And it happened. The contest was way earlier than this article 🤣👊 It was the second stage of the Romanian National Enduro Cup 2019, back in June, organized with the help of the crew from Bike Attack Resita that took the whole cup under their wing.

They picked up in each location a local organizer and here at Ciocanu MTB Trails they found us and Geo Simion, the godfather behind the trails here! It was a bit of a struggle to understand all that it involved, but looking back, it ain’t such a hard job. You need some planning, a week off from work and a good welded crew to help out. The trails did gain some customization for the contest but otherwise they were the same good old trusty trails that Geo built ;).

We had a bit of bad luck with the weather, I think it was the only contest that received some rain. The bottom part of the trails was full of mud, but what can you do about it?

The feedback was great, I think it was the first contest to reach 150 riders, full number of chips that we had for the contest.

The local people from Bughea de Jos were for sure impressed by the event and the number of riders that came in the area.

Next year we will make it bigger, better and maybe with less pedal sections 🤣👊 public demand 🤭.

So, for some more exact information about Ciocanu enduro, it has 4 special stages and a transfer segment that will be used to reach the starting area of ​​each route. Each special stage will have between 2 and 3 km and an elevation of about 300m.

First one is a speedway, low difficulty, for the riders to enter their paces and prepare for the next 3.
Second one, technical route, with many rhythm breaks and spectacular ramps. There will be exposed areas, with wide openings near the path.
Third one, similar to route 2 as difficulty, but the positioning is in a wooded area, especially beautiful, welcoming for tourists and spectators.
Forth one, it has common parts with route 2, which alternates fast and technical areas with lighter points, this is the latest route built in the area.
The main characteristic of the routes is their fluidity, making them accessible for any level of preparation. “BE FAST OR BE LAST!”

Also, check out the trail forks maps for the contest here.  This year, all contests have maps like this. It’s a smart thing because this way, you shoot two rabbits with one fire, the contest and putting Romania on Trail forks with some great trails ;).

We also had a donation box, where riders could donate used equipment to be given to the local kids in the area. I think next year we will put more thought into this idea :).

Until then, have fun riding your bikes and check out Ciocanu Enduro or Romanian National Cup next year. It’s awesome!

Photo Credit: Cristina Ion, Bogdan Vlad, Crina Elena! 👊🍻🤟