Photo courtesy of Alain Rumpf

It’s 10pm and the shadows are long as the sun sits low on the horizon. Even though we’re a full two months after midsummer, the days are still remarkably long this far north. We’ve just coasted down a steep XC ski track to exit the woods and have arrived at Lahti’s signature lakeside sign for an unobstructed view of one of the most fiery red skies we’ve ever seen.

Photo courtesy of Alain Rumpf

About 100 km north of Helsinki, tucked in a part of Finland that claims to have even more lakes than the rest of the country, is where you’ll find one of the best places we’ve ever ridden. Lahti is the city at the centre of this area, the gateway to such pristine gravel that it looks set to be the thing that establishes Finland on the gravel riding map. Predominately a winter sports region, bright minds and eager riders from in and around Lahti have registered how their slice of Finland – with hundreds of kilometres of tracks cutting through its forest for cross-country skiing, as well as the vast network of dirt roads for logging or hunting – could be a magnet for gravel riders, if only people knew.

“They see a future for Finnish gravel, scented with deep pine forests and the woody-earthy aroma of mossy rocks.”

We’re in good company for this four-day exploratory ride. There’s Mikko Saarinen, who’s in charge of the region’s bike destination development, photographer and bike guide Alain Rumpf, as well as Antti-Pekka Laiho, a former MTB pro turned Suunto’s global brand marketing manager, and Jussi Veikkanen, a former professional road cyclist turned directeur sportive for pro-road cycling team FDJ. Over the last few years, Mikko and the team have been reimagining how people can get access to and move around this landscape. And right now, they see a future for Finnish gravel, scented with deep pine forests and the woody-earthy aroma of mossy rocks.

Photo courtesy of Alain Rumpf

What we’re here to find out is whether Finland’s natural features are enough to make the town of Lahti a future gravel “must see” destination.

Exhibit A – Forests filled with gravel roads

75% of Finland is covered in forest. To put this into perspective, that is an area that’s larger than the UK or Italy. These forests have a bounty of dirt tracks used for timber, hunting, skiing and agriculture – there’s gravel riding by default here. In the Lahti region alone, Mikko has mapped out more than 2,000 km of gravel, puzzling over which stretches should be combined to create the top 15 “must do” routes. This is where humans and nature meet, because tracing these ribbons of gold through the veil of woodland isn’t the easiest task (although, don’t worry, 5G mobile signal is almost permanently available here). One particular area that’s immediately adjacent to the town and behind the jaw-dropping ski jumps, appears to be the “buzziest.”

“As a nation, we’ve been cycling for a long time, it just hasn’t caught anyone’s attention before”

“Everyone grows up skiing on these cross-country ski tracks,” says Mikko, gesturing at the pine needle-carpeted, hard-packed, well-signed routes that we’re currently riding. He’s not exaggerating - 98% of Finns are classed as ‘able’ to cross-country ski. “Finns have always ridden these tracks in summer – that’s how we get around. As a nation, we’ve been cycling for a long time, it just hasn’t caught anyone’s attention before,” he adds, getting into full aero tuck for one of the short descents. The tall blond rider gets to the bottom and looks around – we’re some way back, but our momentum helps us to catch up over the next roller.

Photo courtesy of Alain Rumpf

Lahti has around 170 km of cross-country ski tracks, which, if you were to categorise the terrain using a typical gravel grading scale, would score highly with almost exclusively grade 1 gravel – the sort of Tuscan-style consistent gravel that’s got to be one of the most lust-worthy types – with a smattering of grade 2 doubletrack. To the east of the city, there is forest after forest with gorgeous singletrack that asks for a concentrated awareness of line choice with a host of sniper roots to test your skills on. Monotonous? Not here. This diversity is what keeps the riding fun.

Exhibit B – The topography

“Shaped 12,000 years ago by the last Ice Age, the ups-and-downs of the landscape create a natural rhythm”

Finland is not known for its mountains, and Mikko, who grew up Alpine skiing, is the first to admit that this country is predominantly flat, but there’s irrefutable flow on the trails and gravel roads that we ride. Here, the small rollers meet with hard-packed terrain to give us an amount of flow similar to that found in manicured Swiss MTB parks, just without the big climbs. As a result, your pace doesn’t have to suffer just because you are. Shaped 12,000 years ago by the last Ice Age, the ups-and-downs of the landscape create a natural rhythm—initially one that benefitted skiers, but now one that appears to be designed by default for gravel bikers. 

We stop beside some steep rocks on our first ride and Antti takes over the role of guide, explaining how our route is going to begin and end by navigating the Salpausselkä ridges – two long-running, glaciofluvial ice-age formations that are part of Finland’s best-known geological entity, the UNESCO-listed Salpausselkä Geopark. Despite only being around fifteen minutes into the ride, it’s clear that sublime, flowy gravel, steep rocky cliffs and glistening water will become a familiar sight. 

It could be worse, we reason.

Photo courtesy of Alain Rumpf

“But I would like to see a cycling culture develop, where locals and tourists can mix and hang out at a nice bar”

“That’s the natural reason why Finland is so good for gravel,” agrees Mikko with a grin. “Our nature is exceptional. And we look after it. That’s why I’m not concerned about our gravel roads or trails – those are in great condition. But I would like to see a cycling culture develop, where locals and tourists can mix and hang out at a nice bar in the harbour.” He trails off “That still feels a little way off.” 

Exhibit C – No two kilometres are the same.

For much of the world, Finland is shorthand for eternal daylight in summer, wintery darkness and a Prime Minister who can let her hair down and throw some shapes on the dancefloor. But there’s much more to it than that. Mikko is reticent when we ask him why much of the world knows so little about the country. “In response to the question of people assuming all of the Nordic countries are the same, that’s probably something we need to work on,” he answers bashfully. “They know we’re reserved, drink alcohol and that we’re the happiest nation, but that’s about it – they haven’t heard about these amazing gravel roads or that you can go wild-swimming around every corner, so we need to work on our own publicity. But we’re not a nation that brags, so Finland is something of a hidden gem. If I’m honest I’m not sure how I’d feel if too many people knew how great it is!”

“Finland is something of a hidden gem. If I’m honest I’m not sure how I’d feel if too many people knew how great it is!”

As we migrate northwards onto the day’s only stretch of asphalt, Mikko apologises profusely – “These 8km of bridges are the only way to cross the lakes and reach the Päijänne National Park.” He’s forgiven. Not only is the scenery spectacular, he also directs us onto a stretch of singletrack that parallels the road, just metres from the water’s edge. We stop for fresh strawberries from a local farm, discussing how unblighted everything feels. Part of the charm could be the tailwind that accompanies us for most of the ride, but there’s a lot to say about the clean air, clear waters and the general tranquillity that comes from such a low population density.

On our second big day (105 km, 1,300 metres), we get hit by torrential rain. But instead of slowing us down, the pace heats up. There are some serious Paris–Roubaix vibes as we pedal hard along the endless gravel waves, breaking the crest and coasting down the other side. Climb, coast, repeat. As the rain intensifies, it enlivens the group, especially Antti, the former MTB pro that still competes in all manner of bike disciplines. 

Having moved to Lahti in the early 2000s, his excitement for the region’s riding portfolio is contagious. “I like to ride all bikes,”he says, “but my gravel bike has certainly eclipsed the other bikes at home.” That evening, he unhooks a rowing boat that takes us down the lake to dinner, explaining how his own summer cabin can be reached by either a 35 km gravel ride or 2 km over the water. Again, it could be worse. 

Gravel by design or by default

In and out of the pine forests, with swooping corners and stunning views over sparkling lakes, we’re in our element. Later, as we sit outside a supermarket bakery enjoying a strong coffee (specialty coffee is yet to become a staple of Lahti’s gravel scene but it’s only a matter of time – we’re looking at you, Kahiwa).

It’s been a trip of superlatives, yet we’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s possible in Finland. Curiosity awakened, we spread a paper map in front of us before getting on the plane home and highly recommend that you do the same. With so much woodland, gravel roads are the default mode of access and just happen to be exactly the kind of thing we want to ride. 

“It’s been a trip of superlatives, yet we’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s possible in Finland.”

Logistically, you can ride from hut to hut, campsite to cabin, or simply pitch up a tent anywhere you like. Refuelling takes a bit more planning as distances between towns and villages can vary drastically, so it’s better to carry more and not risk going hungry – although the woods are awash with edible goodness throughout the summer. 

Finland had never been a location on our radar, but as we zip through the air on the short flight home, it feels like a transformative experience. The experience offered to us during this short trip was not full immersion in Finnish culture, but it has given us a taste for how this country stands out from its Nordic neighbours. And in reply to Mikko's comment earlier, it’s refreshing not to see specialty coffee on every corner. Does the world need a Girona of the north? We'd love to see Lahti stay as quirky, charming and laidback as it was on our four balmy late summer days there, because even though we are far from being experts on Finland, we have a hunch that this is close to what life is like here, and we're ready for more of the same.

Photo courtesy of Alain Rumpf

Thanks to Visit Lahti for arranging our visit. If you’d like to check out some more reasons to take your gravel bike to Finland, this is a good resource.  If this has fired up your desire to head to Finland, but you’re of a competitive nature, we would recommend you check out this event which is scheduled for June 2023 or if you fancy racing across the Nordics, then this is the place to head.