Good place for road cycling in March?

[pollnow]

Hey! I'm a Swedish road cyclist based in Chiang Rai since October. Now the burning has started and i'm looking for somewhere to escape for the month of March. Any advice of a good place with good air, good roads, little traffic and not too hot? Cheap living and food would also help. Maybe hard to escape to heat in March? All suggestions would be appreciated.

[bobfish]

Phang Nga/ Suratthani etc, keeping off the main arterial roads. Just don't expect good Northern coffee every 10km!

[h90]

being at Khanom at the moment (Nakhon Si Thammerat province but close to Surat Thani).

The last few days it wasn't too hot. But not too hot for southern Thailand.......

Here traffic minimal, streets I have seen were good. Good air, well excellent air, close to the sea (maybe that reduces the heat a bit).

Entertaining to bike from one beach to the next.

Downside, Many small streets are asphalt on the beginning but not in the middle. Than you have to decide to turn around or continue the short distance on a stony street, which is often bad even for non-asphalt.

Not many serious biker here and people are very friendly.....Yesterday between a water delivery truck, the co-driver had half his body out of the window and gave me signals when the driver shift gears, brake, turn.....Unfortunately they didn't went faster than 45 km/h which was still relaxing for me.

Great fun....they enjoyed it.

When arriving I saw a Thai (serious biker) stick in the shadow of a big truck.

Beside him I didn't see any street bikes.

[pollnow]

Phang Nga is one of my best choices so far, the only thing that concerns me is the heat and humidity. But I don't seem to have any problems with it here in Chiang Rai. Here it's around 32 degrees but lower humidity. I can really recommend Chiang Rai for cycling in the north, except for the burning season. Quiet roads, great climbs, big enough town, many local bicyclists and great weather.

[el jefe]

I've escaped the burning in northern Thailand by going to Sri Lanka, the Cameron Highlands, and Cape Town. All have great cycling though Sri Lanka can be hotter than Thailand.

[chiangmaiexpat]

I can really recommend Chiang Rai for cycling in the north, except for the burning season. Quiet roads, great climbs, big enough town, many local bicyclists and great weather.

Maybe for road biking, but quiet country roads and great climbs abound in Northern Thailand. For mountain biking, I am not so sure whether CR is a top destination. At least I wasn't able to find good downhill trails, endless singletrack, and cool technical XC loops like we have in Chiang Mai. Perhaps they are out there, but it would then be a well kept secret.

As for cycling in March, the air quality in Chiang Mai is almost as bad as in Chiang Rai. I've been to the Thai Gulf coast around Hua Hin and to Khao Yai for cycling during this period. Both quite nice for mountain biking with DH and XC trails. And with a fat bike you could have some fun at the beach...

Cheers, CM-Expat

Edited February 20, 2015 by chiangmaiexpat

[pollnow]

So I found a good deal on a flight to Krabi on the 3rd of March, from Chiang Rai via Bangkok, to transfer further to Phang Nga, I hope i will be able to stand the smoke until then. I will try to file a report of once i get there. Would definitely go to Chiang Mai next time around. To be 5 months in Chiang Rai and never once visited Chiang Mai is a bit strange.

[Assurancetourix]

Come here and visit E-San ; we don't have - a littler bit sometimes - burning fields ...

For those who have a Flickr photoshow, you can have a look at my cycling folder

https://www.flickr.com/photos/53115463@N06/sets/72157649723152162/

I'm often in the three north province of Thailand : Chiang_Mai, Chiang_Rai and Mae_Hong-son because I like to cycle in the mountains

Hope one day I can have a meeting with Villagefarang and other members of TVF who are living there ...

[h90]

Come here and visit E-San ; we don't have - a littler bit sometimes - burning fields ...

For those who have a Flickr photoshow, you can have a look at my cycling folder

https://www.flickr.com/photos/53115463@N06/sets/72157649723152162/

I'm often in the three north province of Thailand : Chiang_Mai, Chiang_Rai and Mae_Hong-son because I like to cycle in the mountains

Hope one day I can have a meeting with Villagefarang and other members of TVF who are living there ...

Here in the south you can't stop on the smaller streets when a house is near. As a pack of dogs will consider you as intruder........Usually if you go fairly fast they don't care, just don't stop. And they even give up chasing you at 30-35 km/h. Don't know what their top speed is, but these slim dogs should be fast.

Don't know if that is a southern thing, or if I should wash my clothes sometimes , so I don't smell like a sweating deer.....

Annoying if you need to look at the GPS on the mobile phone........Last time it was 3 normal soi dogs + 2 German Shepard (or half German Shepard)......Great Sprint training......

[pollnow]

About dogs. I had some problems with them here in Chiang Rai in the beginning, at least one dog sprint per day. But now it rarely happens. Maybe i don't seem as scared to them anymore? Heard that the dogs in the south are worse, but i will hope that the heat will make them sedated. Otherwise i might install some kind of maze-system on my bicycle. Haha.

[h90]

About dogs. I had some problems with them here in Chiang Rai in the beginning, at least one dog sprint per day. But now it rarely happens. Maybe i don't seem as scared to them anymore? Heard that the dogs in the south are worse, but i will hope that the heat will make them sedated. Otherwise i might install some kind of maze-system on my bicycle. Haha.

On the road bike no problem, you get easily fast enough to outrun these lazy dogs (I guess they could do 50 km/h but are too lazy to go over 30-35).

On the mountainbike it might be difficult and for runner it most be really bad. Usually it is a pack of 3-5 dogs. I could fight of 2 dogs but not 5 and definitely not if 2 of 5 are German Shepard (or half).

[pollnow]

Where do you ride h90?

[h90]

Where do you ride h90?

well 3/4 of my time I am in Bangkok and once a week I ride on the trainer for 1 hour. I want to expand that but it is terrible boring and and once a week legs power training.

1/4 of my time I am in Khanom (Nakhon Si Thammerat province). I didn't do more than move my fingers in the office for 15 years and try to get on the street bike again. Ever expanding tours. Expanding in every direction in a hard street racing training program.

Of course it is pathetic in my age of 44, I think it is called mid-life crises....Old men try to be young again.

Looking a beach on the map and go there and back. Exploring. Radius at the moment 25 km. In March it will be 30 km. In May 35 km, in June 40 km.

Currently focus on cadence and doing things right. Unfortunately I didn't find mountains yet. I come from the alps and mountains in the heat was my strongest point always. If you take it a bit more relaxed there is a small shop for water every 5 km and someone sell Banana (for carbs) every 10 km and people are extreme friendly......

[h90]

just to add: be extremely careful with the sun here in the south.

It really bites at noon, if you forget the sun blocker on the first day, you are done......

[pollnow]

Hope you will get some more time on the bicycle! I already have a full farmers tan, but will for sure watch out for the sun, and try to go up early for relief from the heat.

[h90]

Hope you will get some more time on the bicycle! I already have a full farmers tan, but will for sure watch out for the sun, and try to go up early for relief from the heat.

my arms are already browner than my wifes.....Without clothes it seems I wear a white TShirt

With the Tribar, it burned the inside of my arms, due to the new position.

Today at noon I went outside without TShirt and hacked 2 coconuts free of the green stuff. That was enough to have a burned back....I don't know if it gets even stronger in Summer?

I am a bit surprised that the sun on my head doesn't cause a problem on the bike (no helmet).

[pollnow]

Update. I finally decided to go to Phang-Nga town, where i'm now. It's perfect for road cycling and i'm really happy I went here. It's a bit hot between 11 and 4 a clock, but I rise early and get some nice ride before going back for siesta. In 10 days of cycling, 3 hours per day average I have only had one dog sprint which is not bad. There is some climbs, but not as long as in Chiang Rai. Would really recommend this for you people who want to escape the smoke for a month or two.

[bobfish]

Keep enjoying it, - I agree, the weather seems to be heeating up this week.

Have you ventured up Khao Sok way?

[pollnow]

I have gone as far as Kapong. Very pretty road up to there! But plan to do the Khao Sok Pass this weekend. Have to start early so I can do the pass not in the midday heat. It's almost 160 km I think to go and come back so it will take some time.

[bobfish]

It's a lovely ride and worth doing both ways.... enjoy it!

[MaeJoMTB]

Smoggy in CM.

Edited March 24, 2015 by MaeJoMTB

[jdinasia]

You won't escape the heat, but Nakhon Nayok has lots of cycling. Interesting areas to go to such as Khao Yai National Park etc. Waterfalls are fairly dry now.

Decent small resorts and quite a few large ones.

My colleagues ride every day. The air quality is good. Drivers are used to seeing cyclists