Road Bicycle In Chiang Mai

[Orita]

Thinking of getting a new road bicycle, I have a few questions to road bikers in CM:

-Besides riding along canal road, around the lake, or up Doi Suthep, where do you ride?

-What kind of gearing do you recommend for CM: Compact, Double or Triple?

-How is riding a road bicycle in CM city traffic?

-How about the safety issue? Are bikes getting stolen easy, even locked ones?

Thanks for any feedback.

Edited December 19, 2009 by Orita

[cm das]

All or part of the Samoeng loop makes for a beautiful ride. Can't help you with gearing. Chiang Mai traffic takes some getting used to but once you get the hang of it it's not so bad. I ride in town often. On a busy street hand signals will help. Otherwise just keep your eyes open & expect the unexpected. I have had one mountain bike stolen here (on CMU campus, just after sunset). It was locked, but with only a cheap cable & the thief cut right through it. I'd say a hefty cable or U lock is a good idea. Happy riding.

[cib]

Hello, I have a little question about riding a bicycle in CM too :

in some one-way roads (for instance a part of Charoenprathet), there is a line who looks like a dedicated way for bikes.

Am I allowed to use it in the opposite direction of all the cars? (there are arrows drawned on the ground but....)

(I think it is allowed but it doesn't seem safe...)

Thanks

[IanForbes]

Hello, I have a little question about riding a bicycle in CM too :

in some one-way roads (for instance a part of Charoenprathet), there is a line who looks like a dedicated way for bikes.

Am I allowed to use it in the opposite direction of all the cars? (there are arrows drawned on the ground but....)

(I think it is allowed but it doesn't seem safe...)

Thanks

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER trust ANY crosswalk, bicycle path or traffic light in Thailand! The moment you do you put yourself in harms way. Thais ride the wrong way on one way streets all the time, so I do as well, but, unlike Thais, I do it very slowly at a speed where I can stop at any time.

[orang37]

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun Orita,

Completely agree with Brother Ian's statements about road "un-safety" here.

Like others here, we like to get out of town a bit, somewhere out in the country, maybe ride back into town depending on time of day and weather and location.

Blinking light on back, and front light, absolutely essential at night, or any time it's even halfway dark or polluted or threatening to rain : even with those (lights on) we were hit-and-runned down around 10PM on a February night by a drunken Thai motosai-ist (man ? woman ? : we don't know since we were floating about two meters in the air above our body watching the leg being broken in slow motion while it happened while kind of enveloped in a grey fog in which time did not exist : it was like watching a movie, but then waking up screaming when you realize it's really your life ?) who crossed over to the wrong side of the road to break our leg in multiple places right in front of the Tourist Police Station on the old Chiang Mai Lamphun road. An expensive lesson. Fortunately passers by stopped and formed a protective circle around the human body as it lay there; no Tourist police there at the time, so they called one of the really nice volunteer services that take you to the hospital for free.

Honestly, we think the safest way to bicycle in town here is to assume that everyone driving a car or motorcylce is out to kill you, and they get a bonus if they kill you on a bicycle, compared to just running you down if you're walking.

Rumor has it the so-called bicycle lane on Loy Kroh that then extends over a one-way bridge over the Ping, and ends at the old Chiang Mai Lamphun Road is sponsored by a certain hospital here's orthopedic surgery division. A real money maker for them.

best, ~o:37;

[T_Dog]

Orita.... I have many friends that enjoy their road bikes fully, but personally, I find a mountain bike lets you get "off-piste" more where you can have grander adventures than just rolling down the road. There are many places with dirt sections and very steep climbs that suit mountain bikes better. Road bikes are great though if you want to get a lot of miles behind you in a day on good roads.

As an example where mountain bikes are better suited, a ride this past week took us a bit out the Sameong Loop where we headed south on a small road at N 18 48.321 E 098 48.577 at 820 Meters in elevation. First we had to do a corn whiskey toast with a Hmong villager who was getting ready to celebrate Hmong New Years which runs from the 20th of December to the 24th. The road took us through two small Hmong villages where preparations for the new year where well under way. Pigs on the road, fire wood gatherers, and absolutely no cars on the road for 12 kilometers where we again joined the Sameong Loop and headed back to town. Total climb was just a bit more than a Doi Suthep climb. You get a great work out on these side roads without the noise of cars constantly whizzing by. Mountain bikes win out for me because they get me to wilder places. Also, if you end up doing a lot of climbing on a road bike and are older, make sure your knees and gearing are well matched. Tall gearing and older, heavier riders usually ends up in knee problems. Here's a couple pics of our last ride......

Edited December 19, 2009 by T_Dog

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

I second the mountain or cross bike sentiment.

There is nothing like the efficiency and speed of a road bike but enjoying nature, breathing clean air and living to ride another day takes priority.

The MTB provides a lot more variety in routes and a fresher mind and legs.

I prefer running skinnier tires and lighter weight configurations on the mountain bike so that I can cover pavement quick but still be comfortable on unpaved roads. It's easy enough to throw fat tires on for true off roading once in a while.

[thaijasmine]

All or part of the Samoeng loop makes for a beautiful ride. Can't help you with gearing. Chiang Mai traffic takes some getting used to but once you get the hang of it it's not so bad. I ride in town often. On a busy street hand signals will help. Otherwise just keep your eyes open & expect the unexpected. I have had one mountain bike stolen here (on CMU campus, just after sunset). It was locked, but with only a cheap cable & the thief cut right through it. I'd say a hefty cable or U lock is a good idea. Happy riding.

Hi cm das.

Presumably you are referring to people opening car doors without looking or are there other hazards to be aware of ? I also notice many cyclists don’t bother to wear helmets ?

And what is the “Samoeng loop ”?

[wynzlo]

While I haven't been here very long, I'm surprised at how few road bikes I've seen around CM. Maybe the dirt riding is so good that people are willing to sacrifice that amazing buttery smoothness of a good road bike.

One option might be go with a touring style bike. With more tire clearance you can throw on some bigger, semi-knobby tires for those more remote areas. I went with a triple on my bike - you maybe not always need it, but it's there when you do

[el jefe]

While I haven't been here very long, I'm surprised at how few road bikes I've seen around CM. Maybe the dirt riding is so good that people are willing to sacrifice that amazing buttery smoothness of a good road bike.

The CM Sunday Cycling Club sometimes gets 100 riders, but I'm always amazed that 90% are on MTB's despite the fact that they never go off road. There's a ride that leaves from hang Dong on Tuesday and Thursday evenings with 20+ road riders. There's also a fast farang group that rides from Hang Dong with 4 - 12 riders almost every morning. There's plenty of road riders out there if you know where to look.

Orita asked:

-Besides riding along canal road, around the lake, or up Doi Suthep, where do you ride?

There's plenty of good riding around Mae Rim to the north and Sanpatong and Mae Wang to the south.

-What kind of gearing do you recommend for CM: Compact, Double or Triple?

Depends on where you are riding and your personal riding style. If you're regularly riding Doi Suthep or the Samoeng loop, you'll want a compact double or a triple. If you're just riding the flat roads, a fixie might be fine.

-How is riding a road bicycle in CM city traffic?

Again, depends on what you are used to and where you are from. imho, CM traffic is never a problem. YMMV.

[cib]

Thanks for the advises : I will be more carefull . But curiosly I feel safer here than in the streets of Paris!

[T_Dog]

All or part of the Samoeng loop makes for a beautiful ride. Can't help you with gearing. Chiang Mai traffic takes some getting used to but once you get the hang of it it's not so bad. I ride in town often. On a busy street hand signals will help. Otherwise just keep your eyes open & expect the unexpected. I have had one mountain bike stolen here (on CMU campus, just after sunset). It was locked, but with only a cheap cable & the thief cut right through it. I'd say a hefty cable or U lock is a good idea. Happy riding.

Hi cm das.

Presumably you are referring to people opening car doors without looking or are there other hazards to be aware of ? I also notice many cyclists don’t bother to wear helmets ?

And what is the “Samoeng loop ”?

The Sameong Loop is a road that goes around Doi Suthep, Doi Pui, and Doi Pa Klong from Chiang Mai. It has 3 good climbs and ends up being about 85 km if you start and stop on the Canal Road somewhere. You end up with a total accumulated vertical climb of 5200 feet. It makes my butt hurt because it takes me too long. Get a GT Rider Mae Sa Valley map and you can clearly see the route. Beautiful ride either in the rainy season or cool season. In March it is too smokey, so get on it now. Lots of great side trips to take from it.

[hebbsey]

Hi,

I am moving to Chiang Mai in August and looking to buy a road bike to get too and from school as well as get me around town. Would you recommend a road bike or mountain bike? Also where could I buy a road bike and how much would one cost? I am a beginner so not looking to spend too much? Can any one give an average figure please?

Many thanks

Carl