Bikepacking: A New Attraction for Tourism in Uusimaa

The bikepacking boom started during the pandemic. Taneli Roininen, the director of Bikeland, states that there are already tens of millions of bikepacking enthusiasts worldwide.

Cycling enthusiasts have named bikepacking as one of the subcategories of bike touring. The popularity of bikepacking and bike touring can be attributed to the growing interest in gravel roads and immersive nature experiences.

But how do you know where the best routes run?

From South by Cycle, of course! The South by Cycle trail network has compiled routes that stretch across Southern Finland, from Uusimaa to Kymenlaakso.

Roininen has been involved in the development of the South by Cycle trail network.

The route service was created as part of the South Coast Bikepacking Trail project, funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. The routes were launched on the website bikeland.fi/en/southbycycle a couple of years ago.

The service displays accommodations and dining options along the way, making it easier to plan a route that suits one’s preferences.

The pre-planned routes have been well received as they offer options for cyclists of all levels.

There are route options for week-long trips as well as overnight adventures. Cyclists can pedal from one inn to another or choose to go camping in scenic nature sites.

The daily distances are pre-planned to be between 40 and 60 kilometres, with accommodations available along the way.

“Everyone can choose a route and travel style that best suits them,” says Roininen.

The longest route stretches from Hanko to Kouvola, covering 548 kilometers. The total combined length of all the routes is 851 kilometres. The tour around Uusimaa, for example, is approximately 300 kilometres long.

“In designing the routes, it was important to us that the starting points could be reached by public transport, such as trains, metros, or buses,” Roininen explains.

One can start the route, for example, from Vuosaari Metro Station in Helsinki and finish at Kirkkonummi Train Station. Thanks to good public transport connections, one can choose to only cycle parts of longer routes.

There is also nothing stopping you from planning your own route from one café to another or from one campfire site to the next. You can bring the whole family, as you can opt for only cycling short distances.

A lot of information has been compiled, including detailed route descriptions, to help choose the best route for each occasion.

Along the routes, there are several businesses that have been awarded the Welcome Cyclist label, that offer services tailored to cycling tourists.

Using Unique Everyman’s Rights as an Attraction

Even though us Finns are a nature-loving bunch, we often fail to appreciate the beauty of our own backyard, Roininen ponders. Camping is a breeze thanks to everyman’s rights, and in a sparsely populated country, one can pedal long distances on gravel roads in blissful solitude.

Bikepacking could serve as an excellent attraction for tourists. While riding on small gravel roads, it’s easy to hop off the bike and take a swim in a lake along the route or stock up on some vitamin C by picking bilberries, if they are in season.

“In an international comparison, these are really remarkable things; these opportunities are not easily found elsewhere,” Roininen says.

Roininen believes that Finland could be the number bike touring destination in the world. Having completed a four-year bike journey, he has the needed experience with which to back up his claim. During that time, he cycled across 38 countries, covering a total distance of about 45 000 kilometres.

“The longer I was on the trip and the more kilometres I covered, the more firmly I started to believe in Finland as a future destination for bicycle touring.”

In addition to the South by Cycle route, Roininen has been actively involved in developing the Arctic by Cycle Bikepacking Trail Network in Finnish Lapland and Northern Norway.

Monitoring the project

According to Roininen, most municipalities eagerly participated in planning bicycle routes as part of the project. Some of them had already considered similar services for cyclists.

He hopes that the results of the project can be monitored in the future. It is not known how much the routes are being used or to what extent they have benefited businesses along the route.

The website should also be marketed, as many Finnish cyclists have embraced the service, but few people elsewhere are aware of it.

What kind of route would Roininen recommend for a cyclist coming from elsewhere?

He starts by pointing out that choosing one route from numerous great options is always difficult. He finds the Helsinki metropolitan area particularly interesting, with its varied routes. Along the routes, there are plenty of dining options, and if desired, one can sleep in luxury accommodations. After some consideration, he suggests one of his favourite trips.

“You can ride from Helsinki’s Central Park or Vuosaari metro station to Kuusijärvi in Vantaa, which takes a few hours. There, you can enjoy a smoke sauna and then have a leisurely 13-kilometer ride to a camping site in Sipoonkorpi National Park where you can sleep in a traditional ethnic lean-to shelter. The next day, you could explore the green areas of Vantaa and Helsinki.

The route has been published as Sipoonkorven yöretki (Sipoonkorpi National Park Overnighter) in the South by Cycle routes.

Roininen reminds that you can take your bike on a local train without a prior reservation. If you get tired during the trip and the route is close to a train station, you can complete the rest of the journey using public transportation.

For long-distance trains, bike spaces should be reserved in advance, as availability is limited. Especially during the summer, it is recommended to book the bike spaces well in advance to ensure a bike space on the train and thereby the smooth running of the trip.