2021 Romania Mountain Riding

Had the chance to ride a bit further east in Romania this year. Hope to go there again soon this autumn and may update this post occasionally. No special story, just  impressions of several riding days loosely put together.

What kind of gps device do You use?

An old 7" Android Tablet, that I don't need for anything else anymore. The Android is good enough yet to run Osmand app. This app can display pre-fabricated .gpx format tracks and also record the same and display were you actually went. The map files can be downloaded for free onto the PC, totally outside of the actual app, and then be placed in the right app folder on the tablet as needed. The only items in this setup, that really cost me some money are the ram mount, the silicone skin and the display foil. And I do have a ram mount solution for use of the same device in the car as well. The ram mount was initially intended kinda "experimental". It does not look very solid if you consider the rough use. However, it lasts for years now. I managed to break one part once, that was however 100% evitable and own stupidity.

Awesome photos!

just by chance I met some very nice local transylvanian riders who had the kindness to guide me around in the area:










Schäßburg/Sighisoara:

..eventually, after 10 years, I made it back to ride in Bihor county. This 15th October was a great riding day with 200something km on the GPS. A lot, but not all of the old places I used to break this bike in on, so long time ago. Kinda like she came back home again. Have to go there more often. Could have ridden more the day after, but had to see an old friend from those days too.

Hope you still enjoy these old fashioned photo shows...(no GoPro, no drone), if I should stop let me know.


Oradea, the place I used to live in for a few years.







..a brief peek into Salaj county


..to the left the Suplac water reservoir with the posts for the never finished Transilvania highway, that is supposed to cross over there..someday in the future. To the right with those chimneys the Suplac heavy oil field.


..in the field, some nice new LRP units they've got now. Unfortunately, due to the whole C-disease nonsense I was not able to pop up in the office to surprise-visit some of the old colleagues.





..the Barcau valley


..behind the water well Abram oilfield

..on what was supposed to become the Transilvania Highway - that was like 8-9 years ago. There was some fraud ongoing, supposedly 400 MMEUR EU funds surprisingly disappeared somewhere in the Romanian state or the involved US-Turkish joint venture - nobody knows for sure (except those who took the money and retired in the Carribean), however construction suddenly came to an halt back then. Now they build that same highway, but have resumed activities in other spots along the planned route. No clues by what logic that goes. For me it was a welcome short cut, as it got quite late already.