What kind of bicycles should you use in Syöte? This video introduces a regular mountain bike and a fatbike, which is designed specifically for riding uneven trails. Syöte is an excellent place for novice mountain bikers. The area’s 69-kilometre-long network of trails has several campsites maintained by the State Forest Enterprise and places for renting and maintaining your cycling equipment.
Find out more about the Syöte area mountain bike trails:
http://syote.fi/
Read the latest MTB news on the Syöte area Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/syotemtb/
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Syöte is an excellent area for cycling, for both experienced mountain bikers and families with children going on day trips. You can also ride your bike in the national park in the winter! There are about 150 kilometres of marked trails suitable for both mountain and touring bikes in the area. The mountain bike trails run through varied terrain in the Syöte National Park and the Iso-Syöte hiking area, and also partly outside them. The touring bike trails run mostly along the area’s motor roads. The staff at the Syöte Visitor Centre are happy to help if you want to rent a bike. Always carry a map with you when travelling on the trails!
Road safety
Mountain and touring bike trails of various difficulties can be found in Syöte. Choose the trail according to your skills. Make sure that you are able to stop in surprising situations. Before starting on a trail, check to see that your bicycle’s control system works. Remember that wet duckboards and other wooden structures are always slippery. Consider the circumstances when preparing for a long bike tour. Always use a bicycle helmet!
Syöte mountain bike trails
The Syöte mountain bike trails are best suited for those with some experience in cycling. The trails run chiefly along paths in the varied forest terrain. There is plenty of elevation change and diverse terrain on the trails, from sandy heath forests to aapa mires. The trail network, which is 69 kilometres long, consists of two circular routes, Syötteen kierros and Pitämävaaran lenkki, and a one-way trail called Toraslammen taival. All trails have been marked with pink paint markers. Arrows point the correct cycling direction in places where special attention is required. Signposts can also be found at crossroads, displaying the distance to the next destinations on the trail. There are several campsites along the trails. The trails are interconnected, and you can set off for all trails from the Syöte Visitor Centre if you want to. Please note! The duckboards are in poor condition in some parts of the trails!
Syötteen kierros trail (17 km):
Difficulty: Easy. Challenges: duckboards, stones and roots especially at the end of the trail.
Duration: at least 2 hours
Pitämävaaran lenkki trail (25 km)
Difficulty: Medium. Challenges: duckboards, lots of elevation change, some rocky parts.
Duration: at least 3 hours
Toraslammen taival trail (27 km)
Difficulty: Difficult.
Duration: at least 6 hours
Syöte touring bike trails
Syöte’s easy-to-cycle touring bike trails are suitable for day trips for the whole family. The trails run chiefly along public roads and forest motor roads in the hilly Syöte terrain. After pedalling uphill, you can relax your aching leg muscles at one of the several campsites found along the trails. The trail network, which is 63 kilometres long, consists of four circular routes that are interconnected. Brown signposts with numbers corresponding to the circular routes, telling where the route runs through, can be found at crossroads along the trails. In addition, signposts with a white and blue background guide cyclists when moving in public road areas.
1 – Pärjän kierros trail (22 km)
Difficulty: Easy
Duration: at least 3 hours
2 – Maisemareitti trail (24 km)
Difficulty: Medium
Duration: at least 3 hours
3 – Pikku-Syötteen polkaisu trail (20 km)
Difficulty: Medium
Duration: at least 2 hours
4 – Naamangan lenkki trail (15 km)
Difficulty: Difficult
Duration: at least 2 hours
Winter cycling trails
At the Syöte National Park, you can also cycle in the winter! A 26-kilometre-long wilderness trail runs through the snowy fell forests of the park, ideal for riding through with a fatbike, for example. The trail network consists of paths with packed snow, made with a snowmobile. The trail is not marked, so it is suitable for experienced hikers and bikers equipped with a map and compass. The winter trail follows the park management and husky safari trails, and it is maintained according to these needs, so the condition of the trail cannot be guaranteed. However, during the skiing season (February to early April), the trail is maintained with a snowmobile at least once a week. There is dog sled and snowmobile traffic on the trail. Biking on ski tracks is not allowed, except in places mentioned below.