A lonely escape

Sub24 this month was a one man affair. 

Combining Lee's sickness, my late arrival and no one in sight at the usual meeting point last Friday, I settled for a lonely ride and camp to the woods.

Unsure of how to feel (apart definitely sorry for Lee's absence), it seems the weather did not know what to think either, with passing rain showers under an otherwise sunny sky.  

From Bemböle, a quick jaunt to Pirttimäki rolled down easy before turning left to very familiar forest tracks, taken by countless Sub24 riders over the last five years, including once during a memorable wintery Sub24. Nothing much as changed since my last visit in the area, and I first wanted to check if the Sulalampi cabin removed two years ago would have been rebuilt. Alas, a single outdoor table and benches is all there is left of the impressive facilities there once were. However Sulalampi pond was as beautiful as ever under the setting sun.

Feeling reluctant to push the bike across single tracks to reach Urja, I decided to take it easy and stop the ride in Hynkänlampi, on top of the cliff overlooking the lake from the west: 24 km, 1h11' of cycling from home.

Still early, I set up my hammock and cooked some pesto pasta, emptying my gas canister in the process. Cookies and no tea would be my breakfast due to the lack of fuel and my overall laziness in starting a fire. Watching the stars lighting up the sky one by one after the sunset and it was soon time to welcome the night and a good sleep. A good eleven hours later on, feeling refreshed and ready to tackled the day I quickly packed my things and went on back to Bemböle. 

As we did not get that many warm and sunny days I could not end this Sub24 with a short ride home: and hop I went down to Espoon Keskuspuisto, Kivenlahti, Soukka, Suvisaaristo, all the coast back to Otaniemi, and ultimately, Haaga. 70 km, 3h30' of peaceful riding and great sceneries.

Overall a very nice Sub24 on my side, but these things are always better shared...

- Florian (or as some might say, "the Beast")

Sub-24 August 28th

Comments and suggestions are welcome, but... I suggest a trip to one of the more out-of.the-way camping spots in Nuuksio this month.

After meeting at Bemböle Shell petrol station at 17.30, we can get straight onto the gravely forest trails and ride for an hour or two over the hills to a nice (hopefully uninhabited) campsite with an open fire. Beware, we might need to walk our bikes the last kilometre.

In case of torrential rain or an obsession with asphalt, these plans can change - comment below, please. But Bemböle at 17:30 is a definite. See you there...

Hanko Hop

The 2015 edition of the Hanko Hop took place last night...

Friday 31st July 2015 - Iso Holmas

Two-and-a-half Brits, two-and-a-half Frenchies and one German took the road from Bemböle towards Nuuksio on the last Friday of July. A day of rain dried up for our ride and the scenery along Heinästie was as good as ever. 








The ride became more challenging as we neared Mustalampi - see the picture evidence! - and we pushed our bikes over paths of roots and rocks for as long as we could manage before leaving them to fend for themselves and continuing bikeless on foot. 


Our final destination turned out to be Iso Holmas, and we settled around an open fireplace for food and discussion. There was plenty to talk about as one regular sub-24er is about to embark on the wildest adventure yet - to a mock up of Mars for a year! Good luck, C! 

Lake-side accommodation made up for a chilly night and the following day turned out warm and sunny as we climbed back over the gnarly trails to Mustalampi and the same enjoyable ride back to Bemböle.

Next Friday is the Hanko Hop. Have a look at the tab above and come along - it's only a bike ride.

Next sub-24 is August 28th. The sun might be shining!

Salmi, 26th June 2015

Four adventurers braved the Finnish summer to ride along Kunnarlantie, Velskolantie, Lakistontie and Jokipellontie to approach Salmi from the north.

Salmen ulkoilualue has a lot to offer and we found the area busy with revellers. We settled on the quietest cooking shelter at Iso Parikas.

After a somewhat disturbed night, we left early following Reitti 2000 towards Nuuksio. A cooked breakfast at Kattila helped our tired legs over the hills of Nuuksiontie, back to Bemböle. 

The round-trip to Bemböle was about 65 km and our average speed was 17 kph, causing one puncture. Thanks to Roy, Poopy Pants and the Salainen Suomalainen for an eventful trip. 

Next month's edition will be on the last day of July, that's Friday 31st. The Hanko Hop will be on the following Friday. Hyvää kesää!

The long and winding road

The long and winding road
that leads to your door
Will never disappear
I've seen that road before...

It has now been twice in a row we've been to Porkkala. The long ride is always a special trip in Sub24 events. The longest distance of all Sub24s (40 km from Bemböle), along one of the finest riding roads in Uusimaa to the peninsula reaching far in the Baltic.

Featuring outstanding sceneries, the closest spot to Estonia from mainland Finland is also rich in History, having seen its inhabitants relocated shortly after WWII to accommodate a Soviet settlement that would last 12 years. Many remains can be spotted in the Peninsula, and road names still reflects times gone-by. In particular, Lentotie comes to mind, a narrow section of asphalt leading to apparently nowhere in the countryside, but suggests that a nearby airfield could once be found there.

With many regulars away it's a team of three that gathered in Bemböle with riders from Germany, Spain and France. Following the well-trodden Kuninkaantie another rider from Poland came along and ultimately 2 more riders from Germany and China!

A then strong group of 6 cyclists pushed towards south along Porkkalantie all the way to the campsite, meeting a moose crossing the road right in front of their wheels shortly before arrival to the campsite. Fortunately at this time of year the sun does not set until late, and a vibrant sunshine on the horizon greeted our fellow cyclists in a surprisingly non windy weather.

The usual display of a wide range of food quickly followed, with abundance of sausages, pasta, grilled mushrooms and the very first Finnish strawberries.

Given the relative absence of the wind, few cyclists-turned campers ventured as far as setting their sleeping arrangements right by the sea, with Florian experimenting with hammock set-up.

An uneventful ride back led way to the weekend with nice memories from somewhere south where sea meets land.

But still they lead me back
To the long winding road
You left me standing here
A long long time ago...