The Shed // Chapter 2

"Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get..."  

I guess the famous quote is more than true in my current situation. In the last 2 months a lot has happened: getting devorced, sold the house and moved into a new flat. As a result I had to say good bye to the loved MTB HQ of mine...The Shed that I have been working on for a few years and spent countless fun filled hours in...

But the end of something always allows way to a beginning of something else, something new. So here we go, I'm introducing the new (and much smaller) version of The Shed. We are talking about a stunning 2,25 squaremeter here. It's freakin' tiny but it has all what I need. Sure there will be no room for grill / burger parties like we had before but it is a lovely drop of MTB heaven on the 2nd floor. A place where I can carry out all my repairs on the bike but most importantly I can feel the vibe of the old Shed every time I walk in! And now this is all I want! :) 

Medvés Kör // The First One

I like when I have things ticked off the bucket list. Here is another one! We have been planning to ride the well known and popular Medvés Kör for about a year and finally we managed to get it done yesterday. The route is more popular in endurance runners and hikers circles but there are many mountain bikers also who has done it. It is a 63 km long route with 1413 m total elevation along the way. Savage climbs, stunning views and generaly a lovely spot on Earth. What else do we need, hah?! :) 

All packed up for the day

Two of my good mates and training buddies Gyuszi and Józsi teamed up with me for the spin. We know each other well and we are on the same fittness and skill level also, so the team work was not a question. 

5 am in the morning at my place

Yep, we are good to hit the road

We could enjoy some savage views on the way

We hit the route 21 at about 6 am and after a not too long drive we have arrived to Somoskóújfalu where the start / finish area is. The route starts from the Vargánya Vendégház. After we got there we have checked in with the owner & organizer and wasted no time, we got ourselves ready for the ride.  

Where the fun begins

Lets do this! :) 

As the whole route is based on QR code scan-in system we have scanned in at the start point and we hit the first climb. The feeling of the Medvés Kör has hit us straight away: the great trails, the nice mountains and the general feeling of pushing your bike to the checkpoint, scan in and keep going until you get to the next one. Brilliant! 

Bit of a rest until our good friend Józsi scanned our QR codes in

A good bit of the route is in Slovakia. After the first (shorter loop) was done we got to the boarder and crossed it. The real fun begins on the other side I'd say. 

Welcome :) 

With one leg in Hungary and in Slovakia with the other

The first loop is good also but the second one is much more challenging. The climbs are harder, there's lot more work to put in. By the time we got to this point we managed to get the hang of finding the QR checkpoints and things got a bit smoother indeed. Climb after climb, descent after descent, turn after turn. We got closer and closer to the finish. After the last bit of effort we hit the very last descent that leads straight back to the finish. Scanned in annnndddd we have finished! 

The data of the ride

At the finish with the stunning looking medals

Yep, the Medvés Kör is done & dusted. We have finished with 5 hours and 30 minutes total time (including QR scanning, looking around and a bit of a wrong turn also) and with 4 hours and 10 minutes clear riding time. The plan was to get it done under 4 hours, so I guess I'm happy as we are just a tad bit over the target. :) 

The final verdict:

The Medvés Kör is definitely a must have route for any mountain biker who likes the challenge! The QR scan in system is a great idea and a good way to complete the route although it could be a bit tricky to find the chekpoints and not to get lost. We have used the .gxp file that can be donwloaded from their official website. It was a massive help for sure!! 

The location is beautiful and the trails are awesome too. The organizer is very nice and helpful also. There is also a great accomodation available for those who would prefer to stay over night. 

... for all info necessary visit the official site here: 

http://medveskor.hu/

So, what I'm sure about is that we will be back soon to do it again and since we know the route and what to expect already the goal is to do a proper good time on the Medvés Kör! bring it on! :) 

Duna Maraton 2018 // Race report

Another race - another round of the series is done & dusted. After more than 15 years I was able to line up at the start line of one of the oldest MTB XC Marathon race in Hungary called Duna Maraton. The last time I was taking part of this race was back in 2001...man, it was a loooong time ago, wasn't it?! But lets see how my race day went on Sunday!

The race venue was in Esztergom, the stunning looking city just right next to the Danube. The place is about 90 km away from my town, so after a not too long drive we got there. 

On the way...

After the quick registration I got the first shock of the day as the "start pack" was pretty much an empty plastic bag with few leaflets and a gel...well a T-shirt would of been nice but it didn't happen... maybe next year though... 

Anyway! I got myself ready to roll. I was super hyped as the brand new team kit just dropped a few days before the race. The fresh design, the new kit and the fact that I was representing my team with the new kit was giving me an extra lift indeed. 

Ready to race! 

Got to the start/finish area and luckily I managed to get pretty close up front at the start. 3...2...1... GO!!! Off we went into the narrow streets of Esztergom with police escort for the fist few kilometers.

After we left the city we got the first dose of nice off-road trails of the local mountains. The course was a lovely mix of long and steady climbs, proper steep stingers with some technical and mega-fast descents. The conditions were brilliant also, the course was pretty much completely dry. 

Bend after bend, climb after climb and descent after descent. Oh! And some stairs also!

Bitta fun at the end of the race just before we got to the finish

After the action packed racing I crossed the finish line and finished this years Duna Maraton. I was still buzzing when I got back to the car to get changed! :) 

Massive smile on the face - it is the sign of a great race :) 

Time to wash all the dust off the throat

I've had a great day on the bike today. I finished the 30 km race with 700 m elevation gain under 1 hour and 30 minutes. This put me into 17th place in Masters 1 category. I'm happy with this result but I'll be aimning for better at the next race!


So, did I have a good race? Did I have a good time? I sure did my freinds. We have seen a brilliandt XCM course and a very well run event. The atmosphere was great and the competition was savage. What else can we ask for?

Thanks for everything, see you next year! 

...stay tuned, more photos still to come

Mátra Biker Team Kit 2018

Yep, it's here ladies and gentleman! And it looks absolutely stunning! I was waiting for the new Mátra Biker kit to arrive like hell and now I can say it was well worth to wait for: savage looking design and lovely material with a very nice finish! Well done! And the timing was also perfect as I can wear the new kit on the Duna Maraton this Sunday! Bring it on! :)