That looks like Ice on the road but I presume it is the wear caused by studded tyres. Does it cause any problems with riding, I have heard that tyre wear is high due to the rough surface.

RicK G wrote:That looks like Ice on the road but I presume it is the wear caused by studded tyres. Does it cause any problems with riding, I have heard that tyre wear is high due to the rough surface.

Tyre wear increaces some, and of course it is not that comfortable to ride, but otherwise not much of a problem.

...roads are a bit slippery because of sand left from the winter and tires are cold. But only one extra action happened during that ride!  

We still have plenty of snow and cold temperatures here in New Finland, err, I mean New England.   

Probably another four weeks of winter here, which is OK because I'm not yet finished with  maintenance and mods.

I bet those fingers wrapped around that camera were a bit cold.
Nice season ahead for you, hope you have a warm summer.

For us (in Eastern Canada), the biggest problem is the craters everywhere on the road.
We had a very cold winter, and have more potholes than clean asphalt.
With the 15" wheels on the hack, I am taking a chance to scrap the bottom of the engine.  
Yes, another month before the riding season

Here is a story (in Finnish, try the Translate-button on upper right corner), pics and riding videos. Its spring so no leafs yet.

Something to explain the title: Finns often call this country as the Finn-maid because this looks a bit like a maid on her knees, waving right hand. And we were riding pretty much on her tighs and on some parts locating a bit higher. (so the Translate -button gives You "Mermaid" which is a totally strange translation, should be "On maid's thighs and a bit higher".)

http://www.vanhamoto.net/2014/05/neidon-reisilla-ja-vahan-ylempana.html

Last summer I was riding some of those roads. This summer we head up north to Kalajoki.

I really love your pics Oma, the country side is just stunning, and the use of Vivi as a human map to explain the route, just exquisite. Made it so much easer for me to understand, your (route) that is. Thankyou for the post.
For any of our Tassie members wishing to use a lovely lady as a model to explain the route, and map of Tasmania, It would certainly lift a few eyebrows. Not that I have a problem with it, but where do you draw the line between soft porn and pictures of a bike ride? Soon I'll be able too get all my porn and K needs in the one place!

Thanks, nice to hear someone likes these riding reports.    

In Finland a naked body is not that big thing - people are naked in the sauna, they run naked from the sauna to the lake (or into the snow during the winter time). Viivi says people keep sending email to her and asking to see more and I think that is flattering her - she has the final decision of which pics are on blog and which are not. But I think her limit is and will be kind of pin-ups and underwear pics. Teasing pics, I would say.

I think my lack of skills in English may have made part of the story a bit unclear than what was meant. I actually meant that Finland as a country is often called as Finnmaid, an old saying. I made a poor drawing that might explain it...



So we were riding this time on her thighs and a bit higher, too. And the missing left hand and foot were taken by Soviet Union during the WW II...

Finnmaid in WW2 but now wrinkled old maid now. Is that what all the lakes mean.  
The Russians will probably realize what they have now and give it back.  And pigs might fly.

RicK G wrote:Finnmaid in WW2 but now wrinkled old maid now. Is that what all the lakes mean.  
The Russians will probably realize what they have now and give it back.  And pigs might fly.

At least when You look at those smaller roads, they are very wrinkled... But I think the 187 888 lakes mean that she's still all wet so she can't be too old...  

Oma Aika wrote:Season 2014 started in Finland, too! But it was a bit cold so we ended up to our sauna. It's a start anyway!

Nice . . . .great to see this. makes me appreciate our final autmn days all the more. Temp 21 degrees C today. 2 weeks to go before winter is officially supposed to kick in on June 01.

Might get a couple of frosts this year if we are lucky, aside from that a few rainy days, maybe

woohoo !

good riding to you .... 

A new ride... pics and a(boring) video and a story (in Finnish, try the translate-button).

http://www.vanhamoto.net/2014/05/pori-ja-rauma-ja-ajamisen.html

Be made wrote:

Oma Aika wrote:Season 2014 started in Finland, too! But it was a bit cold so we ended up to our sauna. It's a start anyway!

Nice . . . .great to see this. makes me appreciate our final autmn days all the more. Temp 21 degrees C today. 2 weeks to go before winter is officially supposed to kick in on June 01.

Might get a couple of frosts this year if we are lucky, aside from that a few rainy days, maybe

Well . .  we got our first frost of the season yesterday here in the province where i live.

It was a minus 2 degrees C.

I was not out on the bike in it, but in the car.

I purchased my first pair of gloves for over 25 years the day before so I went for a strop up north for half an hour to test them later on in the day, when it got to 6 degrees.

All is good but now I feel really well insulated, to the point where, @ high speed, I am losing the sensation of traveling fast as I can no longer hear the wind due to the purchase of a new flipface helmet.

Maybe this will slow me down a bit. getting sick of looking out for the highway patrol cars too.

Love the look of finland by the way but, alas, will probably never get there

Regards

keith

Oma Aika wrote:Another ride report... some very old roads and places (500 - 1500) and atmosphere.

Beautiful, just beautiful . I wish we had that sort of history here but, alas, NZ is only not even 200 years old yet, colonized by the english.

All our roads are near new with gravel tracks dissapearing fast (thank goodness really, for road bikers like me) and farming has cleared over 75% of the land mass in the north island where I live. Dairying being the national export, meat and timber 2nd and third leaving little room for leaving the land in its natural state

Riding in Eastern Finland - PART TWO!  Pics and videos are in all languages...    and a (poor) translator for the text!
http://www.vanhamoto.net/2014/07/neidon-reisilla-ja-vahan-ylempana-osa-2.html 

Great pictures of your beautiful country (and wife)!

stunning pic ...!!!!

charlie99 wrote:stunning pic ...!!!!

 That's taken at the top of the mountain called Saana in Lapland. That rain "near" is kilometers away and not that small at all...  


And see the story, there are more pics and maybe better ones!