Yet Another Cycling Forum

General Category => Freewheeling => Racing => Topic started by: Salvatore on 03 June, 2019, 12:40:17 pm

Title: Finnish end to end record attempt
Post by: Salvatore on 03 June, 2019, 12:40:17 pm
(unofficial) by Samuli Mäkinen started today. He's not far from Salo, a town swarm_catcher and I passed through on our way to Russia in 2013. There'll be little if no night-riding, especially in the far north.

Tracker: https://www.randonneurs.fi/live/samuli-suomen-halki-2019/

Blog post: https://samulimaekinen.wordpress.com/2019/05/27/pohjanmaan-kautta/



Title: Re: Finnish end to end record attempt
Post by: Salvatore on 05 June, 2019, 05:51:19 am
He's well into Lapland and on schedule to beat his target of 5½ days by a huge margin. It's pretty safe to say he'll finish before sunset*.

He's just passed Sodankylä on route 4 (aka E75). Even though it's the main road to the north, there aren't that many opportunities for food & drink. I rode for hours and hours on that stretch before I found a coffee stop.

* Sunset at the finish is
(click to show/hide)

(https://i.imgur.com/AXHn9z4m.png)
Title: Re: Finnish end to end record attempt
Post by: mattc on 05 June, 2019, 07:16:31 am
1442km - so very comparable with the British version. Of course, the grass is always greener ...
Title: Re: Finnish end to end record attempt
Post by: S2L on 05 June, 2019, 07:49:36 am
Quote from: mattc on 05 June, 2019, 07:16:31 am
1442km - so very comparable with the British version. Of course, the grass is always greener ...

How does the terrain compare? If the record over here is less than half the time the one over there, there must be a lot more hills in Finland...
Title: Re: Finnish end to end record attempt
Post by: Salvatore on 05 June, 2019, 11:04:17 am
His route is significantly flatter than LeJog, but he's completely unsupported. There's no 'official' record, so I suppose this is the initial attempt to establish one, a tracker being used as some sort of validation. Randonneurs Fi seem to be involved with it in some way.
Title: Re: Finnish end to end record attempt
Post by: S2L on 05 June, 2019, 11:40:20 am
Midges must be horrendous in Finland... he needs to keep moving
Title: Re: Finnish end to end record attempt
Post by: Salvatore on 05 June, 2019, 11:54:54 am
Quote from: S2L on 05 June, 2019, 11:40:20 am
Midges must be horrendous in Finland... he needs to keep moving
Not midges like you get in Scotland, but mosquitoes. And giant evil horseflies which can fly as fast as I can cycle, and which can bite through the backs of my mitts - they seem to prefer the backs of hands and the tops of feet. They also make life hell for reindeer (according to the woman in the tourist office in Övertorneå) because they bite their eyes and blind them. Like this lot (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HXAfB79Cvk) I met on a road in Finland. As soon as they stop they are trying to scratch and shake flies off (as was I - you can see flies buzzing round).
Title: Re: Finnish end to end record attempt
Post by: Salvatore on 06 June, 2019, 04:41:07 am
Quote from: Randoneurs FI on twitter 5 hours ago
Samuli Mäkinen has finished his south-north crossing of Finland by bicycle from Hanko to Nuorgam (~1440 km) in 61 hours and 38 minutes. It appears he went cycling after he had finished so we have to wait for more details. :)
Title: Re: Finnish end to end record attempt
Post by: Salvatore on 06 June, 2019, 06:24:17 pm
Article in Helsingin Sanomat (https://www.hs.fi/urheilu/art-2000006133915.html?share=a506ebd59847c594b42c26b22ba5a4fa)
Title: Re: Finnish end to end record attempt
Post by: tonyh on 11 June, 2019, 05:29:07 pm
Salvatore, thanks for posting about that!
Title: Re: Finnish end to end record attempt
Post by: Salvatore on 15 July, 2019, 08:58:42 pm
Samuli's writeup:
https://samulimaekinen.wordpress.com/2019/07/12/fastest-known-time-across-finland/
Title: Re: Finnish end to end record attempt
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 24 July, 2019, 04:44:38 pm
I love that he seems to have planned his route nonchalantly on an Etrex.  :thumbsup:

Btw, your link here
Quote from: Salvatore on 05 June, 2019, 11:54:54 am
Like this lot (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZInLPe_bezQ) I met on a road in Finland.
actually gives me someone talking about Tesla and Edison...
Title: Re: Finnish end to end record attempt
Post by: Salvatore on 24 July, 2019, 05:50:35 pm
Quote from: Cudzoziemiec on 24 July, 2019, 04:44:38 pm
I love that he seems to have planned his route nonchalantly on an Etrex.  :thumbsup:

Btw, your link here
Quote from: Salvatore on 05 June, 2019, 11:54:54 am
Like this lot (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZInLPe_bezQ) I met on a road in Finland.
actually gives me someone talking about Tesla and Edison...

Ta. This (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HXAfB79Cvk) should work.
Title: Re: Finnish end to end record attempt
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 24 July, 2019, 05:56:23 pm
Can definitely see the flies. I think I'd rather have mosquitoes than horseflies, their bites are so painful.
Title: Re: Finnish end to end record attempt
Post by: Salvatore on 20 June, 2021, 03:08:50 pm
Timo Petänen will try to beat the record, beginning on Monday.

https://www.hs.fi/urheilu/art-2000008066922.html
Title: Re: Finnish end to end record attempt
Post by: Salvatore on 21 June, 2021, 06:54:32 am
Summary of current situation: https://hugovk.github.io/hannu/

Tracker: https://www.randonneurs.fi/live/timo-suomen-halki-2021/

36° forecast for tomorrow.
Title: Re: Finnish end to end record attempt
Post by: Salvatore on 21 June, 2021, 02:02:05 pm
Quote from: Salvatore on 21 June, 2021, 06:54:32 am

36° forecast for tomorrow.

Reports of 33° from riders on a 1000 (via google translate, which probably explains the 2nd paragraph)
#koli1000

Quote
Heat 33 in the shade if there was a shade. Below is a summer old asphalt that could be used to fry an egg. The hills that can be reached only at a walking pace.

 The third day of the colon has been made of them.

but a violent storm in Oulu which has brought down trees
https://twitter.com/TuomoPolo/status/1406945175608475662

Not ideal conditions for a record attempt.
Title: Re: Finnish end to end record attempt
Post by: Salvatore on 22 June, 2021, 12:28:27 pm
Timo has deviated from the obvious direct main-road route (used by Samuli in establishing the record) between Oulu and Rovaniemi. Speculation on twitter that either it's a navigation error or that he knows something about roadworks on the main road. If he carries on the way he's going it's at least an extra 20km.
Title: Re: Finnish end to end record attempt
Post by: Salvatore on 22 June, 2021, 02:54:57 pm
The current record-holder's track from 2019 is now displayed on the tracker so that comparisons of their progress can be made. Or will be able to be made, when their routes converge again at Rovaniemi.

Meanwhile in the next hour or so Timo should be riding past where I camped just off the road in 2016.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/713/32120832970_4c80dfe234.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/QWpEz1)
Title: Re: Finnish end to end record attempt
Post by: Salvatore on 23 June, 2021, 09:02:31 am
It's looking very close with about 160km 240km to go.  Tracker (https://www.randonneurs.fi/live/timo-suomen-halki-2021/)

ETA: Timo estimated to be about 15km behind the virtual Samuli, but has a favourable wind.

Timo should finish by sunset
(click to show/hide)


[he's currently going past the gold museum where for €10 you can try panning for gold and you get to keep the gold you find]

Title: Re: Finnish end to end record attempt
Post by: Frank9755 on 23 June, 2021, 04:21:14 pm
Looks like he is up on Samuli now
Title: Re: Finnish end to end record attempt
Post by: Salvatore on 23 June, 2021, 04:43:41 pm
This was the randonneurs.fi analysis about 2 hours ago:

"130 km and 6 hours for breaking the record. 35 km of gentle ascent and 55 downhill (drop about 250 meters) downwind to Utsjoki and 40 km of undulating road to Nuorgam. Under these conditions, the record would be broken by 40-50 minutes."
Title: Re: Finnish end to end record attempt
Post by: quixoticgeek on 23 June, 2021, 09:17:40 pm


 61 hours 07 minutes according to the randonneurs Finland twitter feed.

J
Title: Re: Finnish end to end record attempt
Post by: Salvatore on 24 June, 2021, 07:46:41 am
Well done Timo. I had my doubts when he was between Oulu and Rovaniemi.

Having followed his ride, the second half of  which was largely on roads I have ridden, I'm now pining for the taiga. And from there it's but a short step to pining for the tundra. And the fjords.

Title: Re: Finnish end to end record attempt
Post by: quixoticgeek on 24 June, 2021, 09:59:31 am
Quote from: Salvatore on 24 June, 2021, 07:46:41 am
Well done Timo. I had my doubts when he was between Oulu and Rovaniemi.

Having followed his ride, the second half of  which was largely on roads I have ridden, I'm now pining for the taiga. And from there it's but a short step to pining for the tundra. And the fjords.

https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-ride-across-finland-2021/

J
Title: Re: Finnish end to end record attempt
Post by: Lightning Phil on 24 June, 2021, 10:17:14 am
That Ruska event is good value. Something to consider for future years
Title: Re: Finnish end to end record attempt
Post by: mattc on 24 June, 2021, 07:51:59 pm
Quote from: Salvatore on 24 June, 2021, 07:46:41 am
Well done Timo. I had my doubts when he was between Oulu and Rovaniemi.

Having followed his ride, the second half of  which was largely on roads I have ridden, I'm now pining for the taiga. And from there it's but a short step to pining for the tundra. And the fjords.
Very good.