Northern European Countries have been developing clean energy and trying to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide. The government of Finland has been promoting cycling as a means of transportation and exercise for the past 35 years. The closely connected web of cycling routes all over Finland has always been a popular space for the Finnish to enjoy their leisure recreation. However, after electric scooters started to be imported into Finland in 2019, electric scooters soon became the new favorite means of transportation.

It is not uncommon to see shared bikes and shared scooters riding alongside one another on the streets of Helsinki. These shared bikes and shared scooters provide the Finnish with more alternatives in public transportation. The government imported electric scooters to Finland for their accessibility and manageability as the new public transportation where no traditional service was provided. With low carbon emissions, the electric scooter makes this new way to travel an instant success. Among 5.5 million of the Finnish population, more than 2.5 million of them used electric scooters already. Recognizing its profitable potential, many international cooperates got their footholds in Finland’s e-scooter market.

Even though e-scooters are compact and convenient, it is not unheard of about accidents and injuries caused by the scooters’ high speed. Furthermore, some cyclists complained about having had to share the cycle routes with the e-scooters. People living in Oulu, the major city that is closest to the Arctics in Finland, are still loyal cyclists through and through, even in the coldest sub-zero snowing winter days.

Being an important cultural and economic city in northern Finland, Oulu’s relatively small premise makes it possible for its residents to drive across town in 15 minutes. However, as the important development center for Nokia Networks, Oulu has been the leading high-tech developing metropolis in Finland, and even the world. People of Oulu attribute their creativity to their easy and peaceful lives largely thanks to their daily cycling routines. Having the highest density of bike paths all of Finland well attested to how people in Oulu truly love to cycle. Barely 200km (100 miles) away from the Arctic circle, Oulu snows 6 months out of the year on average. But the freezing snow never deters the people of Oulu from having fun cycling in the white landscape that becomes the city’s unique flavor.

Petri who lives in Oulu points to the bike paths everywhere and comments, “These are truly our highways!” Here, cycling is the mainstream and all other vehicles need to yield to bicycles. Residents enjoy the city as well as the great outdoors in the spring and summer. When it starts snowing, the government will make sure the snow is shoveled away before the morning rush hours so that cyclists can arrive at their offices on time.

Since the weather in Oulu stays low enough the entire winter that the dry snow seldom melts away. As long as the snowplows shovel away the thick layer of snow, the layer of hard-pressed dry snow on top of the road is safe to cycle. Whereas other cities also snow in the winter yet the weather is not consistently low enough, the snow melts into a slushy watery mixture which poses a grave danger to cyclists. People of Oulu cycle to schools and work as an exercise routine year-round, including snowy winter days. They feel a much deeper connection with nature when they cycle in a snow-covered shiny white and tranquil environment. In addition, bike rides in winter clear their minds and make them better thinkers. Benefits like these make Oulu one of the best cities to cycle in the winter!