Cycling Highway 1148

[salween]

Planning to ride From Chiang Rai to Nan middle of next month and was looking at the 1148 stretch in particualr. Certainly popular among the motorized folks here, and the videos look nice, but wondering how it is for cycling: traffic and grades. Getting some pretty wild elevation profiles on ridewithgps.com, with some grades exceeding 20%. mapmyride.com's profile is far more moderate, with the highest average just above 7% over 3km. Since we'll be on the tandem, don't like to spend too much time above 10%, but if we must, can re-gear accordingly. The videos I've watched don't seem to have anything overly steep, but hard to gauge and not sure what segments are being featured.

[rebo]

Below you see the entire 244 km route on GARMIN Map Source. Between the two blue flags is the part on #1148.

The second pic is the profile according GARMIN Topo Map Thailand which is normally very accurate. I don't see anything steeper than about 9%.

Have a nice and dry trip.

[salween]

Below you see the entire 244 km route on GARMIN Map Source. Between the two blue flags is the part on #1148.

The second pic is the profile according GARMIN Topo Map Thailand which is normally very accurate. I don't see anything steeper than about 9%.

Have a nice and dry trip.

Thanks for additional data rebo. Have you been on it?

Yeah, we'll be prepared for rain, but will have plenty of time to dry out when and where possible.

FYI, here's the rough info from mampmyride for the rout we're exploring.

[rebo]

Have you been on it?

Partially (Nan > Chiang Kham; Chiang Rai > Chiang Khong), during summer last year. Nice tour; great forest. Sometimes I wouldn't have wondered if some dinosaurs would have crossed the road ... But at this time of the year I would expect too much rain, so next week I'll go south ...

Have a safe ride.

[AjarnP]

Did that ride in 2009, wore out a pair of road shoes doing it from having to walk around 7-8 Km in the middle section. Admittedly we were on bikes loaded with panniers but it was still VERY steep in places. IT is also pretty barren in terms of refreshment stops so make sure you are well supplied before setting out. Take extra water and a few gels if you can.

Pretty much the traffic was not too heavy as I recall.

Good luck.

[salween]

Did that ride in 2009, wore out a pair of road shoes doing it from having to walk around 7-8 Km in the middle section. Admittedly we were on bikes loaded with panniers but it was still VERY steep in places. IT is also pretty barren in terms of refreshment stops so make sure you are well supplied before setting out. Take extra water and a few gels if you can.

Pretty much the traffic was not too heavy as I recall.

Good luck.

Wow, 7-8 km is no joke, especially in road shoes. That does sound a bit steeper than 10%. Would you do it again?

Will need to plan accordingly. And thanks for the heads up on the lack of services. That's important to know.

Edited August 18, 2012 by salween

[el jefe]

Did that ride in 2009, wore out a pair of road shoes doing it from having to walk around 7-8 Km in the middle section. Admittedly we were on bikes loaded with panniers but it was still VERY steep in places. IT is also pretty barren in terms of refreshment stops so make sure you are well supplied before setting out. Take extra water and a few gels if you can.

Pretty much the traffic was not too heavy as I recall.

Good luck.

Wow, 7-8 km is no joke, especially in road shoes. That does sound a bit steeper than 10%. Would you do it again?

Will need to plan accordingly. And thanks for the heads up on the lack of services. That's important to know.

The section you highlighted above in post #3 shows an average grade of 8.3% for 1.5 kms. Obviously parts will be less steep and some more so.

i don't have my maps handy but I believe that is part of the 10 day trip I did about 5 years ago. I was on a very lightly loaded road bike (I never use panniers unless I'm camping), but iirc there were several sections of 15% grade. I rode it all but with panniers, I would have been walking too. it sounds like the same section of road that AjarnP was on -- beautiful but long stretches between villages and shops. And few official guesthouses. We got a police escort to a 24hour motel at the end of our longest day.

Good luck, and if you're wearing road shoes, bring cleat covers.

[villagefarang]

It is a great motorcycle road and I was over it twice last year on the Ninja 650. I love dirt tracks on my mountain bike but I am not where near fit enough to try the 1148 on a bike. Take some walking shoes just in case or flag a passing pickup truck and skip the hardest stuff.

[salween]

Thanks so much for the additional observations. Providing some food for thought for our aging legs. If we stick to it, may indeed look at arranging some sag support for the stretch in question. North of 10% for any length of time offers little gain and a lot of pain for this team, and walking the bike beyond a few 100ms is not much fun either.

[AjarnP]

Did that ride in 2009, wore out a pair of road shoes doing it from having to walk around 7-8 Km in the middle section. Admittedly we were on bikes loaded with panniers but it was still VERY steep in places. IT is also pretty barren in terms of refreshment stops so make sure you are well supplied before setting out. Take extra water and a few gels if you can.

Pretty much the traffic was not too heavy as I recall.

Good luck.

Wow, 7-8 km is no joke, especially in road shoes. That does sound a bit steeper than 10%. Would you do it again?

Will need to plan accordingly. And thanks for the heads up on the lack of services. That's important to know.

Would I do it again? Definitely, the views are spectacular and well worth the effort.

I think part of the problem during my trip was that we had stayed in a nice little resort in Pong the night before and as "it's only 90 Km to Nan tomorrow" we made a later than proper start. The temperature was also close to 40C even though we were in October. We finally rolled into Nan town at near 7:30. Send me a PM and I can send you the Garmin profiles which may help you plan ahead. (I think they are still on the website)

Eventually we managed to do the full ride from Chiang Rai following the Mekong River all the way aprt from the part where it disappears into Laos until it leaves Thailand again at a place called Khong Jiam in the bottom right-hand corner of Isaan (Ubol Ratchathani Province. We ended in Srisaket having completed 1612 km in 15 days. Thanks to some very generous friends we were also able to make a large donation to the Mae Fah Luang Prosthesis Foundation.

Since then we've donw Nong Khai to Ubol again and Bangkok to Chiang Rai in both directions.

Cheers, ride safe.

[salween]

AjarnP, sent you a PM for those Garmin data. Thanks. Sounded like an epic day despite just 90k, more food for thought, especially since you said you'd do it again!

[colinm]

I agree with the other posters. Ride is steep, isolated but beautiful.

Here's my small ride post.

[AjarnP]

I agree with the other posters. Ride is steep, isolated but beautiful.

Here's my small ride post.

Hey thanks for posting the link to a fantastic blog. I felt every hilly kilometer with you.

[barond]

Did that ride in 2009, wore out a pair of road shoes doing it from having to walk around 7-8 Km in the middle section. Admittedly we were on bikes loaded with panniers but it was still VERY steep in places. IT is also pretty barren in terms of refreshment stops so make sure you are well supplied before setting out. Take extra water and a few gels if you can.

Pretty much the traffic was not too heavy as I recall.

Good luck.

Wow, 7-8 km is no joke, especially in road shoes. That does sound a bit steeper than 10%. Would you do it again?

Will need to plan accordingly. And thanks for the heads up on the lack of services. That's important to know.

Would I do it again? Definitely, the views are spectacular and well worth the effort.

I think part of the problem during my trip was that we had stayed in a nice little resort in Pong the night before and as "it's only 90 Km to Nan tomorrow" we made a later than proper start. The temperature was also close to 40C even though we were in October. We finally rolled into Nan town at near 7:30. Send me a PM and I can send you the Garmin profiles which may help you plan ahead. (I think they are still on the website)

Eventually we managed to do the full ride from Chiang Rai following the Mekong River all the way aprt from the part where it disappears into Laos until it leaves Thailand again at a place called Khong Jiam in the bottom right-hand corner of Isaan (Ubol Ratchathani Province. We ended in Srisaket having completed 1612 km in 15 days. Thanks to some very generous friends we were also able to make a large donation to the Mae Fah Luang Prosthesis Foundation.

Since then we've donw Nong Khai to Ubol again and Bangkok to Chiang Rai in both directions.

Cheers, ride safe.

[barond]

Did that ride in 2009, wore out a pair of road shoes doing it from having to walk around 7-8 Km in the middle section. Admittedly we were on bikes loaded with panniers but it was still VERY steep in places. IT is also pretty barren in terms of refreshment stops so make sure you are well supplied before setting out. Take extra water and a few gels if you can.

Pretty much the traffic was not too heavy as I recall.

Good luck.

Wow, 7-8 km is no joke, especially in road shoes. That does sound a bit steeper than 10%. Would you do it again?

Will need to plan accordingly. And thanks for the heads up on the lack of services. That's important to know.

Would I do it again? Definitely, the views are spectacular and well worth the effort.

I think part of the problem during my trip was that we had stayed in a nice little resort in Pong the night before and as "it's only 90 Km to Nan tomorrow" we made a later than proper start. The temperature was also close to 40C even though we were in October. We finally rolled into Nan town at near 7:30. Send me a PM and I can send you the Garmin profiles which may help you plan ahead. (I think they are still on the website)

Eventually we managed to do the full ride from Chiang Rai following the Mekong River all the way aprt from the part where it disappears into Laos until it leaves Thailand again at a place called Khong Jiam in the bottom right-hand corner of Isaan (Ubol Ratchathani Province. We ended in Srisaket having completed 1612 km in 15 days. Thanks to some very generous friends we were also able to make a large donation to the Mae Fah Luang Prosthesis Foundation.

Since then we've donw Nong Khai to Ubol again and Bangkok to Chiang Rai in both directions.

Cheers, ride safe.

Hi,

Like me, is motivation a problem riding on your own?

I have been road cycling in Phuket for 12 months now and have established a number of varying morning rides ranging between 45 to 100 klms and thus far have met up with a few fellow riders with similar pursuits.

We all reside in the south east region of the island and meet at 6.00am Monday to Saturday outside the Home Pro Centre in Chalong and 5.30am Sunday for a slightly longer session. Coffee and/or breakfast is a daily option after each Monday to Saturday ride and normally a mid-ride destination on Sundays.

Whether you are a visitor or local and road cycling is your thing you are welcome to join our group and whilst we can all push a bike down the road, the camaraderie and coffee is what we are about. Cycle fitness is the side benefit!!!

If you wish to check us out we arrive at Delish Coffee Shop, Fishermans Way Corner, Rawai at 7.30am Monday to Saturday or you can call me on Thailand:

+66 878 827 190

or Australia:

+61 419 210 151

.

Baron.