helsinki...could you mention some of the closest?

Thanks!!!
GP

[Pete]

Calpis bike park is about a 2 hour drive away from Helsinki.
http://www.arikemppainen.com/cbp/eng/index.php

[G.Pizza]

Thanks Pete!
Do you know other bike parks closer to Espoo?

[Hank W.]

Well, I know of something that looks like a track close to where I live, but how and if official it is =? North end of Lintuvaara where the Hämeenkyläntie goes through to Rajatorpantie.

[Cod]

..I've found a number of places to ride, it just depends what you call riding - no, its not long, gliding needle laden forestry downhills since Finland doesn't do hills - but there are plenty of tight technical trails. If you like single track with lots of roots, rocks etc, then a basic place is Hanikka in Espoo which has a nature trail with plenty of muck about side tracks for interest - where I am out west, there's horse tracks everywhere and walking tracks between. Admittedly, there isn't really much speed in the riding but speed is easy - you just ride up, unclip your brakes and ride down

IMHO mountain biking is what you make of it, its like coming here and saying that the snowboarding is sad - well, then ride hand-rails on stairs, that's what the pros do when they visit!

[Pete]

Thanks Pete!
Do you know other bike parks closer to Espoo?

Apparently there are plenty of places around Espoo but most of them are just for those in the know, if you get my drift.
Malminkartano is supposed to have a DH track among other things but i have no idea where...

Mountain biking doesn't necessarily require 'mountains' as such cowheada, i was just comparing the trails i have seen here to those back home.
I simply have been disappointed, that's all.

[Hank W.]

Hey, its just as with your neighbor with the URAL...