Why we Need to Develop Mountain Biking Trails in Thailand

The potential for MTB in Thailand is endless. Bangkok itself and the surrounding provinces like Nonthaburi, Suphanburi and Ayutthaya are ultra flat but travel just a couple of hours in any direction and the mountainous terrain is incredible. Unfortunately for most Bangkokians don’t even know what all mountain or downhill mountain biking is all about and although I don’t want to knock XC MTBers the locals spend most of their biking time riding on flat dull dirt roads traveling as slow as possible and stopping now and again to point at and pick fruit from trees.

As well as these flat dirt roaders there are others that reckon mountain biking means riding a mountain bike on tarmac roads dressed in their best Sunday spandex with racing slicks on their 24,000 baht Mavic Crossmax, when it would be honest to say that that’s road biking and you can use a sports cycle with rigid forks for that.

Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand is the established Mecca of downhill mountain biking. With a handful of downhill and all mountain trails, fantastic trails but still none of which are of a world-class standard. The hype for most mountain bikers who travel to Chiang Mai to have a go at the trails there is simply to say that they had a go at the sport in a country warm enough to call it jungle single track.

With tourism at a 49 years low in the kingdom it would be fantastic to see the MTB Tour companies who operate in Chiang Mai and its surrounding areas investing more time developing tracks and promoting the sport more with XC and downhill races and maybe some even some 4x and slope style competitions.

The 2007 Asean Downhill competition was held near Lam Tha Khong Dam on the outskirts of Khao Yai National Park in Nakhon Rachasima Province which gave mountain bikers in Central Thailand some hope that the sport had reached a new level and more trails would be built but after a visit to the site where the event was held just a few months after the trail had gone back to being an unused overgrown path and the locals had forgotten all about it.

There is some fantastic potential for mountain biking trails in Central Thailand too but the locals and expats who live there don’t seem to get the time or feel the need to go out and build more trails just keep riding the same ancient trails at Khao I-to in Prachinburi and Tamp Pra Toon in Chonburi. Again, these are two fantastic trails to get your teeth into but become dull for the people who ride them all the time and are quite hard for those who are just getting into the sport with their awkward and steep uphill sections being very punishing in the hotter months.

What mountain bikers in Thailand want to see is more purpose built trails developed in the area. Locations such as Kanchanaburi, Phetchaburi and Khao Yai would be perfect locations for mountain bikers in the country to get together and develop some world-class trails with manageable uphill sections and fantastic downhill sections to cater for all MTB disciplines.

M.T. Hill Tours encourages the growth of Mountain Biking and Eco-tours in Thailand and our Mountain Bike Tours Thailand website is a free information site with free GPS waypoints for all central Thailand trails and information about mountain biking in central Thailand and Chiang Mai. Our all new English MTB forum has been set up to encourage groups of mountain bikers to get together and help to develop new mountain bike trails all over the country.

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Serious about cycling? Then you must pay attention to the small details – like having a excellent pair of cycling gloves. Why are cycling gloves so vital? Here are five reasons.

Reason 1: Protect from sunlight.

Reason 2: More energy efficient.

Reason 3: Higher level of comfort.

Reason 4: Prevent slipping.

Reason 5: Cushion impact when the bike crashes.

Reason 1: Protect from sunlight.

For those who ride frequently in the hot sun, a excellent pair of gloves is a must. The gloves protect the skin on the hands from over exposure to the sun, which can hurt the skin. If you ride regularly for training or commuting purposes, do wear a pair of gloves to protect the skin on your hands.

Reason 2: More energy efficient.

It has been proven that a excellent pair of cycling gloves can lead to a more efficient ride. The gloves help you to hold on to the handle bars, so you don’t have to expend extra energy during the ride. Over long distances, gloves have the greatest impact on your overall speed. Excellent cycling gloves also help to regulate the temperature of your hands.

Reason 3: Higher level of comfort.

There is no debate – riding with gloves is certainly more comfortable than riding without gloves. The gloves shield the harsh environment elements like wind, dust and sun and provides a better grip. The grip is very vital, as you shall see why.

Reason 4: Prevent slipping.

This is about safety, so there should be no compromise. Some riders have sweaty palms. Their hands tend to become very wet after a small ride. For these people, gloves are mandatory for their own safety. But even for the average rider, sweat can roll from the fore arms down to the hands, which can cause the same problems. Wet hands mean that you can’t grab the handlebars or brakes in a proper manner, and that can be perilous.

Reason 5: Cushion impact when the bike crashes.

When a bike crashes, the hands are usually used to slow down the momentum of the body. That means sacrificing the skin if you are not wearing gloves. The hands will become covered with blood if you happen to hit the asphalt. Cycling gloves come with light padding. The padding isn’t really there to cushion impact when a bike crashes. It’s primary function is to provide comfort. But, few riders fail to realize this side benefit.

Usually, when a bike crashes, the rider goes down really hard. Reckon of the gloves as an added layer of skin. With the gloves on, this added layer will be ruined first when the crash occurs. This usually leads to just slight bruises on the hands.

It doesn’t matter if you are a leisure rider, an amateur rider, or a pro rider. Riding without gloves would be complacent for it compromises your own safety. Ride safe with excellent cycling gloves!

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Cycling is your passion. You’ve reached the point where you want to get to the next level in cycling, and can afford the same equipment that the top professionals use. How many bikes do you need, and what should you get? When we look at the pros who could get whatever they want, we find that they use a small number of bikes with different roles. Here are the roles I find that work best for them, and I then apply this model to cyclists who wish to have the best:

1. Road bike with powermeter.

This is the primary “everyday” bicycle. Nearly all of the top racing cyclists and a growing number of active recreational riders use power meters. I recommend either an SRM or a PowerTap to compliment a sturdy road bike. I specify a stiff yet comfortable frame with Campagnolo Record or Chorus components (unless the client insists on Shimano, but that is another tale!), and a set of light but sturdy wheels like the Reynolds Alta Race or Spinergy Xero Lite. I develop the road “fit” model to work around this bike, as most of the time will be spent on it to improve form and technique. Triathletes will also spend most of their time on this bike, learning to ride quick and improving handling skills by riding safely in groups with the quicker riders.

2. Light road bike for climbing, Spare bike when primary bike is in maintenance, and for “Mental Health” rides.

The climbing bike is a very efficient, lightweight machine which has a geometry similar to the primary bike, but with lighter components, and no powermeter. When training using power, it is simple to get focused on the numbers and to lose much of the sensory input we get from a “pure” bike ride. I like to advise that one bike has no more than a minimal computer, Garmin Edge, or even nothing at all, so one can either race by feel, or ride for the sake of riding. Many times the light bike comes out for recovery rides, for fun group rides, and for aggressive group rides in the hills. I also find that many people like to place more exotic components on the climbing bikes, which have less use and can thus have more “delicate” components.

3. Time trial bike.

This bike is only necessary for triathletes, and for people who want to do time trials. I do not recommend this as the “only” bike, as riding time trial bicycles in quick groups is strongly discouraged. These bikes do not handle as well, and if one is in the aero bars, one cannot safely take part in an echelon. Team time trials are different, of course, and training for them can and should be done on this bike. I believe that if one can ride quick, straight and smooth on a road bike, that transitioning to the time trial bike is simple, and can be done effectively and safely.

4. Travel case or Travel bike.

There are pros and cons for each. It is really nice to travel and ride. Using a case allows one to use his bike and go anywhere. Using a break-apart bike, one can have a “titanium copy” of their custom road bike, in a durable format with a small travel case that is under the airline maximums. This is fantastic for international travel and for situations where a large case is not possible because of small cars, etc.

5. Track bike, with a road fork and a front brake.

This is certainly not for everyone, but is a tremendous training tool. One can get an unbelievable workout in a small period of time and can develop hyper bike handling skills with a bike like this.

To sum up, I feel that an individual who wants to “do it right”, can benefit greatly from a few fantastic bikes with the following parameters:

A fully defined Precision Laser Fitting. An educated and informed plot to specify frame and components. These bikes last a long time, so plotting here maximizes enjoyment and makes the investment the most cost-effective. A plot for improving riding skills, training, and goals for improvement so these tools can be utilized to improve the rider’s cycling lifestyle. I follow the saying that was overheard in an Indy 500 team garage: “The best we can get is barely adequate!”

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