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  1. #1
    splendid and tremendous
    somtamslap's Avatar
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    Cycling in Thailand

    Any keen cyclists out there?

    Who manage to peddle their way through this stifling humidity?

    If so..for mountain bikers, is there any particular trail you like to use? For the roadies amongst us, do you have a favourite route?

    Seen this:
    Khao Yai Wine Trails Cycling Tour - Cycling Tours near Bangkok about touring around Khao Yai (my area) and it looks quite a nice run..

    If you opened this thread and were expecting a nice pictorial..I apologise..so I'll pop in a pic as not to have wasted your time..


  2. #2
    Thailand Expat
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    Rode USCF Cat 3 in a previous life where a 100+ mile road race or a 35 mile criterium race at ave speed of 32 mph was the norm.... now while in Thai just ride the mt bike a little around the country roads but nothing extravecant. Just slow and steady.
    "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff....and it is all small stuff"

  3. #3
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    Looks like a good ride

  4. #4
    Gohills flip-flops wearer
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    Quote Originally Posted by somtamslap
    Any keen cyclists out there?
    Glitterman. Pm him. He has loads of great ideas.

  5. #5
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    I have a small walk with my dog in the mornings..later on I take the bike out for a ride around the countryside with her running along by the side of me...
    When the kids have finished their homework we sometimes ride around the village ending up at a shop where they have ice cream and I have a beer Chang...

    Hardly hard work .....which is why my cleavage is probably the same as in the photo too!!!

  6. #6
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    I do ride everyday now between 30 to 60km at average when we are on the road of 23km hr. Off road different story as I have only a road bike. Only stated 6 months ago but now addicted.
    Good exercise and surprisingly cool while riding, bloody hot when stopped.
    There can’t be good living where there is not good drinking

  7. #7
    splendid and tremendous
    somtamslap's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by peterpan
    I do ride everyday now between 30 to 60km at average when we are on the road of 23km hr.
    Good going that..very good exercise. I'm gonna have to jump back in the saddle at some point over the next month or two as I'll be doing an article about cycling in Thailand for a magazine back home. It seems to be increasingly popular amongst the locals..many groups of cyclists out round here.

  8. #8
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    Too true SSS, getting more popular amongst the Farangs here as well, I quite often see a lone farang out in the blocks pushing his cycle. Apart from the odd Thai from the nearby army base it doesn't seem too popular with the Thai as yet.

    When I stop for a drink out in the country, the Thai's are amazed when I tell them where I'm living as in how far away.
    I will post some photos and you can all be impressed at the dashing figure with his helmet and biking gear.

  9. #9
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    I have a Specialized road/triathlon bike, have several 'loops' i can ride, circuits through the surrounding farms, and one 'there and back' 52km to Kaew Chakan, gf rides too but quite disadvantaged on mtb tyres while I have my 23mm rims, coasting along as she pedals like mad trying to keep up . "good workout for you" I say

    We were in Aranyaprathet recently and will go back one of these days, found two cycle shops there selling what I'd call 'proper' road cycles and spares, one had a selection of second hand road bikes in big frame sizes, not one to suit her at 166cm though.

    Why cycles there? Didn't ask, maybe tourists sell before crossing the border to Cambodia? Stocked up on tubes and puncture repair kits - things I'd been unable to buy locally.

    When living in Phuket there were plenty of cyclists, more often on big frame mtbs with slick/road tyres but a reasonable number of road riders, a Specialized dealer near Chalong and another road bike dealer nearer the airport/north. A good percentage of riders were Thai women too, I think Prince of Songkla Uni in Kathu had a cycling club as would often see them in that area.

    oh . . . thanks for the photo

  10. #10
    FarangRed
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    Got lazy recently I do have 2 bikes MTB cycling is very popular around Phuket I see many guys in the morning going around the lake at Nai Harn and then in the evenings after 4pm
    I used to see a big group meet on a Wednesday, quite a lot of good bike shops in Phuket Town also

  11. #11
    Sprayed On Member
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    Glad you started this thread. A guy was in the bar for lunch today and he had a very cool Titanium Moots. Never heard of them before but it was a sweet bike. Made me want to get back out there.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by peterpan
    I will post some photos and you can all be impressed at the dashing figure with his helmet and biking gear.
    Lycra ?


    You see lots of mountain bikers around here....going up and down the mountain in the national park.....I bought a mountain bike.....rode it once to..

  13. #13
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    ^ Fraid not Nawty, too revealing. The outline of my bollox just drives the local wenches crazy with lust.

  14. #14
    loob lor geezer
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    Try to get out on the ' blue beast ' whenever I can :



    Flat as a pancake around here and perfect for cycling. When we first moved here 4 years ago saw very few other cyclists. Now there are a hell of a lot on the weekends , quite a few of them falangs. Only problem is that it is often too hot for the fair skinned so I'm not getting much mileage done.
    I've got a few friends who wouldn't be seen dead on anything two wheeled from Big C but you don't really have to spend a fortune on something with 20 odd gears just to enjoy yourself on the backroads for an hour a day.

    As for the funny hats ??? It's a mystery to me.

  15. #15
    Gohills flip-flops wearer
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nawty
    Lycra ?
    Worn and admired by homosexuals the world over. Wearing lycra as a cycle accessory is just gay.

    Quote Originally Posted by Bangyai
    As for the funny hats ??? It's a mystery to me.
    It hides the tinfoil underneath so folks don't think you're bonkers.

  16. #16
    Thailand Expat jandajoy's Avatar
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    Allow me to refer you to the Alan Bates thread. A Brit living in Chiang Kong and currently cycling around the world in world record time.

    Besides being a thoroughly decent bloke he's very approachable and what he doesn't know about cycling in Thailand isn't worth knowing.


    Alan Bates - Round the World Record Attempt

  17. #17
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    i would say, always be ready for the unexpected and do wear the head-gear .
    dogs can be a real menace but most thais do watch out for you and give you space,,, though there are some who don't.
    tuk tuk drivers would get a bit pist off when i over-took them
    don't ever raise your middle finger if someone forces you off the road ,,no no.
    when going through big towns ,watch out for the grates by the side of the road . your front wheel could fit nicely into one.
    best to do your own repairs though there are good shops,, close to lumpini park bangkok and another in buri-ram near the bus station, probably others as well.
    if they sell the bikes similar to your own it should be ok.
    best to carry a spare inner tube ,even if it's only a 40 km.run-out.

  18. #18
    FarangRed
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    Hey guys dont forget we have the Tour De France going on at the moment Mark Cavendish has the green jersey.

    Controversial Kazakh Alexandre Vinokourov won the 13th stage of the Tour de France.

    Vinokourov, who returned from a two-year ban for blood doping last autumn, attacked on the day's final climb, the 1.9-kilometre category three ascent of Saint-Ferreol, to win the 196km race from Rodez to Revel.

    Delight: Alexandre Vinokourov crosses the finish line to win the 13th stage

    Britain's Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) finished second, leading the peloton over the line 13 seconds behind.

    Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-Farnese) finished third and Team Sky's Edvald Boasson Hagen was fourth.
    Points classification leader Thor Hushovd (Cervelo Test Team) was eighth.

    Cavendish began the day seeking to overcome a 35-point deficit to Hushovd.

    The top of the Saint-Ferreol climb was just 7.5km from the finish and Cavendish was aiming to be in contention at the summit.

    The 1.9km climb was the day's fifth categorised ascent as the race made the transition towards the Pyrenees.

    Comparisons were made with the finish to the Milan-San Remo classic, which Cavendish - three times a stage winner at the 2010 Tour - famously won in March 2009.

    Like that day, Cavendish was in contention today but he did not count for Vinokourov's acceleration up the incline which saw the Astana rider solo to the finish line.

    Pace man: Alessandro Petacchi and Mark Cavendish lead the pursuit


    However, Cavendish's 30 points for finishing second now sees him third in the points classification, 25 points behind Petacchi, who reclaimed the green jersey from Hushovd.

    Tomorrow's 184.5km stage from Revel to Ax-3-Domaines could impact on the general classification standings led by Andy Schleck.

    The 14th stage features two categorised climbs - the hors categorie (beyond category) 15.5km ascent of Port de Pailheres and the 7.8km category one climb to Ax-3-Domaines.

    The overall rankings were unchanged today, with Schleck (Team Saxo Bank) in possession of a 31-second lead over Alberto Contador (Astana), with the remainder of the field over two minutes further behind.
    Team Sky's Juan Antonio Flecha was in the day's three-man break.

    The escape began after 4.5km, with Spaniard Flecha joined by two Frenchmen - Pierrick Fedrigo (Bbox Bouygues Telecom) and QuickStep's Sylvain Chavanel, who has won two stages and worn the race leader's yellow jersey already.

    All three riders previously won Tour stages, with 32-year-old Flecha taking his 2003 win in nearby Toulouse.

    Sprint finish: Mark Cavendish of Britain, right, crosses the line to claim second

    The escapees had a maximum lead of six minutes, but the peloton, led by HTC-Columbia and Lampre-Farnese never allowed them to fully prosper.

    The break was caught with 10km remaining, before the final climb, with Flecha
    named the day's most aggressive rider.

    The attacks began, with Alessandro Ballan (BMC Racing) going ahead alone.

    Vinokourov led the pursuit of Ballan and overtook the former world champion.

    Thomas Voeckler (Bbox Bouygues Telecom) responded and was second over the summit to Vinokourov, who broke away on the descent and finished first.

    Earlier, Lance Armstrong's miserable Tour continued.

    The 38-year-old Team RadioShack leader announced in June this month's race would be his final Tour.

    However, his hopes of an eighth title ended prematurely when he fell out of overall contention with an incident-filled eighth stage.

    Today, the seven-time champion crashed in the neutralised zone before racing began in Rodez.

    He recovered and was swiftly back among the peloton.

    But he was dropped ahead of the final climb and finished in 100th place, four minutes 35 seconds behind.

    Read more: TOUR DE FRANCE 2010: Cavendish boosts green jersey hopes as Vinokourov wins the 13th stage | Mail Online

  19. #19
    FarangRed
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    Spaniard Alberto Contador trimmed 10 seconds off Andy Schleck's Tour de France lead as his compatriot Joaquin Rodriguez won the 12th stage.
    Rodriguez (Katusha) beat Contador (Astana) in a sprint finish to win the 210.5km stage from Bourg-de-Peage to Mende after attacking on the day's final climb, the 3.1km ascent of the Montee Laurent Jalabert.
    Contador was in the lead and, although he was beaten to the line at the Mende-Brenoux aerodrome by his compatriot, he now lies 31 seconds behind yellow jersey incumbent Schleck.

    Pure delight: Joaquin Rodriguez celebrates his victory on the 12th stage

    With 2km from the summit to the finish, Schleck was able to recover some of the time lost to Contador on the ascent to ensure he would stay in the maillot jaune.
    An 18-man break was established, but four riders accelerated away with fewer than 50km to go.
    Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana), Andreas Kloden (Team RadioShack), Ryder Hesjedal (Team Garmin-Transitions) and Vasil Kiryienka (Caisse d'Epargne) were ahead with 10km remaining after breaking out of the escape, but the peloton were closing down fast on a downhill run-in to the day's final climb.
    Kloden and Hesjedal were dropped on the steep, short ascent of the fifth of the day's climbs, the category two ascent which is named after famed French rider Laurent Jalabert.
    Lance Armstrong (Team RadioShack) was among the riders to struggle up the final ascent, the summit of which was 2km from the finish line at the Mende-Brenoux aerodrome.

    On the climb: Andy Schleck wearing the yellow jersey during the 12th stage

    But the most significant move saw Contador, the two-time winner, attack. Vinokourov had moved into the lead, but Contador and Rodriguez passed him.
    Contador went in search of vital seconds which could aid his bid for a third Tour title in four years and he managed to reduce the lead held by Luxembourg's Schleck (Team Saxo Bank) by finishing alongside Rodriguez.
    Kazakh Vinokourov finished four seconds behind in third, while Schleck was one of five riders to finish 10 seconds behind.
    Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky) was 14th, 31 seconds behind, alongside world champion Cadel Evans (BMC Racing), among others.

    A bridge too far? Riders cross the Rhone river on the 12th stage

    Wiggins climbed to 16th overall, moving up one place, and now sits seven minutes 39 seconds behind Schleck.
    Schleck and Contador are more than two minutes clear of the field. Armstrong finished 57th today, conceding another 3mins 35secs and remains well down in the general classification standings.
    Earlier, Thor Hushovd reclaimed the points classification leader's green jersey.
    Hushovd (Cervelo Test Team) joined Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-Farnese) on 161 points by finishing second at the first intermediate sprint but won the second to take a six-point lead in the race for the maillot vert.

    Yet more glorious sights: The 12th stage of the Tour de France took in some more delightful places

    Norwegian Hushovd - winner of the 2009 green jersey by 10 points from Mark Cavendish - has 167 points and holds a 35-point lead over Cavendish (HTC-Columbia).
    Tyler Farrar (Team Garmin-Transitions), another rider who was expected to challenge for green during the Tour, abandoned mid-stage.
    There are now 176 riders left from the race after 22 have withdrawn, abandoned or been ejected from the Tour.

    Read more: TOUR DE FRANCE 2010: Joaquin Rodriguez storms to victory on 12th stage as Alberto Contador cuts Andy Schleck's lead | Mail Online

  20. #20
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    TdF - um . . . out of my league - but did read of the Australian rider banned/sent home last week after headbutting another rider three times in the final sprint
    Mark Renshaw has been biffed off the tour for his actions with tour technical director Jean-Francois Peschuex saying "this is cycling, not fighting. Everyone could have ended up on their backs."

  21. #21
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    Cool

    Quote Originally Posted by billy the kid View Post
    i would say, always be ready for the unexpected and do wear the head-gear .
    dogs can be a real menace but most thais do watch out for you and give you space,,, though there are some who don't.
    tuk tuk drivers would get a bit pist off when i over-took them
    don't ever raise your middle finger if someone forces you off the road ,,no no.
    when going through big towns ,watch out for the grates by the side of the road . your front wheel could fit nicely into one.
    best to do your own repairs though there are good shops,, close to lumpini park bangkok and another in buri-ram near the bus station, probably others as well.
    if they sell the bikes similar to your own it should be ok.
    best to carry a spare inner tube ,even if it's only a 40 km.run-out.
    those drain grates can be deadly, my wheels fit nicely inside, learnt my lesson once but fortunately was almost stopped at the time.
    I have a small bag that fits under the bike seat - tyre levers, two tubes, Swiss army-style fold-out screwdriver/allen keys, mobile phone and always a few hundred baht in case I have to wave down a sidecar and get carried home! Usually end up buying water on longer rides, carry 2 x 750ml I'll refill at least one.
    There is not a hill within cycling range - and roads, if sealed. are generally very good asphalt there has been some major resealing recently made me happy as opened up more roads to get lost on.
    Me and bike a bit of a novelty locally, when i stop there's always someone who wants to see how light it is - "very" compared to their steel clunkers, and if i turn my back can guarantee someone will have played with the gears click click click.
    Last edited by genghis61; 18-07-2010 at 11:18 AM.

  22. #22
    loob lor geezer
    Bangyai's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by billy the kid View Post

    don't ever raise your middle finger if someone forces you off the road ,,no no.
    best advice I've seen this week. Giving a Thai the bird is an invitation to a fatal confrontation.

  23. #23
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    I quite often ride each weekend out to Bang Kachao, I start on sukhumvit. road down Asoke to Rama 3. then down to the river (near the port) a 20 baht boat takes me and the bike over the river to jungles and small coffee shops and almost traffic less bliss.



    Also each month I ride with the Bangkok Hash House Bikers., we go stay some where for a weekend (within about 2 hours drive of BKK ) and do some off road biking in a social atmosphere.

    http://bangkokbikehash.org/

  24. #24
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    keeping this thread alive

    been out this morning for a ride, really pushed myself at times and 32km in 1hr 4min, sure I can get that under an hour. 9km flat/slight incline, next 7 a steady climb but nothing too serious. 36 out, 28 back.

    Sights along the way: overtaken by 27 motorbikes, 4 pickups, 1 truck. Saw 11 highschool girls (I had to count) and slowed to answer their calls of "where are you going", and "where are you from". Briefly raced a tractor with rubber plantation workers hanging on the back but out-ran them and their encouraging cheers.

    One 'expression of interest' youngish lady cruised behind, then slowly past, then slowed so i could overtake. "Are you going far" and "where are you from".

    Apart from her, no wildlife, despite the elephant warning sign. Not even a roadkill snake, and no chasing dogs.

    My bike is a 2008 Specialized Allez, used for one season of triathlons, training and a couple of cycle races in NZ, had left it in storage and brought it back with me when i had to go back July 09.

    Pics - first is at Prom Thep on Phuket last year, had a circuit I'd ride Chalong-Rawai-Nai Harn-Chalong 25km with some good little hills. Second this morning as I enter wild elephant territory. I have not yet worked on my 'chased by an elephant escape plan' I guess just pedal like f*ck!


  25. #25
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    Very impressive Genghis, i wish i was a wee bit younger and keener nowadays. I bought a MTB in Khon Kaen a few years ago and do the occasional ride when i'm not golfing.

    We have a mountain climb nearby but as yet i've always turned around at the base as the ascent is too steep, certainly for someone of my years. To the base and back is a pleasant 12kms and occasionally i do an extra 10kms before i return. I do push myself sometimes and have been known to overtake the occasional m/c with sidecar.
    Good to get the blood flowing and weight in check and i am very fortunate as yet not to have come across any dogs who have given me a problem.

    I did the 'Nile Bike Ride' for Mencap in 1998, quite an unforgettable experience and hope to keep up the cycling for as long as i am able, great exercise and certainly where i reside, plenty of fresh clean air.

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