One way to
explore Helsinki is of course by bike. If you want to cycle around the city
with your partner or a friend and you don’t have your own bike you should
consider renting a tandem. The restaurant and bar Iguana on Mannerheimintie rents them out
during the summer.
For 15
Euros you get the tandem for three hours. If you pay 30 Euros you can use it
the whole day. It has to be returned latest at 10 p.m. That gives you lots of
time for a big tour around the center and the seaside.
But be
careful. Even though Helsinki is trying to make the city more bike friendly and
making new cycling paths you should still always keep an eye on the cars. If you
happen to cycle in a street without a cycling path it is recommendable to rater
cycle on the walkway than on the street. Most Finnish car drivers are not used
to bikes on the street and don’t think they belong there.
Still a
ride with the tandem through Helsinki can be a very nice experience. Just don’t
forget to carry a helmet!
Hi Ansgar!
ReplyDeleteMy first comment here, wehee! As an active cyclist I must disagree with the recommendation about cycling on the walkway: When there's no cycling path, bikes belong to the street. And if we don't go there, the cars will never get used to bikes. I agree it's a bit hazardous but if you keep your eyes open and clearly show the cars where you're going, take your place on the street and follow the traffic regulations as you were driving a car, it should be fine. No one will drive over you intentionally. ;)
Also, cycling on the walkway annoys the pedestrians, and they end up hating us too.. And for a reason, since we are not allowed to cycle there.
I always think that if my bike on the street annoys the car drivers enough, maybe they will also think a bit further and vote for more cycling paths instead of parking lots in the city center. ;)
Keep up the good work Ansgar, I enjoy your posts!
Kati
Good point! True, car drivers might be annoyed by cyclist on the street but won't drive you over. So let's try out best to make them get used to bikes being part of the normal traffic.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment!