Where To Get Some Bike Bits In Thailand?

[blorg]

I'm cycling from Europe to Australia and will be in Thailand in a month or so, cycling from the Cambodian border to Malaysia. I'll be going through Bangkok. I have a number of things I want to buy:

- Shimano SPD sandals size 45-46 (my own ones have died)

- Bib shorts

I also want to lower my gearing, it is not enough for the really steep hills. I currently have 52-39-30 and 11-28 on the back. I basically never use the 52. So I am thinking of:

- 10 speed wide range MTB cassette (something like 12-32T)

- 24 or 26T 74BCD chainring

- 46 or 48T 130BCD chainring

- May need new derailleurs, maybe not

Any ideas of bike shops that might carry some of this? Ideally with emails so I could make sure ahead of time.

Some stuff (the sandals) I reckon I may have to order on the internet, they are not common at the best of times (although amazingly I actually saw a pair in a shop in Tehran of all places so anything may be possible.)

Any advice appreciated.

[OriginalPoster]

A 24 or 26T chainring is probably going to be about the cheapest way to get your low gear ratios. You could get a 12-32 cassette as you mentioned, but if you do that make sure that your rear derailleur has sufficient capacity (you might need to replace it with a MTB one otherwise). Sheldon Brown has a pretty good article on that topic on his website.

Probike in BKK is probably about your best bet for parts like these. They have a pretty good of inventory but some of those items are a bit specialized, you'd want to call ahead to check on their stock.

[blorg]

Thanks for that, I will try to get in touch with them.

I could order some of this stuff online but part of the issue is that I don't really know until I see it with the bike what might work. All of this is in the realm of "might work" as it is all out of spec. But there are lots of reports of people who have tried and find it to work well.

Like the 24/26- I am pretty sure a 26 would work but at some point my FD would make contact with the chainstay, so there is certainly a limit there. Right now, I have a finger (a little over 1cm) between the bottom of the FD and the chainstay. But maybe I can put on a 26 without even shrinking the 52. But honestly the 52 is useless for my current occupation (it was useful when I used this as a winter training bike for group spins.)

Regarding changing the cassette, I will have near 20,000km on the cassette by the time I get to Bangkok so possibly it could do with changing anyway. So if changing I think, may as well get a big one now that they are available in 10 speed.

I have read reports on the internet of people having success with up to 34T with long cage Ultegra 6600 (spec max is 27T) but this obviously depends on your frame, derailleur hanger and B- screw, and I can't know until I try.

If I did need a new RD, they are not that expensive if I go for a Deore or SLX... although I am sentimentally attached to my Ultegra RD which has been very reliable over five years and countless crashes.

The bike could also do with a service/regreasing of hubs and arguably a rebuild of the back wheel (I have popped quite a few spokes on it in the last 20,000km, maybe 8-10 in total, all non-drive side which is peculiar.)

Another thing I would really like to get is replacement shifter hoods (Shimano 105 5600). I ripped up my current ones in a 60km/h downhill crash in Iran a year ago in which the bike flipped over a few times (so both sides are shredded.) I have put up with them for 15 months now but they are a pain in the neck so if replaceable that would be a big positive.

And the last thing, I recall, is a new Garmin- I guess the Edge 800. My 705 has been slowly dying for the last 15 months. I have emailed Garmin but Garmin are not the quickest to reply to emails. Who stocks Garmin Edges and how much do they cost? Am I almost certain to be knobbled for VAT/duty if I bought from Europe?

Any other bike shops in Bangkok I could email to ask?

[oldmajor]

Google "Bicycle Thailand". There is a tab on te website that shows all bike shops. Bike zone is a fairly high end shop. They have a website. If you visit there, there is a GPS shop next door to it.

No idea on pricing. These shops are in the Amarin plaza in the outdoor zone. You may be able to google that and find the name of the shop.

[OriginalPoster]

Thanks for that, I will try to get in touch with them.

I could order some of this stuff online but part of the issue is that I don't really know until I see it with the bike what might work. All of this is in the realm of "might work" as it is all out of spec. But there are lots of reports of people who have tried and find it to work well.

Like the 24/26- I am pretty sure a 26 would work but at some point my FD would make contact with the chainstay, so there is certainly a limit there. Right now, I have a finger (a little over 1cm) between the bottom of the FD and the chainstay. But maybe I can put on a 26 without even shrinking the 52. But honestly the 52 is useless for my current occupation (it was useful when I used this as a winter training bike for group spins.)

Regarding changing the cassette, I will have near 20,000km on the cassette by the time I get to Bangkok so possibly it could do with changing anyway. So if changing I think, may as well get a big one now that they are available in 10 speed.

I have read reports on the internet of people having success with up to 34T with long cage Ultegra 6600 (spec max is 27T) but this obviously depends on your frame, derailleur hanger and B- screw, and I can't know until I try.

If I did need a new RD, they are not that expensive if I go for a Deore or SLX... although I am sentimentally attached to my Ultegra RD which has been very reliable over five years and countless crashes.

The bike could also do with a service/regreasing of hubs and arguably a rebuild of the back wheel (I have popped quite a few spokes on it in the last 20,000km, maybe 8-10 in total, all non-drive side which is peculiar.)

Another thing I would really like to get is replacement shifter hoods (Shimano 105 5600). I ripped up my current ones in a 60km/h downhill crash in Iran a year ago in which the bike flipped over a few times (so both sides are shredded.) I have put up with them for 15 months now but they are a pain in the neck so if replaceable that would be a big positive.

And the last thing, I recall, is a new Garmin- I guess the Edge 800. My 705 has been slowly dying for the last 15 months. I have emailed Garmin but Garmin are not the quickest to reply to emails. Who stocks Garmin Edges and how much do they cost? Am I almost certain to be knobbled for VAT/duty if I bought from Europe?

Any other bike shops in Bangkok I could email to ask?

If I was starting from scratch with gearing for a touring bike I think that I'd use something like a 27/39T double on front and a 12-36 on the rear. Would be hesitant to throw out perfectly good components on an existing road bike to do that though, just for economic reasons.

[fdimike]

Here's the Bicycle Thailand site:

http://bicyclethailand.com/

The list of bike shops in Thailand is not 100% complete but it sure is a great help. There's an excellent well stocked shop in Bang Kapi - Lat Phrao Bike Shop and their prices are hard to beat as well. They seem to have whatever you want in stock all the time. It's not large but the staff are knowledgeable and happy to help. The only thing I didn't see much of was apparel.

[aarn]

Good luck on your travels. If you get no better offers, I am a farang now anchored in Chumphon(500km S of BKK) (after 17 years cycling Thailand). Have two 26" folding bicycles, set-ups are: freewheel 21 spd 24/3848//11-34, 27 speed freehub 26/36/46//11-34. Plenty of bike shops here, I have spoke cutter etc., can do wheel rebuild - free! (actually beers would be invoiced).

Basically, you should find parts easy to obtain most laces (maybe expensive in topnotch BKK bike shops), labour affordable, but not much thinking outside the circle (in terms of increasing your gear range etc.). AA