Jordan OL School 2 Bike Touring in Finland Cycling

As noted in a recent blog, I rate Finland as one of the best countries for cycling, whether you’re a hardened mile-eater or an occasional rider. Provision for cycling is generally excellent, with most towns and cities having an excellent network of cycle routes. Country roads are usually quiet - certainly by British standards - and Finnish drivers are generally respectful of two-wheeled traffic. And English is so widely spoken that it’s virtually a trilingual state (Swedish being the second official language).
Finland and Sweden also share the most enlightened attitude to countryside access anywhere in the world. 'Every Man's Right' (Finnish: Jokamiehenoikeus) codifies a tradition allowing people to walk almost anywhere, and to harvest wild fruits, berries and fungi. Mountain-bike enthusiasts will note with interest that ‘every man’s right’ applies to bikes too. Specifically, you can ‘cycle freely in the countryside, except in gardens, in the immediate vicinity of people’s homes, and in fields and plantations which could easily be damaged.’ However shooting off into the wilds at random is rarely recommended as you could easily fall foul of rocks, swamps or dense forest. Local tourist information centres can usually advise on good routes.
Finland’s high level of civilization also extends to beer that comes in pint glasses - and not too cold. The Finns are also noted as the most outdoor-oriented people in Europe; revelling in the endless days of summer, but relishing the bite and beauty of winter too. Many Finns cycle all year round, even in temperatures of -20 Celsius or below, but this may have limited appeal to visitors! In fact the temperature itself is not too big a problem, provided you dress appropriately, but riding over icy surfaces is not everyone’s cup of tea. Still, perhaps it’s no surprise that the Finns (whatever the Swedes may tell you) invented the sauna.
It’s worth remembering that most Finnish trains carry bikes, so you don’t need to limit yourself to circular routes. Bikes can’t be carried on Pendolino trains and on the Int
For road tours [link widoczny dla zalogowanych], the terrain is also encouraging, with few climbs that are either long or steep, and virtually none that are both. However, it is important to remember that the distances between towns, especially in the north, are considerable. Ruka and Kuusamo, which on a general map appear to be next door to each other, are 20km apart: Kuusamo to Oulu is over 200km.
There are plenty more possibilities in similar vein as the above routes. Sample a few of Finland’s 188,000 lakes on a circuit west of Jyväskylä - four days with the longest being 45km, though parts are quite hilly - or a 330km circuit around Lake Saimaa, for which 7 or 8 days are suggested. For more suggestions [link widoczny dla zalogowanych], the Finnish Tourist Board publish a brochure dedicated to cycling, and there are comprehensive cycling pages on their website.
Read on
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Major tours in the north may be best left to the seasoned cycle-tourist, but in the south [link widoczny dla zalogowanych], where places to stop are much closer together, it’s a different story. Routes like the Turku Archipelago or the King’s Road cover gentle terrain with plenty of stopping-places, so daily distances can normally be kept to a manageable 40 or 50 km (25 - 30 miles).

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