Thailand Trails - Mountain Biking in Thailand

MTB Competitions - Quarter 4 2010

2010-09-12T18:14:00.003+07:00

Boys and girls, here's a list of MTB competition for Sept-Dec 2010. I compiled the list from good ole thaimtb.com. Just a list for now. will translate and add contact details ...

SEPTEMBER 2010

18 Sept - MBK, Bangkok - link here.

19 Sept - Chaingsaen, Chiangrai - link here.

25 Sept - Ubolratchathani - link here.

OCTOBER 2010

3 Oct - Songkhla - link here.

10 Oct - Huahin Triathlon - link here.

24 Oct - Langsuan, Chumporn - link here.

NOVEMBER 2010

7 Nov - Kho Yao, Phangnga - link here.

7 Nov - Ayuthaya - link here.

14 Nov - Lamnarai - link here.

28 Nov - Pitsanulok - link here.

DECEMBER 2010

11 Dec - Khao Soi Dao - link here.

12 Dec - Wang Nam Khieow, Korat - link here.

18 Dec - TBD - link here.

Pattaya MTB Championship 2009 - 5 Apr - Pre-ride

2009-03-29T08:37:00.011+07:00

Stumbling across a poster in the middle of Pattaya, I found out that there will be an MTB XC competition on April 5, 2009. Googling for more info, finally got the PR spiel in ThaiMTB.com - link, and the main contact person is one Kh Supoj - 089-9914262.

So off I went with buddy FullOption to find out where it is, went for a ride and of course, will tell you about it.

How to get there:

The MTB XC competition will be held in a new track right beside the Pattaya Indoor Athletics Arena / Pattaya Public Park. If these places are not familiar, its because even these two places are relatively new, I checked off-the-shelf maps grabbed from popular bookstores and these would not indicate these locations. It is easy to find though.

To get there, if you are driving along Sukhumvit -- from South Pattaya / Sukhumvit Intersection, drive further South 3.9km and then turn left at Chaiyapruek 2 Road. Its about a couple kilometers to your left. The main indicator that you're there is a big parking lot and a public park at the left-hand side of the road.

The XC course is a relatively short 6 km loop. Competition organizers dictated that A-classes are required to do 5 loops while B-levels will do a more forgiving 3 loops. There are more detailed gradations to each classes obviously, and these rules may change at race days itself, so try to clarify during registration what the latest rule interpretations are.

The trail

To sum, this is a well designed MTB XC race course - not too technical but not too easy either. The course is ingeniously crafted around existing trails around villages while some sections were custom-built for the race itself.

Ground cover on most sections is fine, powdery sand, with a texture similar to baby powder. There are sections which are rather thick of the stuff, so as soon as you hit these parts, the sand sucks out all your momentum. It feels as if your bike become sluggish as a wet sponge. Choice of tires will be very important to breeze you through these sections.

Kudos to race designers on keeping a good mix of ascents and descents. The first third of the race course is flat, curvy and sandy. While the rest of the track is alternating between climbing up and cruising down. Gratefully, there are no sadist tendencies on the race organizers as they have kept the trail manageable. It still packs enough punch though to separate the pretenders from those with real brass XC cojones.

There are just a couple of sections worth mentioning in this trail. Obviously worth noting is that near the end of the race course, a mean downhill section is placed to make this trail memorable. My poor geodetic skills would put it as a 6-meter drop on a 45-degree decline. But with the descent just going straight thru and with plenty of run-out at the bottom, no need for Ned Overend's DH skills to get you over this one. Just make the resolve when you reach the brim, relax and enjoy the downhill rush.

Another difficult section is located somewhere during the 70% mark of the race course. It is a stretch where there is a long curving uphill section which hairpins out to a downhill stretch. Imo, this is one part which the race organizers can improve on. I am just imagining that on race day, there would be a glut of riders pushing their rides uphill - a few meters away, would be riders speeding down. Need some extra vigilance from the riders and race officials to prevent unpleasant situations from happening.

Long straight uphill. Gentle slope though. This is where a lot of passing could happen.

This section features singletrack, curvy, bit sandy.

Remember, April 5, 2009 Chaiyapruek 2, South Pattaya. Be there .. or be square.

Bangphra Reservoir MTB Trail

2009-03-26T09:52:00.010+07:00

Last weekend, my buddy, FullOption, went lakeside to the Bangphra Reservoir at Sriracha, Chonburi. His destination - a new mtb trail.

His general comments were:
- flat, flat, flat ... flat as a road
- in fact, it is a fire road
- very fast trail
- bring markers ... there are many forks

For you bushwackers, this is a ho-hum trail. But for you newbies, heck, this can be a great date ride. You can bring your date, grab a picnic basket and cuddle up beside the lake after the ride.

To get there, just head to the BANGPHRA TESABAN, via Rd 7 from the Motorway. The trailhead is right across the road.

Here are pictures taken with my buddy's N72.

Thailand MTB Upcoming Race Events - Dec-Feb2009

2008-12-06T16:52:00.022+07:00

Here's a sprinkling of MTB races in Dec2008 to Feb2009 ... translated from the ThaiMTB Race Events section. Links lead to the ThaiMTB forum page.

Dec 14, 2008 -- Phraputhabat, Saraburi -- race / caravan to visit temples -- Contact: Kh Witoon วิฑูรย์ 0819944082. Link.

Dec 17, 2008 -- Patong Beach, Phuket -- Phuket Carnival Adventure Race Challenge Series 2008 -- more details here. Update Dec 22 -- here's the link to the race results. link.

Dec 19, 2008 -- Bangphra, Chonburi -- community mtb race - start/finish at the Bangphra Local Community Administration. Details: contact Kh Chaovalit เชาวลิต 081-4282135. link

Dec 20, 2008 -- Burachart Army Engineer Camp, Ratchaburi -- mountain bike race with mini-marathon - start/finish within the military camp. Details: contact 089-9162005 . link

Jan 18, 2009 -- Pathumthani. somewhat sketchy information, but a race calling itself as Adventure The Series -- some type of an adventure race, but did not elaborate further. no start/stop info. Get the details here - 0840719592-027189581-2 Khun Nid. link.

Jan 17, 2009 -- Jombeung, Ratchaburi -- annual marathon / mtb race -- here's the link.

Jan 25, 2009 -- Kamala, Phuket -- organized by Khao Kamala MTB club -- contact: Gopiak 084-6890691 อภัย บุหลัน (โกเปี๊ยก) -- details here.

Jan 25 as well but in Udonthani. -- sponsored by the Tesabal. Contacts - Kh Tone 081-261-3210 and Kh Loh 081-975-0015. Link.

Feb 8, 2009 -- Ban Bueng, Chonburi -- organized by Khlong Kiu MTB. Details Kh Chai 089-9394840. Map and class categories detailed in the forum. here's the link. Pre-ride anyone? This one's not so far from BKK.

Here's another one on the same day Feb 8 in Sakhon Nakhon. This seems to be the 3rd installment of this yearly event. Contacts: Mr Teung 08-3670-2458 and Kh Toi C4 08-7636-7578. Link.

Feb 15, 2009 - Jomthong, Chiangmai -- organized by Jomthong Bicycle fitness Club. Details - phone no 053-341134. Link is still just a teaser. Site claims more details to follow later. Link.

Feb 22, 2009 -- Pattaya Triathlon -- organized by the city and Pattaya Triathlon. Finally, a link with English texts. you can check out the details yourself in -- link. Contact: Kh Prayoon - 081-9962323.

Sorry that i had to do the shortcut on the translation. Too pressed for time to do that in this blog. Hope, though, that this gets you pointed in the right direction.

--30

October 2008 - Tam Pra Toon

2008-10-19T13:19:00.010+07:00

First trail i hit in this comeback is the good ole' lovable Tam Pratoon. Better start with something familiar to shake off my rusty legs.

By coincidence, its been exactly a year from the last time i rode in this trail. You may reference the very first write-up i made to compare the changes ... August 2006 writeup

The trail is still there alright. But it looks slightly different from a year ago.

I would say its more rugged and has a mean streak to it now. It does not seem to be as well-maintained as in the past.

Recent rains during the past few months have made the trail lush and weedy. Heavy undergrowth thrive on both sides of the trail making the trail very narrow.

Aside from the narrow trail, the rains have left deep gashes and rain ruts over 70% of the trail. Due to my long lay-off, i chickened on every rain rut i see causing me to stop and drag my bike. My buddy, FullOption, nearly rear-ended me on a couple of occasions. I am sure for advanced riders, the rain ruts would make the trail more interesting, instead of exasperating.

There were a number of fallen logs - there must have been 5 or 6 points in which the trail was blocked.

Also, the trail signs tacked to trees had been removed. For those unfamiliar with the trail, it is very very easy to get lost.

We were joined by a group from Sriracha who decided to draft us. They got lost a couple of times due to the lack of signs and the numerous forks in the trail.

On the third ascent, this is always the point where i get off my bike, swear a few times and then push the bike uphill - added technical challenge to the uphill climb -- deep ruts are on both sides of the incline. Not only must you grind it out, but you have to watch where you're going as well.

Conclusion

It is still a mean trail offering ample technical challenges, good distance and many opportunities to commune with nature. I know i did. I stopped so many times to drink water and catch my breath that i had many chances to look at the scenery, peacefully commune with nature and ask the question many bikers find themselves asking on occasions, "What the hell am I doing here?".

As I was driving away from the place, I kept on thinking ... "I can't wait to go back ...".

-30

Spinervals got me going

2008-10-15T13:36:00.009+07:00

Following my resolve to get in shape after being a couch potato for so long in Bangkok, i initially thought of riding my bicycle to work.

Since my apartment is just seven kilometers away from the factory, I was smugly thinking whether I would even break out a sweat at such a short commute.

Not even five minutes out on the road, I:
a) had to dodge an early morning noodle shop mugging the whole sidewalk
b) was nearly ran over by a motorcycle, and
c) was nearly squished by ten-wheeler trucks loaded with 40" containers bouncing along the potmarked asphalt roads.

I did break out in a sweat, cold sweat, that is but not from the exercise, but from fear of becoming roadkill.

Mind you, most of Thailand is not like this, but luckily, I live right beside the busy industrial seaport of Laem Chabang. Thousands of container lorries coming from hundreds of kilometers away make a beeline to the port. Most of the drivers may have been driving for hours and are just getting along on Red Bull fumes, and therefore, might be too groggy and too tired to notice a struggling lone biker like me.

That was when I decided to my do exercising on a trainer at the safety of my single bedroom apartment. My problem is, for me, pedalling on a trainer is just about exciting as holding my breath. I feel like my head is going to explode for every second that ticks by. Its simply tedious. Talk about time dilation effect.

A search in Google led me to the Spinervals website. With a corny teaser like this:

"You have taken the first step toward becoming a better cyclist. Your interest in Spinervals cycling videos shows a sincere desire to improve your pedal power. This desire, fueled by the know-how and training intensity contained in each Spinervals video workout will have you smoking your friends on the road and trail in no time!"

... im hooked. I liked the smoking your friends part. Somehow, I am the one the gets the smoked part.

Anyway, two weeks of trainer work using the Spinerval videos got me feeling decent about myself again. Will hit the trails this Saturday. Tam Pra Toon!

... back in the saddle ...

2008-08-18T08:44:00.007+07:00

I'm free!

After months of trying to break out of Bangkok hard, hectic lifestyle ... I finally landed a job AGAIN in the Thailand eastern seaboard and right back into mountain bike heaven. Gimme a few weeks and I will revisit old haunts to see how the trails have fared during this time.

I was told that there are also new trails in the area. And so will make plans to visit those as well.

My buddy, FullOption, is patiently waiting for me to suck my gut and get marginally fit to hit the trails again and write about the trail conditions.

We will ride most weekends ... and tell you about it ...

Chonburi - Tam Pratoon Enduro Trail

2007-04-02T07:04:00.000+07:00

... short and very very sweet ...

If there ever was a trail that you could consider plain ole meat and potatoes, then this would have to be it. The complete circuit measures just 4.0 kilometers and there are no frills to it. No long windup to get there, no boring flat sections, no nothing - just one long stretch of uphill climb and one long stretch of brisk downhill.

Location: Khao Mai Gaew Reservoir, Banglamung, Chonburi

Trail Length: 4.0 kilometers

Jump-off Point:
Small trail opening beside the parking lot. The entry point for the Enduro trail is the same place as the exit point of the mtb trail. Huh?! Yup. You have to backtrack a bit to get to a fork which leads to the motocross playground.

The Trail:
First of all, this is an Enduro motocross trail and is not an mtb singletrack. We are just sneaking out to play in this playground, so watch out when the boys with the big bikes are coming to play.

Although there is really no choice in this, it is best to give way and to stay on the sides when the motorbikes are coming. Leave your Ipods behind as the only way you can tell they are coming at you is via the high revving sounds from their rides. If you are plugged in to your favorite music, you may not hear them coming. With the thick grasses and underbrush, they may not see you soon enough and this could spell trouble.

Also, if on the day you come, there are many enduro riders, then I suggest you choose the usual mtb trails until the trail is once more empty.

As soon as you cross the tree line, you will immediately feel the uphill slant. You need to backtrack a little on the normal route for about 50 meters and you will see a fork. Try to watch out for yellow triangles tacked to trees giving clear direction. The arrow signs clearly say "Enduro Trail", but its all written in Thai though.

Its just climbing from hereon. Consider it a paradise for gritty XC riders who love to climb. The trail twists and turns, but continually ascends. The pain goes on for a little more than a kilometer.

Great looking rock formations litter the trail. These are just perfect for taking pictures. For some of us unfit creatures -- nice flat places to rest weary butts.

You will know it when you summit.

Big tree with a big white sign "Khao Mai Khaew Enduro Trail" is right there at the top and you will see (ugh!) big rocks spray painted all over. Not condoning this, I was thinking that these Enduro riders with their big bikes still feel a need to announce to others that they had been there. Wow. Their bikes are loud enough as it is. Anyway.

I just gave it a few seconds and licked my lips. Reaching the summit mean only one thing, time to go down -- slurp. Time for the downhill boys to have fun.

And lots of fun I did have. The downhill sections are steep, twisty and fast. The trail is clean and clear of obstacles so you could really let it rip.

The trail is a bit more difficult compared to an mtb trail in that there are deep ruts filled with loose topsoil. This is clearly a result of those powerful enduro motorbikes with wide heavy lugged tires which really dig deep into the dirt. The trail is filled with dust and loose soil. I would hate riding on this trail during the rainy season. Think lots and lots of mud pits.

With narrower tires and smaller tread patterns, mountain bikes have a harder time moving through the trail. The loose soil makes steering on corners very very tricky. I found that I had to make the use of berms on corners to help me get quickly through the curves. Therefore, take note, bring fat offroad tires.

Of course you know that high speeds and loose corners always equals bike crash. So be careful, always control your descent and keep low.

I did find myself skidding down at a number of times. Even slight feather-like touches on the rear brakes did not prevent the rear tire from skidding. And pressing the front brakes is definitely out of the question. The section is steep enough that I was always on the brink of going over the bars. I had to totally let the front wheels go free. All I could do was balance the bike while allowing the rear brake to skid and check my momentum.

Still it was a lot of fun!

Fitness Level:
The only hard work in this trail is to rise to the summit. After that, its all downhill. Leg strength is important as there are some really steep climbs.

Technicality:
For those guys who want a challenge, you will love this trail. Both the uphill and downhill sections are technically challenging.

Climbs are really steep and seem never ending. Stay poised and focused for the constant grind. I was happy that my granny gear had 34 teeth and helped me a lot. My buddy FullOption had a smaller granny and he had to hammer through. He has more powerful legs though and one of the rare few who relishes climbing.

The downhill part is as steep and as tough. Technically difficult as there are many deep ruts and loose soil. Those who love descending should have no complaints. Enough challenges here to please everyone.

Fat chunky tires are the order of the day, especially tread patterns for dry, loose conditions. Semi-slick tires will not cut it.

A good all-around bike will be best for this trail, as it is equal parts climb and descent. My bike had 130mm front fork which was good on the downhill parts, but was a bit tool long for the climb sections. My front wheels kept on leaving the ground especially when I hammer it out. I had to stay relaxed and maintain a steady pace.

How to Get There:
If you are coming from Bangkok, take the Motorway (Rd.7) and follow this until you reach Kratinglai Junction, which is the huge cloverleaf splitting the road heading to Pattaya and to Rayong. Take the left turn to Rayong (Rd.36) and begin to slow down. About 1.5km from the junction, turn left Rd.3240. Road markers to watch out for, a Caltex gas station and a shell gas station. If you see these points, then you are just a few seconds away from Rd.3240.

Travel about 6km into Rd.3240, and you will arrive at a small country road with a big colorful sign beside it. The sign has pictures of sports activities like jogging, biking, ... (If you arrive at a 4-way intersection with traffic lights, you'd have missed it and need to backtrack now. Dont lose your cool now, just make a U-turn on the PTT gas station. Its 900 meters from the intersection, but now its on your right side).

Turn left into the country road and about 500 meters, you will arrive at a big garden and a parking lot beside a medium sized reservoir. Make a sigh of relief and get ready to have fun!

If you think you've seen these directions before, maybe you have. I just copied and pasted the whole text from my previous blog on TPT. [link]

Road Trip: Thalan, Saraburi

2007-03-07T10:36:00.000+07:00

To all you guys who think that we deserve a big full-suspension slap in-the-face for not updating the blog, well, you're right! Three months into the New Year and no new posts. Lazy bastards, plain and simple.

I guess all you good kids got some sort nice bike parts from Santa from the holidays. Of course, the naughty ones probably got whole bikes from American Express. Me? I got a pair of wheels and a new chain. Yep, whoopdeedoo.

Let's get down to business. I'm going to show you images of one of my road trips in Saraburi, a province roughly 150kms north of Bangkok.

The trip starts on a long strip of road along the river. Not much traffic here. I mean, you can pedal for an hour and not see more than two oncoming vehicles. You'll see more cows than cars. Smooth road, slight breeze, and the river make for a pleasant prologue for the rough road ahead.

After the warmup comes the workout - a long stretch of rough road, loose rocks, and dust. I used this stretch for some cardio and intervals. Along the way, the ricefields and railroad tracks provide good distractions from this grind. I like the way the tracks seem to disappear to the horizon, looking over my shoulder for trains.

On one part of the road lies the border between a Ayutthaya and Saraburi, two adjacent provinces in Central Thailand. This part of the trip slices through kilometers of farm roads.

Then, finally, my destination - Ban Rai Coffee House. This place just amazes me. I mean, in between long stretches of farm roads, in the middle of nowhere, lies this good coffee house with good food, fresh fruit juice, and internet! This place must be busy during weekends of people looking for a little peace and quiet.

The lotus flowers in the entrance welcomes romantics until you realize that this is actually a fish pond for research.

Energized by espresso, I pushed on heading back going through SaoHai along road 3041. It was a pleasant surprise to see a procession of sorts along the way - a dude being sent for monkhood (yep, that's him under the RED umbrella) with the rest of his family and friends trailing behind cheering all the way! The dude in the yellow shirt is directing traffic.

I should have captured this on video for you guys to see how wild it was.

Well, there it is. Not much of a ride, nothing extreme or epic. But, hey, I was on my bike and it was excellent!

Trail Update: PongDinDum

2006-12-18T10:04:00.000+07:00

Location: Chonburi
Trail Type: XC

I nearly cancelled this trip due to very strong, gusty winds. But I've been out of my bike for a week. I waited for the sun to come up and around 7am decided to roll out.

No doubt about it, the winds were blowing so hard! I had to lean my bike towards the wind or else I'll topple over! The powerlines were whistling so loud I thought there was a low flying aircraft nearby. There was one time I was on a descent, I HAD to pedal against the wind just to go down. I wasn't even on the trail yet, around 20kms out. Wooohoo!! When I reached the trail entrance, I saw two gents who have just finished a loop. Looks like they brought their vehicles with them (a Fortuner and a Honda sedan). I thought they were done so I didn't stop to say hi and pushed on to the trail. I will find out later on that the guys went in for another loop. The weather was great, sun was out, not humid and very cool. It was not windy inside the trail, only at the peaks.

I wanted to try the counterclockwise route so that's exactly what I did. I've done the clockwise route many times so I had an idea on what to expect. I was not disappointed. Very long stretches of climbs and VERY gnarly drops. I had to chicken out of two descents. Alone and hurt in the midddle of nowhere didn't sound good at all. Good thing I did though. There are hidden ruts which you wouldn't see at the lip of the drop, impossible to read because of the bend, and requires pro-like reflexes.

The drops weren't as steep as I imagined but the loose rocks and 'surprise!' ruts should add to the challenge.

I didn't chicken out of the climbs though. I managed to hammer all the peaks.

At the top, what used to be lush and green pinapple fields turned out to be smoking and burnt. Burning season. Smoke and ash everywhere, I feld I was in Silent Hill. But the view was still great, winds almost breaking the tall and slender trees. Mountains on all sides. I saw a trail on a small hill that may be worth exploring.

The second half of the trip, downhill from the pineapple field was fast. You can just let it all go and navigate all the way down. I was almost tempted to bomb this but decided to play it safe - good call. There are some areas with deep sand which could mess your momentum, deep ruts cris-crossing the small drops and lots of loose fist-size and babyheads.

Summary: Clockwise route wins the fun factor hands down for me. I prefer the steep climbs and loong descents. But if you're looking for a good workout (stamina and bike handling), the counterclockwise route will not disappoint.

Trail Review: Suan Wang Gaew, Klaeng, Rayong

2006-12-06T10:22:00.000+07:00

a family resort ... rolling asphalt roads BUT with a 'hidden' gnarly singletrack ...

Location: Suan Wang Gaew, Klaeng, Rayong

Trail Length:
criscrossing smooth and forgotten asphalt roads on a hilly seaside setting -- plus -- a not so noticeable 2km singletrack up a small hill.

Jump-off Point:
Anywhere within the Suan Wang Gaew resort is a good jump-off point. If you are staying in a nearby resort though, you need to pay a relatively small amount to get in. I could not remember if it is 20 or 50THB. As a consolation for paying this fortune, you could take a dip on the beach for the rest of the day.

The Trail:
The resort was built many years ago during Rayong's heyday as a popular tourist spot for Bangkok dwellers during the 80's. Suan Wang Gaew resort is made up of clusters of huts and bungalows spread out on separate beaches on a hilly cape.

Connecting these bungalows is a criscrossing network of asphalt roads. The terrain is hilly and there are some upslopes which are quite steep. I had to resort to low gears just to crest some slopes but not that steep though that I had to call on my granny's help.

Riding is good. You could randomly pick any path and you will be greeted with a shady trail leading to a beachfront. Arrow signs thankfully in both Thai and english provide direction to the different beaches. Even the bungalows have name signs clearly spelled out and visibly seen.

There are some paths leading to sections which are not visited frequently. The asphalt roads are already breaking apart on these areas, on some points disintegrated down to loose gravel. I liked riding through these sections as the path was virtually shaded in trees. Very cool and very isolated. Steep gradients add to the challenge. There are places where the seaview breaks through and you could just stop and take in the scenery. I was a bit wary of snakes though so I kept on moving about and did not stay at a spot for long.

Depending on which path you take, just randomly heading into the numerous twists and turns, a circuit could range from 3-5 kilometers. The nature of the place gives a great workout as the alternating climbs and downhills keep you interested. As soon as you see the next crest, you are already raring to climb it with the promise of a fast roll on the other side. The breathtaking vistas and the cool sea breeze can take away your fatigue and egg you to keep on pedalling.

On the way back to our bungalow after an hour of light workout, I spied a small trailhead intended for hiking. Peering through, an idea formed in my mind that my HT could go up the trail easily. So after a quick water break, I climbed up the trail.

The trail is littered by trees and roots. The roots were the size of my arms, and some even the size of my legs, criss-crossing the singletrack. The trail was so inviting though that I just climbed and lumbered through the trail. At numerous instance I had to dismount and push my bike over roots half a foot high, as I am not yet skilled enough to bunnyhop my way through.

After climbing and pushing for a couple of kilometers, I crested the hill and came upon a small clearing with a great view of the whole cove. Time for another water break. The trail continues on, this time going down the other side. After considering for a few minutes, I decided that the trail was too steep for me and my hardtail. My beloved HT looked flimsy compared to the challenge. Simply put, I chickened out. With nowhere to go, I had to backtrack.

On the way down though, i found to my surprise that this mean and gnarly technical trail was so much fun to ride on the way down. I got in a zone quickly, picking my way through the roots and swerving through the trees. I was always conscious though that on the right side of the trail is a steep nearly vertical drop. My derailleurs were geared on 1-6 setting all the way down as I still needed to pedal my bike over the huge tree roots.

Just flowing with the trail, I kept my focus 3-5 meters ahead and resisted the urge to see where my front wheels are. Basics, basics, ... This got me going quickly and got my bike over roots easily. As soon as I look where my front wheel is at, immediately I lose my balance and get stuck.

Lesson learned: there is no use fighting this trail as you can easily get a bent wheel or mis-align your handlebars.

It was over before I knew it and I was hooked. I decided to give it another go, and for the rest of the 3-day family trip, I sneaked up this hiking trail a few more times.

Bike Setup:
Fat tires are the order of the day. Suggest nothing less than a 2.0 aspect. Or if you are using thinner ones, best to inflate in high pressure. The roots can easily mess your wheel if you are not careful.

Should be perfect for an FS bike.

Oh, by the way, bring some mosquito repellent. I stopped for a few minutes to take pictures and all the mosquitoes zeroed in on my location. There were so many I thought the mosquitoes were going to fly me away. Apply some repellent on your ears and nape, which should keep the buggers at arm's length.

Fitness Level:
No need to be A-one on this trail. My wife bikes occassionally and even she enjoyed riding through the hilly asphalt roads. She had to push her bicyle on a couple of high crests though.

Technicality:
Almost zero technicality on the asphalt roads. But this 'hidden' singletrack is a nice challenge. You need to be a bit advanced to climb and go down this strip.

Trip value:
It was supposed to be a normal family outing of cooking, swimming on the beach and drinking beer, but I brought along my bike anyway, not knowing that the resort could be a biker's summer haven. Trails are good and challenging, resthouse is clean and cozy, beach is smooth and clear. I am good, the wife is happy, my toddler son is happy. Worth a trip!

By the way, rental rates at the resort range from 1200THB to 6000THB depending on how big the place you intend to rent. There are choices from single room bungalows far away from the beach (cheapest) and 4-room airconditioned houses just on the edge of the waterline (most expensive). Tip: go there on weekdays as all prices are discounted 50%.

How to Get There:
Ride down 20+km out of Rayong on Sukhumvit Rd3. Just after the road leading to the famous Ban Phe, you will take a right on Rd3192. You will come across a major intersection with Rd3145. Take a right at Rd3145 and proceed for about 5km. Suan Wang Gaew is beside the famous Hin Suay Nam Sai Resort Hotel.

[end]

Race Preview: 4th Leg MTB Eastern Championship 2006

2006-11-20T09:13:00.000+07:00

Location:
Pattaya, Thailand

Track length:
One loop 3.5kms; 60:40 mix pavement and loose XC

The Pre-ride:
What happens when you have a mixed group of XC and DH riders design a track for the last leg of the 2006 MTB Eastern Championship? A course which demands both the physical aptitude of a cross-country rider and the mental concentration of a downhiller, that's what!

Our group started out late with Pete having early troubles with his bike. I had to swap tires with Bruised because he wanted to try out semi-slicks for this course. K. Sumet SummitMan, on the other hand, was nursing a hangover and HomeBoy Keang was nowhere to be seen.

Finally, after four swapped tires, one fixed tube, one broken pump, and HomeBoy appearing out of nowhere to rejoin our group, life is good again and we were ready to go. We later learned that Keang already had two servings of the course - one for each category B and C. He was also bleeding below the right calf which was sort of a 'sneak preview' of what was waiting for us in the woods.

The first stretch of the course along the bay was a refreshing, picture-perfect ride with coconuts, boats, and a lighthouse. Then back to reality just beyond the lighthouse - almost 1km of climb over concrete and bricks halfway to the top of the mountain while deciding whether to push through the track or have some coffee first to jumpstart the nerves. We chose XC.

To make things interesting, the course included this climb as we approached the XC track entrance.

It was a short steep drop which leads to a long, fast descent between trees, over roots, and finally to the ramp back to the brick road. SummitMan showed us newbies how to do it. I wasn't paying attention and Bruised was paying attention to me. We ended with our own painful versions of the ride down.

A short stretch of smooth pathway and we were back over soil. Bruised and I were already stirred and shaken but were too stubborn to call it quits and join Pete who was probably collecting chicks' numbers downstairs by now. We pushed on, right behind SummitMan and Homeboy.

The next climb was a test of patience and skill. It was a singletrack climb over loose ground along the side of the hill. This track is just two weeks old and it lacks the hardpack that XC'ers love. Very loose soil at the edge and small rocks at corners all waiting to destroy what was left of our momentum.

Inside the woods again to negotiate rocks and trees. A few more twist and turns and we were in front of a 10-meter steep downhill. We let SummitMan lead the way. This time, Bruised and I paid attention to see how it's done. It was a smooth and clinical descent until SummitMan must have hit a hidden root or rock somewhere halfway down. The result was also a smooth and clinical endo with both man and bike defeated by gravity.

Seeing this, Bruised and I knew exactly what to do - we dismounted and guided our bikes downhill on foot.

Finally, the last stretch. A hundred more meters and we will be back to sea level with promises of coffee and hot bread. The race course follows the PINK arrow but we were told to follow the RED arrow to avoid the downhillers that may be practicing up front (the downhill track cuts directly over the PINK path).

But the RED path was no beginner's way down. It was a steep descent which cuts sharply to the right at the base which then continues to go down and cut's back sharply towards the left before finally levelling off besides the fence and over the parking lot.

Realizing that we have important appointments later in the day which cannot be delayed on grounds of broken arms and wrists, we slowly guided our bikes down on foot - and that was no easy feat either!

In the end, it was a good ride. The track ate us all and spit us out disgusted but we all learned something new. It was a VERY rude awakening for the first day of the weekend. But we'll be back...OH HELL YEAH!

Summary.

As soon as you enter the XC course, your focus should be on the track 100% of the time. Let yourself get sidetracked and you'll end up hitting a tree or going downhill in the wrong direction. The singletracks are very very narrow and with sections like those on the hillside, I won't be surprised to see frustrated fast riders having to dismount to pass the slow ones. There's just enough room for one bike and passing zones are VERY few and far in-between - almost only in the paved section.

How to Get There:

Set your sights to Pattaya and follow this map.

Credits:

Thanks to K. Oo Pattaya (อู๋ พัทยาCraZyGang) of the CraZyGang Downhill Team for the pictures. The original post (in Thai) can be found here.

[Link]

Trail Review: Pluakdaeng, Rayong

2006-11-11T13:05:00.000+07:00

like a rollercoaster ... endless climbs and downhill ... more of an all-mountain than an XC course ...

Location: Amphur Pluakdaeng, Rayong

Trail Length: 11kms of punishing singletrack

Jump-off Point:
It is possible to park in front of the town district hall, or beside the police hall. The parking lots are shady and relatively safe (as there are police nearby). Or you could park in front of the Doo-dee noodle shop. Though you may have to buy a dish or two when you get back, as courtesy for the owner 'looking' after your 4-wheeled transpo.

The Trail:
Punishing. Technical. Gruelling. Not to mince any words in describing this trail, but just to tell frankly that this is no beginner's sunday park ride. Newbies - Stay Away! Or, at least, know in your heart beforehand that you are not going to conquer this trail today.

It is mandatory to have a decent set of technical skills AND a high enough fitness level in order to successfully tackle this trail. Otherwise, you will just be pushing your bike up and down the hills. There are hardly any flats.

The 2nd leg of the MTB Eastern Championship is just a couple of weeks history, so the trail is still clearly marked. The race guides and tapes are still in place. Since some sections of the race trail blazed through pineapple and cassava fields, i expect that most of the trail will be wiped out come harvest season at the end of the year.

However, no big loss as these sections are just to get you warmed up anyway. The meaty technical sections are always there the whole-year round.

The trail alternates between steep narrow climbs and harrowing descents in closely spaced saplings. My handlebar length is still the original length and was never cut, it felt like huge clunky carabao horns navigating through the tight switchbacks. I had difficulty riding through these sections as the trees are really spaced tightly.

At one point, my left bar end hooked in a small tree and so OTB I went, resulting in ugly bruises at my whole right side.

There are a number of good opportunities to catch air as you will encounter a number of 2-3 foot drops in the trail. If you get a read on where these are, then you could do some spectacular jumps.

In fact there are 2 (not one!) places where there are four consecutive meter-high drops. One is what is popularly known as "Haa Chan", literally meaning five levels as it resembles a huge staircase with 5 steps.

The second set of drops, I dunno what its called but I would definitely call it a twisting 5-step staircase, as not only does it have five levels but it twists 90degrees to the left after the second drop. Go too fast on the second drop and straight you go to a 3-meter vertical.

Bike Setup:
This is a great trail for FS and all-mountain setups. It gives you a great opportunity to flex those frame suspensions.

Bring chunky off-road tires. The trail, which is mostly singletrack, is mixed loose sand and soft earth. Very smooth and very tricky when you are climbing.

And watch your bar ends! It can easily get tangled in vines and small branches. I kid you not when I say that this is a narrow trail.

Fitness Level:
Bring your A level of fitness, in addition to all the bags of tricks you learned.

Technicality:
Highly technical. steep narrow climbs. steep narrow descents. lots of 2-3 foot drops. I give this trail 5 chilis, with lots of jalapeno (the red ones).

Trip value:
Amphur Pluakdaeng is a small sleepy town. Not much to offer in terms of trip value. But then again, if you wanted an easy leisurely sunday spin - then you would not be here anyway. At least, there is this noodle shop which serves delicious noodles.

How to Get There:
According to this map, if you are coming from Bangkok, take the Motorway Rd7 to Chonburi. After the last toll station (Chonburi station), turn left at the exit going to Ban Bueng, which is Rd344. Go on for 10 kilometers, until you reach an intersection. Make a left on Rd3138, go another 20km to meet Rd331. Make a right and look for Rd 3138 again on the left side. I know it sounds crazy because you were just on another Rd3138. Go for another 14kms.

Once you see Rd3245, turn left. Proceed along Rd3245 for another 6km and you will be at Pluakdaeng town center.

When you get to the town center -- check out the detail below.

Kudos to MTB Pluakdaeng 2000. All the pictures courtesy of them. Guys! you sure make it look easy.

[end]

Single Track in Bangkok?

2006-11-09T16:33:00.000+07:00

You're itching to push your bike over soil, not concrete. It's six more days before your next trip to the nearest singletrack. What do you do?

Build!
That's exactly what this team (Deep Salsa) did. In a busy metropolis like Bangkok, is it even possible to find a strip of land large enough to cut some singletracks? It was right under their noses, er under the bridge to be exact.

Under the interchange criss-crossing between the Panasonic plant and Central Plaza (Fashion Island) is a huge idle land. Scattered trees, tall grasses, and rolling landscape - it was like the perfect lump of clay waiting for the master potter's imagination.

And master potters they were indeed. The team was able to cut switchbacks, climbs, and even a deep drop from this property! For city MTB'ers, this is like a dream come true - away from the cars and motorcycles and the nearest to nature that they can get with their bikes in this concrete jungle. With no joggers to worry about, this place is almost like an exclusive mini bike park!

Lights out.
Ready for some challenge? What about night rides. Yep, the team also rides this track at night. The lights from the nearby highway makes it bright enough to ride but also dark enough for some adrenaline pumping action. But if you're planning to go there at night, I seriously suggest to go with at least two buddies. Do not ride alone!

How to Get There
Not so easy if you're coming from outside Bangkok. If you're coming from Chonburi, follow the Route7 Motorway through Bangna/BangPaIn Motorway. Exit the Bangna-BangPain Motorway / Ramkhamheng interchange. The parking lot is across the PANASONIC plant.

For those coming from Bangkok, set your GPS to track Ramkhamhaeng Road The trail is right where it intersects with the Motorway. [Hey, Bruised! If you can give better directions, please add to comments. Thanks!]

Credits.
Props to the DEEP SALSA Team for taking time, building this track, and sharing it with the rest of the biking community. More info can be found here. Thanks also to ThaiMTB, as always.

SPECIAL FEATURE: Bangsaen Bike Week Vol 2

2006-11-08T15:51:00.000+07:00

Following last year's success, November 04 marked the 2nd Annual Bangsaen Bike Week (this year dubbed as Bangsaen Bike Week Vol2). This event is for bikes with engines - yep, no MTB action for this one. Over one thousand motorbikes, hogs, scooters, etc. - mostly from nearby Bangkok and Pattaya - came, saw, and conquered the roads of Chonburi for a day. Seriously, when the parade started, I thought the noise was from a Boeing 747 flying VERY low along the main road!

I will post some pics when I did a walk around the meeting place of the bikers early in the morning and early evening. The website is only in Thai. Fortunately, the clickable links are in English for more bike pictures with some women and a lot of men with long hair and leather jackets.

Parades, mini-concerts, and Miss Bangsaen BikeWeek '06 were just a few of the events featured this year. Very, very strong support from the biker community makes next year's event very promising!

Here are the links to the rest of the lot: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10].

Ok, Bruised is going to kill me now for posting a non-MTB related article. Well, FWIW, BikeWeekVol2 was held the same day as the 3rd Leg of the Eastern MTB Championships at Silverlake.

Downhilling in Pattaya?

2006-11-01T09:40:00.000+07:00

Location: Pattaya Hill, Pattaya, Chonburi, Thailand
Length: Less than 2kms

Pattaya is a very popular destination for tourists in Thailand. Lots of things to do, lots of places to visit. On one side there's the beach where you can just kick back and have some sun. On the other side, there's the mountains overlooking the small city and the bay.

But there's one place in Pattaya that most returning tourists and even the locals do not know about - a downhill trail right under the Pattaya Hill (or Radio Mountain as some people will call it).

Bruised and I featured it one time but only the "XC" trail. This trail is dead but hey Bruised, apparently there's another XC trail over there cut by the downhilling group for us XC'ers. This is for next month's last leg. It should be ready by now! Woooooot!

CraZyGang
The local DH biking group call themselves CraZyGang. This is actually a misnomer since none of the members are nuts and all of them are respectable and responsible members of society -executives, business owners, and topnotch college undergrads. I know some of you will think "elitist" or "snobs". On the contrary, they're one of the friendlier bike groups in Chonburi. These are the guys that ride this trail most weekends.

What's crazy are some of the tracks that they run, just like this one in Pattaya - very fast and extremely furious. In a country where DH is just a baby, going down this hill at 50-60kph on two wheels with no engine is just like having a big red neon sign over your head saying "NUTCASE". Then they'll be surprised when you take of your helmet,"Hey, that's the bank manager!" Ah, the stereotypes that we have to live with - people usually associate DH'ers with long-haired dudes bumming under a tree or by the beach. Us XC'ers are not spared even on our HTs associating us with FR's and Extreme Sports.

The Trail.
The trail takes off right behind the Volkswagen coffee stall. As I've said before, the second XC trail is already in bad shape and only the DH course remains decent so think twice if you're going to bring your hardtail or anything with less than 5inches travel.

These pictures will show that this is a VERY serious DH course. When Bruised and I saw it, we could not believe that people actually go down on a bike on these hills. The tracks were insanely steep. But then I logged on to ThaiMTB and realized that the track is very much alive with activity! The group was there last weekend to check out the track for this year's Pattaya MountainBike Downtown Race on Dec 02.

Beyond the short strip right behind the volks cafe is all down down down. The track is fast and creative crossing pathways and connecting dirt to stairs to dirt again. These crossings are potential hazards since the pathways are used by joggers and bikers, too. Although they seldom come here to jog or bike, it only needs one serious collision between an incoming 590kph Intense and a jogger for the officials to shutdown the track. No warning signs at the crossings so be careful and eyes wide open.

How to get there:
When in Pattaya, just ask the locals for directions to Khao Phra Tamnak. Foreign tourists know this place as Pattaya Hill or Radio Hill. It's overlooking the bay and about 100meters past NipaHut Restaurant.

Trip Value.
Hey, it's right in Pattaya. 'Nuff said.

Credits.

All photos were taken by K. Oo Pattaya CraZyGang (อู๋ พัทยาCraZyGang) who is also a very good DH'er! Thank you, Sir!

*This article is not only to introduce the trail but also to give an idea of the kind of equipment available here. Some people seem to have the impression that Thailand is one big backwards village with buffalos, rice paddies, and smokey markets with boats - just like in the movies.

So yes, we do ride the kind of bikes that you ride, most of us have MTBs under 25lbs, and yes we do wear helmets.

Training Loop in Amata City Rayong

2006-10-24T10:08:00.000+07:00

I found the perfect place to workout during weekdays. As with any other weekend warrior balancing time between job and family, it is always difficult to find any decent pattern to workout within the week.

Of course, i could just hook my bike to the trainer and spend an hour there, but where is the fun in that. On the other hand, if I go outside and commute to work using my bike, distance from my crib to the office is a manageable distance of 37km, I would be totally stressed out from looking over my shoulder watching out for cars zooming past. Both options available but not quite desirable.

I kept on wishing to find an isolated place to do some intervals and incorporate some Fartlek training, on a lonely trail with a nice view ... only to find that it was in front of my nose the whole time (actually its in front of BMW Mfg Thailand where I work).

The place I am referring to is a rainwater reservoir right inside Amata City Rayong. There is a sandy fireroad circling the reservoir with a circumference of 2 kilometers. There is a nice 10-15 degree incline on one section, giving just the right amount of resistance for intervals training.

I try to be there by 6.15 am a couple of times a week at just the right time when the sun has broken out from the horizon. Orange skies, still, 'greenish' water, fresh air, ... isolation. I am done by 7.30am, at which time, I would have gone a distance of 14-16km mixed with some intervals within the laps. A quick shower and I am at my desk checking out the latest sports scores by 8.05am. Minimal disruption to my mundane daily life.

You're welcome to join if you are located within the area.

Race Preview: 3rd Leg MTB Eastern Championship 2006

2006-10-15T11:12:00.000+07:00

Location:
Silverlake Vineyards, Najomtien Sattahip
Roughly 18 kilometers from South Pattaya Rd.

Length:
One loop: 6 kilometers, 50/50 mix sandy flats and loose XC

'B' Category -- 3 rounds
'A' Category -- 4 rounds
Although this is still being contested. Check again on race day, the organisers might realize they still have a heart and change their minds last minute. pls, pls.

How to get there:

From Pattaya:
From South Pattaya, mark your odometers and head further south for 12 km. You will reach Nang Ab Tao - Wad Yan Rd. Turn left. About a 3 kilometers, you will start seeing blue signs directing you to Silverlake Vineyards. Just follow these signposts and you will get there in no time.

From Motorway
Or, coming from Motorway Rd7, just motor on until you reach Rd36 going to Rayong. Turn left on Rd 36. After a few minutes, you will see a 4-way junction. Go down to Rd331 heading Sattahip. On Km161, turn right and then you will start seeing the blue signs directing you to Silverlake Vineyards.

The Pre-ride:

Race 3 of the Thailand MTB Eastern Championship will be three weeks from now. The trail is already marked so we made an early pre-ride.

The race course is inside the Silverlake Vineyards, somewhere 12 kilometers south of Pattaya. The vinyards are situated right beside Khao Chee Chan, which has a huge, huge Buddha figure carved onto a hill face.

Course is a 50/50 mix of wide dirtroad and very fast singletracks.

The most challenging part of the race is a gruelling long hill climb. Roughly 300 meters long on a steep rocky loose surface, this is likely the defining point which separates who will struggle and who will breeze through the race. Wetsprocket decided to hammer it out, he got past halfway before turning the white flag. I, on the other hand, decided early that I could not make it, and carried my bike uphill.

Downhill is the next up on the menu, again on sandy rocky road. Recent rains have formed some rain ruts so one has to ride loose but careful.

Then another short climb on a grassy singletrack. This is the second and last significant climb. And its all downhill from here.

There is a small steep section which is easy but tricky. At the bottom, it curves out as soon as you reach your fastest speed. Watch it as there is a small tree at the bottom. Really, I should not be telling you this because you would then be watching out for it. You know the golden rule of riding, 'if you keep starin at it then you will definitely hit it'. The organisers were considerate enough to carve some steps going down if you want to go the hiking way.

Uh-uh. One other small, small thing. This steep section is surrounded by trees and quite dark. Just before you reach this point though, you are showered in very very bright sunlight. When you hit this hole, it takes you awhile to get your eyes accustomed to the change. A few seconds sure, but being a short steep section, you would need to react quickly.

Its all fast downhill after this section. Very, very fast. Without doing anything, my bike computer is reading out 30km per hour just letting Mother Earth do all the work with her all-encompassing gravity. You will come out of it directly into the vinyards.

Its just then a series of turns within the vinyards. Nothing fancy, all flats. You will eventually reach the start/stop point from hereon.

The course is just a bit under 6 kilometers. Short, sweet and very fast.

Setup

On the bike setup, choice of tires figure to be important strategic part of the race.

Find something that can hurdle the rocky loose surface on the long hillclimb, but can be quick on the flat sections, which is packed sandy roads.

I used a Specialized FastTrack Pro on the pre-ride and was happy with it. My buddy WetSprocket used a GEAX Mezcal 1.90. It gave up on him during the climb, spinning out a couple of times on the uphill. On the other hand, he was pretty quick on the flats. So find the best compromise tires you can. Local bike shop might have a few suggestions.

Some more details on this ThaiMTB link:
[Link]

Race Report: 2nd Leg MTB Eastern Championships '06

2006-10-11T09:40:00.000+07:00

"To be a cyclist is to be a student of pain....at cycling's core lies pain, hard and bitter as the pit inside a juicy peach. It doesn't matter if you're sprinting for an Olympic medal, a town sign, a trailhead, or the rest stop with the homemade brownies. If you never confront pain, you're missing the essence of the sport. Without pain, there's no adversity. Without adversity, no challenge. Without challenge, no improvement. No improvement, no sense of accomplishment and no deep-down joy. Might as well be playing Tiddly-Winks." -- Scott Martin

Location: Pluakdaeng, Rayong
Date: 07 October 06
Race Type: XC
Course Type: Singletrack, mostly soil and mud. Very steep climbs with technical downhills.

I was very excited about this one since this is my first race after 9 years of being literally off-the-saddle. I was also with Bruce on the last one 9 years ago so, yeah, we go a long way. Fast-forward to the present - a couple of beer bellies, a wife, and a kid later (not necessarily in THAT order) - we found ourselves in a familiar atmosphere, ready (or not?) to jump-start the long-idled heart and muscles.

Plus we get to see a lot of cool bikes. I know I couldn't win this even if I wanted to. I mean, just look at these guys. They look like they can finish this course even with me on their backs! Nah, I'd be just chasing that life-long dream of completing something, like finishing a race.

The race started late so Bruce and I had time to walk around and mingle with the rest of the guys in tight spandex and skull guards. The quiet town of Pluakdaeng was transformed into a mini-bike village - serfs going about on their iron-horses, bazaars with merchants vending their wares, blacksmiths tending the injured beasts. There was a tent setup for a mini-market selling stuff from scarves to complete bike sets.

Men in orange overalls were all over the place. These guys overlooked the checkpoints and medivac. Obviously, this event was not shorthanded in terms of staff. They were everywhere except the race course which told us that the race was again delayed for another hour.

A liter of water (IT WAS HOT AND HUMID!) and a couple of speeches later, the race was under way. Race pictures can be found here and here. I don't have any because 1) I thought I won't have time to stop and take pictures along the way (which I was very wrong) and 2) Bruce decided to be press at the finish line. Well, that's one motivation - I had to cross the finish line at least once or else I won't have a racing picture to show the wife when I get home.

Like I said, it was hot and humid so what better way to start the course than put the first kilometer under the shades of rubber trees? The track around these trees can be very confusing and we had to pay attention to the arrows and look for the Orange-and-Yellow guys with walkie-talkies.

Before we started to feel comfortable under the shade, bam! there it was, 3 kilometers of clearing where the tallest vegetation we can see were cattail-like grass about shoulder-high (on a bike). Nothing but grass under the blazing afternoon sun! I thought,"I'll be ok". I was well hydrated with 1.5liters of water a day for 2 weeks. This induced confidence was short-lived when my hand reached for the water bottle after the first climb, 500 meters before we entered the woods! I looked at my computer just to confirm what was happening - 4kilometers out, 8kilometers more, and I was ready to bonk out! Let's see, how many B5's did I already pass? Four? And how many were in B5? 35. Damn. Swoosh! There goes another guy from B6. Double damn.

The fast downhill before the entrance to the woods was like a mad rush to escape the midday tropical heat, emphasis on MIDDAY and HEAT. To think that the course will welcome us in the shade with a nice flowing singletrack was an illusion, probably heat-induced. In reality, what lay before us was a 100-meter climb on sticky soil with a 50-degree incline. As if on cue, everyone dismounted and pushed hard.

Upon reaching the top, we mounted but only to dismount again after seeing what the descent looked like - a downhill singletrack fit for a pro! So off the bike again and down. This went on for the next 2 to 3 kilometers with places to actually mount on the bike and pedal few and far in-between. Very steep climbs and very demanding descents. A few strong groups attempted to pedal the climbs only to dismount because of the other bikers slowly pushing their bikes uphill.

Exit from the woods opened to a wide pinapple plantation. Great, another sunbathe. At least I will finally be on my bike instead of beside it. Surprisingly, the flats after the ups-and-downs of the woods was very fast! I was zooming past the field and in between the rubber trees at warp speed, almost pacing the A-Class starfighter that passed me at warp speed earlier.

The last kilometer of the course was a pain. It was a zigzag technical track near the start-finish line with LOTS of people watching. Murphy must have been wide awake that day and amongst the crowd, looking at me, perhaps, and murmuring something about a crash. And crash I did - at a switchback right after another A-Class cruiser sneaked on the inside. I slowed down to let him pass and race, which I did perfectly. What I did not realize was the sharp switchback up ahead. I slowed down some more, came to a complete stop, did not unclip on-time, and fell down like a tree - which I also did perfectly.

Medic! What? No medic? No press? With my head close to the ground, I can almost hear the distant rumblings of tires fast approaching. Oh shit, more A-class incoming! The thought of tires and metal going over me was a welcome stimulus, the pain went away and I was on my bike not a moment too soon.

One lap down, one more to go. I felt I still had enough reserves to finish the race in a decent position other than last - I later learned that about half of the racers in B5-class fell after the first lap - so I pushed on. So on to the tarmac, into the rubber tree forest, and out to the grass field averaging 20kph. I was careful not to burn all my matches before entering the woods. It was already late in the afternoon and the Sun-God was still unrelenting.

And then the unthinkable. Three kilometers out, I was flagged by one of the Orange sentries. He said he had to take my number and I was being disqualified for missing a checkpoint. WTF? Realizing that it will take more than my boyish charms to persuade the guy for letting me continue, even if I had to backtrack to the checkpoint that I missed, I removed my tag and went back to the start-finish line.

It was over. Destroyed by the elements and blinded by my lack of experience, I not only missed the checkpoint but the realization of my goal as well. A while ago, I can almost hear Greg LeMond biting my ear saying "It never gets easier, you only go faster" egging me during the long, fast stretches. In the end, it was Scott Martin who accompanied me on my way back to the start-finish line. It will be a while before this pain goes away, 24 days in fact when the 3rd leg goes underway.

Safety First: Mountain Biking Injuries

2006-10-05T15:47:00.000+07:00

I found this on the web.

OFF ROAD MOUNTAIN BIKING is now an extremely popular recreation and a potent cause of serious injury. To establish the morbidity associated with this sport, data were collected prospectively over one year on all patients presenting with an injury caused by either recreational or competitive off road mountain biking.

Eighty four patients were identified, 70 males and 14 females, with a mean age of 22.5 years (range 8?71). Most accidents occurred during the summer months, most commonly in August. Each patient had an average of 1.6 injuries (n = 133) and these were divided into 15 categories, ranging from minor soft tissue to potentially life threatening. Operative intervention was indicated for 19 patients (23%) and several required multiple procedures.

The commonest injuries were clavicle fractures (13%), shoulder injuries (12%), and distal radial fractures (11%). However, of a more sinister nature, one patient had a C2/3 dislocation requiring urgent stabilization, one required a chest drain for a hemo-pneumothorax, and another required an emergency and life saving nephrectomy.

Always be careful out there!

[Link]

Race Preview: 2nd Leg - MTB Eastern Championship 2006

2006-10-04T11:19:00.000+07:00

The second leg of the MTB Eastern Championship 2006 will be held this coming October 7 at Pluakdaeng, Rayong.

The next leg will be on Nov 4 at Silverlake Grape Farm at Najomtien Sattahip Chonburi and the fourth and final leg will be on Dec 9 at the Pattaya Bali High Sea Wharf.

To get to the second leg: here is the link to the get to the place (if you can read Thai).

According to this map, if you are coming from Bangkok, take the Motorway Rd7 to Chonburi. After the last toll station (Chonburi station), turn left at the exit going to Ban Bueng, which is Rd344. Go on for 10 kilometers, until you reach an intersection. Make a left on Rd3138, go another 20km to meet Rd331. Make a right and look for Rd 3138 again on the left side. I know it sounds crazy because you were just on another Rd3138. Go for another 14kms.

Once you see Rd3245, turn left. Proceed along Rd3245 for another 6km and you will be at Pluakdaeng town center. The map claims that you have to proceed to the Town Hall (left at the only traffic light) and the registration point should be there.

I went there earlier today (today is Wednesday) to check out the area. All I saw were banners on a Buffalo Race this week. Well, I hope there is really a MTB race this saturday. I would look funny with my cycling gears on, riding a cud-chewing buffalo this weekend.

The course is roughly 12km long with lots of climbs and downhill sections. The A category will go 3 rounds while the B category will have to go 2 rounds.

Registration starts at 9am. Unconfirmed reports say you have to shell out 300THB to register. Hopefully you get something to take home with that. A water bottle, maybe?

If what i have heard about this course is true, then this is an ongoing series of ups and downs. Many describe it as fun with many switchbacks on the downhills. It is fun, of course, if you have the stamina and strength to climb on the numerous hills.

Pictures of the different sections of the course: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20.

From the pictures, you can see that I was not kidding when I described it as a neverending up and down. Overtaking can be done on the flat sections and there are a couple of them at the start and near the end of the course. So bring on that explosive sprinting ability to be used on these sections. Other than that, its just keeping with the main pack on most section of the course.

All pictures courtesy of Pluakdaeng Club 2000. Here is their link.
[Link]

Trail Tales: Bruised Knee the Prophet

2006-10-03T15:08:00.000+07:00

Location: KhaoKeow - PongDingDum Loop, Sriracha, Chonburi

The Plan: The original plan was to go with a local group but I was slow going to the meeting point so me and Bruised Knee decided to burst our lungs climbing KhaoKeow and hurt ourselves descending PongDingDum.

The Do: Meeting point was at the Zoo Gate, 7.30am sharp. Right. The weather was pleasant and we rolled out quickly to catch the low clouds near the summit.

We started out with a liesurely pace, even telling jokes about the animals we see along the way. And then BAM! the 70-ish degree climb hit us in the face like a wall. Memories of our first trip here on two wheels came back as the air on our lungs went out.

We rested halfway. This is the last serious climb on this loop. The only thing that kept our legs going is the promise of the Weeee! XC downhill on the return trip behind the mountain.

The moment's rest seemed to have been a blessing in disguise when we met a group of riders going in the OPPOSITE direction! We were sitting on the side of the road catching our breath when the rode by. I cringe at the thought of seeing these guys going down at warp speed on the narrow trail near the summit while me and Bruised are slowly hammering uphill.

This is the case on most of the trails around here, bikers going in opposite directions on a trail. I saw the signs even in Tam PraToon where the markers seem to indicate that the Dirtbikes who frequent the trail go in the opposite direction as the MTB'ers. Me and Bruised once saw 4x4's emerging from the TestTrack Loop's trailhead while we were ENTERING it!

After a little bit more of pain and suffering, we reached the summit.

The Check: The view up there was great! You can see most of Sriracha - Mt Chalak, Sichang Island, Sriracha. We caught the low clouds and the cool air made for a nice refreshing reward after the hard climb a few moments ago. Better still, it's all downhill from there!

While getting ready, the prophet Bruised Knee asked "What causes a chain to break? I've heard that a lot of MTB'ers experience this on (and off) the trails."

"I don't know man. Maybe because [insert stupid idea here] ." I've had good mileage on my bike thus far and the worst thing that has ever happened to me in the wild was a bent hanger. (The second worst was a snakebite during my daily commute but that was on asphalt and with a phone signal so that doesn't count.)

The Action: After the first DH which rolls out into a nice flat singletrack before the next slope, guess what? my chain broke. So what do you do in a situation like this?

"Holy sh*t Bruised! Look at my chain!"

Silence.

"Quick! Pick a number, let's get out of here and buy a lottery ticket before you're fortune-telling heat gets cold. Or say something about my rear der, I've been wanting to buy the '07 XT to match my ano frame."

After the whole thing has sunk in, we began to move around looking for the broken links. Our eyes were still (very) sharp (btw Bruise, the doctor WAS wrong) enough to find them a few meters back. We weren't engineers for nothing, no sir, so we actually TRIED to fix the damned thing using only best tools that we have for the job - rocks. That's right, we don't have the whatchamacalit tool to fix a broken chain. We do have a tire patch kit (each), spare tubes (each), and a multitool which we carry everytime but we never, ever had a flat in the wild.

We never finished the return DH and I had to push my bike over the first slope to go back to the gate the way we came.

I say, next time we carry one of those chain tools and leave the patch kits behind to see if how jinxed we really are.

Trip Report: Doi Angkhang, Fang, Chiangmai

2006-09-20T00:30:00.001+07:00

Location:
Angkhang Nature Resort
Doi Angkhang, Fang, Chiangmai

Trail Length: ranging from 25km to 80km, mostly asphalt with some dirt roads

Jump-off point:
Starting point is at the Angkhang Nature Resort. This resort is part of the Amari hotel chains - so you will get great rooms, great facilities at 4-star prices. Expect to shell out 100$ US per night. There are other places nearby at backpacker prices (25-40$ per night) though the facilities are quite basic.

The Trip
At the resort, you could get a map outlining bike routes. There are a number ranging from fun rides to the serious 75km loop which goes down Angkhang mountain, go thru Amphur Fang and then up again on the other side of the mountain via Tambol Mae Ngon.

We arrived at 3 in the afternoon. It was 20 degrees Celsius. Wow. For someone spending time in Bangkok and Pattaya, I do not get that often. I was shivering and my teech were ch-ch-chattering by the time I got out of the car and into the reception desk.

There are mountain bikes at the resort for rent or you could bring your own.

The rentals are not so hot though. Just regular ones and not well maintained. They probably asked the head chef to bring back a couple of mountain bikes when he was out doing his daily runs to the market. The bikes are really, really low end. Tires are worn out. I made a quick look at the V-brake and saw that the brake shoe was still there. I guess that should be good enough. Do not even think of lubrication or adjustments, somehow just be glad that all the parts are there when you get a rented one. I wish I brought my own bike.

Still, the minute you go out of the resort and head into the mountains -- you do not even really care that the bike is all rusty and rickety, or that the chains skip a beat, or the gears continually get stuck. You forget all that because the view is so breathtaking, the atmosphere is just awesome! Heck, I would even have carried my bike just to be here.

The ride is a 70-30 mix of asphalt roads and dirt roads. The dirt roads are packed and solid so it is pretty easy going. It is pretty hilly. The road curves and follows the terrain ever so gently, so in a minute it could be a short uphill and then a sloping downhill after it.

I left my room at 630am in the morning. It was so cold, I could see mist forming from my breath. The air is crisp, fresh but very thin. For one not used to it, I felt out of breath and was breathing heavily in just a few minutes of pedalling. Maybe in a few days of being here, my body could get adjusted to the thin mountain air.

Bring some sort of eye protection. I was thankful I brought along my goggles. There are a lot of insects flying about, so you need some protection to shield your eyes from small insects.

Follow the asphalt road leading away from the resort. You will pass by a bonsai farm and a vegetable plantation garden sponsored by the King's Royal Project. Scenes of serenity abound - farmer watering the plants, hill tribe people strutting about, green trees swaying in the wind and oh! so pretty gardens line the road.

Bring your camera. Take pictures. Take lots of pictures.

After a couple of kilometers, the asphalt road gives way to a dirt road and the road is now progressively sloped up. You will eventually come across a parking lot, heading into a medium sized teak house. I chatted with the caretakers and they say the Royal Family stops by from time to time in this place when they are in Doi Angkhang.

Again, the view from this place is awesome.

After a few minutes break, I decided to ride on up the road. I met someone in a motorbike and asked where the road was headed. To another town 11km up ahead was the answer. Seems reasonable, but my lungs felt they were about to burst. I was getting light-headed already so I decided today was an off-day and headed back. I blame the thin air today.

If I was game, then that would have been 25km back and forth on a decent dirt road. Oh well, maybe next time.

On my way back, I stopped at a small market where hilltribes people were selling their wares. I wanted to buy a trinket or two, but on hearing the price, I decided to buy everyone I know two or three. It was so cheap! and the old lady was so happy I bought so much it felt really good.

I got back to the resort just in time for breakfast. Hmm-mm ... bacon, scrambled eggs and a hot coffee after a morning workout. Perfect.

Trip Value
After Doi Angkhang, me and my friends drove up to the famed Golden Triangle, the point where Laos, Burma and Thailand met each other. This place is infamous, as this was where the opium smuggling and drug trade of a few years back were quite rampant. Now, its just a tourist spot filled with shops and restaurants, overlooking a wide-brown river.

I guess the trip is more for bragging rights to friends on being able to go to the Golden Triangle. So we each took our pictures to earn our bragging rights, had a nice lunch beside the river and headed on to Chiangrai, where we stayed the night.

The trip from Doi Angkhang to the Golden Triangle took a little over an hour and from GT to Chiangrai took a couple of hours.

How to get there
See this map from Amari.

Trip Report: Crystal Bay (Short) XC Track

2006-09-18T18:59:00.000+07:00

Location: Bang Phra, Sriracha, Chonburi
Trip Distance: 18kms (2kms XC+16kms tarmac)
Start/Finish: Bang Phra Reservoir Parking Lot

**I found this track by chance on my way back home from my trip last Sunday. This can actually be combined with the first loop at WatKhaoPu for a nice 38km overall weekend fix!

End of the Road. After having my weekend dose of XC fix thanks to WatKhaoPu, I decided to do some exploring on my way back home. Instead of going straight to the BangPhra market intersection and to Sukhumvit (Route3), I turned right after the railroad crossing at BangPhra. I know this road because I used to go here by car but never got any chance or reason to go past the BangPhra railroad station.

To my surprise, the tarmac ends behind the station and it was all mud, grass, and puddles onwards! I saw some tire marks, probably motorcycle, so this road should lead to somewhere my bike can handle, right?

It was all straight, rough, and muddy road with some deep puddles but nothing that my bike can't handle or go around. There are farmlands to my left, between the tracks and Route3. The railroad track is elevated about 10feet to my right.

At the end of this road is a small opening upwards to the railroad track. I decided to dismount and check the tracks first for oncoming train and went back to push my to the gravel and iron.
PAY ATTENTION around here for trains, especially on railroad crossings since there isn't the usual road block with lights and bells for warnings on oncoming locomotives!

I went right to cross the first intersection, followed the dirt road down and turn left to cross the railroad intersection again about 500 meters from where I emerged from the XC road.

Turning right after the second intersection led to an easy two-way tarmac with short coconut trees lined on the left side of the road.

There is an fork less than a kilometer from the coconut trees. I was told by a kind local folk that straigh ahead leads to NongMon bypass and left leads to Crystal Bay golf course. To the left of the fork, by the way, is a small gate to the Mountain Shadow golf course.

Crystal Clear. I was headed for Route3 (Sukhumvit) and wanted more dirt and mud on my bike so I turned left. A few meters ahead is another dirt road to the right which offered an alternative, parallel, and dirty route to NongMon bypass.

Then I noticed that the guard at the rear gate of Crystal Bay was looking at me. He shouted,"Where are you going?" I said Sukhumvit. He said, you can go right through here. "But that leads to the golf course", I said. "Yep, but it's ok for you to ride through. Just follow pathway along the left wall. That should lead you to Sukhumvit."

"You sure the golfers won't mind?"

"Yep."

I was dirty. My bike was dirty. I'm not yet exhausted and I've never been inside this golf course before. I was running out of reasons NOT to go in so I thanked the guy, back on my saddle, and went forward just like the man said.

He was right. The golfers didn't mind me at all. They just went on with their business over the green, putting the golf (finally) into the hole. Well, some of them and the caddies gave the occasional glance since I looked SO out of place in this VERY green and VERY clean playground.

It was so tempting to go fast in this place. Past the club house, the golf carts, and the tri-condos, I was out in Route3, left going back to BangPhra and right to Bangsaen beach.

Trip Report: WatKhaoPu MOD 1

2006-09-18T11:54:00.000+07:00

Location: Bangphra, Sriracha, Chonburi
Trip Distance: 20kms
Start/Finish: BangPhra Reservoir Parking Lot

Jumpoff Point: This loop starts and ends at the BangPhra Reservoir parking lot. Reasons why I usually recommend this place for starting/finishing a loop around this area are that it's guarded, nice breeze from reservoir/lake nearby, and excellent broiled chicken and thai kebabs across the street. Yum! Again, my map shows this start/finish point at the Reservoir instead of my house.

Fresh Marks. One thing about making plans is that they can always change, unexpectedly, in the last minute. Our group ride was cancelled so I decided to do a time trial on the trail I found last week.

A couple of minutes into the track, I noticed tire marks on the ground. It rained the day before so the tires made a clear impression. It didn't occur to me how fresh they were but something tells me that I was going to find soon.

Past the first clearing I saw them - two bikers one hundred meters ahead of me. One of them was wearing a yellow jersey which stood out against the thick green grass which lined the sides of the trail. I did not want to catch up with them so I decided to stop and give two minutes distance between us. After that I moved on and just to make sure that I won't catch up, I checked out the side trails I noticed last week.

These side trails made for some interesting mini-loops of slow uphill and fast, winding downhills to keep things interesting with two spotting places for small jumps.

Slow Down. Back on the main trail, I spotted the same group of bikers I saw earlier. It turned out that there were six of them. I thought they stopped to rest. As I got closer, I noticed that the one who was on a Giant XTC FS was having a mechanical. The rest of the guys were on HTs.

I said Hello! and they almost jumped when they saw me coming. I would have gone past them when the guy on the FS said "Hey slow down and join us!" I was a bit hesitant at first because I don't want to play catch-up with these guys who look like seasoned riders. But one of them had a problem with his bike so that should slow him down a bit, right? SO I figured, what the hell and said OK.

KungFu MOD1. Another minute or so, we were back on the trail. The previous night's rain made for some deep puddles and loose, slippery ground. I was riding at the back, murmuring (to my bike and myself) "Don't crash, don't crash, don't crash". The sixth man occasionally looked back to see where I was only to see me 4-5 feet behind. I looked at my computer and saw that we were running close to 20kph, splashing through mud and puddles.

Approaching DETAIL A, instead of going straight, the group made a sharp turn to the right, to a steep uphill along the bamboo line. Lots of rocks on this moderate climb.

And it's all downhill from there, go to warp speed if you can. Please don't forget that this is still a graveyard so respect it and resist the urge to huck it over the mounds!

Trip Report: BangPhra Reservoir to Wat PaKhaoPhu

2006-09-12T14:58:00.000+07:00

Location: Bang Phra, Sriracha, Chonburi
Trip Distance: 20kms (10kms asphalt/tarmac, 10kms dirt)
Start/Finish: Bang Phra Reservoir Parking lot

Jumpoff Point: The trail starts at point marked Detail A on the map from a 10km "warmup" ride on asphalt with very, very light traffic. The jumpoff is blocked by a makeshift gate to prevent light vehicles such as motorcycles and small 4x4 trucks from entering.

LAZY SUNDAY. Our group trip was cancelled for reasons only known to God himself so instead of spending the rest of the day playing DOTA, I decided to get off my ass and on my bike and look for the trail I've read in one of the threads at the Thai MTB forum.

Obviously, my trip started at my house at nearby Bangsaen. But for those of you who are interested in checking out this trail, I've marked the Start/Finish point at the Bang Phra Reservoir parking lot. Exit the parking lot, turn right at the gate and then turn left at the T-intersection with the golf course to your right.

This road leads to an intersection marked DETAIL_B in the map. Turning left leads to a road very much under construction for about 600 meters. Lots of dust and gravel. Not much traffic but this should change once the road is finished as this road leads to Route 7 Motorway going to Bangkok.

Roughly 2kms from the intersection is a fork marked DETAIL_C in the map. Straight ahead will eventually lead to Route7 Motorway, turning right leads to the jumpoff point. I was chased by a very BIG dog from the house near this fork. The mountain is on the right side of the road. There are some trails leading to the mountain before the jumpoff which I'm sure leads to somewhere.

KEEP OUT?
Past the meditation center and rock quarry, I noticed the sheet gate to the right which matched the description and photos in the forum. I dismounted and carried my bike through the gap on the right side of the gate. Saddled, prayed, and off I went into the unknown.

The trail mostly fireroad with short singletrack sections. I can tell that it has been unused for quite some time by the thick grass unchecked on the sides and some vegetation reclaiming the packed soil on the trail. I did not bring eye protection so I had to shield my face from the thick grass early on. I occasionaly made loud clicking noises with my hand brakes to warn sleepy unsuspecting snakes.

I also noticed signs of alternate routes on the side of the track which shows that there was once a network of trails here for different levels of skills and fitness. I decided to go straight ahead, one exploration at a time.

BIG BREAK!
Beyond the trees and thick grass is a clearing overlooking Route7 Motorway. The sky looks very unfriendly. A ride on an unused trail in the rain sounds VERY inviting but not today, no sir.

I turned right with the Motorway on my left and the mountain on my right. This leads to a fork marked DETAIL_D on the map. I think the right path leads to the mountain trail. Mental note to bring machete next time and clear this path which I heard was once a competition race track.

ARROWS GENTLEMEN!
Then finally, a sign! Whew! I'm now officially un-lost. The sign is one of the familiar markers left by MTB groups from the popular LBS's here in Chonburi. Most of the trails around here are marked by these and I expect to see some more ahead and around the corner.

There are also no no entry markers indicating either housing/settlement, grazing field,bike hazard, or don't-cut-this-tree-dumbass!. Since I'm biking alone, I figured the locals wouldn't mind, I can outrun the cows, can always dismount, and am without an axe. I also forgot the symbol for mine field so I just ignored the sign and went ahead.

Sure enough, the trail is littered with these markers which I'm not sure were placed to help or confuse the rider. The markers are almost always nailed on trees and coconuts. They will almost always be behind thick vegetation and grass.

Then a pineapple field with real pineapples! A few more weeks and these babies will be ready for the picking and this field will be filled with the stench of rotten fruit and fruit flies.

WHERE ARE THE VILLAGE PEOPLE?
After couple more of confusing trail marks and through no entry X's, I found what used to be a settlement for a group of charcoal makers:

What used to be an area filled with, I guess, smoke and scraps of wood remains black soot and signs of human habitation. Old toys and makeshift chicken cages left behind to show that people once lived here. Watch a short video of this place here

Upon reaching the next fork Detail E in the map, I felt something was terribly wrong with my bag when it finally gave in to the abuse I've been giving it. I had to tie it with my handkerchief and constantly remind myself not to get carried away riding the rest of the track and unknowingly lose everything like a gingerbread trail behind me.

To the right of the fork Detail_F leads to sugarcane fields (and maybe a link to that racetrack) but I decided to make my damaged bag as an excuse to end this trip quickly, ignore that route, and go straight.

EXIT PLAN.
A little bit of exploration at Detail G rewarded me with a very short burst of adrenaline downhilling to a small pond and eventually a dead end. That reward was generously returned when I hammered my bike uphill back to the main route.

A few more turns and up front I could see the Chinese Cemetery. So much for night riding here for me. Some graves have already been dug to make way to new tenants. This view is totally in contrast to the one opposite the cemetery. The mounds on the foreground are Chinese graves (or freeride jumps, depending on where and how you look at it). The mountain on the backdrop is a part of the range surrounding Khao Keow. There should be a trail around there somewhere!

Straight ahead and around the undertakers' cabins is just dirt road used by vehicles going in and out of the cemetery. There are people walking around doing their business of offering flowers to their beloved.

Unlike the confusing markers on the trail, the markers on this VERY wide dirt road were VERY clear and consistently pointing at the same direction. Seems like everybody knows how to get out of this place and would like to share that information. I wonder how many bikers have already been misled by these outdated markers only to get lost in the network of tracks beyond the graveyard and into the woods?

Fitness Level.
Beginners to "Occasional" Weekend Warriors. The first leg of the trip on asphalt can burn you out if you're not fit or not careful.

Technicality.
None. This is definitely Beginners-Build-Your-Endurance Level. This loop can cheer up a lot of people from those who are breaking-in their new bikes, son-and-dad trip outdoors, or speed-freaks looking for a bit of a cross-country fix.

Trip Value.
Hungry? No problemo, Bangsaen and NongMon market is less than 20 minutes away to the north and Sriracha is around the same distance away to the south. Drop by the beach, get a shuteye if you're tired or wake up that triathlete in you and do a few strokes. Richard talks more about Bangsaen Beach in his blog.

Aside from food, both these places (Sriracha and Bangsaen) have other places of interests such as movie theaters, shopping plazas, and a marine museum...among other things.

Trail Review: Chonburi, Banglamung -- Tam Pratoon

2006-08-30T10:19:00.000+07:00

Challenging and fun, this course has the complete package ... thats why everyone is flocking to it.

Location: Khao Mai Gaew Reservoir, Banglamung, Chonburi

Trail Length: 11km (long loop), 7km (short loop)

Jump-off Point:
Starting from the parking lot, you head into a small fireroad on the left side of the reservoir. A couple of hundred meters and you will see a singletrack heading away to the right. Get in, and you're on!

The Trail:
As this is a popular destination, direction arrows litter the trail. You will also observe that there are signs with orange and red triangles. These signs indicate that the trail is a mountain bike trail (orange triangle) or a motocross trail (red triangle)!? Or is it the other way around?

First up will be a curvy singletrack alternately ascending and descending. The track is sandy and loose on a sunny day, but hard and rut-lined if there had been recent rains. This section will get you nicely-warmed up. Watch out for loose sand on the curves.

Abruptly, you will come across a crudely constructed wooden gate. Keep it always closed, even if you find it wide-open when you get there. Reason is that there are domesticated cows in the area and the gate prevents them from wandering into the vegetable patches that litter the area. You dont want to meet an angry farmer on your next ride - keep the gate closed.

Again, curves and zigzags, but this time slightly ascending and full of tree roots. Yep, at this time you should have worked out quite a sweat and should be starting to get tired from lifting your handlebars over roots. Its wise to set the front suspension to a softer setting and the tire pressure on the soft side.

Take particular attention to tree roots on quick switchbacks, make sure that you have landed squarely on the other side of the root before you jerk the handles to change directions. Change directions too quickly and you might land awkwardly on your front tires.

After this zigzag-gy section, you will then arrive at a narrow long, long and steep uphill. This is the first uphill section and easily separates who has been good during the week and who has been spending too much nights partying.

Dont worry, rest area up ahead. At the top of this long climb, the trail forks to the right and left. Trail to the right is hardly used and is very technical. At most times, its just too unkempt to ride in. At certain times of the year, somebody cleans up the trail, cuts the undergrowth and can be used.

The trail to the left is the more traveled one. Head to this one. Dont forget to change settings of front fork to downhill mode, as this is a long semi-steep descent. For most, this is the fun section .

At the bottom, watch out for rain ruts running parallel to the road, as your front tires could get caught in them. Cruise along until you reach a dark patch of forest.

Again, you will reach a fork up ahead. Fork to the right is a short cut, while the one on the left leads to a eucalyptus forest. Very nice and otherwordly. Just to see this section makes it worth the extra kilometers. Any forks on the trail that you see, just take right turns. Direction arrows will also guide you on this part. There will be an 'X' to tell you where not to go.

Next up, would be two succeeding uphill climbs with a short downhill between them. Curvy and steep, the uphill climbs are quite a mental challenge. Grit your teeth, give your quadriceps a huge pep talk and start working.

Most riders would go at it until the 3rd peak, and then take a short breather. There is a short clearing which is cool and shady. Find a good spot to rest and be familiar with the place. You will definitely come to stop here on future trips to tam pratoon.

From here, its all downhill -- Yay! Not quite. The downhill section is strewn with boulders and quite steep. Very scenic, but who can enjoy the view while watching out for rocks on the trail. Rain ruts also add to the difficulty. Keep to the left, if in doubt. The best lines are normally on the left side of the trail. Add a bit of caution when riding through this section.

At the foot of the hill, it is all easy-going from here on. Still twisting and turning, just follow the singletrack and then suddenly, you find yourself on the same parking lot that you left. Wow, at this time, that would seem ages ago. Go sit down and rest on the pavilion and think about the ride. Give it a few minutes, you might want to have another go.

This time, look at the scenery. It is really beautiful.

Fitness Level:
You should be fit if you want to tackle this course in one go. The uphill climbs, there are 3 of them, would definitely humble you.

Technicality:
This course is a technical one. There are a lot of switchbacks - alternating both uphill and downhill. And there are a lot of tree roots across the trail. Can be slippery especially after a monsoon rain. The roots make it harder to climb, and make it tricky on the short descents.

Be careful on the quick turns, as the roots make your front wheel 'jumpy' and lose grip as you change directions. I know its basic stuff, but keep both your hands firmly on the handlebars and your concentration fixed. Add to that some loose sand and you will lose control of your ride rather quickly if you start daydreaming.

Tires should be a bit soft from what you are normally accustomed to lessen the jarring on the front tires.

On the descents, beginners would balk and think twice on these, especially on the third and last one. This is a long steep descent littered with big boulders. If its your first try, be conservative and learn the best lines to take, as picking a bad line could easily send you flying over the handlebars.

Trip value:
Being half an hour drive to Pattaya, need I say more? A day on the beach, beer on the evening till 2am -- you probably know more about it than i do.

How to Get There:
If you are coming from Bangkok, take the Motorway (Rd.7) and follow this until you reach Kratinglai Junction, which is the huge cloverleaf splitting the road heading to Pattaya and to Rayong. Take the left turn to Rayong (Rd.36) and begin to slow down. About 1.5km from the junction, turn left Rd.3240.

Travel about 6km into Rd.3240, and you will arrive at a small country road with a big colorful sign beside it (if you arrive at a 4-way intersection with traffic lights, you'd have missed it and need to backtrack now. Dont lose your cool now, just make a U-turn on the PTT gas station. Its 900 meters from the intersection, but now its on your right side).

Turn left into the country road and about 500 meters, you will arrive at a big garden and a parking lot beside a medium sized reservoir. Make a sigh of relief and get ready to have fun!

[end]

Trail Review: Chonburi, Sriracha PongDingDum TestTrack

2006-08-29T11:48:00.000+07:00

Location: Sriracha, Chonburi
Trail Length: 10kms
The Trail: Double track with a short singletrack near the end of the loop. Lots of loose rocks on downhill sections, rain ruts on some corners.

Jumpoff is at the parking lot of the abandoned sand quarry in the PongDingDum reservoir about 1km past the Golf Course. Vehicles can be parked here or in front of KhaoKeaw Zoo for a nice, refreshing 3km warmup.

The trail is mostly fireroad, jeep and motorbike trails used by pineapple farmers, with a very easy downhill singletrack from Apex2. CAUTION: the trail marked in yellow in the map above is also used by 4x4 truck drivers, there are no trail markers, and there will be the occasional mountain bikers going in the opposite direction so pay attention when approaching blind turns.

Easy grind uphill from the takeoff point is quickly rewarded by a fast, straight downhill A. Watch out for loose fist-sized rocks. Take a left at the fork at the base and follow the fireroad.

There is a 3m-wide, 1m-deep gap as you approach Apex1. The workaround is at the left side of the gap and you may have to dismount and carry your bike. If you think you can jump your way across, don't forget to take a pic or a vid and post it here because we'd like to see you nail this one.

Not far from Apex 1 is the Pineapple Field. Enjoy the sunlight and DO NOT mess with the crops.

As you exit the field, follow the track which goes downhill towards the hairpin to a moderate climb to Apex3. Not very steep so go ahead, flex your muscles and mash.

Easy flowing track follows with VERY tall and VERY sharp blades of grass on both sides esp. during the rainy months (July - October). TIP: Wear eye protection; insects will be literally on-your-face thanks to your buddies riding up front. Pictures here were taken last summer so the grass are mostly dead, burnt, and dry.

There is a VERY steep, 50m climb before Apex2. Lots of loose rocks on the center and towards the left of the track so keep right. Ground is a bit loose even during the wet season so pay attention decide to get off the saddle and hammer.

At the top of Apex2, turn right to the wide grassy field to a short downhill singletrack. At the end of this trail is a T-section - right leads you back to the loop, left leads you out around the reservoir and back to the parking lot.

Fitness level: Beginners. You can pretty much zoom through this in no time following the clockwise route or you can challenge yourself and go the opposite.

Trip value: Near one of the better places to find great tasting charcoal-broiled chicken with matching sweet spicy sauce that can only be found in this area.

How to get there: The trail is about 130kms from Bangkok. Follow the Motorway (route 7) going to Pattaya. Once you reach Chonburi, pay attention to signs leading to Khao Keow Open Zoo. They will lead you to a left turn from the motorway towards the zoo.

Trail Review: Chonburi, Pattaya -- Phra Tamnak Hill

2006-08-28T13:25:00.000+07:00

Short downhill and Cross Country XC trail right in the heart of Pattaya

Make it a weekend with your family and friends in Pattaya. This mountain bike course is right smack in the middle of the Phra Tamnak Hill, jutting at the foot of South Pattaya.

Scenery
Postcard-perfect! Perfect view of whole city of Pattaya and the bay area.

Trip Value
Coffee served from a converted Kombi at the hilltop, a Wat, and a monument to a great Thai Admiral can be found at the top of the hill. This is one of the rare instances where you could bring your beloved half, make a quick offering at the Temple and let her sip coffee and enjoy the view. Just dont let her look at the downhill course or you may get grounded for weeks.

The Trails
There are 2 courses in the hill, and i tell you there is a Dr Jekyll-Mr Hyde aspect to these course. One is a winding XC on well-paved footpaths. Very gentle and civilized. You could bring the family along on this course. Cruise along, take pictures ... sit on the benches, even have a picnic.

The other course is a short downhill, but very mean and nasty. This is the Mr Hyde part. I will not recommend this trail for beginners or the occassional weekend warrior. Highly technical and competition level -- only for advanced riders please. The jump-off is a small platform right behind the coffee shop. For this downhill course, that is all you need to know as everything will go rushing past anyway. Anything I describe will be just a blur to you after the jump-off. Seriously though, I suggest you scout the course first on foot and go through the lines to get past the various obstacles. There will be lots of air and jumps on this course.

Firstly, before attempting to take the downhill course, bring protective gear and bring ALL of it. Full-face helmet, body armor, arm and shin guards, heck, if you can find your grandpappy's old flak jacket from WWII, then bring it as well. The mountain bike gurus always say, "dress for the crash and not the ride", then on this course, dress for a HUGE crash.

The downhill course cuts into public pathways at two points. Always keep this in mind especially on crowded weekends. You will find yourself landing right in smack of the public pathway before continuing onto the other side. Best that you dont get surprised by this, or worse, surprise a wobbling retiree out on his daily stroll.

Mind the picture on the left -- this was taken on a ledge about a meter high from the pathway and straight into a long stair. As you approach the ledge, prepare to get some air beneath you. You will land on the footpath and straight onto a flight of stairs.

Very short and very fast. You are at the bottom before you know it.

The only way up is via the front road uphill. It is a long grind. To keep you motivated, think of the hot steaming coffee with the spectacular view at the top. Or, another round of high-adrenalin professional level downhill run.

Fitness Level / Technical Skills
Minimal. The XC on the paved footpaths are easy and quite flat. Not much work there. Anyone can ride this course, as everywhere its smooth and cultured.

On the downhill trail, gravity does the work anyway. No requirement to be fit. The course could be fitness 'optional' but technical skill - mandatory. No place for beginners, only advanced riders please.

How to Get There
Go straight to Pattaya. Cruise past Pattaya South road until you reach Tepprasit Rd. This is the one leading to Jomtien Beach. Head into Tepprasit and turn right at the end of the road -- left goes to Jomtien, while the right goes to Phra Tamnak Hill. Watch out Phra Tamnak Rd on the left side. Follow this road and it will lead you to a police pillbox. At this point you should see a steep uphill road leading to the Wat. Drive uphill and you will come across a small clearing to park your car.

Trail Review: Chonburi, Sriracha -- Khao Kheow Open Zoo

2006-08-23T17:25:00.000+07:00

This trail is pretty well-known among weekend enthusiasts and easily accessible from Bangkok.

Location: Khao Kheow Zoo, Sriracha, Chonburi
Trail Distance: 14 kms.

In a nutshell: a short demanding uphill in asphalt road, a couple of quick rocky downhill sections, a long gentle downhill on a grassy doubletrack. signs and red tape mark the trail clearly.

This trail is perfect for a day trip, especially for you guys living in Bangkok. The site is just a little more than an hour away from the City of Angels via the Rama9-Motorway route. The course can be done in an hour, leaving you enough time to spend the rest of the day in Pattaya or Sriracha. Or a quick in-and-out at the course is also possible and you can be back in Bangkok by lunchtime.

The Open Zoo also offer a few hours of activity, giving a good opportunity to commune with our fur-covered friends. Some animals are so friendly, they could be fed them out of your hands. Choose wisely which ones though and here I recommend just the deers and giraffes, as some carnivore types would rather feed on your hand not out of them.

Jump-off point
The trail starts in front of the Sriracha Khao Kheow Open Zoo. There is a small clearing in front of the zoo in which you could leave your car for no charge, or you could enter into the zoo and park inside if you are wiling to shell out for the admission rates in exchange for the added security (70 bahts each and 50 bahts for the car).

Uphill Section
Riding through the zoo, follow a blacktop road up to the Zoo Training Center. This leads to a short 2km uphill inclined 20° which will test your endurance and leave you gasping for breath. After a couple of hairpin turns, you will encounter a small dirt road on the right side leading away from the asphalt road. This is where we get off.

This leads to a upward sloping doubletrack
until you get to the crest of the hill. You know you're there since you get to see a nice view of the surrounding hills all the way to Sriracha bay. A fork appears at the crest. Take the left one. You could stop for awhile to admire the view. Yey! Its all downhill from this point on.

Downhill section
From the hill crest, the left fork leads to a rocky downhill path. Do not go all out yet ... there is a nasty rain rut at the bottom of the section. Besides, this section is too rocky. The rain rut is so huge it covers the entire span of the trail. Not a bad idea to walk through this part. If you want to brave it through, then follow a line to the left side of the trail. There are a couple of these ruts in this section.

After these two gaping holes, its smooth downhill from here. The trail is smooth and sloped slightly downwards. Really easygoing. Tall grasses edge both sides of the doubletrack. Keep your head tucked in shielding your face a little bit from getting scratched. The grasses can be really long and awry especially during the rainy months.

At the foot of the hill, you will arrive into another asphalt road, signifying the end of the off-road part of the trail.

The road cuts through the Khao Kheow golf course and following it eventually will lead you out the front gate of the golf course. Turn right at the golf course front gate and this will get you back to the Zoo main entrance.

Wind-up
The course is a relatively short 14 kilometers. First part is a bit of a drag and you need to grit your teeth climbing up the hill as it is both steep and long. Your quadriceps will really burn in this stretch.

After the uphill section, the course is a breeze and an enjoyable one. Scenery is just gorgeous and made sweeter as you can give your legs a bit of a rest by freewheeling at most times. You could even go two rounds if you still have enough gas to climb one more go. Or you can just hang out in the park afterwards, relax, go pet some deers and make fun of the monkeys.

How to Get There
Get into the Expressway heading into the Rama 9 interchange or you could take the Bangna elevated tollway. Slip into the Motorway heading into Chonburi and go all the way to the end, joining with Road 36. At this point, watch your odometer as it is just 10 kilometers away before you hit the junction going into the Open Zoo. Watch for a big billboard to guide as you can hardly miss it. Follow the winding country road and it will lead you to the Zoo front gate.

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Glossary: Mountain Biking Terms

2006-08-22T23:52:00.000+07:00

Came across these interesting terms in this site http://www.adventuresportsonline.com/mtbterms.htm

Bagging a Peak: Making it to the summit of a mountain.

Bagging Out: Canceling a ride

Bagger: A person that habitually bags out. Also known as a loser.

Basecamp rides: Setting up camp and using it as the start and finish of tours.

Bonk: Reaching the point of exhaustion.

Dab: Taking your foot off the pedal and touching the ground.

Doubletrack: Overgrown road that is like two parallel trails.

Endo: Going over the handlebars.

Flash: Clearing a technical pitch without dabbing.

Gnarly: An 80's term for a particular steep and rough section of trail.

Gonzo: Riding with reckless abandon. Not generally appropriate for singletrack.

Hammer: Someone in great shape, who goes all out most of the time.

Hammered: Exhausted.

Hard-tail: A bike without rear suspension.

Header: Going over the handlebars.

Kicker: A steep section of road or trail.

O.D.: This is short for "Off Day". Even the best riders have them. It is important to recognize the symptoms and to back off when you arehaving an O.D.

Out and Back: Tour where the return is a retracing of the route in.

Over The Bars (OTB): Unexpected dismount over the handlebars.

Pitch: A short section of technical road or trail.

Pokes: Short for slow pokes. This is someone that always lingers in the back of the pack. This is not a crime.

Portage: To carry your bike.

Powder Run: Extremely dusty section of trail.

Rock Garden: Section of the trail that is completely covered with grapefruit (baby head) size to basketball sized rocks.

Semi-loop: Loop trip with a section of out and back attached.

Singletrack: Narrow trail.

Soft-tail: A fully suspended bike.

Technical route: Section of road or trail that is very demanding of bike handling skills.

... we ride ...

2006-08-22T17:12:00.000+07:00

... blogging about the different mountain bike trails in Thailand ...

I caught again the mountain biking bug after a few years of lying on my oversized couch and spending hours surfing the Net.

It was the sight of my neighbor diligently riding day in and day out to work that inspired me to go out, catch some sun and begin to get back on the saddle once more. Leaning back, a rush coursed through me as I envisioned entering the 'zone' while speeding downhill.

Still spiked with adrenalin, I browsed through the Web to check out gentle mountain bike trails within the area where I live. For my maiden tour, I just wanted to make sure that I go through it with my knees unbruised and my ego intact. To my surprise, the Internet has almost no information on mtb trails near my place. For once, Google was no help to me.

If there is no information. Then we have to make our own. The idea is to visit known mountain biking trails in Thailand and let everyone know about it. Me and my good buddy WetSprocket will fill you in on this. Unless our other halves would rather have us stay for the weekend and play house and take care of our own little tykes, we will do this every weekend.

And if you do know something we dont - a hidden trail, a local watering hole, a new bike part - TELL us about it. Let us have a look and see where the trail leads us.

And so with this purpose ... we ride.

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