Bicycles in Finland are quite a popular and demanded form of transport for both locals and tourists, despite the fact that this is a northern country. According to statistics, two-wheeled vehicles are regularly used by about 3.25 million people. Bicycles account for about 9% of all trips. Cycle paths are operated in any weather: hot weather, rain or even snow.
Where does a bicycle fit into Finnish life?
The Finns fell in love with the bike for its environmental friendliness and quietness of movement. It does not require serious maintenance and does not create congestion on the roads. All these disadvantages are characteristic of cars, from which the inhabitants of Finland are increasingly abandoning in favor of transport on muscle traction.
Bicycles are so popular in this country that in 2021 they even voted here the cyclist of the year in the person of Mauri Mullul, who did a lot to develop the country's cycling infrastructure and, in his venerable 80 years, still regularly uses this type of transport. Between 1960 and 1970, he was actively involved in the design and construction of a bicycle network in his hometown of Oulu. It was in those years that the general opinion was formed that a bicycle is the optimal means of transportation for covering distances of up to 5 km.
A local cyclist leader believes cycling provides positive energy for the whole day and also increases life expectancy. Active users of this vehicle differ from others in better health.
The people of Finland liked cycling so much that they even founded the Bicycle Embassy. Its activists initiate and promote bills in the government of the country aimed at improving the cycling infrastructure. In addition, the embassy's specialists are developing and implementing various technical innovations that make it possible to improve the operation of two-wheeled vehicles, in particular, they made winter cycling possible.
Finnish bike paths
Finland can be called not only a land of a thousand lakes, but also a thousand roads. Unlike in Russia, here you will see many secondary highways with excellent coverage without heavy traffic, as well as special bike paths. They are found in all cities and towns of the country, as well as outside them. Their length reaches 15 km.
There are also intercity bike paths - for example, 18 km from Kotka to Hamina. The entire path is covered by bicycle, without the proximity of cars.
In addition to individual roads, there are specially designated wide enough lanes for cyclists along the edge of the carriageway. During the construction of highways in Finland, a cycle path is necessarily made in parallel. Scheduled repairs are carried out in the same way.
Any traveler to Finland will surely notice the low level of car traffic, and in some places even its complete absence. This is due to the fact that the country's population is only 5.5 million people, the road network is very developed, and the Finns, for the most part, are couch potatoes. All these moments have created ideal conditions for cyclists here.
The politeness and accuracy of local motorists deserves respect. Reckless people do not meet here, and cyclists are carefully overtaken, having completely driven into the oncoming lane. If the “oncoming lane” is busy, the drivers wait patiently until it becomes free and there will be an opportunity for safe overtaking.
The movement of bicycles on expressways with several lanes and transport interchanges is prohibited. For them, secondary roads have been built, adapted for cycling, so there are no difficulties with the question of where to ride a bike.
How and where you can buy a bike in Finland
Due to the huge popularity of bicycles in Finland, you can buy them almost everywhere: in specialized sports salons, various hypermarkets and even in small department stores.
Specialty Stores
The selection of bicycles in Finland is quite extensive. Here you can find not only models of the world's leading brands, but also little-known samples. Most of the market is occupied by local products, as the Finns prefer to buy their own products. Buying a bicycle here can hardly be called profitable - it is unlikely that you will be offered a price lower than in Russian stores.
When buying, you should choose models worth up to 1,500 euros, otherwise you will have to pay a duty when importing them into Russia.
Budget models at reasonable prices should be found in department stores such as Tokmanni or Biltema. In large hypermarkets of the Prisma and K-Citymarket retail chains, the price range is wider, but the assortment is noticeably narrower.
A rich assortment is presented in chain sports stores: Koskimies, Intersport, Urheilu or Urheiluperhe, as well as in large chain bike dealerships: Baiks, Baik-Planet and Cycle-Center.
In almost every Finnish locality, you can find a point of sale selling bicycles. You can always take a test drive before buying. The only inconvenience is that it is difficult to find a store with Russian-speaking sellers. Even knowledge of English can be useless in some cases.
Online Stores
When you know exactly which model is right for you, and also want to receive the goods in a place convenient for you, you can contact one of the local online stores. Delivery costs about 20 euros, and in case of purchasing expensive models, it is free. The order can be received within 5 days at the post office or at the points of delivery of parcels.
Here is a list of the most popular bike retailers in Finland:
- koskimies.fi;
- kisaimatra.fi;
- cyclecenter.fi;
- intersport.fi;
- prisma.fi;
- biltema.fi;
- bikebrandstore.com;
- bikedealer.fi.
Most online stores have a Russified version. In addition to bicycles, you will also be offered a wide range of different accessories.
Used bicycles
In addition to specialized shops, it is not difficult to find outlets in Finland selling used bicycles. If you're lucky, you can find a well-maintained vehicle here at a low cost. Sale of abandoned bicycles is often organized by the local police and is widely advertised in the local media.
But it is advisable to refrain from buying a used bicycle from your hands - in this case, you risk becoming the owner of a vehicle with a dark past, since they are sometimes stolen.
Bike rental
If you are in Finland for just a few days, it is best to look for a bike rental service. Rental locations can be found in every city as well as in national parks. The most profitable is the rent for the whole day. With rented transport, you can get to the desired place and leave it in a special parking lot.
Residents of the northwestern part of Russia, especially Karelia, the Leningrad region and the city of Vyborg, can easily cross the border on their own bicycle, which is much faster than by car, and make an exciting journey through Finland. The trip can be long or short. For example, from Vyborg or St. Petersburg to Lappeenranta by bike can be reached in a very short time. The whole journey will take you Saturday and Sunday.
Bike tours in Finland
You can travel around Finland by bike on your own, or you can use the services of tour operators.In the first case, the route you choose is at your discretion, however, you need to think over it in advance, since during the border crossing you will need to paint the plan of your stay in the country to local border guards. Of course, you will have to deal with the organization of accommodation and meals yourself.
Those wishing to get maximum comfort while traveling can use the services of tour operators. Their cost, depending on the distance and duration in time, ranges from 300 to 600 euros. When ordering a one-day tour, it is quite possible to keep within 2,000 rubles.
Overnight routes cost about 7,000 rubles. Their length is about 300-350 km. The cost of the tour includes accommodation and meals. During cycling tours, tourists cover about 40 km per day. If desired, tour operators will select the most optimal bike ride routes through the most picturesque places according to your preferences.
Some tour operators offer bike taxi services from St. Petersburg.
Its essence lies in the fact that a special minibus takes you along with your bike to the border, and then you go through passport control yourself and choose the direction for your trip at your own discretion: to Helsinki, Imatra, Lappeenranta or even to the ski resort Ruka Kuusamo. At the agreed time, you return to the border checkpoint, and the same minibus will pick you up from there.
Cycle tunnels and junctions
Finns pay serious attention to the safety of cyclists. For this reason, road crossings are organized using tunnels. As a result, instead of looking for a crosswalk, the cyclist can continue his journey non-stop.
Traffic Laws
All cyclists in Finland are obliged to follow the same driving rules as motorists, motorcyclists and drivers of other vehicles, but with some additions:
- Bicycles must ride on dedicated or combined paths for both cyclists and pedestrians.
- Driving along motorways is prohibited. In some places there may be signs prohibiting cycling.
- Before making a turn, you must indicate its direction with your hand.
- If the traffic light is not equipped with separate signals for cyclists, the pedestrian signals must be followed.
- You must use a helmet while driving.
- It is forbidden to drive at night without identifying reflective signs - a fine is provided for this.
- While driving past the bus stops, you must let the passengers enter and leave.
- The vehicle must be equipped with reliable brakes, reflectors (front, rear, on wheels and pedals), headlight, bell and lock.
Finally
Finland has every right to be called the best country for cyclists and cycling tourism. Despite the short summer, here you can safely ride through picturesque, uncrowded places, enjoying beautiful landscapes and examining historical monuments. A well-developed network of bike paths makes it much easier to move around this country on noiseless, environmentally friendly transport.
