Hey Sandra! I’m sure a lot of our followers have seen your name here and there but please go ahead and introduce yourself shortly?

Hey, sure! I’m a cyclist. I love mornings and I eat porridge for breakfast everyday. I’m a podcaster, a photographer and a writer. I only have one bike. I’m a vegetarian and an introvert. Work to live is the way to go, not the other way around. I live in Turku, but originally I’m from the picturesque town called Porvoo. Hot cocoa, rooibos tea and ginger beer are my go-to drinks.

Tell me about your history with cycling?

As a teenager, I didn’t like cycling. I’d rather walk 45 min to school than take the trip by bike faster in 15 minutes.

At some point, something happened in the way I thought. Ecological values became more important and the thought of traveling using only your own muscles was intriguing. It took me a few years to finally buy my (first!) own bike but since then I’ve never looked back.

I love to explore places that are nearby. I find so much joy in knowing my surroundings – there’s always something beautiful, fascinating or interesting around the corner waiting for you to find it. That’s probably one reason cycling feels like the best way to explore.

You are doing quite a lot of trips on your bike – what kind of plans do you have for this year?

Well, that depends who you’re comparing to! 

I consider myself a beginner as a bike tourer / bikepacker. That’s why this year is all about getting comfortable doing longer trips with friends but also alone. At the moment, longer means more than 2-3 riding days for me. 

I was already on my first short bike tour on my own (more about that later!). Rannikkoreitti (Coastal Route) is going to be my next trip. So maybe my Hanko (bike) gets to see Hanko (city) for the first time! 

I don’t have too much time on my hands at the moment and my summer holiday is just one week. But hey, that’s why we have weekends!

Tell me about your great podcast, Fillarilla-podcast. How did that start and what is the story behind it?

I’m not quite sure where I got the idea. I’m a person who always has the need to create something. I’ve tried blogging and making videos but neither felt like “my thing”. At some point podcasting just felt like an interesting idea and I decided to try it out.

Women doing a cycling podcast is still a relatively rare sight here in Finland. What kind of feedback have you got from your podcast?

This was actually one of the reasons I decided to start making the podcast. 

I’ve gotten really nice feedback that I didn’t expect when I started. Like I said, I’m just a beginner like many others, and that’s relatable. There’s also a lot of people who aren’t that interested in the technical side of cycling and just want to have fun riding – that’s what the podcast is all about.

One of the best feedbacks I’ve gotten went something like this: “The fact that you talk openly about being a beginner, not feeling comfortable sleeping outside alone or that you haven’t been on longer bike trips makes me feel like I have the right to be a cyclist in my own way.”

If someone who dreams about starting a podcast of her/his own reads this, what tips would you give? How to start a podcast?

Podcasting is actually pretty easy, technically. I started using just my headphones that had a mic. Even a phone would do. At least you can practise with those and then decide if you need better audio quality.

I think it’s important not to put too much pressure on yourself. If you want to start a podcast, try it and find out if you enjoy it! The internet is full of all kinds of tutorials, just remember you don’t need all the fancy equipment to start with (same goes with cycling!).

Besides being a passionate rider and a podcaster you are also a photographer. What kind of photography do you shoot and how did you end up being a photographer?

About ten years ago, I started taking photos of nature but then quickly realised that documenting people and taking portraits were more interesting. I actually used to be a wedding photographer for a while.

Now I love to combine both – nature and people. I always take my camera with me on my bike trips. I’ve stopped being too much of a perfectionist – I don’t even edit my photos on the computer. 

The most interesting thing in photography, for me, is being authentic. Social media is full of the same photos and the same captions – I’m trying to find my own way of taking photos and telling stories. It’s not easy, but that’s my goal anyway.

Last but not least; you’ve been riding with Pelago Hanko Outback. Tell me about the bike, how does it serve your purposes?

Hanko is my first and only bike (if you don’t count the bikes I rode as a kid) so I don’t have much to compare it to. However, it has really been an all-rounder. For me, it’s a commuter and it’s a tourer – everything I need. 

Check Sandra’s Instagram here.
Listen Fillarilla-podcast here.