Yes, sometimes it's quite nice in the quiet small northern towns like Oulu. If coming this way you know whom to contact.. :)
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Yes, sometimes it's quite nice in the quiet small northern towns like Oulu. If coming this way you know whom to contact.. :)
It's the quiet small (rural) towns I like, Mika - miles away from any bloody tourists: the real Finland.
If I'm surrounded by beautiful scenery, where you can walk, a few shops where you can browse round, and there are some nice family-run restaurants and bars in the area, selling high-quality local produce, I'm happy! :)
Marco.
In that case visiting somewhere outside Helsinki area and the southern rush-Finland might be a welcome option. Depending the season there are some beautiful small towns that offer exactly the things you mentioned. Don't hesitate to contact for some ideas if coming this way :)
Nice one, Mika. Don't worry, I will! :)
Maybe you could give me some suggestions of appropriate towns/areas and I'll do some research on them? :cool:
Marco.
I'll can try to sketch up somekind of shortlist with few links etc and send that to you by PM.
That would be great, Mika! :)
Marco.
No problem. In case you don't get the PM during this week please just send me a quick reminder :)
^Noticed I have something on my to-do-list :)
Anyway yesterday evening there was a fixed gear cx event at Oulu arranged by the local rider community. Despite of the cold -24 degrees of C weather almost ten participants came to race and we had a really nice evening. Few pics..
The light was really nice at the woods near the Lintula sports centre:
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The podium:
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Frozen beards :lol:
Classic
Great shots :)
This evening did a one and half hour ride with my Steamroller as the weather was pretty nice and calm. Only -7 degrees of Celcius today. During the ride noticed one small 7/11 shop with big SALE sign s in it as it was open for the last day. After a brief moment bought icecream as it felt somehow suitable to the situation and was -50% off as some other stuff also. Few pedestrians were smiling for the stupid bike-o-holic eating icecream in the middle of the winter. Made me smile also..
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8488/8...e05f7c98_b.jpg
I love that, Mika - looks so eerily dark and atmospheric! That's how I'd like it to be here on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day :santa:
As an aside, that shot would inspire me to write one of my infamous 'tales of the macabre': where desolate streets on winter nights ignite twisted psychopathic minds, and unspeakable horrors strike fear into your very soul......
Marco.
I like the idea behind the image nice B&W shot at night / moody
However it looks too made up
Have you ridden the bike from the other end of the view ( your tyre tracks ) then stopped looked back and seen a image
The bike looks to have been dragged into position on the back light ? dropped on the floor then the person taking the image has walked back and taken the shot
Maybe wrong ,but I always like to see and understand how a image was taken
Keep the photos coming I like them :)
Thanks.
The other tyre tracks are made by someone else, I just noted a nice view when driving along and stopped. The bike is fixed gear one and the tracks are skidmarks, so that is the reason the tracks seem like the bike is dragged to the spot. However I did walk back from it and took the image.
Today did three and half hour ride with a friend from local fixed gear community. Did about 70km and stopped once at the gas station to warm our toes and fingers as the weather was a bit chilly -15 degrees of C with a small breeze. Started also to have some icicles at my 'staches.. :)
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Here Mr.J is doing the X with the bikes at the old shipyard maintenance building renewed lately (it had a small cafeteria last summer I think) at Piimäperä where we stopped for a moment on our way.
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Sorry no bike shots this time but few shots from my new year skiing trip to Lapland. Five days skiing mostly offpiste with good friends, spending evenings by cooking nice dinners, having a sauna, drinking a bit and playing social games as Blocus, Jazz etc. The first skiing day was bit cold at -25 deg of Celcius but the rest were warmer at somewhere around -5 to -10.. :)
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Our our way back home we stopped at the grave of our dear friend and member of our freeskiing club who passed away last spring at Mt. Denali by a skiing accident. This was important to me as did not have a possibility to participate to the funeral.
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We lighted a candle for him, had a quiet moment, and dropped few tears. All of us. And it was not because of the hangover. Funny thing how you can same time feel really sad, but still somehow happy. I guess it's because the healing process. Luckily the memories are forever.
Ski-ing looks awesome, mogul dancing through trees is what dreams are made of, then aprés in the bar to Nanci's tune with some lovely dames.
''Here's to the lady's you love and don't see again,
The night is warm whiskey... the mornin's a cold bitter wind,
The blue eyed madonna leaves town while the drunken man waits,
Leaves him standing alone in the shadows of St. Olav's Gate.''
...then pilgrimage to your dearly departed friend, respect.:yesbruv:
May i take this opportunity to wish you a Happy New Year Mika, happy times always.
Fantastic pictures, as usual, Mika... You're making me want to visit Finland, more and more!
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How did you know that I love old graveyards? I really enjoy their tranquility and solitude. I dig the little lanterns illuminating the cold night sky with their comforting and gently warm glow... And the snow!! :yay:
I'm sure that your sadly departed friend would've been watching over you :)
Marco.
Thanks Andy - Happy New Year to you also! And Thanks Marco, I certainly hope so..
Today Mrs. has a morning shift, so spent the day with the kids cleaning the house and also playing outside. After Mrs came home and we had the dinner had some time to go for a little bike ride while the sauna was heating up.
Did a nice 45min cx ride with my fixed Steamroller at the snowy trails nearby our some. Trails were really good, hard and smooth. However my chinese high power led light has started occasionally to cut out the power and this caused some funny situations like at the pic when missed the trail after hard left turn from one bigger forest road to one smaller singletrack taking me back home :)
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8224/8...f06707fa_c.jpg
Love shots like that - looks very creepy! :eyebrows:
You should've been playing this track on your iPod....
Marco.
Bit too slow paced for riding me thinks - for the subject might prefer this one.. :D
Lol, yeah... However, I'm an 80s boy at heart! :D
Must be nice and peaceful out there in the snow, relatively in the middle of nowhere... What time was it roughly when you took the picture?
Marco.
I'm guessing that the pic was taken somewhere between 6 and 7 PM..
Ah, so not exactly the witching hour.... Still, watch out for the boogie man coming out of those bushes and grabbing you! :eyebrows:
Marco.
Thursday morning (eerrr, or was it Friday..) did see only few other commuters while riding to work and most of the time felt like a lone rider out there on the bike lanes. I'm guessing it was because of the weather as half past seven the thermometer showed -27 C temperature and in addition there was a small breeze going on.
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It's only question of the preparations i.e. clothing and the most important thing - the attitude. Of course if your bike can also cope with cold weather so that the lubricants at the bearings are not getting frozen and make your miserable, that is a big plus too. The factory grease in bike parts is many times too stiff for winter use in northern grounds. So when I buy new hubs etc usually will re-assemble the whole thing and add better stuff in before the winter season and the first cold fronts hits the north.. :)
Huh !!..thats exactly my thoughts when i saw your pic and read the text to -27 celcius, 1st thing came to my mind was the headset,hub,bottom bracket and derailleur greases must be Whale blubber based, :D i don't care if you are a Kamikazi but there's no way you could generate enough energy/revolutions in those conditions to get to anything like their working viscosity.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mika K
Already tired to see these random bike shots from the north? No worries - I have plenty of more to post as they just keep showing up to my camera without any effort. It's weird.. ;)
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This evening did a small ride to check out the new bridge recently opened up for public from the north side of the river Oulu to Toppila Isle. Not much to see but just wanted to check it out as most likely will use it occasionally when going to companys badminton hour to sports center located at the Isle. It's only 5km from our place to the bridge but somehow managed to ride two hours around the city :D
Awesome stuff, Mika, as usual. Could I ask how often you skid and fall on your arse? :D
In those conditions, it must happen sometimes, surely? :)
Marco.
How rude !!! Mika is Finnish you know, they're 'king of skids' and probably drift round situations like a thoroughbred rally driver without a sweat. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Marco
Yes we might be bit weird here in the north but not almighty thou.. :D
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KvqtVXWz4K...in_Finland.jpg
So yes, I've fallen many times, usually thou this happens when it's really icy or slippery. Surprisingly thou for this winter season have not fallen yet? I guess the last time was during summer when playing some bike polo.. :)
Ha - no doubt that picture was taken in the height of summer...
Pah, REAL men don't wear vests (secretly, he's also wearing two pairs of his wife's tights under his pants, in case it gets cold)! :D
Marco.
Yep we're weird :)
Please first watch this Sswedish Robert Gustafsson portrays the 5 (stereotypical) stages of Finnish drinking http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAl9OyGYxOg. Then think about that for a while and then read this article called "Finns - masters of silence" http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Fin.../1135246072691
And there it is! Now you have the tools to understand our nation better than average.. :)
Ha - very amusing, Mika! :eyebrows:
I too have no problem with silence and can't abide people starting idle chit-chat for the sake of breaking a perfectly normal, reflective silence. I much prefer people who are quiet and pensive, than loudmouths, cackling away (groups of females on a night out together are most guilty of this), who love nothing more than the sound of their own voices! :rolleyes:
I also generally find the atmosphere that most people are accustomed to living in these days way too 'loud', with kids running around screaming and shouting, adults often behaving not much better (!) TVs blaring, often with no-one watching them, and just the general hubbub and noise level continually in evidence in many people's homes.
Working from home and spending most of my day alone in a tranquil and relaxing atmosphere (we live in a detached house in a nice quiet area), with the only 'noise' coming from music played on my system, or the cats meowing (until my wife returns from work), means that I'm simply not used to the continual 'din' that many people these days consider as normal! I simply can't abide it. In some ways, I think that this is a British thing, as one doesn't tend to encounter this natural desire for noise as much elsewhere in Europe.
Therefore, the little 'quirks' of Finnish people, which you describe, would be no problem for me whatsoever - in fact, I'd rather enjoy it! :)
Marco.
Hey, Mika, I'm surprised you haven't commented on this! :)
Marco.
All you wrote made perfect sense to me when reading it, so didn't really have anything to comment. So just acting as a proper Finn here.. :whistle:
:lolsign:
Marco.
Today did three hour ride with my 29er to celebrate the nice -3 C degree weather. Rode mostly bike lanes as the paths and singletracks are too soft after the new snow that has fallen during the week. Just few really popular tracks were hard enough for a big rider like me, here is one next to the playgroung at one small park neat the forest area next to the university..
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1st of February the winter cycle challenge started, a playful competition for work communities and sport clubs etc to mark their distances covered by bike. The event is sponsored by the ministry of health with an idea to get people moving instead of using cars for all the commuting. Have marked my rides and so far have been able to cover 231km during 10 days - could be worse.. :)
Few shots from previous week. The first one taken by the river Oulu and other one near the light wall installation next to the sports centre Raatti.
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have had some great days here for winter biking, temperatures have been from -5 to -18 degrees of C and virtually no wind at all. And when you combine the longer days and even some sun, that make you feel like spring season is starting soon, oh boy :eek:
Icefishing season has also started at the river Oulu and enthusiasts seem to go awfully close to the edge of the ice..
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Also the trails have been in wonderful shape! Yesterday evening did almost 2 hour ride with my Steamroller and despite of the 35mm wide CX tires the dark paths and singletracks are fast and really give you the sensation of speed and pure fun!
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So far this month have ridden 403km and counting. Today we have team evening and dinnes form work 16kms away on other side of the town and planned to commute there and back home. Some of my colleques are looking me just like some weirdo.. :D
Long time without decent bike shots as have been mostly skiing. Still before some skiing piccies one shot after todays ride.
Very beautiful winter day today, bluebird etc. Decided to do a little spin after Mrs came home from morning shift and aerobic class. My face looked and also felt bit exotic after three hours and 57km. My toes did not felt much anything as temperature was -15 degrees of C when I left and -19 when got back home.. :D
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Now that is dedication Mika! Hopefully your toes won't fall off! :eek:
Don't worry they're used to it during the years and actually already normal again after hot shower and nice dinner.. :)
Then some skiing pics as during the last two weeks I have been spending two days at one back country oriented resort near my hometown as the snowstorms have delivered nice amount of powder snow.
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Also last weekend (or from Thursday to Sunday actually) visited Riksgränsen in Sweden for the season opening weekend. Beautiful mountains and some good skiing.
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Brilliant shots as always Mika, how times change from when i skied, those Fatboy Ski's weren't around then,
they must a a godsend in the powder, is that you in the contemplative mood shot. :)
Today after my day at the office felt that really needed some fresh air. As Mrs.Mrok had her practice late in the evening had few hours time after the dinner to perform a small bike ride before playing with the kids and their Legos.
The weather was beautiful after the sunny day, despite being bit cold at -16 degreed of C. I did hit the nearby bike lanes, singletrack paths and skidoo tracks with my Steamroller and ended up to the sea at the Patela bay. No others in sight, nice winter scenery and just in time for the sunset. Two different approaches here.. :)
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Man......that looks epic, love the solitude and infinite beauty of your composition, makes me feel my destiny is North but i am too old to emigrate now. :(
Have been riding a lot this winter but the March has been exceptionally cold which can be seen historically low temps e.g. last night at the town Taivalkoski they measured -38.3 degrees of Celcius despite the spring that should be starting already.
Today evening when left to bike ride with my friend Mr.V and our fixed gear bikes it was only -17 but when arrived back home after two an half hours it was already -21 degrees of Celcius. Brrrhhhhhmmmmpppphhhh... :)
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Not sure how "you are a nutter" translates into Finnish Mika - but you seem to enjoy yourself and great pictures! :)
We have approx. the same phrase in use here and not the first time I hear it, so.. :D
Mika,
I'd like to piggyback on your thread with my new purchase from yesterday, it's a Surly Crosscheck in a thief preventing gravy brown colour,
quite heavy classic steel tubing and tough powder coated, 50cm compact to fit my short arse 29'inch inside leg, i have been ogling it in my living room taking a cloth to it,
can't wait to get the bits together and build it up, i am better at building/adjusting bikes than i am at setting up TT's.
Thought i'd share my joy. :)
That'a a nice frame for do-it-type of riding. I had the black one in size 60cm before bought my Steamroller as a replacement. Should have never sold that one, as some other bieks also.. :D
No, these are not bike shots but continue still using this for my purposes.. :)
Spent eight days at the northern Norway near Troms, Lyngen peninsula and Tamokdalen valley area, with friends and our purpose was naturally to climb and ski as many nice peaks as possible. Well, things don't always go as planned as the conditions were partially quite challenging, so far I've heard of five avalanche victims from the area during the last week, two skiing and three with skidoos.
We tried to be careful and turned back down from few places where analyzed the snow conditions to be too sketchy. Few pics..
Heading towards the Ellendaltinden
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Scenery to Lakselvbukt village
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Climbing to the Middagstinden peak
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And skiing down :)
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Saw some aurora borealis during few clear nights
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Norwegian army blow on huge cornice at Tamokdalen
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Got some good skiing at the trees also
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Not bad trip at all despite of loong loong travelling.. :)