Romania Cycling – pedalnorth

Teodora Sabina – Life In the Mountains

Pedalnorth Website — Sat, 19 Apr 2025 19:33:55 +0000

Teo Sabina

Mountain Spirit

A Life of Adventure

Teo Sabina

A life in the mountains

Teo Sabina is no ordinary cycling and lifestyle writer; this young woman from the Carpathian Mountains of Transylvania in Romania, spends every possible moment in the hills, as a mountaineer, mountain runner, cyclist, skier, and multi-sports instructor. Graduating as a sports teacher, and being based in the foothills of the mountains, close to the city of Sibiu, alongside her partner Alex, these two inspiring individuals have dedicated their lives to inspiring adventures in others, whilst seeking it themselves at every opportunity.

And, when not either working or relaxing in the Carpathian Mountains, Teo dedicates her free time as a volunteer on the Mountain Rescue Team, showing her altruistic nature – and showing why we’re extremely proud to welcome her on board as a writer here at Pedalnorth. Yes, if ‘life means venture’ as the famous explorer, John Houston said, then Teo embodies this perfectly, and her informative and inspiring blogs will help you to find your own pathway into the beautiful mountains of Romania.

Take a look below, as Teo’s blogs grow; and, if you’d like Teo and Alex to guide you into the vast Carpathian Mountains, then simply get in touch with them here at Pedalnorth – the home of independent and inspiring adventures on 2-wheels!

I want to inspire you to be the very best version of yourself, to be independent-minded, free-spirited and adventurous. Life is not a dress rehearsal, and so let’s take a look at the brighter side – on 2-wheels! Join me and let’s chat some cycling stuff and ride bikes!

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Manuela Muresan Interview – Romania Cycling Champion

Pedalnorth Website — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 19:39:29 +0000

Leading the Way

Nadia interviews Ela Muresan

Manuela Muresan – A woman who won’t stand still

Earlier this summer, we visited Transylvania in Romania, where Nadezhda happened to ride and win her category in 2 races – and bump into multi-disciplined Romanian National Champion Ela Muresan, who’d won the pro categories. This amazing woman has won several national titles in a wide variety of cycling genres, including road and mountain bike. She’s an inspiration to women across Romania, who are still fighting for better representation and support in cycling.

It seemed obvious then, that these two sporting ladies should sit down and talk about cycling, life and how the position of women in cycling is changing and still needs to change more – time then for the interview then, as these new friends chat

A chat between new friends…

1. Being a mother and a professional athlete must require a significant support system. How do you manage to balance training, competing, and being present for your children’s lives?

Ela:

I divide my time so that I get to do everything on the schedule that day; Some days is demanding, you have to train hard and also be focused for the activities I have with the girls. I usually do the training when the girls are at school and kindergarten, this way we leave the afternoons for family time. During our time in Gran Canaria, we select races in such a way that I am not away for a long time, but while we are in Romania we plan for the important races (like National championships) and we only add the ones that are really interesting or my teams have them in their schedule.

2. Living in Gran Canaria, known for its diverse terrain and climate, how does the island’s environment contribute to your training routines and overall performance as a cyclist? What is your favorite route there?

Ela:

As you well said, Gran Canaria is an ideal place for cycling and training, both for the good weather and for the infrastructure offered! I am privileged in this sense; I have a favorite route, starts in Arguineguin and it climbs the most iconic mountain route on the Island (Soria). That route is also the fastest way to reach the climbs, but its very difficult to only love one climb there.

3. What is your favorite traditional Romanian dish, and have you been able to find it or recreate it here in Gran Canaria? Additionally, do you follow a strict diet or have any dietary preferences that you incorporate into your meals?

Ela:

haha! good question! I like many foods from Romania! I like soups a lot and I managed to find Romanian restaurants there too! But we are very easy going, we love the food that Canary Islands offer and rarely eat romanian dishes. Sea food is simply amazing and also some of the traditional food from there is good. I cant say im following some strict diet, I am carefull thou on the ammount of food I eat, I found this to be the most important aspect of dietary. We are pretty happy with rise and pasta, we love these things so youll find them on our weekly menu many times.

4. Can you share any insights or advice on overcoming setbacks or injuries in your career? How do you bounce back and regain your form after such challenges?

Ela:

Cycling is not an easy sport, crashes are happening and will not forgive anyone…it happened to me many times but I always get over it because I really like what I do. I feel free and happy on the bike in nature, I get a positive charge from there; I think the best way to get over a hard situation is to just use this time as a recovery time for the whole body. Even thou fitness is lost, you give (during a period while you heal from crashes) the body the chance to pause and rebuild it form. We also need that and, as a professional athlete, sometimes its hard to take easy times.

5. What role does mentorship or coaching play in your cycling journey? Have you had any influential mentors or coaches who have helped shape your career?

Ela:

I don’t think I would succeed without someone guiding me; I work according to the schedule, according to numbers, according to results, it is very important for me to have a guide! my mentor and coach is my husband; a perfect coach and support! he knows me well and we are a good team together. I see it mandatory, having someone to watch over your work, it create responsability and this way its easier to progress.

6. How do you approach the mental and emotional aspect of racing, particularly in high-pressure competitions like the Vuelta a España? Are there any strategies or techniques you use to stay focused and perform at your best?

Ela:

I don’t have a specific technique to relax from the stress and emotions that comes with a grand tour like the Vuelta Espana; but what we do is add more specific preparation before, we talk and build confidence in myself, positive and we always try to enter a race without fear or negative thinking! I focus on making every day go well, little steps and everything passes very quickly; In both my participations in Vuelta I was unlucky to crash the first days, so all the following race days I was suffering also from wounds, but in all this my mind was focused on completing the race. I enjoy these races maybe more than lots of the girls because I came really late into cycling and every oportunity is something special.

7. As a professional cyclist, you have become a role model for many aspiring athletes. How do you embrace this responsibility and what message would you like to convey to young girls who look up to you?

Ela:

I am happy to be a model for young female cyclists; I always advise them when we meet to be persistent, focused on this sport but also on school; we all know that any sport means discipline; whoever succeeds in this as early as possible, has a chance to reach exactly where they want; My message is also that they need to focus on a paralel carrer, I think its important to consider this. Cycling is an amazing path in life, but unfortunately its a very small number of people that will end up having a strong carrer. The rest of the athletes need to develop also the other side. Cycling is beautiful, but I think it should not be everything in someones life.

8. Have you encountered any specific gender-related challenges or biases in your career? If so, how have you navigated and overcome them? As a female road cyclist, what are some of the challenges you face in your sport?

Ela:

I never felt disadvantaged because I am a female cyclist and thats, mostly, because I understand that this is pretty new. Female cycling is under construction, every year we learn more and we develop. Theres more and more races, more chances and yes, it’s not always perfect, but this is growing and you have to look at it this way.

9. Looking back at your journey as a professional cyclist, what are some of the most memorable race and valuable lessons you have learned? Are there any moments or experiences that have shaped your perspective on the sport?

Ela:

I learned and am still learning so much! every race offers you new situations, new experiences and challenges!
in Vuelta 2023 in stage 2 I had such an unlucky day! A crash in the peloton, right in front of me happened, I went down also and bent my handlebars and left me without brakes; I didn’t know this and in my agony to catch the group again I actually crashed again and had the feeling that everything ended there and I wouldn’t be able to complete this great tour; I managed to finish that stage, terribly difficult; over time I learned not to listen to my thoughts at all in races and to give as much as I can.

I have many great moments, I love racing MTB Stage races and also taking part in World or European Championships is simply amazing.

10. How has your experience as a professional cyclist evolved and changed as you approach your 40s? Has age presented any unique challenges or advantages in your career?

Ela:

That is a good question! We also talk sometimes about it, because I am close to 40 but theres still a lot of love for this sport. I dont feel like I have to retire, theres no pressure from any dirrection and its amazing to be able to ride with young girls and maybe motivate them, its something rewarding.
So far everything has been good; I think that age helps me a lot in endurance races so I will still go on for a while. (at least until my girls will start to beat me up in races)

11. What motivated you to compete in the sport of cycling? Why did you choose cycling as your preferred sport?

Ela:

I started very late, we were very involved with our business and every day was simply routine. We started by buying 2 very heavy bikes and went for some short rides. I crashed the first day and my husband though that it will be the end, but I really liked it! I was a total beginner, I grew gradually, year by year; I never had unrealistic expectations… We chose cycling because he did some races as a young man and still had some passion for it.

12. Looking back at your cycling career, what would you consider your most significant achievement or proudest moment?

Ela:

I think riding side by side in Vuelta Espana or the World Championships with the biggest stars in this sport is someting that I am proud of!
Also winning my first Elite national championships was something special. But the whole journey was beautiful and packed with great moments.

13. Have you noticed an increase in the number of women embracing cycling since you started? If so, how do you feel about this positive trend?

Ela:

Theres a growing trend! We defenetelly see it globaly and I love that. The fact that big races in the last years have made changes to the ladies side, adding number of extra days to the races or simply just adding a Famele race, its a very possitive sign. On the other side, in Romania things are going very very slow. Cycling still remains a niche sport, roads are not very safe and kids are not always encouraged to get out on a bike. I hope this will change in the near future.

14. What are your goals and objectives for the current and upcoming year as a cyclist?

Ela:

For this year I plan to ride the World MTB Marathon Championships and hopefully get there a good position at the end of the race.
My goal is to defend MTB national Marathon title, in september and I also plan to do some fun races in our country before we head back to GC.
As for 2024, I would definitely love to ride again a big tour, probably a few UCI MTB stage races and the Nationals in different disciplines. I also look forward to riding more with my daughter, inspiring her to dream big.

15. Can you provide some insight into your training routine? How many hours do you train per week, and how many times a day? Do you incorporate gym workouts into your training?

Ela:

Theres two ways we prepare and train during a year. We have the time in Gran Canaria and around middle of November we start to ride and just build a base. that will go until the end of January, thats when we start racing and we add more intense training sessions. By April and May we already have a great form and we will try to maintain that during the summer while we ride in Europe and Romania. While in Gran Canaria I ride from 15 to 25 hours a week, depending on where exactly I am in the training plan, but we drop the numbers while we race so we can recover. Yes, we also do core training and lots and lots of streching.

16. Do you have a favorite quote or mantra that keeps you motivated and determined in your cycling journey? If so, what is it?

Ela:

Something like *I will never give up* will show up many times in my head, while you fight with yourself and circumstances.

Nadezhda & Ela post-race, talking with Wendy Hamshaw from Bike Box Alan

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Romania MTB – Rasinari to Paltinis Hills

Pedalnorth Website — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 10:42:02 +0000

Ride the Transylvania Trails

Transylvania Mountain Biking in the Paltinis Hills

The mountains around the Paltinis resort are covered in magnificent forests, with isolated meadows and mountain tops. There’s a wealth of trails to explore, and this one is just a short distance from historic Sibiu, a World Heritage Site, and its endless accommodation options. It’s a great base for a superb cycling holiday, with its own international airport only a 15 minute taxi ride from the centre of the old town.

This ride starts from the old Saxon village of Rasinari and climbs steadily towards Paltinis, whilst not visitng the resort. Instead, it continues around the mountian tops, before descending on a fast and sometimes technical trail, back to Rasinari.

Route Information

Stats 31 km 999 metres

Refreshments & Where to Stay

Sibiu is nearby, and as a world renowned tourist hotspot, it has everything that you need: great hotels and apartments, great places to eat and a super nightlife. On the ride, take snacks and drinks with you, as this is a mountain area.

Character

This route has a long and winding climb into the hills, that requires a good level of fitness. However, your efforts are rewarded, with unbelievable views and an epic and extra long descent. There’s a few technical sections, where you need to take care, but it’s a case of letting the bike have some fun

Route

1. Make sure to park sensibly in the village of Rasninari, and then follow the trail that heads alongside the Steaza River and climbs.

2. When you are 2 km from Paltinis, the tracks merge and you need to head left and keep climbing.

3. Follow the high trail as it passes mountain meadows and skirts between Varful Plaiului and Varful Barnelor. The trail then twists into the trees and leads you back to Rasinari

Click below for GPX file

Download GPX

TAKE A BIKECATION VACATION IN TRANSYLVANIA

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Bike Box Alan EasyFit on Team Training Camp

Pedalnorth Website — Thu, 23 Feb 2023 12:29:50 +0000

Bike Box Alan Easy Fit

Sicilian Adventures

Visit BBA

Team Training camp in delightful Sicily, Italy

by Alex Sabin, Bike Expert Team, Romania

Us cyclists like to travel and specially to explore new routes and trails by bike. However, it can be difficult to transport the bike. It’s precious and important, our bike, and we don’t want it damaged . It’s often very difficult and inconvenient to disassemble the entire bike into pieces, and then to put it in a cardboard bike box. It’s not very well protected, and complicated to transport and takes up a lot of unnecessary space.

Easy Fit Box & MTB

With the opportunity to use a BikeBoxAlan recently, everything became much easier. I’d simply been talking with Larisa, an ambassador for them, having seen her bike box, and I was intrigued.; especially since you can also fit a Mtb into their Easy Fit box. For a road bike it’s even simpler. You just remove the pedals, wheels and lower the saddle and viola!

Yes, when Larisa offered her BBA Easy Fit for me to try, I found it much easier to transport, much simpler to pack the bike, and it’s very safe – especially in case of an accident. They’re the strongest boxes in the world, and they look indestructible.

Travel to Train – Sicily

When it’s cold in your home country and you are fed up with the low temperatures, you can – and you ought to – pack your bags and your bike, and “fly to warmer lands”. Just like that. As Nike say:,”Just do it!” It can be quite accessible and very easy, and with the warm sun to look forward, or a competitive race, it’ll also warm your cycling heart! Fly from Bucharest to Palermo, then with the bus Trapani and then with the car to San Vito Lo Capo – done.

San Vito Lo Capo is a small seaside town in northwestern Sicily, Italy. It’s known for its beach, which is on a sheltered bay overlooked by Mount Monaco. The small town is located in a valley between mountains; and, the mountain itself is home to numerous caves, most of which are inaccessible without professional climbing gear. A cave, accessible by foot at the southern base of the mountain, was named “Caverna della Capra Guasto,” or “Cave of the Dead Goat” by explorers Christian D’Angelo and William Spears. San Vito Lo Capo is a well-known rock climbing destination. Along the coast on the west side of San Vito lo Capo is a coastal cliff nearly 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) long featuring as many as 1600 bolted climbing routes. Anyway, you get the picture – it’s a great destination.

Palermo-Trapani proves to be a real paradise for mountain biking, but also for the road. Single-trail paths without number, along with descents to Enduro, all in a tropical background, and with cycling climbs of all categories. Untraveled paved roads, where you sometimes forget you’re pedaling. I don’t know if it’s the excitement of the training, the place, the fact that I can train in the heat while it’s cold in the country… The fact is that everything goes according to the book and I think that can help a lot on the mental side as well.

Winter Warm Training

For the second part of the team training course in Sicily, we chose to change accommodation; thus to benefit from a new area of training and exploration. I think this can also be a good way to prepare for the upcoming season. Always have something new and always be able to make decisions. Train on as many types of surfaces and conditions as possible. For the Mtb marathon, at least, it’s very important to always be prepared. So, Cefalu is our new choice.

The landscape is changing quite a bit there, these days. We leave the somewhat tropical image of San Vito and find a more Mediterranean air, with a more clayey soil on the coast, but stony and technical in the high area. Also, the altitude is definitely increasing. With peaks of 1900, where there is installed snow from 1500m. We only have the climbs from 0m to 1200m. Gentle, drastic, brutal climbs… All kinds. Mostly paved. But also many forest roads and paths just waiting to be explored. And a very good recovery flat on the coast.

All in all, Sicily… you are delightful!

This destination of the training camp came out of the blue. I was looking for a good mtb place, a less popular area, but also warm enough. In the end it turned out to be the coolest camp I’ve ever been to. Maybe because of the landscape, the people, the ridge, the extraordinary Cannoli or… Who knows, I’ll leave it to you to discover However, there is a big difference between the Catania area and Palermo. The first is much more cramped and arid. While in the western part everything is already more tropical, more Hawaiian

The Best Bike Box in the World

And, best of all, I had no concerns or worries about transporting my bike – thanks to BikeBoxAlan. It’s a great relief being able to simply concentrate on having fun, and preparing for the season ahead. I’m a big fan of the BBA Easy Fit now, and I’ll be telling everyone about it – and, hopefully using it again on my competitive travels this year

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Take a trip to Romania

Alé Cycling PRE Play Jersey and Magic Colour Bib Shorts

Lake CX 177 Road Cycling Shoes and Larisa Chinces

Ladies Cold Weather Cycle Clothing by Alé

ALE Ladies Cold Weather Accessories 2023

Larisa Chinces Blog

Pedalnorth Website — Thu, 21 May 2020 17:13:51 +0000

Larisa Chinces: Writer & Athlete

Larisa Chinces is a Romanian cyclist and performance athlete, from the medieval city of Sibiu in Transylvania. She is also a Masters graduate in Sports Education, with several years of experience working with world-leading brands.

In her blogs for Pedalnorth, between 2016 and 2023, Larisa used her knowledge and experience to write about her cycling life, on both road and mountain bike, reviews, lifestyle articles, routes, favourite places and cycling thoughts. We have maintained a key selection her blogs, due to their continued relevance and content. In the main, the blogs below relate to kit reviews that Larisa carried out for leading brands, and her suggested road and mountain bike routes in and around Transyvania. As a cycling lifestyle writer, Larisa helped Pedalnorth to become one of the world’s leading cycling lifestyle websites. She still works within the cycling industry, in Romania, and participates in cycling racing on road, gravel and mountain bike.

Cycling in Transylvania

Don’t forget too, the awesome road and mountain bike routes all across Transylvania, exploring the superb routes in the beautiful countryside and Carpathian mountains group; roads like the Transfagarasan Highway, described by some as ‘the best road in the world’.

And, if you’d like any of our team here at Pedalnorth to work with your brand, simply email us here using our contact page. Whilst Larisa has left our team, we’ve got a wealth of other experts such as Alex, Tudor and Teo, who continue to work within the mountain sports environment, giving their time to helping others to find adventures, and waiting to inspire cyclists all over the world.

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