Hi,

Does anyone know where I can find two really cheap bikes? I am planning to do a charity bike ride as one of my exits from Thailand (going up through Laos to the Chinese border) but i don't have a bike, which is quite a problem. I visited a bike shop in town but the prices seemed to be quite expensive.

Does anyone have a bike they would like to sell, or know anyone who is selling one? I would like to pay as little as possible since I only need it for training and then for the ride. I will be visiting Chiang Mai at some point so am happy to try there too.

Hca

:-)

Just a quick word . . . I wish you well on finding an inexpensive bike, but advise you not to skimp on quality. Any serious ride requires serious equipment. If the bike isn't up to snuff, you're gonna have problems. Even good bikes can have problems, I can assure you of that from my own long rides here in Thailand. And if your charity ride doesn't have exellent mechanical support, you may be out of luck up there in the wilds of Laos if something happens.

If you cross at Chiang Khong/Huai Xai there are some pretty serious speed bumps (aka mountains) to scale too. Slopes of between 10 and 12 percent. You'll need good gearing to cope.

Also large portions are not yet surfaced. Take plenty of spare inner tubes!!!

i have an old one geared, rusted out bike, that i payed 1500 baht, 15 years ago, ill let it go for 400.

MJ, what pray tell would the utility be of a bike like this for the OP to ride to Laos on?

Just wondering...

Just a quick word . . . I wish you well on finding an inexpensive bike, but advise you not to skimp on quality. Any serious ride requires serious equipment. If the bike isn't up to snuff, you're gonna have problems. Even good bikes can have problems, I can assure you of that from my own long rides here in Thailand. And if your charity ride doesn't have exellent mechanical support, you may be out of luck up there in the wilds of Laos if something happens.

good advice if riding a long way

charlie

Riding across Laos to the China border appears to be one long tough ride. I suspect you would want a very good quality bike to even attempt it...maybe you can RENT a good bike from one of the shops??

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/laos_pol_2003.jpg

'Trek' seem to be the most popular bikes here for enthusiasts