Cycling In Isaan?

[tahaan]

Hi all,

I enjoyed cycling in the UK, the daily commute, organised weekend events and casual trips with mates etc. I moved to Chumphae a couple of years ago and, initially at least, used to get on the bike and put in a few kms on a regular basis. Sadly, this didn't last too long. Cycling, like many other activities is more fun with a partner and I got fed up doing the same trips on my own.

Any fellow enthusiasts out there in the Khon Kaen/Udon area up to shedding a few kilo's on road bike or MTB?

[nidge]

Hi Tahaan,

I live just down the road in Chaiyaphum, (i guess 1-1/2 hrs from KK). When i am at home i try to ride about 30 km every day mostly off road, (farm tracks and the like), some road stuff, (yawn), and some street stuff although the city is pretty flat when it comes to steps, drop offs etc.

If you are in my area any time and i am home i would be more than happy to join you for a ride. I may even be in KK next month to check out the bike shop that i just heard about.

Nidge

[thoongfoned]

hi,

im around the udon area (thung fon) and am always messing about on a mountain bike, mostly just off road stuff. (the dogs are usually the only ones that come out with me) if your about this way could always go for a ride.

[tahaan]

Thanks for the replies guys. I thought this thread had sunk without trace although I was hopeful that someone might be inspired by Le Tour and want to get out.

Yes I agree with you both about the mountain bike being of more use here. I've got a Trek purchased from Probike in bkk. Chaiyaphum and Udon are not too far away. If you've got some interesting rides I can easily throw the bike in the truck and arrange a meet somewhere.

Nidge, is the KK bike shop near the big Nissan showroom opposite(ish) the university hospital on the Udon road? If it is I discovered it by chance recently. Only had a quick look but they had some pretty upmarket group sets, forks and stuff there. Lots of servicing going on outside - no English spoken on my visit.

Most of my trips have been on road and tracks. I'm looking for a set of semi slick tyres to replace the Bontrager off road things that came with the bike. Have you seen anything decent on your travels?

[nidge]

Thanks for the replies guys. I thought this thread had sunk without trace although I was hopeful that someone might be inspired by Le Tour and want to get out.

Yes I agree with you both about the mountain bike being of more use here. I've got a Trek purchased from Probike in bkk. Chaiyaphum and Udon are not too far away. If you've got some interesting rides I can easily throw the bike in the truck and arrange a meet somewhere.

Nidge, is the KK bike shop near the big Nissan showroom opposite(ish) the university hospital on the Udon road? If it is I discovered it by chance recently. Only had a quick look but they had some pretty upmarket group sets, forks and stuff there. Lots of servicing going on outside - no English spoken on my visit.

Most of my trips have been on road and tracks. I'm looking for a set of semi slick tyres to replace the Bontrager off road things that came with the bike. Have you seen anything decent on your travels?

I don't have any specific trails but i normally ride with a garmin gps and plot the ride on google earth. One day i will start making maps so i can dish them out if anyone rides near me.

As for semi slicks, try maxxis wormdrive. They are great and i often use them even when muddy. I bought mine in Siam bikes, pattanakarn road, BKK but i am sure you can get them else where.

I have not been to the KK bike shop yet but i plan to take a drive up there one afternoon next month. For sure you found the right one, there is not going to be 2 bikeshops in the same place that both sell 'real' bikes!

[TBWG]

Hi all,

I enjoyed cycling in the UK, the daily commute, organised weekend events and casual trips with mates etc. I moved to Chumphae a couple of years ago and, initially at least, used to get on the bike and put in a few kms on a regular basis. Sadly, this didn't last too long. Cycling, like many other activities is more fun with a partner and I got fed up doing the same trips on my own.

Any fellow enthusiasts out there in the Khon Kaen/Udon area up to shedding a few kilo's on road bike or MTB?

Hi

A word of warning ....see below a previous posting of mine

Hi All

Join us on our Sunday bike ride was casually dropped into the conversation whilst having a few beers with some farang buddies. We just have a slow tour of the local villages stopping for a beer now and again, Hmm, why not I can use my stepsons bike and the exercise will do me good.

So in anticipation I started using stepson’s bike for local trips to get used to a zillion gears and a saddle that at a push you could use to shave with, but at least it has some suspension on it which is more than can be said for my trusty sit up and beg Mary Poppins job.

After a few days I am quietly confident as I begin to rack up the kilometers and feel all the better for it despite the saddle!

So it’s eleven o’clock on Sunday morning and my 2 buddies turn up and ask the boss lady if I can come out to play. whistling.gif

Now this was pretty good timing as she was just about to loose it in a big way over my inability to open a rice sack without resorting to a pair of scissors. Didn’t I know that it ruins the bag and I can’t use it for storing more bags in… Huh?!!… Even little kids know just to pull that elusive string and hey presto open sesame! Now it’s not for the want of trying but whichever string I pull the same result ….nothing happens. Every time I go to the rice shop I ask the attractive teenage girls to give me advice on which one to pull, string that is rolleyes.gif and they can’t understand my inability to grasp such a simple task.

The boss lady now jumps at the opportunity of seeing the back of her retarded farang husband for a few hours and positively pushes me out of the gate. So far so good! out with a few mates the opportunity for a beer or 2 and the chance to annoy a few unsuspecting local’s. What more could one ask for!

Off we set at a fairly brisk pace to skirt the local lakes which just happen to have a nice selection of bars scattered round them. It appears that they already have a method of picking which bar to frequent i.e. the one with the most numerous attractive teenage girls in, now you can’t argue with that.

It was half way through my beer that It came out in conversation that the previous Sunday they had covered 70 odd kilometers! However this week nothing like that was envisaged as one of their wives had suggested a circular route that would eventually bring us back onto the main road leading to town. (It transpires that the wives often suggested routes so that they could come out and check up on them mid afternoon). This had the effect of them riding off in the exact opposite direction!

But today we would take up their suggestion, so off we set further round the lakes, I should have suspected something when we had to cross some sort of concrete dyke but the water was only about 10 inches deep and thankfully warm! The so called farm track that we where supposed to follow was initially just that but after a few kilometers it petered out a bit and had an occasional hole big enough to swallow a small Volkswagen. We also came across the odd local who looked on in bewilderment at the sight of 3 farangs on bikes miles from anywhere some of them were gesticulating and shouting encouragement.

The ground now had a black crust on it and had obviously been underwater in the wet season and smelt none to pleasant but at least you could ride on it without too much difficulty, which is more than can be said for the sand which soon replaced it. Well now it was get off and push time but with know obvious direction to take, it was decided to send someone onto high ground on foot to scan the area. Bearing in mind that high ground was only about 1 foot higher this did nothing but confirm that we where lost with no obvious way forward. We now agreed that the only way forward was back whistling.gif and that the locals we had passed where not shouting encouragement but more along the lines of where do you daft buggers think your going.

So after 18 kms and the best part of 2 hours we are nearly back where we started, I am already knackered and it is bloody hot but at least the next beer is not too far away. They ask if I am alright and I say no problem (male ego getting the better of commonsense) So over the next beer we decide to stick to a well traveled route and was I up for it? No problem mate (male ego getting…etc).

Off we go again but this time on proper roads and at a reasonable speed, now one of the bikes has a gizmo on it that tells you how far you have gone, average speed, top speed and how many calories burnt off …fortunately it does not tell you how many you have put on due to beer consumption. We pass lots of locals in the fields who all shout greetings and the Thai equivalent of “Where you go” to which we are obliged to reply and wave.

Now I am beginning to lag a bit and my legs are feeling second hand but I refuse to admit it and focus on the next beer stop. As no attractive teenage girls are at this stop the conversation turns to how much slower they are this week averaging only 13km per hour rather than the usual 18 odd and was I still OK, no problem says I. (male ego getting…etc).

Off we go again and to save this getting repetitive I’ll miss out the next couple of beer stops suffice to say that by now I am absolutely shagged, my arse is red raw I’m fairly pissed and my legs are under someone else’s control cause they are certainly not doing what my brain is telling them too! On top of that because of my slow pace nightfall is now rapidly approaching and we are still some 10kms from home with no lights!!

We decide to make for one of their house’s which happens to be 5kms nearer, do I want him to phone his wife and get her to pick me up on the motorsai. No way I might be only semi conscious but I am determined to go the distance. (male ego getting…etc).

Well that last 5 kms was tough going, the locals now shouting encouragement as I wandered all over the road where greeted by me with a get stuffed or silence. Sheer bloody mindedness got me the last few kms where I then reluctantly whistling.gif agreed that it was not sensible for me to ride any further due to lack of lights.

So 7 hours and 50.4 kms later at an average 13 odd kms per hour I finally arrive home on the back of a strange females motorsai only to be greeted by the boss lady who was organizing a family search party to go out and find her stupid farang husband!

I then vaguely recall getting one hel_l of an earbashing, blink.gif but quite frankly I could not care less I just wanted a shower and my bed, the last thing I recall before drifting off into a blissful 15 hour sleep was that neither of my so called mates had even broken into a sweat despite one of them being considerably older than me!

God I love Thailand!!

TBWG

[nidge]

TBGW, can i suggest that you save your drinking for after the ride? I am not allowed to drink during a ride, big boss woman she say no. Not for the same reasons as you though, I get a little too brave with a beer inside me and then try to ride off of/on to/through something that would generally require someone to have a scuicidal disposition!

[Tomissan]

Hi all,

I enjoyed cycling in the UK, the daily commute, organised weekend events and casual trips with mates etc. I moved to Chumphae a couple of years ago and, initially at least, used to get on the bike and put in a few kms on a regular basis. Sadly, this didn't last too long. Cycling, like many other activities is more fun with a partner and I got fed up doing the same trips on my own.

Any fellow enthusiasts out there in the Khon Kaen/Udon area up to shedding a few kilo's on road bike or MTB?

Not sure if I can keep up with you but I'll give it a shot. pm me, I'm just next to Chumphae..

[tahaan]

Nidge, Thanks for the tyre info.

Beer and cycles aren't a good combo especially in this climate. Lots of water, a banana or two and the occasional stop for a "sapponserr". Now after the ride when your feeling smug about having done some (vertical) exercise, well that's another story!

hmmmm ...beer

[Joe Walshe]

Tahann,

Pity I didn't know you when I was in Chumphae. Have two mountain bikes and regularly cyle along dirt tracks or from village to village. Sometimes head into hills. The dogs in the villages can be a pain. My wife and all her family think I'm nuts and don't understand why I don't take the motorbike to go places. I used to go for cycle at about 4pm when cool.

In Ireland now making a few euors.

Joe

[Nongwahyay]

I´m also into cycling in a fairly big way............. do 50-60 km rides BUT at the moment in Berlin...... The wife (from NongBuaLamphu) and I are planning on moving there in the near future and I will definitely be getting myself a good bike.......and looking for a couple of cycling mates...........

[eastbaybob]

I don't live in the NE, I live in California, but I seem to make it to Isaan sort of regularly and tour around on my bike. Right now I am in the planning stages of going back there in October and touring around for a while. My last trip I hit Southern Buriram, which I really liked. Not really too sure where I am headed on the next trip, but I am sure where ever it is it will be enjoyable.

I have some journals that may be interesting, or not, for people that live in Thailand. If you want to take a look they are located here: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/directory/?...baybob&v=Az

[Nongwahyay]

As I wrote in a another thread, my Thai wife (from near Nong Bua Lamphu) and I (a Brit.........) will be moving to NBL in the near future from Berlin and we are both (well, I suppose more I than she…….) into cycling, regularly training at home (spinning bike) and at weekends, when we do 40-50 km trips. I would hope to meet up with some of you cyclists maybe once a month – each time at a different location – to do 50-60 km stretches over a period of , perhaps, 2-3 days, all depending on how much time and interest everyone has. Differing levels of stamina or interest shouldn´t matter, as they can easily be overcome – in Berlin I like to ride much further and faster than my wife but we overcome this simply by my going off at a tangent at various points and then meeting up with my wife again at pre-determined resting points………….it works like a dream and each of us can go at his/her preferred speed and not get annoyed by the sloth/speed of the other!!!!!

I´m perhaps not really the best person to organize things at this stage (as I´m still in Berlin), but I would nevertheless be very interested in putting in my 2-penneth worth whenever suitable…… and in helping in any way I can. We will be in Thailand from 14th March until 5th April next year so perhaps could meet one or other of you for a chat and a drink.

[Nongwahyay]

Was I too fast for you all?????? Perhaps I should slow down and let you follow in my tail wind.......

[roietjimmy]

Was I too fast for you all?????? Perhaps I should slow down and let you follow in my tail wind.......

Oops, sorry it took so long to catch up to your lead. Think I took a wrong turn (got cross theaded). Hopefully, we can get some responses to organizing a "Tour de Nakorn Nowhere" in the latter half of March?

Anyone up for it?

[tahaan]

Count me in, although late March's a tad warm. Starting from where? I'm 60k's south of NBL.

[roietjimmy]

A soldier to be the first volunteer. No surprise. You are in the list Tahaan.

I will be happy to do initial coordination and organizing. If we get several positive responses then, need to get serious and determine where the Tour de ??? will be held. Until then I will compile and post a list of folks who want to participate and their locations. As March can be pretty hot, I figure a compromise between coolest area and distance particpants must travel will determine location.

[nidge]

I'll volunteer too, in the hope i'm actually in the country when the ride is on. I expect to be home from mid march although it is difficult to plan so far ahead. I guess i'm happy to travel almost anywhere in Issan providing the hours spent riding make up for the hours spent driving!

[nidge]

Tahaan,

Are you in Chumae now? I just found out where it is! and it's only up the road, i don't go back to work for a week so might be up for a days riding next week if you like?

Nidge.

[Nongwahyay]

You´re making me jealous!!!! My wife and I will in fact be in Thailand from 15 March until 5th April next year..........but 5 other members of the family from England will be accompanying us as well!!! So I´m afraid - after shouting off my mouth about real men not cycling for less than 50 km without a break....... - I won´t be able to join you.... not until we finally make our move out that way for good............ but I´ll be in training until then, don´t worry....and I expect every other able-bodied cyclist in Isaan to do the same.......... when I get there, the last one to cross the 50 km mark buys the round for a week...........

[roietjimmy]

You´re making me jealous!!!! My wife and I will in fact be in Thailand from 15 March until 5th April next year..........but 5 other members of the family from England will be accompanying us as well!!! So I´m afraid - after shouting off my mouth about real men not cycling for less than 50 km without a break....... - I won´t be able to join you.... not until we finally make our move out that way for good............ but I´ll be in training until then, don´t worry....and I expect every other able-bodied cyclist in Isaan to do the same.......... when I get there, the last one to cross the 50 km mark buys the round for a week...........

Hey, you're the guy who got us all fired up on the idea. Why not just bring all 5 family members to join the tour? However, I do understand. I will continue to try and get the something organized but will move the date from mid March to sometime earlier to avoid the heat.

[nidge]

A slight side track to the current thread, but do any of you guys have insurance for your bikes?

[Nongwahyay]

A slight side track to the current thread, but do any of you guys have insurance for your bikes?

In Thailand??? What sort do you mean?? Theft, fire, flooding, puncture......third party in the case of running someone over ???????

[nidge]

A slight side track to the current thread, but do any of you guys have insurance for your bikes?

In Thailand??? What sort do you mean?? Theft, fire, flooding, puncture......third party in the case of running someone over ???????

Theft only. My bikes worth a lot of dosh. I have spoke to someone about insurance bafore but when i told them how much the bike was worth they just laughed in disbelief

[roietjimmy]

A slight side track to the current thread, but do any of you guys have insurance for your bikes?

In Thailand??? What sort do you mean?? Theft, fire, flooding, puncture......third party in the case of running someone over ???????

Theft only. My bikes worth a lot of dosh. I have spoke to someone about insurance bafore but when i told them how much the bike was worth they just laughed in disbelief

Found on Google. They claim they have worldwide coverage.

http://www.eandl.co.uk/cycleinsurance/

Here is a Thai Mountain Bike Forum. Might have better luck with your question re insurance here. In Thai but they have an English section.

http://www.thaimtb.com/

[eastbaybob]

Theft only. My bikes worth a lot of dosh. I have spoke to someone about insurance bafore but when i told them how much the bike was worth they just laughed in disbelief

Don't tell people how much your bike is worth. thats the best insurance.

[coldcrush]

Theft only. My bikes worth a lot of dosh. I have spoke to someone about insurance bafore but when i told them how much the bike was worth they just laughed in disbelief

Don't tell people how much your bike is worth. thats the best insurance.

Believe me, you can tell withjout asking

Nidge is right to want to insure his bike, my house was broken into pacifically for my bike. Now I always insure on my contents and make sure it is clarified with my home insurance. When it is pricey as Nidge has pointed out best to get cover through a ID intergrated cover.

Sorry I do not have worldwide cover info but I will ask at my local club about this...however this is s agood one to start in UK!!!

Competition Bike Insurance

Quoted : British Cycling Bike Insurance provides:

* Cover against theft, loss and accidental damage up to £5,000

* Replacement on a new for old basis for bicycles up to 3 years old (older cycles are subject to depreciation)

* Bicycle hire - until items are replaced or repaired (subject to an approved claim)

* No excess as standard

* Choice of area covered:

o UK only

o EU for 90 days (30 day maximum trip)

o Worldwide (45 day maximum trip)

* Multibike discount of up to 15%

[Nongwahyay]

I put my previous post today into the wrong thread................ so here´s my second query here, to keep the thread going.....

2 years or so ago I bought a "spinning" or "speed bike" via e-bay( got it for 320 Euros including delivery costs as opposed to the normal selling price of 999 Euros). It´s a semi-professional bike, used in sport studios - you´ll probably know what I´m talking about.... has a fixed 20 kg front wheel with a chain drive. Anyhow I train on it at home (obviously!!!) a couple of times a week and it is absolutely fabulous.............. living in a city, it´s just not practicable after work to get on your bike and do a 1-2 hour ride (have to get away from the traffic first to make it enjoyable - I do that at weekends - so I just jump on to my spinning bike (great during the winter months or when is chucking it down....... ) - and cycle for an hour or so..................... anyhow I would to take it with me when we move to Thailand but would only be able to if we take a load of other stuff (i.e. in a container). Has anyone seen such bikes in Thailand???? I´m talking about a good one, though - I don´t want a load of rubbish that falls apart after a few months...........

[sprog1]

As I wrote in a another thread, my Thai wife (from near Nong Bua Lamphu) and I (a Brit.........) will be moving to NBL in the near future from Berlin and we are both (well, I suppose more I than she…….) into cycling, regularly training at home (spinning bike) and at weekends, when we do 40-50 km trips. I would hope to meet up with some of you cyclists maybe once a month – each time at a different location – to do 50-60 km stretches over a period of , perhaps, 2-3 days, all depending on how much time and interest everyone has. Differing levels of stamina or interest shouldn´t matter, as they can easily be overcome – in Berlin I like to ride much further and faster than my wife but we overcome this simply by my going off at a tangent at various points and then meeting up with my wife again at pre-determined resting points………….it works like a dream and each of us can go at his/her preferred speed and not get annoyed by the sloth/speed of the other!!!!!

I´m perhaps not really the best person to organize things at this stage (as I´m still in Berlin), but I would nevertheless be very interested in putting in my 2-penneth worth whenever suitable…… and in helping in any way I can. We will be in Thailand from 14th March until 5th April next year so perhaps could meet one or other of you for a chat and a drink.

[/quote

Hi, Don,t know where NBL is, but i live in Buriram & i go out with a mate 3 times a week & ride 50klm each time,weather permiting, also if i don't go out on my motor bike i will do around 80 to 100klm on Sundays all on road. Is there anyone else in the Buriram area who wants to go out for a ride with a couple of old men. We are also interested in any charity rides, road races [just to watch ]or anything else on the road.