Cycling Up To Doi Suthep --- An Alternative To Main Road?

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Hi All

I enjoy bicycle riding up the road to the temple and beyond. Early morning and evening are quite nice.

My question is there a back way other than the main road? An old road maybe? when I ride up I see some paved and unpaved smaller roads but still confused if they can be connected enough to ride from the bottom.

Anyone have any experience with this? I have tried to ask some Thai cyclists but they seem confused by my butchered Thai language skills.

Thanks for any help

Edited November 30, 2007 by CobraSnakeNecktie

[tigerbeer]

how long does it take you to ride from bottom to the temple? would love to start doing it. but stamina? NONE!

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

how long does it take you to ride from bottom to the temple? would love to start doing it. but stamina? NONE!

lots of people ride up daily.. seems to be some informal cycling groups who meet up at the observatory and socialize.

For me personally I need about an hour from the zoo to Doi Suthep.

[jackr]

If you continue past the temple, then up past the king's palace and then up again to nearly the summit, the road drops back down and then veers off the right onto gravel, mud. This path then goes all the way down to Huay Tung Tao lake (north of CM) passed one or two Hmong villages. Great ride. Can also be done in reverse but pretty tough.

Did the temple in 50 mins with chunky tyres on the mountain bike a while back, although some die-hards can do it in around 35... mmm

Think most of the small roads you're talking about don't do much between the temple and the bottom, although there's a small path by the lookout point about halfway up the mountain on the big bend which ends up somewhere around Suthep Road. Very steep, though, and mainly used by the serious 'downhill' crowd.

Edited November 30, 2007 by jackr

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

If you continue past the temple, then up past the king's palace and then up again to nearly the summit, the road drops back down and then veers off the right onto gravel, mud. This path then goes all the way down to Huay Tung Tao lake (north of CM) passed one or two Hmong villages. Great ride. Can also be done in reverse but pretty tough.

Did the temple in 50 mins with chunky tyres on the mountain bike a while back, although some die-hards can do it in around 35... mmm

Think most of the small roads you're talking about don't do much between the temple and the bottom, although there's a small path by the lookout point about halfway up the mountain on the big bend which ends up somewhere around Suthep Road. Very steep, though, and mainly used by the serious 'downhill' crowd.

Thanks for the info Jackr.... Let me ask you. The route from the top to HTT. First you take that paved windy road to the north then past the little park and it turns to gravel? What are the conditions from there on? gravel? trail? MTB only or cross conditions? how far would you say it is km wise from the top to HTT?

[chanchao]

There's no other road that's negotiable by bicycle... There IS a path from near the BACK entrance of the zoo off Suthep road, but you can't do it even with a mountain bike I think. Another path goes from Montrathan falls to the summit.

Then past the temple but BEFORE you get to the Palace, there's a dirt track that leads to a waterfall and also back down to Montrathan falls. This MAY be negotiable by mountain bike.

And then of course the back road from Huay Tueng Thao can be negotiated back up as well, by mountain bike.. that'd be a challenge.

[tigerbeer]

If you continue past the temple, then up past the king's palace and then up again to nearly the summit, the road drops back down and then veers off the right onto gravel, mud. This path then goes all the way down to Huay Tung Tao lake (north of CM) passed one or two Hmong villages. Great ride. Can also be done in reverse but pretty tough.

Did the temple in 50 mins with chunky tyres on the mountain bike a while back, although some die-hards can do it in around 35... mmm

Think most of the small roads you're talking about don't do much between the temple and the bottom, although there's a small path by the lookout point about halfway up the mountain on the big bend which ends up somewhere around Suthep Road. Very steep, though, and mainly used by the serious 'downhill' crowd.

when you reach doi pui, after the palace, you can either turn right to go up to the summit, the camp park or follow through to the popular hmong village. with the little water fall and little garden. which should one take to get to the huay tung tao lake?

[el jefe]

You can also go through the Hmong village after the Phuping Palace, taking every fork to the left on a rocky, rutted trail/singletrack/road and wind up on the Samoeng Road. You really should have a fully suspended mountain bike for this.

35 minutes is just about the fastest I've heard about anyone doing the ride up to the temple on a road bike. 40-43 minutes is excellent for very fit road riders.

On 2 Dec the CM Sunday Cycling Club is doing their semi-annual trip up the mountain: www.cmcycling.org

[JimsKnight]

There is also a rough track leading from the Mae Sa Valley road to Ban Khun Changkian (Hmong village). Exit the village and turn left, from there you follow the trail upwards to Doi Pui and then onto the Palace and Wat Prathat Doi Suthep etc.

[T_Dog]

Wow, great to see all these responses on biking up Doi Suthep. Regarding conditions of the road down to Huay Tung Tao, it is good gravel or good clay, with occasional ruts, and also occasional concrete on the wheel tread area for vehicles. The road is steep for long, long periods, so make sure your brakes are in good condition. Disk brakes are highly recommended. If you are screaming downhill, be "heads up" for motorbikes and pickups heading up. You can also elect to ride out to the Mae Sa Valley Road outside of Mae Rim, although that route has some tough climbing.

Also, from Huay Tung Tao there is a single-track/trail section that goes from the resovoir back to the 700 year old stadium area.

See you all out there! Say Hi if you are riding up on Sunday. I'll be on a tall silver Klein Mantra.

[vagabond48]

Yeh, it's nice to read the interest in riding up Doi Suthep. When I was here last, I tried to go up twice a week. I just came back to CM last week. I'll be going up Doi Suthep this Sunday as well if my cold which I just got doesn't get worse.

The human body is a miraculous and mysterious thing. I left CM late August and spend 2 months in Tucson, Arizona riding locally in the hot weather (85 to 95F). Then I spend 3 weeks in NYC riding in cold fall weather (45 to 55F) and when I get here, after several days I get a freakin cold in this beautiful spring like weather.

Btw, I ride a black folding bike with (dingy) black/yellow panniers.

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Wow, great to see all these responses on biking up Doi Suthep. Regarding conditions of the road down to Huay Tung Tao, it is good gravel or good clay, with occasional ruts, and also occasional concrete on the wheel tread area for vehicles. The road is steep for long, long periods, so make sure your brakes are in good condition. Disk brakes are highly recommended. If you are screaming downhill, be "heads up" for motorbikes and pickups heading up. You can also elect to ride out to the Mae Sa Valley Road outside of Mae Rim, although that route has some tough climbing.

Also, from Huay Tung Tao there is a single-track/trail section that goes from the resovoir back to the 700 year old stadium area.

See you all out there! Say Hi if you are riding up on Sunday. I'll be on a tall silver Klein Mantra.

T Dog... good tips... was curious about the trail from HTT to 700 year.. Where does that trail start near the reservoir? any landmarks?

anyone else with some urban single track tips?

One thing I would like to figure out is how to ride from the HTT reservoir to Mae Rim area without getting on that dangerous and stinky road that fronts the military reservations. Is it possible? I have seen one dirt road past the far northwest of the HTT but it seems to say no trespassing and has a military look to it. I do however see some locals going that way in pickup trucks. Anyone ever explore up there or know the situation?

Edited December 1, 2007 by CobraSnakeNecktie

[T_Dog]

C, Regarding the trail from HTT to 700 Year Stadium, here is a landmark for you approaching from the Canal Road. Once past the ticket pay station, take the LEFT fork at the T-junction. Right after you cross the embankment that has water on one side, a drop-off and marsh area on your left, you will see a small ridge coming down to the road on your left. It is VERY CLOSE to the embankment road, so don't go too far! Climb up that ridge and look around and you will see a single track trail going up hill a bit before it turns left slightly and then follows the mountain. Go down that trail and follow bike or motorcycle tracks and you should end up at 700 year stadium. It does grab onto a road for a while and it goes past a VERY STINKY dumping area of some sort. (You will gag!)

I don't know of a way to go behind the military area to Mae Rim, but there might be trails up the mountain a bit. Probably worth an exploratory trip, but I wouldn't go past no-trespassing signs either. What I do headed to Mae Sa valley is to go left right after the military area and then follow the canal road. Very nice road with only light traffic.

[jackr]

Thanks for the info Jackr.... Let me ask you. The route from the top to HTT. First you take that paved windy road to the north then past the little park and it turns to gravel? What are the conditions from there on? gravel? trail? MTB only or cross conditions? how far would you say it is km wise from the top to HTT?

No worries.

Yeah, gravel first and then muddy. Make sure you go when it's bone dry. I've done it both ways via mountain bike with chunkies and slicks, on a 250 scrambler and a plastic pig. Any sign of moisture, though, and you can be in deep poo as the drop-offs on occasion can be a bit hairy. Even when it's dry down here, it can be nasty and moist in patches up there. Best to do it well into the dry season. Haven't done it for a couple years but it's something like 8kms from top to bottom. The last couple k's on the tarmac'd tracks is fun.

There's no other road that's negotiable by bicycle... There IS a path from near the BACK entrance of the zoo off Suthep road, but you can't do it even with a mountain bike I think. Another path goes from Montrathan falls to the summit.

Carried the bike up that track, cycling where possible, so was determined to ride down it as well. Not recommended for those with a nervous disposition but if you have a downhill bike with helmet and pads, no worries.

when you reach doi pui, after the palace, you can either turn right to go up to the summit, the camp park or follow through to the popular hmong village. with the little water fall and little garden. which should one take to get to the huay tung tao lake?

Fork right past the gate and then continue up past the first Hmong village on the left. There's an amazing lookout on the left after a while. Keep going up from there steeply and then it will start back down to the left. The road the comes to a dead end eventually and the track starts off to the right. Little coffee shop about 2kms into the ride is nice and then there is a Hmmmmmmong village after that. I have heard there's a way through here but you'll invariably have to back-track to the main path.

[T_Dog]

Ended up riding up to Doi Pui and then five of us went down to HTT after the ride to Doi Suthep in honor of the King. The trail down to HTT is in the best shape ever, and there is NO slick mud except near one minor stream crossing. The tread-area paved section does have some hazards once you descend to 600 Meters MSL due to rain erosion, so watch out for that. We were cruising pretty good by the time we got to that section and the ruts caused a bit of pucker factor at that point. The rest of the road was pretty much great. The downhillers have cut some new trails straight down some faces as well.

We also took the single track from HTT to 700 year old stadium and it is quite overgrown (only at the beginning) here at the end of the rainy season. The dumping station I mentioned has been closed so no smell! This is great news to anyone that "experienced" that last year. Was a great day of riding. My GPS had 7200 feet of climb on it for the day. Will sleep well tonight.