July 27, 2026
Meet Radu Papiu: Winner of Trail Advocate of the Year
Take Care of Your Trails is proud to announce Radu Papiu of Trailsilvania as the winner of the Trail Advocate of the Year, in recognition of his tireless contributions to trail building, community organizing, and sustainable mountain bike advocacy in Romania.
The award comes with a selection of Trail Tools, generously provided by Much More Trails, an IMBA Europe Trail Advocacy Partner committed to putting the right equipment directly into the hands of the people doing the digging. It’s this kind of support that lets IMBA Europe back grassroots trail advocates like Radu, helping them build better trails, faster, and with the right gear for the job.
Who is Radu Papiu?
Radu was born and raised in Baia Mare, Maramureș, a region he describes as having generous terrain that first sparked his passion for mountain biking. His trailbuilding roots go back years, working informally with a local crew to help shape the trail network around his hometown. After moving to Cluj-Napoca twelve years ago, Radu found his way to Trailsilvania, a community that gave him, in his own words, “the right people and the environment to finally materialize a long-held dream: building and developing sustainable trails.”
Since joining Trailsilvania, Radu has become one of the driving forces behind the organization, contributing to trailbuilding projects, community dig days, and social rides, always, according to his nominators, “with a smile on his face and full of energy.” His day job as a professional carpenter feeds directly into his trail work: he’s built a range of wooden trail features, including kickers and drop platforms, and performs routine maintenance, clearing vegetation and keeping existing trails rideable.
A solo project that raised the bar
Radu’s standout achievement is a 1.5 km enduro-style trail he took on and delivered largely as a solo project last autumn. The trail will be put to use in an enduro competition this coming autumn, a milestone that reflects both his technical skill and his ability to see a demanding build through from start to finish. It’s the kind of project that advances a trail crew’s ambitions and shows what’s possible when a volunteer treats the craft with genuine professional seriousness.
Looking ahead, Radu is candid about the obstacles still facing trail development in Romania. “The biggest hurdles are bureaucracy and unclear legislation regarding official trail building in state forests,” he explains, “making the permitting process extremely long and tedious.” He also points to a lack of consistent public or corporate funding, along with lingering misconceptions about mountain biking’s impact on nature, as reasons why building sustainably matters so much to Trailsilvania’s work.
What’s next
Although he currently volunteers his time, Radu sees trail building as a genuine professional craft, one that combines engineering with respect for the environment. He hopes to pursue European-recognized certification courses, such as those supported by IMBA, to deepen his knowledge of advanced sustainable design, water management, and mechanized trail building.
His vision extends well beyond his own next build. In five to ten years, Radu would like to see fully legal and sanctioned trail networks across Romania’s key mountain regions, built through strong collaboration among riders, local authorities, and communities, and helping to establish Romania as a recognized MTB tourism destination. Just as important to him is a mountain bike community that takes ownership of the trails it rides, actively pitching in to respect and maintain them.
Congratulations to Radu Papiu and the entire Trailsilvania community. Take Care of Your Trails, and IMBA Europe look forward to seeing where his next project, and his advocacy work more broadly, takes Romania’s trail network.
Trail Advocate of the Year is supported by Much More Trails through the donation of Trail Tools to this year’s winner. Learn more about the award here.