As mentioned in the last post, it’s not very easy to find nice bike parts or bicycles in Estonia. So, let’s find out what are the options just 80km north in Finnish capital Helsinki. Like most cities in Scandinavia, Helsinki is bike friendly and has quite some nice stores as well. Jussi Kulonpalu sent us a few tips where to go to look for a bike.
* Kumiluoti - The only dedicated fixed gear shop. Not very good selection of stuff and quite expensive but they’re nice guys over there. They often have some simple and not too expensive road bike conversions, both single speed and fixed. Read the review here.
* Pyorahuolto – In Lauttasaari, a serious & knowledgeable bike shop, good stuff but also quite expensive.
* Tikkurilanajomies. – Also a good one but more for the MTB/XC-stuf. The store is located in a far-away place though, in Tikkurila, Vantaa.
* Greenbike – In downtown area, tends to be quite expensive but lot of people like it for some reason.
On Annankatu in downtown area, between Lönnrotinkatu and Kalevankatu there are two bigger general bike shops facing each other, they sell Bianchi and other big brands. Maybe worth checking out, maybe not.
* Kauppaveljet – But rather than those two, this is not so bad place for a BIG bike store, it’s in Töölö.
* Velosport – Then there’s of course THE serious and oldest road cycling store, in Käpylä.
* Cyclecenter - Small and friendly place. They have some real high end road bikes but also more general stuff. It’s in Kallio very close to Kumiluoti.
Ok, that’s it by Jussi.
There are of course other shops as well. Here’s two others recommended by my friend Kai Kuusisto:
* Fillarikellari and * Bikeplanet
And I’d like to add Pelago Bicycles to this list as well. It’s a very new small bicycle manufacture in Helsinki. They promise to make durable and beautiful bikes. As we speak they’re introducing their first bicycles and opening a shop and service in Vallila district, uptown Helsinki. The bikes are made in Europe, lugged steel frames for men and women, from single speeds to 8-speeds. Nice stuff.
Postitusel on Üks kommentaar
Bikeplanet in Myyrmäki used to be the coolest as they had a tarantula who lived in the counter where you paid your money. The shop has now moved to a HUGE place out on Ring (Kehä) III, and I asked the guys where the spider is – sadly the tarantula is now away from the customers in the manager’s office.
They got loads of bikes and parts though, and the people there are helpful (despite laughing at me when I said of course I was going to bleed my own brakes, and I hadn’t tried before) and sold me the bleed kit at a ridiculously low price.
postitas: Toby | juuni 29, 2009