# Helsinki - MTB rental and trails?



## Evil Sylvain (Oct 5, 2005)

Hi,

I am leaving for Helsinki this coming Sunday. I will be arriving on the 18 and departing on the 24. I am expecting to have my work completed so I have Friday and Saturday off.

What's the riding like around Helsinki and any suggestions for shops that rent bikes?

Thanks,
Sylvain


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## perttime (Aug 26, 2005)

In Finland, the trails are rarely marked, except for a few ski slopes that have some gravity assisted stuff during the summer. So, getting yourself a local guide is usually the best thing. I live further north.

Rentals are not real easy to find. I found a couple that might or might not work:
http://www.chebici.fi/index.php?section=2
http://www.itavantaanpyorahuolto.net/11
http://www.greenbike.fi/index_eng.html

A bike park in the south of Finland:
http://www.arikemppainen.com/cbp/eng/index.php


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## Evil Sylvain (Oct 5, 2005)

Thanks for the links. I guess if I can rent a bike then I will ask at this shop if there are organized rides at the same time.


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## perttime (Aug 26, 2005)

I can post at a local forum to ask about rentals and rides too.

edit:
what size bikes do you ride?

edit 2:
weather
http://www.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/weather/local.html


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## Evil Sylvain (Oct 5, 2005)

perttime said:


> I can post at a local forum to ask about rentals and rides too.


If you don't mind please.

I ride a Yeti AS-X medium and a medium 575. 
My singlespeed is an Evil Sovereign (long).

Seems that the weather is bad uncertain as in Quebec unfortunately.

THX!


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## perttime (Aug 26, 2005)

No responses so far...

Maybe you could try these guys: they are in the capital area but, as far as I can tell, they do not have _scheduled_ rides those days. Somebody is likely to go out anyway, unless the weather is too miserable.

http://www.mtbcf.net/v3/page.php?16
info(at)mtbcf.net


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## Evil Sylvain (Oct 5, 2005)

Thanks a lot for your help. This MTB club seems promising. I will get in touch with them.

In what area do you live?


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## perttime (Aug 26, 2005)

I'm in Tampere, about two hours north of Helsinki (car, bus or train).

In the southern part of the country, we do not have anything you'd be tempted to call a mountain. There's just smaller ground features and a variety of trails as soon as you get out of built up areas.

I am hoping for a couple of weeks of dry weather but it is not looking too promising right now.... We are preparing for a big annual group ride, on 30 August, with a choice of routes that take from 5 to 8 hours. Mainly forest trails linked with road sections.


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## Evil Sylvain (Oct 5, 2005)

perttime said:


> I'm in Tampere, about two hours north of Helsinki (car, bus or train).


Yes. I actually checked the distance because I saw something about the group ride and I'll have a rental car.  But I won't be around on the 30. That would have been fun.



> In the southern part of the country, we do not have anything you'd be tempted to call a mountain. There's just smaller ground features and a variety of trails as soon as you get out of built up areas.


I also read that the highest point in Helsinki is an artificial hill! A guy on Ridemonkey posted some videos.
http://summernine.fi/video.php?e=2&id=3789



> I am hoping for a couple of weeks of dry weather but it is not looking too promising right now.... We are preparing for a big annual group ride, on 30 August, with a choice of routes that take from 5 to 8 hours. Mainly forest trails linked with road sections.


I hope for you it'll get better. Summer in Québec has been awful and even though the last 4-5 have been mostly dry the trails are soaked. It's only starting to improve.

Cheers!
S.


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## perttime (Aug 26, 2005)

Thinking aloud...

There's a new bike park opening close to my area on Saturday, 23rd (but I am not going).
http://www.sappee.fi/index.php?object=info&sivu=26
http://bikepark.sappee.fi/index.php?object=bikepark&sivu=64

They have Trek bikes for rent. At least lift tickets are free on opening day, not sure about bikes.
If the weather is at all OK, there might be a lot of people going: the guys who designed and built it have some reputation for getting DH/FR stuff right.


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## Evil Sylvain (Oct 5, 2005)

Nice. I have my Kyle Straight knee pads but my bag did not follow me. Hopefully it won't be lost for too long... I have my MTB shoes, helmet, camelback, etc....


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## perttime (Aug 26, 2005)

I looked at a discussion on that bike park opening and it seems highly likely that they will run out of bikes. Some have already been reserved.

The weather forecast is not all that bad right now, but you never know....


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## Evil Sylvain (Oct 5, 2005)

perttime said:


> Thinking aloud...
> 
> There's a new bike park opening close to my area on Saturday, 23rd (but I am not going).
> http://www.sappee.fi/index.php?object=info&sivu=26
> ...


Thanks for this information. I have a bike waiting for me on Saturday and there are indeed demo bikes to try during the day. :thumbsup:


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## perttime (Aug 26, 2005)

Great, you will get to ride!
That hill is not big by "real mountain" standards but you'll have time to try all the lines.

I need to be careful with my thigh right now: I hit it on something while inspecting the undergrowth (...) and it is still not good. Might not even ride during the weekend. I need to be in riding condition in 9 days....


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## Evil Sylvain (Oct 5, 2005)

perttime said:


> Great, you will get to ride!
> That hill is not big by "real mountain" standards but you'll have time to try all the lines.


That's OK. I'll be mountain biking in Finland! 



> I need to be careful with my thigh right now: I hit it on something while inspecting the undergrowth (...) and it is still not good. Might not even ride during the weekend. I need to be in riding condition in 9 days....


Hopefully it's not too serious and you will be in shape for the long ride!


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## perttime (Aug 26, 2005)

Fortunately, the group that I am guiding is defined as a pretty relaxed one: easy pace, not too difficult.

I was planning to use my new SS 2soulscycles bike (a bit like a sovereign) but I might have to go for my other XC bike (AS-X ... ) to spare that thigh from the inevitable bumps. The thigh is OK for pedaling but does not like impacts.


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## perttime (Aug 26, 2005)

I just saw one comment about that new bike park. Sounds like it was not quite as completed as many thought it would be


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## Evil Sylvain (Oct 5, 2005)

perttime said:


> I just saw one comment about that new bike park. Sounds like it was not quite as completed as many thought it would be


Yeah. It was somewhat of a disappointment. When I arrived I asked the guy I got the bike from what trails I could do with the Trek Fuel EX7. He said all of them. This bike is 120mm rear suspension and 130mm up front. Then I saw the Trek representative and said the same thing. This was very suspicious from the start.

The trails marked FR on the map were open but some still had lots of muddy areas. The North Shore sections are very easy and barely off the ground. I tried a DH trail and lost the path in the bush. Nothing very scary or gnarly overall.

The piece worth mentioning is the hamster wheel but I did not try it and saw nobody trying it.

At some point I just went away and tried to find some trails around the bikepark but I only found forest roads that did not lead anywhere.

Overall I did 22km with more than 2000' of climbing because I decided to avoid using the lift since it was using a t-bar system and I was very uncomfortable using it. I then decided to pedal up instead. 

I guess it was also a disappointment for the riders that went there with their big bikes. I saw a lot of big and beautiful machines that were overkill for this place.

But the good thing is the weather was very nice and the landscape as well and I was able to bike in Finland!


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## perttime (Aug 26, 2005)

Too bad I was not in riding shape. Getting better but I am still holding back, just to be safe. At least I could have arranged a somewhat decent XC/trail ride in my neighborhood.


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