Since the previous post I haven’t touched the game console, but instead I gathered enough mental strength to pack my bicycle panniers and took a train to North-Karelia. There I spent time in and around Joensuu, but one day I bicycled from Joensuu to Lieksa (around 104 kilometers).

While my initial idea all summer was to bicycle all the way to Nurmes (though not in one day), the unpredictable rainy weather and tired legs made me settle for Lieksa (I returned to Joensuu by train). Still, the distance I managed was more than I expected, especially when taken into account that the previous one day record by me has around 50 kilometers.

I also learned a lot how to improve some things the next time around (mostly related to clothing). It is also a good idea to check beforehand what the route options are (instead of just blindly accepting that Google Maps suggests), as this time around I bicycled a long stretch on a 100km speed limit road (those heavy trucks blazing past was not so nice) and some parts were poorly maintained gravel roads I saw better just to walk with the bike.

But luckily I suffered no punctured tires at least, which would have been something I really don’t know how I would have dealt with by myself (despite having some sort of repair tools with me). I was living on the edge.

Overall I was very satisfied that day, probably the best of all summer. I shall aim to do this again in the future.

Tags: bicycling