October 2008 - Tam Pra Toon

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

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 ...

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

... 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]