Why every gravel bike ride in Finland is a tiny holiday! TSHS-0076

The Social Hotelier

Why Every Gravel Bike Ride in Finland is a Tiny Holiday!

In this episode, Sam-Erik Ruttmann interviews Sari Puumala, the founder of PK & Company, about the growing trend of travel by biking, specifically gravel biking.

Sari shares her passion for outdoor activities and how she got into endurance sports like triathlon. We discuss the popularity of gravel road biking and the reasons behind it, including the desire for new experiences, quiet roads, and the social aspect of cycling.

We also explore the difference between bikepacking and traditional cycling tours, as well as the opportunities for small hotels and inns to cater to bike packers. Sari emphasizes the extensive infrastructure and endless possibilities for cycling in Finland, and the need for accommodations to be bike-friendly. We continue by discussing the digital tools available for planning routes and exploring unknown trails.

Sari Puumala discusses the fascination of biking and how she plans her routes, especially when exploring unknown trails or destinations. She shares her passion for planning routes and the tools she uses. Sari also talks about the extensive network of gravel cycling routes in Finland and the challenges of creating interesting routes due to the many roads that end in someone’s house.

She shares memorable experiences from her bikepacking adventures and highlights the social aspect of biking. Sari also discusses the efforts made by the city of Lahti to attract international bikers to Finland, including hosting events like the FNLD Gravel https://www.fnldgrvl.com/ and Nordic Gravel Series https://nordicgravel.com/pages/2024-events. She emphasizes the importance of digital tools and platforms for finding routes and planning bikepacking tours.

Sari Puumala can be reached on Instagram @sora.katriin and @sarikatriin,

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