The daily/weekly home to school commute for the children living in the scattered villages of the Surianu Mountains in Transylvania has become a serious issue since the economic downturn. They have to travel anything between 10 and 25 km (6-15 miles) to take advantage of their fundamental right to education.

Since the Local Council funds provided for hiring a driver and a minibus have dried out, the only alternative to walking the great distances daily, is cycling. Providing mountain bikes for the 27 young pupils will not be just a logical practical solution but also an environmentally friendly and sustainable one.

For the local families living in these remote areas, the monthly income is around 200 euro (£170). The father is often the only member of the family that earns a salary (by working occasionally in the nearby town). The households are however, self-sufficient, living off the land and therefore enjoying probably some of the healthiest and nutritious organic food in Europe. Unfortunately the low income also limits the purchasing power of the locals to the basic essentials of the household and naturally, items such as bicycles are outside their means.

The "Iosif Pervain" Secondary School of Cugir supported the RideAcross project:
"The children come from afar, especially seven of them from Feteni who walk to school all the way daily. It takes them 2 hours each way, 4 hours roundtrip. Two of them have bikes so cycling to school is not unheard of." said the Principal, Rodica Mihai. The other 20 pupils aged between 9 and 20 come from even further afar, from places such as Goasele, Bocsitura, Calene, Mugesti and Bucuru.

The Journey

We rode from England's Steel City to Romania's Metallurgical Town. From Sheffield to Cugir we supported the cause of sustainable transport and of access to education for the children in the Carpathians.

After leaving Sheffield and we crossed the Main Channel via Hull. From Rotterdam through Arnhem, over the lowlands of Holland we entered Germany following the Rhein. Shadowing the Danube's left bank downstream, we'll ride across Bavaria, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary. In Budapest we left the Danube and rode over the great Pannonian Plain. The journey ended in the Transylvanian Alps and concluded after a month of heavy pedaling.

Yet, our adventurous tour across Europe is still dwarfed by the children's everyday effort riding to school.

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