New in Espoo, where to ride?

[rafalf]

Hi, I am new at this forum and want to say 'hello' to everyone :)
My name is Rafal and I came to Espoo recently. Unfortunately I do not speak Finnish, so I can read the forum only as much as Google Translator allows me to :) So, please forgive me if I ask questions That were already discussed here or if I write my topics in the wrong place.
Well, I am planning to spend here in Espoo, the whole spring, summer and beginning of autumn, so I brought my road bike with me. Now I am looking for nice routes where I could go. I have rode Ring I in both directions, visited Solvalla, some parts of Ring III. I am planning to cycle to Porvoo someday and I also found the track of the Giro d'Espoo on the web, so I will probably try to follow that as well.
Can you please suggest where else I could go? Second thing: I am obliged to use the cycling paths, or can I ride also on the roads without a risk of getting a ticket? Of course I mean the roads in the city, not the highways or rings.
Regards, Rafal

[Halloo halloo]

Sorry, double post.

[Halloo halloo]

http://www.fillarifoorumi.fi/forum/showthread.php?50852-Helsingin-Polkupy%F6r%E4ilij%F6iden-kuntolenkit/page5

http://www.fillarikalenteri.fi/

[big4man]

Now I am looking for nice routes where I could go. I have rode Ring I in both directions, visited Solvalla, some parts of Ring III. I am planning to cycle to Porvoo someday and I also found the track of the Giro d'Espoo on the web, so I will probably try to follow that as well.
Can you please suggest where else I could go?

Giro d'Espoo route is very pretty, do that. Also consider following Tour de Helsinki (http://www.tourdehelsinki.fi/reitti) route (I like especially Lake Bodom - Velskola parts).


Second thing: I am obliged to use the cycling paths, or can I ride also on the roads without a risk of getting a ticket? Of course I mean the roads in the city, not the highways or rings.
Regards, Rafal

Generally cycling paths should be used if available. In case you are riding in a group it is OK to drive on the roads as it is safer and makes more sense.

[Takamisakari]

The road around Lake Bodom (Bodominjärvi?) is really nice, start from Bemböle and try also the small roads to Velskola, Röylä, Lahnus and so on. The part from Veikkola to south towards Kirkkonummi is full of easy nice small roads, which are partly the same than the Giro coming back from Kirkkonummi.

[rhubarb]

You’ll probably want to mostly follow this subforum instead: http://www.fillarifoorumi.fi/forum/forumdisplay.php?62-Yhteislenkit-ja-ajoporukat (the current one is for bike treks and randonneuring).

You can ask in any of the threads in English, won’t be a problem.

Halloo Halloo already posted a link to one of the threads—that one’s nominally Helsinki, but in reality their rides are mostly toward the north and east (with the occasional visit to Espoo). If getting to Vantaankoski isn’t a problem, those are good groups to go with (and there are plenty of options for pace). There are also two more or less regular groups in Espoo, http://www.fillarifoorumi.fi/forum/showthread.php?35742-HePon-naisten-lenkit-tammaravit (oriented toward women, so easier pace), and http://www.fillarifoorumi.fi/forum/showthread.php?15602-Espoon-lenkit for more experienced crowd (the pace and distance tends to require decent shape). In addition to these, there are rides from the eastern parts of Helsinki, and I believe for example from Kirkkonummi and Klaukkala.

By and large, no, you won’t get ticketed. Small roads like the one you would’ve taken to Solvalla are generally just fine to take on the road. Be aware that motorists are not quite as used to observing or accommodating of cyclists as in many other countries; using reasonable caution should see you through fine.

[rafalf]

Hi,

Thank you very much for your hints and tips. I have a good starting point right now :)
Yesterday I went around Bodom Lake and it is a very nice route in deed. I must check what is towards north, because this time I went exactly around and then continued along Ring III.
I had a plan to do that today, but the weather went so bad after several km that I changed the plans and did only a loop around the lake and returned.

Thanks again and see you on the road some time :)
Rafal

[Halloo halloo]

There's also a paper map, Ulkoilukartta, where you can find basically all the bikepaths. Maps (if still on the shelf) can be found from several Urheilutalo around Helsinki, for example Töölön Kisahalli http://tinyurl.com/mg95w4a
This might be handy too: http://ulkoilukartta.fi/

[okahkonen]

Would this give you any light on where people cycle? http://labs.strava.com/heatmap/#11/24.74670/60.22082/gray/bike

[big4man]

There's also a paper map, Ulkoilukartta, where you can find basically all the bikepaths. Maps (if still on the shelf) can be found from several Urheilutalo around Helsinki, for example Töölön Kisahalli http://tinyurl.com/mg95w4a
This might be handy too: http://ulkoilukartta.fi/

HSL Journey Planner is also helpful when planning bike trips: http://pk.reittiopas.fi/en/index.php

[Smo]

Would this give you any light on where people cycle? http://labs.strava.com/heatmap/#11/24.74670/60.22082/gray/bike

This is actually pretty cool ..

[rafalf]

Hi,

I have not used Strava yet, but it seems to be a good data base for routes :) Thanks once more.
By the way last time I went around Bodom Lake again and then towards road 120, then turned and went to Helsinki. Next time I will go further to the north. According to Strava, the terrain becomes more plain there (Valkjarvi Lake area), is it so?

Rafal

[Halloo halloo]

^ This is not a answer to your question, but good to know - There are some hills to climb on this route (Velskolantie), at least more than on the Round the lake-route. Nice road.
http://tinyurl.com/mm8392x

If you take that route and want to turn right/towards Helsinki center, there is no bike path on 120. Bike path starts at here:
http://tinyurl.com/llpl2v9

so there's some 3km on the side of busy and narrow road to bike. Try to avoid that part on Friday afternoons, when there's "I'm going to the cottage-traffic".

If you ever get hungry, try Pirttimäki's chicken soup.
http://www.pirttimaki-kahvila.fi/pm_eng/Pirttimaki_Cafe.html
http://tinyurl.com/kqlttdo

[okahkonen]

Hi,

I have not used Strava yet, but it seems to be a good data base for routes :) Thanks once more.
By the way last time I went around Bodom Lake again and then towards road 120, then turned and went to Helsinki. Next time I will go further to the north. According to Strava, the terrain becomes more plain there (Valkjarvi Lake area), is it so?

Rafal

Perhaps so - but really, just go out there and find it out yourself. It's all very nice cycling terrain in the triangle inside 120, 130 and 25.