I see a lot of videos on youtube saying about how wonderful Dutch cities or the Kopenhagen are for cycling. But since I moved to Helsinki, I am amazed at what a wonderful quality the cycling infrastructure is here.
What I like the most is that the cycle lanes are not just attached to roads: they create virtually separate network with tunnels, overpasses etc. so except for the strict city centre, you can actually travel across the city virtually without coming close to the cars at all.
Here is the clip of me riding an e-scooter (I had a meeting so I could not arrive sweaty) from Konala, which is on the outskirt of the town, few hundred metres from the city border, on the other side of the first ring road to the strict city centre – main train station. I picked that route as it has the least interaction with car traffic. I would not be afraid to send my teenage kids cycling to the city if I knew they would go this way.
Note: in about 3:54 I took a wrong turn and ended up on the pavement. I should take another right.
Timestamps:
0:00 searching for a scooter in my neighbourhood.
0:04 riding along the Ring Road 1.
0:11 crossing the Ring Road 1
0:19 Konala to Pohjois-Haga
1:27 cycle track along the railway via Huopalahti
2:14 riding through Keskuspuisto, Helsinki’s Central Park
3:54 I took a wrong turn here
4:10 I am back on the right track, riding past Olympic Stadium
4:26 Note, this is first time I have to cross a street. There were some places when resident cars are allowed before, but this is the first actual busy junction. I was riding for well over 20 minutes at this point.
4:40 Look how busy that route is, how many pedestrians and cyclists!
4:47 Oodi national library on the left.
4:49 Second street crossing
4:54 That’s it, I am at the main train station already! The journey took about 30 minutes.
Recorded on 26th of May 2025