I'm going travelling this summer for 10 weeks in south east Asia and if there are any good spots to ride I'd like to take my bike. Preferably downhill/freeride stuff if anyone knows Of anything? I'll be flying to Bangkok and then travelling to other countries from there.
And for anyone who's been are there safe places to store bikes?
my mate did some DH in Thailand on hired bikes, had a whale of a time. I can ask him to dig out a link but I guess he just googled 'em so you might be quicker.
No, nowhere. Nowhere at all.
Peaty has done some riding/event in Thailand, there are a few trails in Singapore (I lived there for a while) but neither would warrant taking your own bike. I would not bother with your bike, hire locally. Most rising I did out there was XC in nature. Frankly I found it far too hot and humid for too much riding.
[url= http://xbikingchiangmai.com/ ]Chiang Mai - Thailand[/url]
Just google it, there's loads. It's quite a big area.
I have been googling and there's little information online. Chiang Mai area is all I can find in thailand. Nothing in Laos, Cambodia or Vietnam that resembles downhill and I have found a few things down in Malaysia which is a long way from those other places.
Nothing in Laos, Cambodia or Vietnam
Most folk are toiling away for <$1 a day so more concerned with surviving than shredding the gnarrr.
Be aware that in Laos there is an almost complete lack of medical facilities - if you had any sort of significant "off" then you could be in real and painful trouble, and would face the prospect of having to arrange a lengthy medevac to Thailand to get any sort of treatment. Having said that the Northern Laos countryside is spectacular and the potential for off-the-beaten-track downhill amusement there is huge.
There are some trails in the Philippines as well, but be aware, much like the rest of South East Asia you are pretty much in for a very long trip to get to a hospital.
Have you traveled in South East Asia before?
The Phils has a small fledgling downhill scene and some riders on the world circuit....
Manila is a strange place, I saw a lot of poverty and yet more expensive road bikes and mountain bikes than anywhere else in the world. The middle classes there are really into cycling for fun, not just as a method of transport. More so than in the rest of Asia, I suspect this is down to Filipino expats in America taking their new found sports back to the Phils.
Thanks that's certainly something to keep in mind regarding healthcare. The philippines is a bit too far out for the time we are there unfortunately
It's a shame, you should go at some point....the Philippines is....different...and the people are lovely if somewhat mad. Also, Palawan has the best beaches in the world bar none.
I rode out there with the same guys that Jambalaya posted a few years back.
It was bloody awesome.
Do it.
OP what @tom says. Generally in Cambodia you are advised not to leave the roads as there are still many unexploded landmines. I did some riding in Vietnam too but its XC related and just to get a good tour of the villages. If you are going to be out and about in the countryside it would be prudent to take some malaria medicine and get all your jabs up to date. In my view a trip to SEA is about culture/food/history and not MTBs
Damnit, Red Horse, Jollibee and Palawan is calling.
Miles and miles of deserted beaches like this, with no pilled up British clubbers anywhere to be seen.
Wow I may have to re-think the philippines
We rode with x biking in Chiang mai. Had a great time. Proper downhill with up lift. Might be worth speaking to them. They ride all over Thailand so will know where is good. The Australian guy we rode with said Bali was good, too.
Awesome I'll try emailing them
Try Khao Yai / Jedkot - it's around 200km from Bangkok North East.
Cyclocross is the best bike for around here though, switch from smooth tarmac, to pot holes, gravel, then dirt without blinking. Found it ticks all the boxes I need and gets me into the mountains and between them.
Sure there was some biking in Borneo as well, can't remember if it was Sarawak or Sabah though.
If you're ever in China the same time as me, I could take you on some epic rides in Sichuan.
Wow I may have to re-think the philippines
Manila is mostly a shithole, the thing with the Phils is that it can easily compare to Thailand and even better it's beauty. It's just the best bits are harder to get to and the foods worse. Unless you like fish....lots and lots of fish and rice. The Philippines is a bit edgier and less explored, it's also really quite a head **** as it's like waking up in Spain sometimes....in the middle of Asia due to their colonial past. Culturally they are as much latin as they are South East Asian.
Will be in Chiang Mei with X Biking next weekend for some trail and DH fun.
I even took my bike to Singapore for my current business trip, there's stuff here (BT and Palau Udin), not great but Ok laaaa).
If you ever in Hong Kong look me up and I can take you around some of the trails here, email in profile.
I ride a lot when i am in Thailand , i use a Garmin gps and plot a route first then follow the pre planned route , some times i veer off course when i spot a diversion but then use the gps to get me back on track so to speak. There are no English signs, out in the sticks very few locals speak English and my Thai is only good enough to be polite and make small talk.
I love it . there are lots of biking opportunities opening in Thailand ,In the North there are way more than just mountains of Chang Mai, i ride around the Phu Pan mountains Between Udon Thani and Sakon nakon, i come across mad and massive snakes , elephants and Monkeys , deer type creatures and lizards. I usually ride alone ,but show the family where i am heading. Some times a friendly local will of stopped in my village and called in top let them know they have seen me in ????? village and that i am ok .
The only time i have been nervous is getting a puncture and seeing fresh snake tracks , proper scared thinking how to fend off a snake with a mini pump. Sometimes the dogs get a bit too keen and close snapping away but par for the course .
Take a bike or buy local and donate to a local , i got a shimano equipped Java with hydo disc brakes , alloy frame (stiff) hollow tech BB sealed hubs (dusty) for £240 buy it rag it and donate and you will be treat like a god.
buy it rag it and donate and you will be treat like a god.
I will add one thing more to this, don't let people "treating you like a god" go to your head. There are a lot of very ****y westerners who view themselves as local rock stars swanning around East Asia who still think that it's the height of colonialism.
The Philippines really is an amazing place to visit. I was there for 7 years. The people are friendly and the country's beautiful. I don't know if it's a riding destination, but perhaps my favourite country. Breathtaking beaches, mountains, ocean, people...
Thailand (I've been here for 2 years). The country's also beautiful, the people less friendly. A part of that is the language issue, I guess. Even the most uneducated (formally) Pinoy rice farmer can get by in English. Many Thais who have had the best Thai education money can buy would struggle in a basic conversation.
As for the riding - there is great riding in both countries. Depending on where you're going, contact a local group. You're unlikely to get a good ride without some local knowledge. If you're heading to either mid-Luzon or Phuket area of Thailand, let me know and I can put you in touch with locals.
@Tom - how / why were you in RP? I'd kill for Jollibee, a few Grande Pale Pilsens and a Sofitel brunch in Manila bay.
buy it rag it and donate and you will be treat like a god.
which won't happen in Thailand where white people feature some way below dogs in the general scheme of things.