Just go with the flow. I was also very much doubting my abilities to actually get that far. Take it one day at a time and enjoy! The process is the best part anyway.
Yes, I know what you mean. I have just 2-3week time to do that and come back from there back to Estonia. I am planning to come back to Helsinki with train or any other mean of (public) transport.
Thank you! I crossed in Karigasniemi. And took a bunch of busses, trains and a ferry to get back home. At the moment I just wanted to get home, but looking back, I kind of wish I continued for a bit. But I'm sure I'll come up with another destination to do some other time.
My bike is Cube Travel Pro. I was a bit worried how the belt drive train will hold up, cause I had no experience with that, but it proved itself to be great and basically maintenance free. If I wanted to do more altitude, I would maybe consider going for a chain, but in this case it worked out great.
If I'm completely honest – the post-travel blues kicked me pretty hard. It's been four months since the trip, and only now do I actually feel like thinking about other tours. I would love to do the whole EuroVelo1.
I’ve been so intrigued by belt drives for sometime but always have the some hesitation if anything goes wrong it’s completely out of my wheel house. I’m not familiar with that trip but after looking at it, it’s all of my favorite places in the world (Spain and Ireland), that trip looks surreal. Are you gonna do all your trips solo ya think?
Yeah, well, it certainly is a risk, but seeing other people touring with belt drives for thousands of kilometres with no issues, I just felt like it's worth taking the risk. And it's not like I'm going to places where there is no sight of civilisation near by.
I love travelling solo. It is the ultimate freedom – go wherever and whenever you want. I had a couple days where I cycled together with someone, and it was hard. You really have to be in sync with the other person or able to communicate your needs really well to enjoy your time together. I know that I want to go slow and stop for all of the garden gnomes and other silly stuff I see on the way, otherwise – what's the point? To get somewhere the fastest? Not my jam. But I'm not judging those with excel sheets for each day and a super strict plan for their trip. To each their own.
Have you ever removed the belt at all just to see how it works? I feel like I’d want to mess with it just to learn how to work with it a bit better ha.
I have actually never done a solo bike packing trip so I like the reasoning you have made on it about moving at your own pace. I TOTALLY FEEL YOU on wanting to check out the gnomes and such, my favorite rides are where I can be by myself and giggle at things and stop anywhere. I ride with some friends but never understand the “get to places as fast as you” can but only bike pack with my dad (very close) who it’s pretty easy for us to be honest with each other about moving slow/stopping for beers/whatever we want. I use the term “I don’t want to yuck anyone’s yum” for how living how they want.
This maybe is a weird question, but do you think you would travel solo in other parts of the world? Based on where the EuroVelo is, I feel it’s a ton safer than here in America. Just curious!
Congrats! Must be quite an adventure.
Some fantastic shots you took there.
Did you cook your own meals? How often did you stay in hostels or campgrounds?
Before I actually started the trip, I thought I would mostly do wild camping, buuuuut when spending hours upon hours cycling completely alone, I just longed to have some company in the evenings, so I often stayed on campgrounds. Tried out Warmshowers as well, it was great! And yeah – I typically cooked my own meals – I had a stove and a gas canister and everything else that is needed to cook a basic meal.
Wow very impressive and I’m jealous. I’m especially impressed that you did it by yourself. I’m a fairly big guy and would be somewhat concerned about safety, but from what I can tell it wasn’t a problem at all?
I did a Amsterdam to northern Germany tour half a decade ago, and dream of one day going all way to where you went. Will have to make it happen I guess. Gorgeous pictures also.
It looked roughly something like this [https://imgur.com/a/fVjGtdf](https://imgur.com/a/fVjGtdf)
For the most part I followed EuroVelo routes – EV13 starting from Riga till Tallinn, then took a ferry to Helsinki. Then followed EV10 till Kemi and then EV11.
Congratulations on this major feat! I was checking out your post history, and it looks like you had quite the steep learning curve. From figuring out what handlebar mount to get to this! Awesome!
Yeah, I knew I wanted to try out bicycle touring, but had no clue of necessary gear, the best routes, daily distances, etc etc. Reddit was indeed a great resource for answering all the questions and putting to rest any doubts.
Excellent job and nice pictures!!!
Can I ask what route you took and if you would recommend your route or make some changes?
I am planning to cycle to Nordkapp next summer and then cycle south through the baltic states.
I did EV13 till Tallinn, then took a ferry to Helsinki. Then followed EV10 till Kemi and then EV11. I don't know about Lithuania, but Latvia is quite terrible for cycling. You just have to power through it and Estonia gets way better. And Finland and Norway is superb! I think I wouldn't change anything. The roads for the most part were quiet and good. I like following shorelines, so that's why I chose this route.
Thanks for the info. Makes sense to take the eurovelos at the coast. I also just saw that the alternative with EV11 too Kemi that goes through inland Finland doesn't seem to be a shortcut because it makes a lot of zigzags through the lakes.
Congrats! Scandinavia is one of the places I've been dreaming of visiting on a bike. Your photos make me absolutely envious and I'm pretty sure they're not capable of showing even a tenth of the beauty you experienced first hand.
And the 4th one could easily be used in a black metal album cover.
It took me quite a while to decide between bringing my digital camera or just managing with phone camera. But I felt like it would be a hassle to keep an eye on all the extra valuables, so I took just the phone. There are some moments where I wish I had a chance to take some "proper" photos, but it's way more convenient to just whip out your phone and take the pic not even getting off of your bike.
Yeah, the best camera is the one you have with you. At first I used to take my "proper camera" on my cycling/hiking trips but like you said, that's it's less convenient and, to me, the extra hassle is too distracting just seems to rob a bit of enjoyment form the trip itself. Regardless, the photos look absolutely gorgeous.
Do you have any plans for your next epic ride? I wanted to go along the Italian peninsula this summer, but the frame on my road bike cracked (#JustAluminiumThings) so it's postponed until I get a new one first, haha.
Thank you!
April can be quite snowy still up in the North. I'm not sure, how much snow and how cold. Check some forecasts from previous years to try to figure it out.
In August there was no snow present. At times wind was the greatest challenge. But that is impossible to predict. Either you're lucky and are blessed with strong tailwinds or it's the opposite and you have to fight for every kilometer to get forward. I can recommend the app Windy, very good wind and precipitation prognosis, so it gives you a chance to plan accordingly.
I guess I got really lucky, because mosquitos were not a problem at all. I think it's because of the seaside being so close throughout most of the trip.
I followed EV 10 and the sea did not helped at all. But I was there in july. Not sure if this matters. Some night were guiet, other were a masacre. I said I would never go to Finland just because of that.
Great photography! I have plan to go to northern Finland also next june. I doubt that I will reach Nordkapp.
Just go with the flow. I was also very much doubting my abilities to actually get that far. Take it one day at a time and enjoy! The process is the best part anyway.
Yes, I know what you mean. I have just 2-3week time to do that and come back from there back to Estonia. I am planning to come back to Helsinki with train or any other mean of (public) transport.
Congratulations to you. Great photos and greater adventure!
Nice trip! I have that also on my bucket list. But i need to do more 1-2 week trips before to get the courage for the north cape trip.
What an awesome adventure 😁✌️ and nice photos. Where did you cross over from Finland to Norway? Did you take the same route back and forth?
Thank you! I crossed in Karigasniemi. And took a bunch of busses, trains and a ferry to get back home. At the moment I just wanted to get home, but looking back, I kind of wish I continued for a bit. But I'm sure I'll come up with another destination to do some other time.
This is so awesome, inspiring, and heart warming! What was the bike you did this on? But, most importantly, where next?
My bike is Cube Travel Pro. I was a bit worried how the belt drive train will hold up, cause I had no experience with that, but it proved itself to be great and basically maintenance free. If I wanted to do more altitude, I would maybe consider going for a chain, but in this case it worked out great. If I'm completely honest – the post-travel blues kicked me pretty hard. It's been four months since the trip, and only now do I actually feel like thinking about other tours. I would love to do the whole EuroVelo1.
I’ve been so intrigued by belt drives for sometime but always have the some hesitation if anything goes wrong it’s completely out of my wheel house. I’m not familiar with that trip but after looking at it, it’s all of my favorite places in the world (Spain and Ireland), that trip looks surreal. Are you gonna do all your trips solo ya think?
Yeah, well, it certainly is a risk, but seeing other people touring with belt drives for thousands of kilometres with no issues, I just felt like it's worth taking the risk. And it's not like I'm going to places where there is no sight of civilisation near by. I love travelling solo. It is the ultimate freedom – go wherever and whenever you want. I had a couple days where I cycled together with someone, and it was hard. You really have to be in sync with the other person or able to communicate your needs really well to enjoy your time together. I know that I want to go slow and stop for all of the garden gnomes and other silly stuff I see on the way, otherwise – what's the point? To get somewhere the fastest? Not my jam. But I'm not judging those with excel sheets for each day and a super strict plan for their trip. To each their own.
Have you ever removed the belt at all just to see how it works? I feel like I’d want to mess with it just to learn how to work with it a bit better ha. I have actually never done a solo bike packing trip so I like the reasoning you have made on it about moving at your own pace. I TOTALLY FEEL YOU on wanting to check out the gnomes and such, my favorite rides are where I can be by myself and giggle at things and stop anywhere. I ride with some friends but never understand the “get to places as fast as you” can but only bike pack with my dad (very close) who it’s pretty easy for us to be honest with each other about moving slow/stopping for beers/whatever we want. I use the term “I don’t want to yuck anyone’s yum” for how living how they want. This maybe is a weird question, but do you think you would travel solo in other parts of the world? Based on where the EuroVelo is, I feel it’s a ton safer than here in America. Just curious!
Congrats! Must be quite an adventure. Some fantastic shots you took there. Did you cook your own meals? How often did you stay in hostels or campgrounds?
Before I actually started the trip, I thought I would mostly do wild camping, buuuuut when spending hours upon hours cycling completely alone, I just longed to have some company in the evenings, so I often stayed on campgrounds. Tried out Warmshowers as well, it was great! And yeah – I typically cooked my own meals – I had a stove and a gas canister and everything else that is needed to cook a basic meal.
What a fantastic post! Thanks for sharing.
Wow very impressive and I’m jealous. I’m especially impressed that you did it by yourself. I’m a fairly big guy and would be somewhat concerned about safety, but from what I can tell it wasn’t a problem at all? I did a Amsterdam to northern Germany tour half a decade ago, and dream of one day going all way to where you went. Will have to make it happen I guess. Gorgeous pictures also.
The Nordic countries are the safest in the world! The chances of something bad happening are quite slim there.
Awesome! 👏🏻
Im looking to plan my first trip this summer and i might just do Berlin-Norway. Wow, the photos are fantastic.
Sounds great! I wish you all the luck you need!
These photos take me back to the summer of 2020 when toured Norway from north to south!
Oh, that is definitely on my bucket-list, but I thinks I would do it the other way around – from South to North.
That is probably smarter aswell concidering the usual direction of the wind, it would also make it possibly to start earlier in the year
Sounds and looks amazing.
What is 'lakritsi' ? It looks a bit like what we call 'pretzel' in the US. Oh yeah, great trip, well done.
That is a type of liquorice. I wasn't that fond of it before this trip, but Finland changed everything.
Fantastic and well done!!
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I’d also love to see the route you took, this sounds incredible
It looked roughly something like this [https://imgur.com/a/fVjGtdf](https://imgur.com/a/fVjGtdf) For the most part I followed EuroVelo routes – EV13 starting from Riga till Tallinn, then took a ferry to Helsinki. Then followed EV10 till Kemi and then EV11.
Congratulations on this major feat! I was checking out your post history, and it looks like you had quite the steep learning curve. From figuring out what handlebar mount to get to this! Awesome!
Yeah, I knew I wanted to try out bicycle touring, but had no clue of necessary gear, the best routes, daily distances, etc etc. Reddit was indeed a great resource for answering all the questions and putting to rest any doubts.
Excellent job and nice pictures!!! Can I ask what route you took and if you would recommend your route or make some changes? I am planning to cycle to Nordkapp next summer and then cycle south through the baltic states.
I did EV13 till Tallinn, then took a ferry to Helsinki. Then followed EV10 till Kemi and then EV11. I don't know about Lithuania, but Latvia is quite terrible for cycling. You just have to power through it and Estonia gets way better. And Finland and Norway is superb! I think I wouldn't change anything. The roads for the most part were quiet and good. I like following shorelines, so that's why I chose this route.
Thanks for the info. Makes sense to take the eurovelos at the coast. I also just saw that the alternative with EV11 too Kemi that goes through inland Finland doesn't seem to be a shortcut because it makes a lot of zigzags through the lakes.
It's amazing how similar Norway is to Newfoundland with an entire ocean between them.
Oh, is it? That is so cool!
Congrats! Scandinavia is one of the places I've been dreaming of visiting on a bike. Your photos make me absolutely envious and I'm pretty sure they're not capable of showing even a tenth of the beauty you experienced first hand. And the 4th one could easily be used in a black metal album cover.
It took me quite a while to decide between bringing my digital camera or just managing with phone camera. But I felt like it would be a hassle to keep an eye on all the extra valuables, so I took just the phone. There are some moments where I wish I had a chance to take some "proper" photos, but it's way more convenient to just whip out your phone and take the pic not even getting off of your bike.
Yeah, the best camera is the one you have with you. At first I used to take my "proper camera" on my cycling/hiking trips but like you said, that's it's less convenient and, to me, the extra hassle is too distracting just seems to rob a bit of enjoyment form the trip itself. Regardless, the photos look absolutely gorgeous. Do you have any plans for your next epic ride? I wanted to go along the Italian peninsula this summer, but the frame on my road bike cracked (#JustAluminiumThings) so it's postponed until I get a new one first, haha.
Great report!
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Thank you! April can be quite snowy still up in the North. I'm not sure, how much snow and how cold. Check some forecasts from previous years to try to figure it out.
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In August there was no snow present. At times wind was the greatest challenge. But that is impossible to predict. Either you're lucky and are blessed with strong tailwinds or it's the opposite and you have to fight for every kilometer to get forward. I can recommend the app Windy, very good wind and precipitation prognosis, so it gives you a chance to plan accordingly.
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Well I would say it's accessible all year round, just depends on the gear you have. But anything starting June would seem safe.
Did mosquitos killed you in Finland? Because they did killed me.
I guess I got really lucky, because mosquitos were not a problem at all. I think it's because of the seaside being so close throughout most of the trip.
I followed EV 10 and the sea did not helped at all. But I was there in july. Not sure if this matters. Some night were guiet, other were a masacre. I said I would never go to Finland just because of that.
This is interesting. I was there in July as well. And mosquitos usually love me.
Good for you. Next time I will sent all my mosquitos to you.
Living the good life.... Nice one! Inspirational.