Bicycle Rental (a month-six weeks) Chiang Mai

[Craig krup]

If you had a month or more in Chiang Mai is there an alternative to buying a bike and then trying to punt it? Rental daily rates would really add up. In an absolutely ideal world I might want to be a Mamil (middle aged man in lycra) with the rest of the wanabee road racers, but realistically it wouldn't matter if it was a town or mountain bike just as long as it meant I could ride around the area. I'm guessing that there has to be a lot of (say) functional 5,000 baht bikes around, and (probably) you could get someone to give you 2,000 baht for it at short notice, even if your negotiating position was that of diarrhea sufferer in the pharmacy. Or is there a cheap rental option?

[peterrabbit]

Go buy a second hand one.

[Craig krup]

Go buy a second hand one.

It's kinda looking like that. I've got to say, [i'm quite curious about LA Bikes - the local brand. They seem cheap, and if they've basically mastered TIG welding, buy in alloy components and know how to screw them together they might be okay. There should be quite a lot of them about, and if they start cheap secondhand should be very cheap].

[moonoi]

Go buy a second hand one.

It's kinda looking like that. I've got to say, [i'm quite curious about LA Bikes - the local brand. They seem cheap, and if they've basically mastered TIG welding, buy in alloy components and know how to screw them together they might be okay. There should be quite a lot of them about, and if they start cheap secondhand should be very cheap].

LA are fairly good, and tbey have different brands too, Infinite being the more upper end of their brand range for local bicycles, they are also the local distributors/importer for Look, Raleigh and Commencal amongst others.

I wouldn't look at anything below around 10k THB though for a new bike, if you're going to do a decent amount of riding and not just pottering out to the shops.

There are also a few 2nd hand bike sale pages on Facebook, but most sellers seem to be around BKK, but it's probably worth browsing to see.

Another thing to consider, if you are taller than the average Thai, you might have trouble finding a bike in the right size in the cheap local brands, anything larger than an M or 54/56cm frame can be tough new or used.

[el jefe]

If you had a month or more in Chiang Mai is there an alternative to buying a bike and then trying to punt it?

Of course. If you're going to be here for that long and plan on riding regularly it makes sense to bring your road bike with you, even if you have to pay airline fees.

Assuming you are a small size, you might find a good deal on a used bike but you probably won't get a good price re-selling it on short notice. If you're just looking for a bike to ride around town, you can just rent one from your guest house, or one nearby, for a few baht a day when you need one.

Edited May 16, 2016 by el jefe

[Craig krup]

If you had a month or more in Chiang Mai is there an alternative to buying a bike and then trying to punt it?

Of course. If you're going to be here for that long and plan on riding regularly it makes sense to bring your road bike with you, even if you have to pay airline fees.

Assuming you are a small size, you might find a good deal on a used bike but you probably won't get a good price re-selling it on short notice. If you're just looking for a bike to ride around town, you can just rent one from your guest house, or one nearby, for a few baht a day when you need one.

I sold my road bike, and the cost and hassle of moving an old mountain bike isn't worth it. It's just that I've become something of a Doi Suthep obsessive - it looks like a cracking hill, and the area around and beyond it looks good. It would be a shame to be there are not make use of it. Size is an issue - I'm 1.83m - but for a few weeks being a bit cramped and having the seat pin nearly out the frame isn't a big deal. The whole Chiang Mai cycling scene looks excellent; just a pity about the air Jan-Mar.

[Craig krup]

Go buy a second hand one.

It's kinda looking like that. I've got to say, [i'm quite curious about LA Bikes - the local brand. They seem cheap, and if they've basically mastered TIG welding, buy in alloy components and know how to screw them together they might be okay. There should be quite a lot of them about, and if they start cheap secondhand should be very cheap].

LA are fairly good, and tbey have different brands too, Infinite being the more upper end of their brand range for local bicycles, they are also the local distributors/importer for Look, Raleigh and Commencal amongst others.

I wouldn't look at anything below around 10k THB though for a new bike, if you're going to do a decent amount of riding and not just pottering out to the shops.

There are also a few 2nd hand bike sale pages on Facebook, but most sellers seem to be around BKK, but it's probably worth browsing to see.

Another thing to consider, if you are taller than the average Thai, you might have trouble finding a bike in the right size in the cheap local brands, anything larger than an M or 54/56cm frame can be tough new or used.

You wonder how the import duty works with LA. I'll bet the government gives them a break on the import duty for Shimano components to encourage local frame and wheel building, retailing and assembly: they know they can't make the groupsets yet. I'll bet if you have a British or Italian double butted frame you'd be better buying the cheapest domestic bike, stripping the groupset off it and punting the frame than you would be buying the groupset as an imported item.

[moonoi]

Go buy a second hand one.

It's kinda looking like that. I've got to say, [i'm quite curious about LA Bikes - the local brand. They seem cheap, and if they've basically mastered TIG welding, buy in alloy components and know how to screw them together they might be okay. There should be quite a lot of them about, and if they start cheap secondhand should be very cheap].

LA are fairly good, and tbey have different brands too, Infinite being the more upper end of their brand range for local bicycles, they are also the local distributors/importer for Look, Raleigh and Commencal amongst others.

I wouldn't look at anything below around 10k THB though for a new bike, if you're going to do a decent amount of riding and not just pottering out to the shops.

There are also a few 2nd hand bike sale pages on Facebook, but most sellers seem to be around BKK, but it's probably worth browsing to see.

Another thing to consider, if you are taller than the average Thai, you might have trouble finding a bike in the right size in the cheap local brands, anything larger than an M or 54/56cm frame can be tough new or used.

You wonder how the import duty works with LA. I'll bet the government gives them a break on the import duty for Shimano components to encourage local frame and wheel building, retailing and assembly: they know they can't make the groupsets yet. I'll bet if you have a British or Italian double butted frame you'd be better buying the cheapest domestic bike, stripping the groupset off it and punting the frame than you would be buying the groupset as an imported item.

Imported bike parts attract 10% duty plus VAT, complete build bikes attract 30% duty for personal import, plus VAT.

Group sets here, especially Shimano are generally cheaper than in Europe. The exception being when there is a sale, currently you can pick up Ultegra Di2 from wiggle with free shipping with 62% discount, even if you have to pay import duty, at that price it is cheaper to import vs buying local.

[Craig krup]

You'd think that the sheer quantity of two wheel traffic would mean that the Thais would really have wheelbuilding down to a fine art, but I wonder if they have. The kind of fancy stand that allows you to make a wheel that's true with no ovality or any other problems is quite expensive.

Chiang Mai has to have a wheelbuilder with the pro-standard stand somewhere, however. If there isn't it's a definite business opportunity for someone. A 5,000 baht investment means endless 35 baht ten minute wee jobs.

[bobfish]

Have a look on classifieds such as this site or Bahtsold closer to your arrival date.

Plenty of wheel builders around.

[Craig krup]

Have a look on classifieds such as this site or Bahtsold closer to your arrival date.

Plenty of wheel builders around.

Bahtsold sellers aren't falling over themselves to give you a bargain . Almost anywhere in the UK you could get a functional ebay bike for £50, but there's no flood of 2,500 Baht bikes.

Edited May 18, 2016 by Craig krup

[bobfish]

Well I do have a bike for sale over there as it happens, ,,,, but maybe well outside your budget.

Cheaper ones do come up!