Firefighter Aki Pakarinen is training in his garage – now there is a 12,000 -kilometer bike ride

A Helsinki fireman plans to ride a bicycle from Panama Alaska without outside help. The demanding work of firefighters also attracts themselves to transcend themselves during their spare time.

Little by little, for example, commuting was a routine and cycling became a dear sport.

– Cycling is a great exercise, and as a firefighter, I need good fitness.

Now Pakarinen, 30, plans to cycle across North America from Panama southern Panama to the northern Alaska.

There are about 12,000 kilometers, and the journey is about 250 kilometers a day.

Pakarinen has reserved for a bicycle trip starting in mid -April for up to two months.

The trip is to be made without outside help, ie Pakarinen organizes dining, bike maintenance and accommodation on the road itself.

All the necessary equipment is included in the wheel loaded in a total of about 30 liters of bags.

– A big part of the charm of the trip is to prepare for it and to design how little one can get along. In principle, these equipment would do well on the road for a whole year.

The steel frame bicycle weighs about ten pounds and the equipment on the second ten pounds. When Pakarinen bought a bike from London last fall, he drove it home in Helsinki.

Last winter, Pakarinen has been training closely in his garage for several hours of \”loops\” daily.

Finding a good fit on a bike is perhaps the most important thing for a long time to prepare for a long path.

– I have worked hard for it and tested different driving positions. When the dimensioning is right, it is more comfortable to be on the back of the wheel than on the wheel or on the couch. You can’t drive a long journey if your hands are missing or otherwise poor.

During long journeys, Pakarinen stops to walk and stretch every 50 kilometers.

The handlebar also allows for several different driving positions while driving.

Coworkers encourage

The current job is the Matinkylä fire station in Espoo, and some of which cycle one way to work.

What miracle causes people working in a demanding profession to challenge themselves in their spare time?

The biggest challenges are the varying weather conditions. Pakarinen’s equipment can do 30 degrees Celsius up to five degrees Celsius.

– In this work, you have to endure your physical challenges. Perhaps it specifically inspires you to try your own limits on the free, Pakarinen thinks.

It was successful or not driving through North America, at least the daily friends take Pakarinen, appreciating.

– As long as you come back, that’s the main thing, they say in one voice.

The bike will end in a short time when a fire station comes with an alarm for rescuing a human water.

There is time on the road to think about

Aki Pakar is most attractive in cycling and his own muscle power. In addition, he is fascinated by the idea of \u200b\u200bleaving his hectic everyday life and coping with as few accessories.

– There’s time to think about who is on the road and why doing what you do.

Pakarinen intends to sleep most of his nights in a single tent on a bike, but sometimes in hostels, for example, to get a good night’s sleep and get to wash.

On the road, he also promotes his studies in a Master of Science (MSc).

Aki Pakarinen hopes that his rapture inspires others to move more and take better care of his health.

– You don’t have to go to any marathon, you can even go for a walk in the nearby forest. Also, you should not compare your own actions to others. The most important thing is to win yourself.

Anyone can taste cycling, as long as you start to start short enough.

– I encourage you to use a bicycle just to move from one place to another, for example, instead of a car. The bike is a great means of transport.

Pakarinen mentions cycling on all continents as his future dream.

You can follow the progress of the North American trip on Pakarinen’s Instagram account.