Buying An All-Mountain Bike In Thailand

[chiangmaiexpat]

Buying a mountain bike in Thailand should be easy. Well, it is easy if you are 175 cm tall and opt for an entry level hard tail. Plenty of that in the shops. However, things look completely different if you want a full suspension bike and need a 19" or bigger frame. After a month of research, I came to the conclusion that such bikes are rarer than iridium in Thailand. The second hand market at thaimtb.com has probably two or three full suspension trail bikes on offer per week, but 95% of those bikes are 18" or smaller, so I figure it will take a couple of month of reading through ads to find something suitable.

The shops in Chiang Mai are mostly hopeless. None of them stock high-end bikes, certainly not in large sizes. So, I figured that ordering one may be my best option. Since I like the Giant Trance and Reign all-mountain/enduro style bikes, I called the main distributor/dealer for Giant bikes in Bangkok today. They had a few older (2010 and 2008) models in stock, but only small sizes. 2013 models? Negative. Size L/XL? Negative. Order from factory, wait three or four months. Say what? I am now considering to buy second-hand in Europe and ship it to Thailand. Certainly not an uncomplicated option. Has anyone made similar experiences?

Cheers, CM-Expat

[Deserted]

Not at all. The shop I went to had a 19.3 inch frame in stock, but it was a low end trek. There top models sell for around 36k which might not be good enough for you but the guy who runs the shop is knowledgeable and speaks good English. It's called Let's Bike Shop, you can find their page on fb. If he doesn't have what you are looking for he would know where to get it. If ots not too far away, a train journey to SIngapore could rectify the problem, perhaps that;s unrealistic. Very easy to put it on the train though.

[fdimike]

Have you checked Pro Bike in BKK yet? Another high end shop is Bike Zone. Check the Bicycle Thailand site they have a listing for hundreds of bike shops in Thailand. www.bicyclethailand.com with notes regarding the kind of bikes they may carry.

Edited January 22, 2013 by fdimike

[chiangmaiexpat]

Yes, they do have a few bikes with large frame sizes in Thailand, but usually only road bikes or MTB hard tails. What they generally don't have is full suspension bikes. So, it seems to be the combination of full suspension + large frame that is hard to find. This is a bit odd, because full suspension bikes make up roughly 20%-25% of the global mountain bike market (in terms of units, more in terms of value), whereas in Thailand it seems to well below 5%. It confirms my observations of riding habits in Thailand, because most MTB riders in Thailand stay on the road. I did not meet too many mountain bikers on offroad trails or in the forest.

The Singapore train ride suggestion is interesting, thank you. It's a looong train ride, though. Yes, I have looked at Probike, they're a Trek dealer and have a single(!) full suspension model on their web page without pricing. So far, I have contacted dealers by email without much success, so I guess I will have to start calling them one by one. I will probably stick to the big ones in Bangkok, unless someone has a recommendation for a Chiang Mai dealer. Thanks again for your suggestions!

Cheers, CM-Expat

[fdimike]

I had no problem getting my 20" Merida HFS 3000 from a dealer here in Udon Thani who ordered it from Bangkok a few years ago. However the Merida I ordered had only front suspension. The dealer I use here in here in Udon Thani speaks very good English and can order just about any brand/size bike you need. His name is Peter is Thai and a cyclist and a great guy to deal with. He has been servicing all my bikes for the past 5 years. He has a nice variety of road/mountain (single & full suspension bikes in stock). He is also an LA Bike dealer in case you're interested in that line. You might give him a call. Tel: 086 458-6195 or 086 7709991 and feel free to tell him that Mike suggested you call him. You are not the first person I've referred to him and all seemed to be satisfied customers.

BTW: Using email in Thailand to contact a company is pretty fruitless. The only success I've had is to call them first and then ask for what you need. they will then invariably give you their email address which you can use to further the deal.

I hope this helps.

Mike

[Puwa]

I'll take your word on availability, since it seems you've been searching high and low. Singapore is a good suggestion, by train or plane if the cost doesn't bother you too much. Many shops selling FS bikes, including lots of high end models and brands you won't find easily in Thailand, like Boardman and Orange. Don't expect to find a bargain, but if you are willing to drop 100,000B or so, you'll get much better value for the money than you will in LOS.

[T_Dog]

Have you checked Pro Bike in BKK yet? Another high end shop is Bike Zone. Check the Bicycle Thailand site they have a listing for hundreds of bike shops in Thailand. www.bicyclethailand.com with notes regarding the kind of bikes they may carry.

Pro Bike should have tall bikes in stock. Both Chatawat and Jackie Bike are Pro Bike dealers so bring a Thai speaker to them and see what models are available.

Three years ago there was a Canondale shop just off Sukhumvit in BKK that had large frames of various brands as well.

[fdimike]

The Cannondale shop is still there as far as I know. I've suggested the Bicycle Thailand site whish lists hundreds of bike shops here in Thailand. All one needs to do is phone them up.

[villagefarang]

I am not sure why anyone would expect Thai businessmen to ignore a market of 60 million to focus on a handful of difficult to please foreigners. Why would they stock expensive, high end items with little chance of being sold before they go out of style?

Chances are, anything they stocked wouldn’t be quite right, and the foreigner would be asking why they didn’t stock something else. Makes sense to me, if you want a one off, you are going to find it necessary to special order it and wait for delivery.

[AngelsLariat]

I'll take your word on availability, since it seems you've been searching high and low. Singapore is a good suggestion, by train or plane if the cost doesn't bother you too much. Many shops selling FS bikes, including lots of high end models and brands you won't find easily in Thailand, like Boardman and Orange. Don't expect to find a bargain, but if you are willing to drop 100,000B or so, you'll get much better value for the money than you will in LOS.

Singapore is no great shakes either. Bikes are expensive there and the average Singapooren is about as tall as the average Thai. So the shops tend to have the same shortage of farang-sized bikes in stock as in Thailand, and the same problem of special orders taking months to fullfill and that discounts from MSRP are seldom offered on special ordered bikes. Better off to get a bike in the States and then find a way to get it over here. Much better selection available that way and often it's cheaper than buying local.

Edited January 23, 2013 by AngelsLariat

[AngelsLariat]

The Cannondale shop is still there as far as I know. I've suggested the Bicycle Thailand site whish lists hundreds of bike shops here in Thailand. All one needs to do is phone them up.

But that Cannondale shop's prices are absurdly high compared to what Cannondales cost in other countries and compared to what other brands of bikes cost in Thailand.

[villagefarang]

One could always buy frame only and then build up the bike with aftermarket parts that are available locally. Very little on my bike is original and I even bought a new frame recently.

[chiangmaiexpat]

I am not sure why anyone would expect Thai businessmen to ignore a market of 60 million to focus on a handful of difficult to please foreigners. Why would they stock expensive, high end items with little chance of being sold before they go out of style?

I sympathise with small shop owners who don't want to stock expensive slow-moving items, but the "difficult to please foreigner" is an unrealistic stereotype. I mean, there are at least as many difficult to please Thais out there. The thing is that they just have a different culture. Most Thais aren't into exploring remote trails and forests, so probably they don't need full suspension bikes. It's not a question of money. I see plenty of people riding $$$ carbon frame road bikes in Chiang Mai.

I've looked at Singaporean bike shops this morning. From what I can gather from the few sites that have pricing info, big brand bicycles are 15%-20% cheaper there. For me, it wouldn't be worthwhile going, because of the travel expenses and the days away from work. So, it's probably either ordering a new bike (expensively) from a Thai dealer, or buying it online and shipping it here (complicatedly) which also means taking a gamble with the customs department.

Cheers, CM-Expat

[chiangmaiexpat]

By the way, the distinction between "all mountain" and "trail" bike got to be one of the fuzziest in the industry, if there is any distinction at all. Front suspension in this segment ranges from 120mm to 160 mm and the bikes themselves range from XC-ish to downhill-ish. Personally, I would consider a bike "all-mountain" if I can comfortably go up and down Doi Pui, I mean travelling with relative ease on both sides. But I guess it would be a bit too much to ask dealers to test drive their bikes over Doi Pui.

Cheers, CM-Expat

[AngelsLariat]

One could always buy frame only and then build up the bike with aftermarket parts that are available locally. Very little on my bike is original and I even bought a new frame recently.

That's not a bad idea. It's probably easier/cheaper to ship or hand carry over a frame than a complete bike, components seem to generally be reasonably priced here, and the cost of labor for a good tech to put the bike together would be low. Makes sense on a lot of levels.

[chiangmaiexpat]

Nope. Not cheaper. I looked at this option for the Giant Trance X1 and the Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Comp. For a new bike, you end up paying more on a new frame + single components, plus you have the additional work. It does make sense, however, if you buy a 2nd hand frame, or 2nd hand components, or if you want to upgrade the stock components and have plenty of time to tinker with the bike.

Cheers, CM-Expat

[RayHaas]

Try KHS. They have L size KHS 556. Now on offer. I just got mine as well. www.amornbicycle.co.th

[rebo]

I'm planning to bring a new bike (http://www.canyon.co...ike.html?b=3041) with me when I return from my annual family visit in May. I thought back and forth and at the end I came to the conclusion that this is the best value for money solution. Not available at this price in Thailand.

Edited February 12, 2013 by rebo

[impulse]

I'm planning to bring a new bike (http://www.canyon.co...ike.html?b=3041) with me when I return from my annual family visit in May. I thought back and forth and at the end I came to the conclusion that this is the best value for money solution. Not available at this price in Thailand.

Check with your airline before you show up at the counter with your goodies. You may get sticker shocked at the cost of bringing it back with you. I bought an inflatable kayak a year ago in China and the excess baggage fee was more than the kayak. It was still half the cost of buying a similar kayak in Thailand, but.... dam_n.

Since the kayak packed down to a regular looking bag, nobody at customs gave it a second look, but I wonder what they'd do if you had a brand new box obviously packed full of stuff with a high import duty rate?

[cornishcarlos]

Can't you just order one online and have it sent to LOS ?

I have ordered bike bits from Wiggle.co.uk and they have always arrived promptly and with no import duty. Might be different for a complete bike but shipping is only about $100 for a bike.

Just a thought...

[fdimike]

Check the cost of air freight as it may be cheaper than excess baggage. The down side is that the bike may not travel with you but will probably arrive about the same time.

[rebo]

I'm planning to bring a new bike (http://www.canyon.co...ike.html?b=3041) with me when I return from my annual family visit in May. I thought back and forth and at the end I came to the conclusion that this is the best value for money solution. Not available at this price in Thailand.

Check with your airline before you show up at the counter with your goodies. You may get sticker shocked at the cost of bringing it back with you. I bought an inflatable kayak a year ago in China and the excess baggage fee was more than the kayak. It was still half the cost of buying a similar kayak in Thailand, but.... dam_n.

Since the kayak packed down to a regular looking bag, nobody at customs gave it a second look, but I wonder what they'd do if you had a brand new box obviously packed full of stuff with a high import duty rate?

Thanks for your advise, impulse. Of course you're right.

But the bike won't look brand new anymore (after some weeks of use in Europe), and it will not exceed my free luggage weight. Airline will take no extra charge.

I have lots of friends and visitors (http://www.warmshowers.org/) who enter Thailand with their chariots, be it by air or by road. No one was ever asked to pay customs duty.

BTW - import duty rate for a new bicycle is 30% of the purchase price.

Edited February 13, 2013 by rebo

[impulse]

rebo, I considered bringing back a folding, 5 speed electric bike with me my last trip to China. Cost me $400 over there and closest equivalent I've found in Thailand has been $900-1000- and that was for a single speed cassette.

But after adding what I expected the baggage fee would be, and that I couldn't fly the Li-Ion battery for safety reasons, I left it in China. Glad I did because the best price I have found on just the battery (48V, 12 A-Hr) in BKK has been more than the complete bike cost me in China.

And I recall the import duties on electric bikes are higher than regular bikes at 60%, but that may be my brain leaking.

Sigh.