Don’t stay home, it’s a trap. After this pandemic period, the weather went crazy, lots of rain, If we were to listen to the forecast, we should have stayed in home for the last couple of weekends.Β But as I say, if you snooze, you lose so to avoid this, we headed to Straja for 3 days ride in the area. We heard some rumors that the trails are in perfect conditions and that we would have shuttle there so we seized the opportunity.
We were quite right and the guys from Straja Extrem Park hooked us up with a shuttle for 2 days. It’s a blast to ride the 2 long trails from Straja. Baloo trail is nice and flowy and Wolves trail it’s a bit more technical but with loads of natural flow. Both are very long and you can feel your whole body worked up by the end of the trail. You don’t need more than 5-6 descents to declare yourself pleased for the day.
But this ain’t all, there is more in the area for you to ride. Don’t miss Valcan trail, this one is without a doubt the funniest of them. Again a berm jem and longer than the other 2. You really feel you’re alive. We hit it like 8 times and didn’t get bored :D.
What we want to tell you is that the combinations of the 3 long trails are for sure the recipe for a terrific weekend ;).
For accommodation we went to Allma mountain hutas usual. Nice cosy place where you feel directly @ home. You can cook yourself anything in the kitchen and hang out in the living or on the great view balcony. We always stay here once in Straja, you can see the place in the picture bellow.
Ok, so this article is just a hint for how and where to spend a nice weekend riding with your buddies. All trails are on trailforks. More ideas are to follow so just stay tuned π Enjoy and ride safe!
I had some unfinished businesses in the south, one free weekend and decided to go back again. The weather was very unpredictable, lot of rain all over the country, but as I always say, any weekend away from Bucharest riding my bike is a great weekend.
With this in mind, I loaded my stuff and my battle horse in the car again and headed south. First day I rode the usual trails of Mehedinti Enduroand meet Pufi on the trails. He was on a shovel day as his bike was in service. After a couple of rides, Eugen Kable came and we took another two rides and then call it a day.
In the evening and the next day in the morning I got to explore more the city center of Drobeta Turnu Severin. Man, this city has some good to great concrete, just perfect for some street sessions. I had my roller blades with me but I was just too tired. I have to come back another time to explore more the streets of Turnu Severin.
Second day I headed of with Eugen to Bahna trails, you can look them up on trail forks. What a pleasant surprise! The trails here are so different, so diverse and these ones are just a MTB gem. Technical stuff with some insane view over Bahna village. You have to look up the trails on trail forks, you have a description there, but let me ensure you they are freaking awesome. There are 4 trails, 3 with some black sections and one more of a blue one but don’t underestimate her because she has some nice curves that will make you howl like a wolf ππ. You can combine the trails in the area for a couple of days ride and you will have a great vacation. Have in mind that the access is by pushbike or pedal so don’t except any shortcuts… earn your turns!
This county is just awesome, has so much to offer in terms of enduro mountain biking, all mountain and trail riding. You just have to move your ass from the couch and explore. Any part of this beautiful country has its charms for sure, but I always come back and find joy, peace and thrill in this place in a strange mixtureβ¦ And yes, people still wear opinci here (traditional sandals) and not for touristic purposesβ¦ They are made from recycled rubber but they look the sameβ¦ a few years back, I was at Isverna and saw an old lady wearing some authentic ones made from pig skinβ¦ itβs a free entrance museum of any kind, you just have to pay attention.
This time we got to ride some fresh dirt, or rocks right in the heart of Cernei Mountains. We did one of the gnarliest descents right from the top of peak Vlascu and all the way down to Cernei Valley. In the middle we ran into the trail we did a few years back, you can find it in this articleΒ Mehedinti FTW.
The trail is still in pretty good shape because people from the villages use it for commute.Β You can find some cow shit along the path but itβs ok, makes the ride all more natural :))).
When we reached our tents we were exhausted after 40km with over 1800m elevation and quite some pushbike.
Totally worth it and having the tents at the bottom of the descent was such a joy. We jumped right into the river to revive our bodies and we shared the cold beers to everyone.
This trip is one to be repeated, but next time we have to end it up in a hot spring in BΔile Herculane, thatβs a wish yet not fulfilled for me :))) so stay tuned because itβs gonna happen one of these days X).
Next day the forecast kicked in and we had some fresh rain right in the morning. We gathered our tents and stuff, made a fire and cooked some eggs and potatoes but not after checking out a fresh trail, an easier alternative to the Tesnei descent. Worth the pushbike and it was a great way to end up a beautiful post pandemic trip
Yes, we really deserved this ride. Please donβt be scared of the number of people in the picture, yes, we did know that we will meet but we were separated groups of 3 persons or less that met there and happened to take the same ride in Leaota mountains, so donβt judge.
It was a well deserved ride, hard, but we enjoyed it very much. Leaota mountains are quite underestimated. They hold a bunch of awesome trails, hard to access because you have to pedal your way up but, let me confirm that you will not regret the climb of a few hours.
The terrain is wild, natural, technical and offers a great view over the horizon and the other mountains in proximity like Bucegi, Iezer or Piatra Craiului.
Only the view is enough for rewording the climb, but if you consider the trails, clearly you are the winner.
Not long after the start we kind of forgot the harsh past 2 months and we gave ourselves to the ride, enjoyed it and made laughs of our rusty bodies β¦. this is truly a medicine for the heart, mountains are beautiful and bikes are awesome
Until next time, enjoy and ride safe, we sure will!
What do you take on for the ride?! essential stuff or waste of weight?!
Last year I helped writing an article about adventure bike packing and the things we should carry on a bike ride, depending on the type, place and length of the ride you are about to take.
The thing is that you have to be dynamic in everything you do, in how you ride, what decisions you make, and change your track if necessary and also in what you take with you on the ride. Yes, is good to have everything with you and don’t miss a thing when you camp but maybe you will not enjoy the trail that much with a 10kg backpack on you or with lots of stuff hanging from the bike. I for one don’t want to sacrifice the descent as much as possible, I like to enjoy every bit of it and ride it in almost normal conditions not being forced to take it to slowly because of the stuff I carry. That’s why I try not to take unnecessary things with me and I am very pleased when everything in my backpack (except first aid kit) is used and I did not carry anything useless with me :).
To help organize your backpack, you can use this website I find very simple and practical: lighterpack.com
With this in mind, I would split the bike luggage in 3 groups: super light, light and bike packing.
“Super light” luggage – for half-day or maximum 1-day ride
These are fun rides, for training in the bike park or on enduro trails. These are rides on routes that you already know and where no significant surprises can occur. These are rides in which you can leave later in the day and which you can finish without worries over a beer in the evening. In such rides the luggage is super minimal and many of the objects, such as tools, it is recommended not to be taken in duplicates. For example, a pump is enough for everyone or a single multi tool. The recommendation is also valid for the other two types of luggage.
In a “Super light” ride it is enough to have the things below. Luggage should not exceed 1-1.5 kg.
Helmet
Snacks (2-3 energy bars / chocolate, a sandwich, possibly 1 energy gel)
Spare tire tube, self-adhesive patches, levers, pump, multi tool (except for the tube, the others are enough to be in one for the entire group, spread to other friends in the brat pack :)))
Water bottle – with water π
Hip bag (optional), in which you carry tools and snacks
Knee pads (elbow pads are optional or depending on your experience)
2. “Light” luggage – for tours of 1 day or maximum 2.
The 1-2 days tours can be characterized as “short adventures”, in search of beautiful alpine trails. These are rides in which we do some exploration with an average level of “surprises”. It is not excluded to reach unknown areas from which we must get out safely. However, it is important to mention that having this luggage with you, rides should not exceed two days.
For safety we will have several items with us, such as a headlamp, first aid kit or change / sleeping clothes. If the ride involves sleeping in a shelter or a mountain refuge, we must also have a “light” sleeping bag. If we stay at a cottage, there is no need.
For such a ride, a backpack of 20-25 L is needed, and the weight should not exceed 3 kg (excluding the weight of the backpack). It is also important to say that the weight of the luggage is directly proportional to the accommodation comfort. The larger the luggage, the greater the comfort. I always sacrifice a little of the comfort side of the ride to have a lighter and more balanced luggage, to feel freer on the bike.
Helmet
Snacks – double the quantity from the “super light” luggage or keep the same number of energy bars if you can refuel on the route
The same tools (it is recommended to be fixed on the bike and not carried in the backpack)
Rain jacket
First aid kit
Sun lotion
Photo / video camera (or phone only)
Headlamp
1 liter of water (possibly with hydration powder if you know it helps)
3. “Bike packing” luggage – for rides that take more than 2 days
This baggage can be more complicated and certainly heavier, but it should not be discouraging. It depends a lot on how you evaluate yourself – whether you feel colder or not, whether you eat a lot or not, etc. And that’s because you don’t want to take with you things you won’t use, excluding tools, or first aid kits. During the multi-day tours, surprises can appear on the route, from bad weather to dead ends on the route and you have to make a U-turn or get stuck there. These are reasons why luggage gets bigger, with more food, spare clothes and extra equipment. The luggage must contain food for two meals (evening and morning) as well as snacks during the day, if you know that the route does not go near “civilization”. If you go down to the cottage or a mountain hut in the evening, you can lose food because you will eat there. But if the route is only on top, on ridges, then the self-assessment we were talking about matters a lot. As for the food, in the evening you can be satisfied with “gas station” type sandwiches that withstand a day of heat or you can add comfort if you have small burner and some quick cooking food. But keep in mind that luggage can be shared between members of the ride. The burner can be stored in someone’s backpack, the gas container can be carried by someone else, and the dishes can be carried by the third riding buddy.
Also, if there is an epic trip and you are going to wild camp, you should have more specific equipment like bivouac bag (in addition to sleeping bag), air mattress or tarp under which 3 people can sleep. The survival foil is very effective, put under the mattress, and does not weigh much. In addition, it is very useful in case of an accident. For a warm sleep don’t forget that the surviving foil must be put with the silver part towards your body.
Helmet
Knee pads (optional)
Food for two days – it is preferable for the route to pass through areas with villages, cottages from where you can resupply. Otherwise the luggage is a bit bigger
Tea or coffee – for relaxation in the evening and in the morning when you look at the mountain tops π
Tools (to be shared between members, taking care that the spare space remains in everyone’s backpack)
First aid kit
Sun lotion
Photo / video camera (or phone only)
External battery – for phone, video camera, GPS
GPS or cycling computer (preferably with navigation included)
Headlamp
Small burner (primus – 110-200g) and gas supply (capacity 100 g or more, 230 g if there are several riders in the lap)
Drinking cup for each rider
Spork (spoon, fork and knife integrated into a single object)
Lighter / flint (if you want a campfire or for the burner)
Toothbrush and toothpaste
Wet wipes for intimate care
Sleeping bag, bivouac bag, mattress
Change clothes, for wet or cold weather – it’s up to you how you can stand the cold
1-2 L of water – depends on whether you still find on the route for resupply (springs, cottages, villages)
Tent or tarp. The components of the tent (tent, tarp, sticks, nails) can be divided between ride members. There are also self-supporting tents. They no longer need the inner tent or nails because the upper tent is supporting itself using only the sticks.
Backpack 25-30 L.
You can check the representation of the bike packing luggage on lighterpack here.
This one is from far back, I think 2 years back. An awesome trip near Sopot and Botev peak, in central Balkans, all thanks to our friends from Old Mountain Epic. It was the most hard core ride I have taken so far, an all day out trip! Our neighbors’ country is beautiful and we have to explore it more. A beautiful ride with a beautiful crew. You can find out more content about this trip in this article we wrote in the past: Old Mountain Epic trip in Veliko Tarnovo and Sopot, or more about Veliko Tarnovo and Old Mountain Epic in the article about our Halloween ride π VELIKO TARNOVO HALLOWEEN BIKERIDE PARTY
Yep, another superb one in MehedinΘi county π, this time 3 new trails and some fun riding on the old ones.
We canβt get enough of this place, it has something different to it, something like aβ¦ wonderland π and our buddies here are just cool to ride and hang out with, so no wonder we always come back here with great pleasure. And I have a feeling that it is not the last stop here for this year π π€.
So, this time we did Domogled descent with Feregari descent, and afterwards we went to Tasnei valley and did some hardcore riding, and when I say hardcore, I really mean it. That trail made you look very hard for the word flow in it β¦ But it worked out ok πͺπ€.
After this totally hardcore Saturday, we did the MehedinΘi Enduro trails on Sunday, but with a surprising one, the old but new Priest trail which is pretty awesome let me say :D, just check out the video bellow.
Here you can find the videos and some pics from that great weekend. Aaaa, and don’t let me forget, Thanks Jan and Alex for the great pictures and for the great riding, it was a pleasure riding with you and follow you on the trail ππ».
This year is the first edition of Mehedinti enduro, courtesy of Alexandru Pufan aka The Pufalot who has worked his ass off for us to have an awesome contest on the 12th of May here in TopolniΘei Valley, MehedinΘi county.
Yep, this guy has shaped some awesome trails here and took the time to show us around. It is the second time coming here and we had the same feeling, being amazed of what this place has to offer.
The contest itself has around 27.5 km with and elevation of 1350m and 5 downhill stages varying between 1 and 2 km long. Here’s a description of them made by The Pufalot, on which we agree π.
The 5 specials from Enduroβs first MehedinΘi edition are located on the TopolniΘa Valley, a diverse area geographically, making the trails quite different from each other.
The first trail, La Muerte Peluda, is the rockiest and the longest (and the most difficult to reach, with a transfer of nearly 7km), with several exposed and inadequate areas. Completely natural, this is in fact an old touristic trail brought back to life with the occasion of the contest.
On the other hand, the second special PS2, Imagination land, will be the shortest but most interesting. It will pass through the ruins of a fortress and will descend along a natural carousel, so that in the end it will pass through a rocky and open area.
The following two, PS3 and PS4 have the same starting point, being constructed from scratch over the past 3 years. Much easier from a technical point of view, they will probably please those who prefer more of a bike park type of trail with lots of berms and jumps.
PS3, Stevie Nicks will actually be a berm skill test for the riders, having a dozen of berms, while the next one, PS4, Blame Canada, will show us who is best in the air, building the biggest gap in the competition. And yes, this guy’s a South Park die hard fan π€£π€.
The last trail, Taming Strange, completed this month, is actually a combination of everything we’ve ever met. Technical areas alternate with flow paths, including very tight switchbacks, straight-forward portions, drops and gaps, on unforeseeable terrain π³.
Hope these words made you an image of what to expect, and if not check up this edit that we made from our first day of riding here.
Second day we took a short trip to Herculane baths to check up some sick exposed trails that we will be uploading soon on youtube. Besides this we will upload all 5 contest trails in the next days so stay tuned on VRR youtube channel π€.
Yes, it was a sick weekend and all we have to say is that we can hardly wait for the contest and to come back here to check out more trails. For sure in autumn we plan another trip here, there are so much more trails to be ridden.
This guy is actually shaping the south of this country! Cheers mate! π»
P.S.: Remember 12 mai 2019 – Valea Topolnitei.Β Photo credits: Alexandru Pufan.
You can also check out this article about Mehedinti county: MEHEDINTI FTW
Last week we took an late autumn ride in Leaota mountains. I promise Cromo that I will show him the mountains and that I did. Lucky us we catch a superb day, cold but very beautiful with clear sky and and billion dollars sunsetΒ π.
This was my first time in Leaota mountains, and we ware both lucky. Wild mountains with rough technical trails. Loving it!
We leave you some pics and an edit, and you can find the track here. Enjoy!Β π€
This year we visit 2 times this trails because they are just superb. Mellow trails with ups and downs in a beautiful forest near some old historical villages where you can find great accommodation and food. You could not ask for more believe me.
We strongly recommend you to stay at Agrotouristic Guesthouse Elena, in Crit village. Man, the food is fantastic and the hosts too. Friendly people with nothing to care but their guests. We eat so much and so good that we had to roll out of the beds to reach our bikes :))) Seriously!
And what goes well after a good meal? We tell you, a good single track thru the forest that ends up in anΒ orchard of pears and nuts! Perfect combination! After this we stopped at the local pub (birt) to have a beer with the locals. Always an animated experience.
No more words just pictures now. Hope we given you a good idea on how to spend an weekend there. The tracks you could do are these:Β Track 1Β , Track 2.Β Enjoy and ride safe!Β π΅ββπ»π
So we took a last trip to Veliko Tarnovo to attend to the Halloween ride, curtsy of Old Mountain Epic. It was all Nedko’s idea and this I think is the third edition of the event.
The ride itself it’s a night ride on one of the tracks, which is a very fun thing to do, especially if you have some powerful lights to scare off the creatures of the night that Nedko summons up for the event ππ.
But for us was just a pretext to go ride Veliko Tarnovo’s trails and to see the crew from Veliko again, always a pleasure to go shred with these guys. I think next year we will plan some more trips to better discover Bulgaria. Not that we have ridden all the trails we could in Romania, but they are similar and we just want to ride more and more and more π .
The event was fun and as I said, the night ride it’s something that each of us must do at least once. I’m starting to like it more and more.
The trails were harder because of the leaves and the loose terrain but we had fun anyway, just check out the clip :D.
This is an old one, but quite a beautiful one, one of the best bike packing adventure we had this year. Yeah, we could had some less rain, but who are we to complain?! we had an good night sleep in dry cloths… heck we even found slippers in the hut, and we had some good drink to ease our sorrow! This is how trail riding, hunting and enjoying looks like!
These are Cindrel mountains, some beautiful, mellow and sometimes unwelcoming mountains in Romania. For sure we will redo this one just as we planed it, hut included because its just superb right there in the middle of the forest! With some good luck, we will skip the raining days.
The plan was to do a bigger ride and explore the west part of the mountain. But, because of the rain that started sooner then expected, we had to cut short the first day and reach the hut earlier. We ware soaking wet when we reached it. The only luck in that day was the fireplace that we found in the hut where we could dry our clothes… aaaa and the slippers. We had a good night sleep and in the morning a beautiful day awaited… or better said half a day.
We did some serious pushbike back on to the ridge of the mountain and straight on to Cindrel peak. After this we hold the ridge to Frumoasa peak, and then take the rocky road to Canaia Refuge. The single track down to the refuge was beautiful! Just when we reached the refuge, the rain started again. And what a rain, it was poring like crazy. After a while we just didn’t care anymore and started riding in the rain. It was a cold rain, our hands and feet ware freezing. I think I almost prayed for the rain to stop :D. But it didn’t matter we didn’t had an inch of dry clothes on us anymore… the rain didn’t stop until we reached the car, but after a while we blend in. It was rainingΒ so much that all the mud was whipped. The stones ware grippy then before and I for one could ride with full thrust and ease. Until we reached our car, we had some good segmentsΒ of beautiful single track. There was a portion of the trail that looked more like a poolΒ then a trail. It was a flat surface of water on top of some gnarly rooks hidden underneath :))).
Beautiful, brilliant but we didn’t deserve so much rain. Hope next year we will have quite some contrast here, but we shell see.
We leave you some pics and and some movies to better understand our complains. Second movie is all about the rain :))). Beautiful memories, here’s the tracks: DAY 1, DAY 2. Cheers!
This year was new bike year. After riding a pump track on a hard tail of a friend of mine, in my head the idea of owning a hard tail was implemented. So this is how the conceiving of Cromo starts.
This bike is made half with second hand parts, half with new parts. After some time and lots of lets say planning, the bike took shape and its a beautiful one. And rides like no other… its just perfect.
I can say one thing, if there exists the one bike, the most beautiful one of them all, it must be a hard tailΒ π.
DT swiss CSW AM wheels second hand with MagicΒ Mary tires new;
BX components dropper post new;
Guide R brakes second hand;
Race face Turbine crank second hand but in perfect conditions;
GS shifter and rear derailleur second hand but in good condition;
Revers components saddle new;
Fox 34 140mm fork 2016 model new;
Truvativ descendant and steam new;
Even if I went a bit over the budget it is still a good deal and came up way to good for how it looks and handles :D. I’ll be using this bike to have fun in the city, for trail riding where I have more mellow terrain (like Viscri or even Ciocanu rides) and for longer bike packing trips where I know I have bigger climbs that I can do on the bike (if it’s pushbike I rather push my enduro bike). I’ll just leave you some pictures and a movie to see just how good it is :D. Enjoy!Β π΅ββπ€π
This year was the first edition of Straja Enduro, the last stage of the Romanian National Enduro Cup, #CNE, just 1 week after Metal Enduro Resita!
Man, 2 contest in 2 consecutive weekends, mad schedule, must to become an habit!
Straja is beautiful, we know it from the winter. Awesome slopes and offpiste skiing here. And close to some awesome mountains just perfect for back country, skiing or biking.
But, the contest was something else. The landscapes ware just perfect, with the fall and the golden trees! It was a photographic orgasm as you can see from the pics bellow!
And the trails are awesome, one in particular, Wolfe’s trail catch our site. It’s an natural long trail full of natural futures, roots, rocks, single track, off camber and anything in between.
The contest has 6 special probes and its quite a long day! Enduro!
Thanks again to Bike Attack Resita for making this second and last contest possible and to all the people involved in developing the bike scene in this area! Keep it up guys!
We leave you bellow some edits and the pictures that we ware talking about!
Some years back we’ve been to Isverna, an remote village in Mehedinti county. Going there was like a time travel. 2 years back we sow people still wearing “opinci” traditional shoes made from pig skin, and they ware not wearing them because of any touristic purposes.
This year we decided to go back but to explore more of the place.
Wee look up trail forks only to find out that our trail forks ambassador in Romania has his headquarters in Mehedint county. Good!
Our trip took 3 days and we ridden 3 different places.
First day we ride near Isverna, where we also stayed. We go to Beletina meadow and traverse Mehedinti mountains. We followed 3 trails that you can find on trail forks, Starway to Beletina, Beletina – Pigs neck and Springs Face, all tied up and all beautiful trails. We climb on fire road up to Beletina then you follow Pigs neck on animal trails and then descent back to Isverna on an wild raw trail!
We sleep well the first day, dreaming about the awesome track that we did.
Next day we meet up with Pufalot, the trail forks ambassador and did another awesome track in Cerna Valley. We visit the remote villages in Cerna Valley, and the awesome single tracks that unites them. On the descent we did 2 trails that you can find on trail forks, Prislop – Dobraia and Dobraia – Dumbrava.Β The whole secondΒ day track can be found here.
The descent was just awesome, long, over 10k and combines technical terrain with speed and flow. The ground is loose in this period and you must be careful of the offcamber corners :)).
We ware so tired after the second day that we did not dream about anything, just a long deep sleep…
Last day we made it short. We meet Pufalot on his home ground, Sindrilei hill, near Izvorul Barzii just to Blame Canada :)))).
Man, this guy is a crazy trail builder!Β π€ Cant wait for him to finish all the trails. Blame Canada trail its awesome. starting from the top it has 8 jumps one bigger then the other. The last 2 are a gap and a droop with an insane landing !
Next year he will have 3 trails and if the others will be as sick as Blame Canada, then we will spend double the time in Mehedinti county! Maybe a new enduro contest is in sight π.
Until next year we leave you some photos and an edit to better understand the beauty of Mehedint county, form our point of view ;).
Vertical Riding Romania 