Finland - peaceonabike

SOMEWHERE IN FINLAND

The Rev. Bob Morley once said, “The best things in life aren’t what you’re doing or where you’re at but who you’re with.” This perfectly describes my riding in Finland.

Four years ago I was here and rode every day because I was riding every day in 2019. My Finnish daughter, Laura, even arranged for a 50km ride with her sister-in-law and some friends and it was a glorious time. I hoped to repeat it but it did not happen.

On my way to the airport to pick up a rental car

This time I did not seek out riding but let the rides come to me. I arrived from Frankfurt late at night on Saturday and stayed at the Helsinki Hilton Airport. My Finnish daughter, Jenni, (yes, I have two Finnish daughters) picked me up at the hotel and took me to her house.

We were enjoying the company Sunday morning and I wasn’t necessarily in a hurry to build my bike up and go for a ride. Nor did we check the weather. Jenni suggested a ride so I built up the bike and we were out the door around 11:00 a.m. It was sunny.

Jenni got a new eBike in April and was looking forward to a ride where we could ride at the same pace. And I was looking forward to just riding. We didn’t ride far before the sun that had been shining quickly disappeared behind a cloud. Not long after that it started raining. And it was a steady rain.

Despite the rain, we rode. Jenni was in charge of the route and picked a gravel road for about two kilometers. I didn’t mind riding on gravel except for what it was doing to my bike. It was trashing it. It was a sandy mix and there was grit everywhere. But I was with the right person. Where I was didn’t matter.

Jenni and I found a longer route on Monday it was sunny and a gorgeous day to ride. We were almost back to her place when the chain popped off her bike. Maybe it caused a bit of panic but I assured her that I could “walk” it back in place. And I did.

The strawberries in Finland are the best in the world

While Jenni went to work on Tuesday, I had mapped out a ride to the Helsinki Airport to pick up a rental car. It was an enjoyable ride about 80% on bike trails. I could have made it 90% but purposely added some country roads because given a choice between a bike trail and a lightly traveled country road I prefer the road.

That afternoon Jenni and I went for a final ride before I left for Forssa. I left my bike case behind and took just my bike with me.

When I was with Laura we did a lot of family activities. My first day we went site-seeing in Tampere. At no point was I yearning to ride. If it happened, it happened, but I didn’t need to ride. And the weather wasn’t cooperating like it did in 2019.

But we had a window of opportunity and I wanted to ride with my Finnish granddaughter, Olivia. We went on city streets although many had adjacent bike trails or bike sidewalks. I wasn’t always sure where to ride. But Olivia was the trail blazer and I just had to follow her directions.

In downtown Forssa we went by the river. The road we were on wasn’t as much gravel as it was clay. It was wet and my tires were sliding like on ice.

When Olivia and I got back to the house we had ridden 15 km. She wanted more and we went back out until we had 25 km. Oh my god. She’s just like me. I love this kid.

To fulfill my role as a guest taxi driver and exchange grandpa, I took my bike out of the car and stored it in the garage. So on Saturday when I went to visit friends in Turku, I did not have a bike with me.

My friends, Chris and Eeva, said they’d like to ride from their house to center city in Turku. It sounded great to me except I had left my bike behind in Turku. It wasn’t a big deal as they had two teenage sons and I could ride one of their bikes.

It was better this way. I could wear comfortable shoes and not my bike shoes that clip into the pedals but are pretty difficult to walk around in. Chris brought a cable to lock up the bikes while we went to lunch. I would have been very nervous leaving my bike behind with just a cable lock. I was much less nervous leaving their bikes with just a cable lock.

So four of us including seven-year-old Selma followed a bike trail into downtown Turku. It was about 8 km (5 miles). Some of it was almost single-track. And Selma held her own.

Going back was a bit sketchy because instead of retracing our ride we followed city streets. Selma had to know when to be on the sidewalks and trails. She did have her parents to help. And I wasn’t always sure. But what fun! She handled her bike really well. It may have been my slowest ride of the year but it was sure enjoyable.

Bastard Bugers, Helsinki. Didn’t eat here but that name!

My last morning in Forssa I was able to slip out for a 50 km ride. The weather didn’t look promising but I beat the rain. This ride and my trip to the Helsinki Airport to pick up my car were my only solo rides in Finland.

The country is beautiful. Mostly flat. Heavily forested with lots of lakes. It is a great place to ride but the riding was overshadowed by even greater company. “The best things in life aren’t what you’re doing or where you’re at but who you’re with.“

FORSSA, FINLAND

I rode every day in Finland, from Friday through Wednesday. This lends itself to one post, a lengthier post, instead of many.

On Friday I built the bike late after arriving from the U.S. via Iceland and went for a bike ride at 9:00 p.m. – because Finland. Actually, I arrived in Helsinki and drove to Forssa to visit our Finnish daughter (Laura Vainio was an exchange student who lived with us in 1995). I had the bike built as Laura arrived home from work and then began and afternoon and evening of visiting and eating so that was the reason I didn’t get wheels down until 9:00 p.m. That and I knew it would be OK.

Laura was excited to have arranged a bike ride for me on Saturday. I met Karolina and Kole Andersson and Johanna Nikander. They had mapped out a “Forssa Loop” ride which would take us (mostly) through beautiful countryside. Johanna is Laura’s sister-in-law and the Anderssons are friends.

Karolina is a FIBA (international basketball) referee and the two of us chatted the entire way. I intended to ride with each person equally but I had no clue how far the route we were riding was. When Karolina said that Johanna and I were turning and she and Kole were going straight, I felt like a jerk because I hardly said a word (yet) to the other two.

Karolina and I are officials. I don’t know basketball and I think she doesn’t know soccer, although she may. But you didn’t need to, to discuss officiating. Her philosophy is the same as mine and she faces some of the same challenges I do in dealing with other officials.

Johanna and I rode to their summer house/cottage on the lake and were met by her husband, Jarko, plus my hosts, Laura and Samoli, and their kids, Oskari and Olivia. Oskari and I went to sauna and then swimming in the lake. When we ended, Laura went to offer me a ride back in the car but I told her I would bike home. Of course, I had to find my way first, but I did.

We rode mostly on country roads where there was little traffic. Near the city are wide bike paths. Samuli said it is “recommended” that cyclists ride the paths and not the roads. Laura looked it up and said it was the law that where there was a bike path the cyclist couldn’t be on the street. I guess I violated the law. A lot. If it’s the law it is not strictly enforced like it apparently is in the Netherlands.

On Sunday we had mapped out a ride, albeit short, because I was leaving for Nurmijarvi in the early afternoon for soccer. Just as I was leaving Forssa, I saw a cyclist heading in the other direction. In Forssa I saw plenty of people on bikes but few cyclists. And I knew she was a cyclist.

At first, I thought it was cool I saw a cyclist. And in 20 seconds or so, I decided I would turn around and see if I could ride with her for a little while. When I turned she was already 250 meters up the road (street). And I thought with traffic lights I would not catch her. But I kept her in sight and slowly (as in 5-7 minutes) closed the gap.

That alone should have told me what I needed to know. But I got closer then pulled beside her. I knew I was violating all social norms. A man approaching a woman. A much older man approaching a much younger woman (I had thought she was probably in her early 30s when she went by). Approaching someone with an earbud in. Anyone approaching a Finn (sorry for the stereotype, kids).

Oskari and Olivia (front), Barry and Samuli (back)

I saw her and she was much younger than I had thought. But I told her I was from the U.S. and asked if I could ride with her. She said sure then stated she was going to Pori, about 90 km (55 miles) away. We rode on a bike path until it ended then on Highway 10.

Astrid was good. I didn’t struggle so much to keep with her than I did “work hard.” I was sweating. She was not. When she told me she had competed in a triathlon yesterday (she won by more than three minutes), I told her that I had ridden with a couple of triathletes the day before. And to my surprise, or maybe hers, she knew them.

After I returned I told Laura the story of how I approached a young woman to ride with me. Laura was horrified. “Oh no, you didn’t,” she exclaimed. I did and I told her that the mystery rider also knew Johanna. So I had Laura call Johanna to try to figure out who I rode with. It took about three seconds for Johanna to say that was Astrid Snäll. It was more in the form of “Oh, my God, I can’t believe you met – and you rode with, Astrid Snäll. Turns out she is a top-ranked runner and triathlete in Europe. But she was very down to earth and let me ride with her until I had to turn back.

On Monday I went exploring and found a train museum with handcars. I made Oskari and Olivia join me on Tuesday with the handcar. The car was built circa 1900 and was quite a workout to keep it moving when the track turned up (a 1% – 2% grade).

Air was a problem. I did not bring a hand pump instead planned to buy a CO2 cartridge when I arrived. The local bike shop in Forssa was only open Monday thru Friday and when I went on Monday, it was 11:45 and he was closed for lunch. Karolina had a pump I used on Saturday and on Tuesday I rode over to Johanna and Jarko’s place and they let me borrow theirs. I didn’t have a plan if I had a flat on the road in the middle of nowhere. But I made it out of Finland with no flats for which I am grateful.

As for differences or similarities to the U.S. (or to Virginia):

Johanna says drivers hate cyclists in Finland: SAME
I never had to worry about glass: DIFFERENT
Karolina says some drivers have road rage: SAME
Many more bike paths near cities: DIFFERENT
Wave to cyclists and they don’t wave back: DIFFERENT
Peaceful feeling out on the road with the wind in your face: SAME