Last week I was in Helsinki on a work trip. I was left with a very positive impression of cycling facilities there and in the country, some of the best I've seen. They seem to take it seriously and numbers seemed quite high though I guess they drop dramatically in winter (though some paths are heated). Drivers also seemed less tense and rushed than here. Of course Helsinki does have quite wide streets and the country is not densely populated.
- there are very good off-road routes available both in town and parallel to quite a few roads out of town. These tend to be much wider than those you see here and often have clear lanes for pedestrians and for cycling different directions.
- in Helsinki, there are wide lanes for cycling alongside the roads, but separated by a curb from the traffic and from pedestrians by colouring and thick lines. Peds and cyclists tend to get priority on crossings (zebra style) unless there are lights. The lanes are generally much wider than here.
- on some paths usage is mixed ped/cyclist but these tend to be less common and used.
- there is a lovely wooden town, Porvoo, some 50km from Helsinki, with rough cobbled streets - much promoted for cycling. This looks like an interesting hill climb
- sometimes the cycle path is the only smooth surface amongst the cobbles
- there was an excellent off road path in an old cutting right in the centre - well used - even with electronic parking space signs
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