michaelbiker

More from Meteora, Greece

We rode up from Kalambaka - so we didn't go over the Katara pass. Looks like an amazing road though - we might go that way on the way to Corfu - but by car.

Meteora, Greece

Urban cruising

Threw my Tickr away and bought a Polar H9. Had the Tickr for 2 years and it started giving me random readings and turning on and off. Tried changing the battery, reversing the battery but nothing helped. It would work for a couple of rides and then stop.

The company we did the tour with created a pretty cool video of the trip, for those that are interested.

Bukit Timah Forest, Singapore

Already 580km on this one and it doesn't show any discernible wear. Around 30% tar too. I weigh 75kg so YMMV.

Not to turn this into a tires thread but the new Kendas seem to be really good. Been running a Karma 2 SCT on the back (with an insert) in muddy conditions and had no issue keeping up with guys on DHRs, Aggressors and Magic Marys on the downhills. Crowncycles in Kenilworth is selling them for R550 each!

I run a tubolite sl in my back tire and it’s allowed me to run lower pressures (1.4-1.5 bar) and lighter tires (Rekon Race 120tpi or Kenda Karma SCT). It also seems to dampen vibration quite a bit which is probably the main reason I’ve left it in there. It’s only a 60g weight penalty and I have heard the back wheel ping a few times on rocky descents. So it’s nice to have the peace of mind. It does go through a bit more sealant though.

Our final day turned out to be one seriously long downhill. We drove high up into the mountains at 1400m. Kitted up and rode up to 1700m before descending into the valley below. Most of the downhill could be classed as singletrack - even though it was once a road. It was tons of fun with some good technical bits. Total descent turned out to be 1500m. Overall I highly recommend visiting northern Thailand for an MTB, gravel or road adventure. The people are warm and welcoming. The food is amazing. The roads and trails are tons of fun. And the scenery is breathtaking. Literally and figuratively. It also won’t break the bank if budget is a concern. Next time I’d like to maybe return with a gravel bike and do a point to point route. There is just so much to explore. If anyone is looking to do something similar or even plan a custom route, you can contact Dan Wallace via https://trailhead.co.th The ice cold young coconuts at the end of each ride were better than any beer and the knowledge and assistance of his team on the trip was amazing. I will definitely miss the watermelon and sticky rice mid-ride stops.

Day 5 was a longer and harder day on paper but was surprisingly easier. We also got to ride some fun singletrack through bamboo forests and rice paddies. The best was left for last when we unexpectedly bumped into elephants on the road to lunch. Total distance 47km 1100m ascent

Day 4 started out with a visit to the border with Myanmar and then straight into some pretty hideous climbs. I didn’t manage to get a photo of it but we hit 30% at one point. Of course with a lot of climbs we got some rapid descents and I smoked my back brakes on a couple. There wS also a tricky negotiation of a landslide which nearly resulted in one of us falling in the river below. Tons of fun though.

It is humid but you get used to it. Tuesday got to 35 degrees. Yesterday was cooler because we were at 1800m asl. Descents are mostly steep jeep track but lots of fun as they aren’t very well maintained.

Day 3 and another amazing ride this time was mostly downhill but we still did a thousand metres of elevation gain. We started in a national park and ended 4km from the border of Myanmar. The mud was epic - to say the least but it ended after 15km thankfully. Total distance was 42km with 1000m of climbing and 1800m of descending!

Day 2 was more of a gravel ride and a lot less mud (thank goodness). Most of it went through rice paddies and hill tribe villages. It was really hot, peaking at 35 degrees. All I can say is that having a back up vehicle on a ride is a new but really nice thing to have. Particularly the ice down the back of the shirt and plenty of cold water. Total distance was 50km with 780m of climbing.

Sunset

I thought it made sense to start a thread with some of the photos of our trip in Northern Thailand. We’re doing it with Trailhead out of Chiang Mai. 6 days / 6 nights. Each day takes us further north into more remote areas. Day 1 is the easiest day and involved crossing a lake and then riding through some of the thickest mud I have ever encountered through the forest. It was tons of fun and we ended it off with a little road section through rice paddies and blue skies. Total distance was 46km with 551m of climbing.

Funny you should mention that. It's my wife's bike - new derailleur ordered. It completely seized up after all the water abuse.

45 river crossing over 60kms. It's pouring with rain today in Thailand, so posting a pic from a ride we did last weekend.

You can do it with carbon vinyl wrap.

Above Baan Klaang Doi village in Northern Thailand