Tag: mtb
We organise guided mountain biking tours in South-East Transylvania, Central Romania, in the Carpathian Mountains surrounding the medieval city of Brașov (Bucegi, Piatra Craiului, Ciucaș, Postăvaru, Piatra Mare, Baiului, Grohotișului, Neamțului, etc). We have several programs you can choose from: one week, medium, advanced or expert level, all- inclusive or guiding-only tours. We have a few fixed dates open tours that you can join, but we also run them on demand, for specific group sizes and dates. There's a comprehensive form on the contact page. Use it if you want…
Our latest mtb tour format just went through its first iteration. Nine peaks in six different mountains, ranging from 1800 to 2500m. We've designed the Carpathian Peaks tour format having in mind those bikers who are looking for a true mountain experience: ready to sweat on the uphills (and push or carry bike sessions) in order to be immersed in some exquisite views, to feel the satisfaction of reaching a few summits, and - of course - to savour the thrill of the descents. Tom is exactly this kind of…
It was scheduled to happen in June 2020, but a tiny virus had other plans for the entire planet Earth. More than one year later our Belgian guests finally arrived in Romania for the week-long Transylvanian Alps tour, adding the South East Carpathian Mountains to their impressive list of mountain biking destinations. The menu was, as always, complex: long and demanding climbs, push and carry-bike sessions, epic descents on "Bonanza trails". Zero bears encounters, but a few shepherd dogs (honestly a bigger threat for the unaccustomed traveller). Lots of loughs,…
We started to ride with Tom in September 2020. He brought then with him a newly bought capable XC hardtail and a basic set of skills, the kind most of us get while simply riding a bike while playing as kids, and later on commuting in the urban jungle. But, most importantly, the will to push the limits on the uphills, and plenty of interest in tackling trickier descents. A few walk-the-trails sessions in Păltiniș, but also Piatra Craiului, Bucegi and Poiana Brașov made him realise heavier tools are required…
It was quite some time since we've run our Skills for Thrills mountain biking camps, but this unusual times provided unexpected opportunities. An covid-imposed four weeks vacation meant that plenty of parents were facing a long stretch of not knowing what to do with their kids at home. Getting them on their bikes, learning proper basic skills, enjoying fresh mountain air and great home-made food - sounded like a sound option. And that's exactly what they got during our five days camp in the village of Șimon. A limited number…
Starting with the 2021 season we are offering to our guests a new tour concept: Going for the peaks. Be it for a one-day ride, a weekend tour, a full-week program or a comprehensive ten-days adventure, the aim is to get up every day on a peak in the South-Transylvania Carpathian Mountains, and then bike all the way down to a cold beer, a nice meal and a good sleep. After a few good years of exploratory rides we proudly present a list of about 10 carefully selected peaks that…
We love mountains at least as much as we like biking. In our book mountain biking should be a lot about mountains: majestic forests, alpine pastures, rocky ridges, and the assorted mountain trails. But the pinnacle of any mountain landscape is the peak. Obviously, not every peak is bikeable. And “bikeable” is like beauty: it’s in the eye (mind, legs, arms) of the beholder. Some peaks can be climbed on a bike. Others require push-bike, sometimes carry-bike. The descents, also. These mtb experiences are not for everyone, but those who…
E-MTB: the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine It seems pretty much decided. The future of mountain biking is electric. From shifters to derailleurs, from seat posts to suspension controls, and last but not least, the assisted pedalling. The ebikes. There is a long list of technical improvements that made mountain biking easier, safer, and more fun. (And also more expensive...) From cantilever brakes we moved to V brakes, which turned obsolete when disk brakes entered our world. We added 3 inches to the…
Autumn offers the most dramatic landscapes, and the October 2019 three days tour with Ofir was no different. If you add the white of the winter's first snow to the myriad of shades of falling trees you get the ingredients of a beautiful, majestic, but also quite eerie world. No better time to relive those days but during the 2020 Covid-19 epidemic - and lock-down. Here's a gallery of images that, in the present-day context, seem terrifyingly close to an end-of-the-world scenario. One thing's for sure: if the end of…
Cleaning and checking the bike. Sending more delicate components to specialised servicing. Updating programs and tours, fine-tuning coming trips. Reviewing the website, refreshing layouts, messages, logos. Warm-up rides on the trails that are drying up at lower altitudes, while skinning and skiing is still up for grabs higher up the mountain. This is what a regular month of March or April looks like in our shed and in our neck of the woods. Not this year. Together with the rest of you, we got rolled over by a big wave…
