Yesterday’s journey to my first crack at a UCI Marathon Series started about fifteen years ago, after seeing Miguel Martinez solo to a marathon win on Eurosport, having ditched his punctured back tyre and ‘rimming it’ from about 5km out. I’d been an armchair fan of Cape Epic and loved the footage of the dust covered athletes racing MTB’s in dramatic landscapes. I’m in my fifties. I still want to be that man. Tragic I know.
Over the last thirty five years of cycle racing, I’ve often considered my peers and their contentment at riding the same disciplines, indeed the same races, year in year out. Each to their own and all that, but it’s not for me. It’s probably a Myers-Briggs personality thing. Firstly, I like new experiences; secondly, as a very average amateur athlete, I have never really found a discipline that has offered fame and fortune. Riding the same races over and over again holds little appeal.
Magura town sits beneath the beautiful mountains, surrounded by trails in my home – Transylvania, near to the historic city of Bran. The castles neary and the forests and hills are all magical and the riding is awesome 🙂
Magura Peak is a wonderful mountain bike trail route in my home – Transylvania, near to the historic city of Sibiu. It takes you through magical forests and high into the mountains, with the wild and beautiful Romanian countryside surrounding you. I love exploring and riding in the hills here, and this route is a special one to share with you 🙂
Take a trip with Larisa Chinces, into the beautiful forested hills and mountains in the west of Romania
When we look at how much cycling is embedded into a national culture, nowhere comes close to Italy. It truly is the beating heart of world cycling. Read more
Into the Fagaras Mountains
This short mountain bike route into the forest close to the historic medieval city of Sibiu in Transylvania, has some testing technical sections and steep climbing. It’s a perfect technical trail ride for a spring or summer spin.
Route Information
Sitting nestled close to the Fagaras Mountains, historic Sibiu is a great base for both road and mountain bike trips. This nearby route from the village of Avrig, takes you along steep and technical trails in the forests, exploring the lower Fagaras mountain biking opportunities.
Stats: 40.7 km and 988 metres of ascent
Refreshments & Where to Stay
Nearby Sibiu has all that you need for your stay, and you can fly in to Sibiu international airport too. There are lots of accommodation choices at all prices. There’s also a wealth of great coffee shops and restaurants to eat at, and lots to explore on foot. The historic centre is one of the most complete medieval cities in Europe and has superb hotels and AirBNB choices to suit all budgets.
Character
This is a short but testing forestry mountain bike trail near Sibiu, with some great technical sections and lots of descending, after the steep inital climbing 😉 It’s a useful spring and summer mtb route for a morning or afternoon ride, before relaxing in this unique area of a Europe – transfixing Transylvania.
Route
1. Unless riding with a local guide, you will need to follow the gps for this route into the hills. Head out of Avrig on the trail marked ‘105F’, passing Cabana Valea Avrigului Ovidiu after a short distance. Continue on,passing the happily named ‘Cabana Smiley’ and several other accommodation opportunities.
2. At the timber structure of ‘Gura Jibrii’ follow the gravelled trail into the trees (10.6 km). The trail climbs and follows the ridgeline in the forest, passing the cabin ‘Anna Charisma’ at 14.6 km.
3. At the 18km point, turn upwards and right, heading away from the river and climbing through trees to the high point, then descending and passing the track junction in the trees and continuing down in the direction of Marsa.
4. At 20.4 km stay on the right hand track and continue down as the trail becomes technical and skirts theforested hillside to Marsa. At 26.5 km the trail levels out for a short distance, descending again after 29 km, as it drops to Marsa.
5. Now take the open trail as it winds its way back to Avrig and the finish. Pack the bike away and drive back to Sibiu for some refreshments and evening exploring.
Click below to download GPX file
Avrig & Lower Fagaras Mountains
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Pedalnorth Website2020-06-07 12:09:102020-06-27 16:36:38Romania 5 Top Cycling Climbs
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Pedalnorth Website2020-05-01 21:12:062020-06-10 19:33:17Rucar Bran Pass Cycling Route
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Pedalnorth Website2020-04-29 15:32:182020-06-10 19:20:44Brasov to Rasnov Cycle Route
This short mountain bike route into the forest close to the Transylvania mountain resort of Busteni, has some testing technical trails and is perfect for a spring or summer spin.
Route Information
Busteni is a perfect mountain sports resort in Transylvania. This short mountain biking route has lots of technical features and some great descending in the trees to keep you interested.
Stats: 30km and 1,688 metres of ascent
Refreshments & Where to Stay
Nearby Brasov has all that you need for your stay, and you can fly in to Sibiu and it’s international airport. There are lots of accommodation choices at all prices. There’s also a wealth of great coffee shops and restaurants to eat at too, and lots to explore on foot. The historic centre has superb hotels and AirBNB choices to suit all budgets. Busteni itself is a good mountain resort, with cafes and accommodation choices.
Character
This is a short but testing forestry mountain bike trail near Busteni, with some great technical sections and lots of descending. It’s a useful spring and summer mtb route for a morning or afternoon ride, before relaxing in this unique area of a Europe – transfixing Transylvania.
Route
1. Heading out from the Gondola station at Busteni,follow the gpx as it guides you on the trail above the town, heading toards the Malaiesti Cabin, ignoring track junctions left at 4.9km and stay heading towards Poiana Coștilei.
2. The steep start eases at 5.9km for a short distance, before ascending again. At 8.8km stay right and sweep away from the high valley, then turning left at Poiana Pichetul Rosu (Red Piquette Glade) 9.9km and climbing as the trail twists towards the cabin.
3. The high point is reached at 12.9km and you begin descending to the cabin, but take care to stay on the right trail, avoiding (obviously!) the climbing ladders and boarded track in this area on the more technical hiking trails.Head down towards the Ghimbasel River, crossing this and passing close to the Cabana Diham at 19.3km.
4. Now follow the forest track that heads thrugh trees and picks up the Valea Cerbului River, as the trail descends back to Busteni.
Click below to download GPX file
Brasov to Rasnov
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Pedalnorth Website2020-05-01 21:12:062020-06-10 19:33:17Rucar Bran Pass Cycling Route
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Pedalnorth Website2020-04-29 15:32:182020-06-10 19:20:44Brasov to Rasnov Cycle RouteThis is the Tour du Mont Blanc, so what more needs to be said – it’s tough, beautiful and extremely rewarding. Just read the route article below and follow the GPX file, and have an amazing ride!
Twisting trails in the trees
Paltinis is a superb mountain resort, close to Sibiu in Transylvania. There are hotel and mountain lodge accommodation options, and the forests here have endless cross country mountain biking trails to explore.
Route Information
Stats: 37km and 1400 metres climbing (Medium Route)
Refreshments & Where to Stay: Paltinis is a small mountain resort with good but limited facilities. Nearby Sibiu is a superb base for the mountains, and has all options for accommodation and places to eat and relax.
Character
This area is wild and beautiful, with natural rugged single and double track trails in the forests. The route is a short journey onto the forest, mixing technical rocky and rooty trails with the wide forest tracks, providing you with some great trail riding.
Route
1. This is a route into mountain forests, so you really do need to follow the gps file to stay safe. There are some technical sections and you need stay on course.
2. Set off into the forest on the trail heading eastwards, riding along the easy to follow trail for 3.2km, where a track on the right should be taken into the trees.
3. The track descends to the 5.6km point, passing and ignoring a track junction on the left at 6.1km, as the trails swings right. It eventually meets old buildings in a clearing at a high point – 9.4km, near Varful Oncesti (on maps).
4. A sharp swing around left (hairpin style) at 10km, leads to a T-junction of tracks at 11.4km – turn left onto the wide track marked Trancindrel, staying on this track until 13.6km, then taking the right forking trail, until 16.6km where a track descends and swings around the hillside back towards the Trans Cindrel at 19.6 (go left).
5. At 21.9km take the rising track that swings left, staying on the Trans Cindrel, which passes by our earlier tracks from the ride out and start to descend after 24km.
6. At 33.7km a track off to the right in the trees, climbs back up to Paltinis and the finish.
Click below to download GPX file
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Pedalnorth Website2020-06-29 21:17:122020-07-02 10:12:14Magura Peak Romania MTB
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Pedalnorth Website2020-06-09 09:11:562020-06-13 20:05:27Around Fertainu Peak – Romania
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Pedalnorth Website2020-05-02 16:52:192020-05-31 11:30:16Avrig and Fagaras Mountains MTB Route
Crank it Up!
Scott Cornish