360°: Sonkajärvi-Iisalmi: A Bike Ride in the Snow /pyöräretki lumessa, 7/Dec/2025 *READ DESCRIPTION*

Описание: NOTE: This is an 8K 360-degree video. To get the most out of the experience, especially if you want to zoom in on details, please ensure you are streaming the video in at least 4K resolution. We hope the 8K version, which is typically accessible in browsers like Chrome, will become available soon for the absolute best image quality. (It usually takes YouTube 1-2 weeks to process and make 8K resolution available.) And, of course, DO pan around and DO discover your surroundings—that's what 360-degree videos are for!

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Riding less-frequented roads, like Road 87 between Sonkajärvi and Iisalmi, requires a bit of luck in the Finnish winter. When the snow is deep, a long journey like this can become extremely dangerous, even on low-traffic weekends with few—if any—large trucks.

Fortunately, on the day after the Independence Day celebrations in Sonkajärvi (see my previous video here:    • Sonkajärvi: Itsenäisyyspäivän juhla / Inde...  ), the conditions were surprisingly favorable. We had relatively little snow on Road 87, and the temperature was just above freezing (1°C), meaning the road was not icy. I immediately decided to head back to Jyväskylä. My goal was to avoid getting stranded in Sonkajärvi and having to arrange for my bike to be transported to the nearest train station in Iisalmi, 20 km away.

In the morning, I quickly cycled the 7 km to the village to check if Road 87 was suitable for riding (it was). I also hoped to capture some aerial sunrise footage (similar to    • Sonkajärvi(.fi): sunrise / auringonnousu (...  ), but the sun was hidden behind thick clouds, so I didn't bother taking out the drone. After grabbing a cup of coffee from the S-Market, I hurried back to the cottage. Given how rare these biking-friendly winter conditions were, I prepared for the long, potentially dangerous journey and aimed to leave as soon as possible, not worrying about the three-hour wait I'd face at the train station.

My early departure proved to be excellent timing. Towards the end of the journey, it began to snow quite heavily, which unfortunately made drone flying in Iisalmi impossible. Had I left just an hour later, the ride would have been significantly more difficult.

This video captures the experience of riding an e-bike on a vehicle road in the Finnish winter, illustrating a rare moment of luck with manageable snow and—most importantly—no ice on the long road to the train station.