cycle Ride from Chiang Mai to Udon Thani

[cyclist]

BM,

Where do you get all your info from? Anyway thanks what I thought might have been a problem has turned out to be okay. And there are plenty of options.

[cyclist]

Thanks to everyone for all the information, especially the short time stuff. Although if I do find enough of these establishments, the short time might add a few days onto the journey.

Perhaps i'll meet a few of you when I get there.

Barrie.

[laphanphon]

have you thought of cutting through uttaradit over towards dan sai, rather than going down to phitsanulok and climbing that big hill. though the other still has hills, not the grade of the phitsanulok/KK rd. not sure about rooms on the way, as i drove straight thu. plenty when on dan sai/loei side. also should be no problem in uttaradit. little more relaxed ride, not the large highways, less traffic.

[cyclist]

LA,

Yes I have looked at all the roots, but I have to go to Phidjet on the way through so cutting across country from Uttaradit is not really an option.

One thing I have not mentioned is that after Udon I intend to follow the Mekong river to Mukdahan and then inland to Yasothon,Buri Ram and finish in Khorat. Looking at the map there should be plenty of places to stay along that route.

[fdimike2]

Cyclist

You might check out the following site for some hints for your ride: www.crazyguyonabike.com
Do a search for Bob Magee who made a number of rides around the Thailand over the past several years. The last one was in Feb this year and took him from Lampang to Cambodia via Udon.

As a side note Bob and I will be heading out for a 17 day ride from Udon to Bangkok via Ban Dung, the Mekong, Ubon, Sisaket etc. We plan to head out on Oct 14.

Good luck with your ride.

[eastbaybob]

Cyclist,

Here's the link directly to the the journal for my last trip that Mike mentioned: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=3 ... =3305&v=Jl

This journal was in part Lampang to Udon.

As for Hotels, out on highway 12 there are a bunch of hotels just before the drop down the hill to Lom Sok, most of there are the resort type hotels. In Lom Sak as you ride into town you'll come to a hotel on your right hand side right in front of the big clock. It was a decent place (the above journal has a pic of the room), and everything else you may need is a short walk or ride in town. If you want a fancier one, if you keep riding on the main highway another km or so, there will be one to your left.

I don't know about Chumpae, but I have read about them.

In Nong Bua Lampu, there are two hotels in the city, but I never found them, and when I asked people kept directing me to two hotels outside of town on the road to Udon. The hotels are about 1 km out of town on the left hand side, I stayed at the Nittapong Grand, which was. The other hotel was cheaper but not as grand.

The ride on the 12 was good. I found it hard as I am fat and just on a short tour. The entire ride was just one hill after another until about 15 km from Lom Sok, when it got flat and I started missing the hills. There is lots of food and good coffee along the route.

Have a good ride, and by the way do you have a website or blog of your trip?

[cyclist]

Hi Bob,

Thanks for all the info, I had a quick look at your Journal and you look to have had a good ride. I will read it fully sometime during the day.

I only kept a hand written diary of my trip unfortunately.

Once again Thanks,

Barrie.

[fdimike2]

Hi Barrie,

This is Mike not Bob. Bob is still in California but should arrive here in udon on Oct 13. We will deaprt on our ride the following day. The web site I sent you has a ton of information about bike riding here in Thailand and around the world. If I can be of any help here in Thailand please let me know. We will be posting our progress on the crazyguyonabike wib site under Bob Magee.

[cyclist]

Hi Mike,

Have a good ride and I will certainly follow your trip with interest.I expect to be in Udon sometime between the 15th and 20th of November, if your there at that time perhaps we can meet up for a beer.

Barrie

[fdimike2]

Barrie

A beer sounds good to me. Maybe if you feel up to it we can get in a local ride with a couple of local friends of mine as well. I should be back in town towards the very end of October. Look forward to meeting you.

Mike

[beer monkey]

Mike.

Bob.

Barrie.

Mike.

Bob.

Barrie........confused.. yes. lol.

Anyway have a safe journey, sounds like fun..if you like cycling of course,I could do Nong Khai to Udon , but chaing mai-Udon...nahhhh easier to read about it on here.
Also Barrie, what bicycle have you got..?

[cyclist]

BM

I have two bikes, but alas can only use one at a time, the bike I used to get to Thailand is a Thorn Raven which is an expedition bike and bomb proof. For the trip from Chiang Mai to Khorat via Udon I will use a fast tourer which looks like a racing bike but a little less flimsy.

I could go into the technicalities but I think both you and I would be asleep by the time I finished writing about it.

Barrie

[cyclist]

Mike,

I'll mail you in November and we can arrange a get together. And yes I will be up for a ride (bycycle of course) when I arrive.

Barrie.

[beer monkey]

BM

I have two bikes, but alas can only use one at a time, the bike I used to get to Thailand is a Thorn Raven which is an expedition bike and bomb proof.
Barrie

When you say 'used to get to Thailand'...what do you mean ? ..i know Ralph mentioned the other day about riding portsmouth to Thailand But........

[cyclist]

Bm

Ralph did exagerate a little, I actualy cycled from Portsmouth,UK to the Syrian border in south east Turkey.At which point I ran into visa problems. Unfortunately at that time the Brits were hated nearly as much as the Americans by the middle eastern countries at that time and I came to a full stop. My next option was to fly to Mumbai in India and cycle across into Bangladesh and try for Myanmar, but it was monsoon season with an average of 1 metre of water in the month of August. I read later 2000 people were killed there through flooding that year. So I decided to fly to Chiang Mai and then cycle on to Laos. My intention was to stay in Chiang Mia 3 days before moving on, I'M still in Chiang Mai nearly four years on.

One day when finaces allow I will go back to india and cross the country to Bangladesh at least.

[beer monkey]

Fantastic...Thanks.

[fdimike2]

Barrie

Sounds like a plan to me. Looking forward to it.

Mike

[beer monkey]

Any update on the journey Barrie...or have you hit the road already..?

[lepidoptra]

I really admire you guys for your enthusiasm. I just wish I had the b*lls to join you. I must repair my stableizers on my 1970's chopper. Anyway safe journey to you all and good luck

[beer monkey]

Ooooooo don't get me started on 70's Raleigh Choppers... (yes i still got one)