Bucuresti MTB L. Mihailesti 54 km Bucuresti - Clinceni - L. Mihailesti - Lunca Argesului - Pd. Codalba - Bucuresti (ADE 217)

March 2022. Route length: 54 km. Offroad / gravel road: 23 km; asphalt / concrete slabs: 31 km

--- description, map & photos by FB page 'Green trails MTB outdoor-fun'

Duration: 6h in my case, moderate pace; this duration included enough breaks to admire the landscapes, photos, and sandwich-break. Bike type: MTB XC hardtail (not an E-bike). The photos are taken on the uploaded route but may belong to different times/seasons.

My favs: --- stroll through the Codalba forest between km 30.8 - 33.4 and between km 34.9 - 36.7; --- the trail on the dam of Mihailesti lake between km 18.6 - 25.

Bike self-wash, for a fee (for example; the stations are, in fact - car self-wash): at km 48.6 (on the right side of the road); at km 50.7 (on the left side of the road).

One of my favorite trails near Bucharest, a relaxing bike ride along the lake, next to a chain of ponds bordered by reeds.

The first 18.6 km are on asphalt, with two small exceptions of gravel road - about 300 m before entering the Prelungirea Ghengea, respectively 1.5 km in the area of Clinceni aerodrome.

Except for a section of road in the area of the Ring Road - that is, between km 2.9 - 5.9 on the way out, respectively between km 48.7 - 50.8 on the way back - I found solutions to avoid heavy traffic - using either sections that were next to the road (such as sidewalks, green spaces), or streets with lighter traffic - which for me was safe enough.

At km 18.6 of the route, I entered offroad - a gravel road (wide road - mixed texture of earth, sand, and stone up to km 25 at the intersection with Ordoreanu street; forest gravel road afterwards) where I pedaled with pleasure and followed until entering the forest at km 30.8. From the entrance to the dam road, I pedaled 6 km with really nice views, which reminded me of the sea in the first km, and after crossing the Mihailesti lake - a delight to admire in peace the Arges floodplain.

I did a small detour between km 25.9 - 27.4 on both sides of Ordoreanu lake, which I really liked - the surface of the water was very clean and clear (when I recorded this map), and I could sit in the shade of the trees on the shore (or on the grass in the sun) - this small, elegant lake was also a good opportunity for me to lighten my food bag.

Between km 30.8 - 36.7 followed an incursion into the coolness of the Codalba forest (interrupted by an outside-forest section from km 33.4 for 1.5 km - which passes under the railway), of particular beauty for me - little frequented, so that here and there there were a few passages of several dozen meters where the forester got lost in the grass - but in my opinion, it is quite easy to follow the trail here with the help of an online application with GPS live progress on the map, making a detour at km 31.2 of about 200 m to the bank of Arges.

From the forest exit at km 36.7, I continued for 2.5 km on gravel road, after which I rode 14.4 km on asphalt to the place where I started my journey.

A loop I repeat every time with great pleasure - a relaxing bike trip in a corner of nature of all beauty right here near Bucharest.

Have fun :)