Hey guys
I'm a Chiang mai rider and know a few faces who lurk around here. I'm after a bit of input on a ride i'm planning for my Dad and his friend to accompany me on during January, details and questions below. Any advice would be much appreciated.
My old man and his friend are both very experienced riders and pretty fit having covered hundreds of thousands of KM’s in Europe and the UK/IOM, so challenging roads are not a problem. We are looking to cover around 3-400km per day and the route is below. I've done almost all of these roads so it's only when we get to the Golden Triangle I have some questions. We will be on 2x CB500X's and a Versys.
Day 1 - CM to Mae Sot via the backroads past Lamphun, Li and the Bhumibol dam (1184, 106, 1102, 1107) then 1175 from Ban Tak
Day 2 - Mae Sot straight up the 105 to MHS - maybe past Thung Bua Tong/Surin depending on time
Day 3 - MHS to Pai - nice short day calling at the Lod cave on the 1095
Day 4 - Pai to Tha Ton via Aranuthai and Doi Ang Khang (1095, 1178, 1340,1249)
Day 5 - Tha Ton to Phu Chi Fah via Doi Mae Salong and the Golden Triangle park (1189, 1130, then rural to the 1290)
Question 1: From the Golden Triangle park would you head around the Mekohong on the 1290, 1155 and finish at Phu Chi Fah on the 1093. Or would you cut across on the 1271, 1098 and 1174. I’ve done the first route backwards, albeit on a dirtbike a couple of years ago, but never the other route.
Day 6 - Phu Chi Fah to Nan
Question 2: From Phu Chi Fah to Nan, would you go 1148 all the way down and join the 1256, 1081 or 1081/1333 then 1225/1168 or 1169 into Nan? I’ve done the 1081 all the way down before back from a Laos trip, but after seeing the 1256 make Goran's top 10 I figured I’d have to include it for sure!
Day 7 to 9 - Nan to ???? (either Uttaradit via Sirikit ferry or loops some Nan roads not already covered and head to Kwan Phayao)
Question 3: The next day the plan was to hit Uttaradit via the Sirikit dam crossing (i’ve done it once each way before). Then the day after up to Kwan Phayao via Phrae. Although i’m now thinking to scrap Uttaradit section and go from Nan to Kwan Phayao direct. If I did this, I know the 1091, but it would be a short day, so perhaps a twisty detour would be needed, although it's no real paid getting to Phayao a bit early. Can anyone share their must-ride roads in this area, or do you think the Uttaradit idea is better? My only concern is I only know the roads from Uttaradit to both Tak and Lampang, but have never gone up to Phrae way (on the road) and I want to avoid 11 and 101 as much as possible. From Uttaradit do you know the 1163, 1022, 1024? Then i guess connect up to the 103, 1154, 1120?
From Kwan Phayao i’m all sorted with taking them back over the 120, down to the temple on the mountain at Chae Hom and back across the 1252 or the other road to Mae On with the water crossings (most likely).
I know it is a bit of an essay, but any help around Golden Triangle to Nan and Nan onwards section would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Tom
I'm a Chiang mai rider and know a few faces who lurk around here. I'm after a bit of input on a ride i'm planning for my Dad and his friend to accompany me on during January, details and questions below. Any advice would be much appreciated.
My old man and his friend are both very experienced riders and pretty fit having covered hundreds of thousands of KM’s in Europe and the UK/IOM, so challenging roads are not a problem. We are looking to cover around 3-400km per day and the route is below. I've done almost all of these roads so it's only when we get to the Golden Triangle I have some questions. We will be on 2x CB500X's and a Versys.
Day 1 - CM to Mae Sot via the backroads past Lamphun, Li and the Bhumibol dam (1184, 106, 1102, 1107) then 1175 from Ban Tak
Day 2 - Mae Sot straight up the 105 to MHS - maybe past Thung Bua Tong/Surin depending on time
Day 3 - MHS to Pai - nice short day calling at the Lod cave on the 1095
Day 4 - Pai to Tha Ton via Aranuthai and Doi Ang Khang (1095, 1178, 1340,1249)
Day 5 - Tha Ton to Phu Chi Fah via Doi Mae Salong and the Golden Triangle park (1189, 1130, then rural to the 1290)
Question 1: From the Golden Triangle park would you head around the Mekohong on the 1290, 1155 and finish at Phu Chi Fah on the 1093. Or would you cut across on the 1271, 1098 and 1174. I’ve done the first route backwards, albeit on a dirtbike a couple of years ago, but never the other route.
Day 6 - Phu Chi Fah to Nan
Question 2: From Phu Chi Fah to Nan, would you go 1148 all the way down and join the 1256, 1081 or 1081/1333 then 1225/1168 or 1169 into Nan? I’ve done the 1081 all the way down before back from a Laos trip, but after seeing the 1256 make Goran's top 10 I figured I’d have to include it for sure!
Day 7 to 9 - Nan to ???? (either Uttaradit via Sirikit ferry or loops some Nan roads not already covered and head to Kwan Phayao)
Question 3: The next day the plan was to hit Uttaradit via the Sirikit dam crossing (i’ve done it once each way before). Then the day after up to Kwan Phayao via Phrae. Although i’m now thinking to scrap Uttaradit section and go from Nan to Kwan Phayao direct. If I did this, I know the 1091, but it would be a short day, so perhaps a twisty detour would be needed, although it's no real paid getting to Phayao a bit early. Can anyone share their must-ride roads in this area, or do you think the Uttaradit idea is better? My only concern is I only know the roads from Uttaradit to both Tak and Lampang, but have never gone up to Phrae way (on the road) and I want to avoid 11 and 101 as much as possible. From Uttaradit do you know the 1163, 1022, 1024? Then i guess connect up to the 103, 1154, 1120?
From Kwan Phayao i’m all sorted with taking them back over the 120, down to the temple on the mountain at Chae Hom and back across the 1252 or the other road to Mae On with the water crossings (most likely).
I know it is a bit of an essay, but any help around Golden Triangle to Nan and Nan onwards section would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Tom
