Off-Road Rider Training (???)

Jan 12, 2003
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Off-Road Rider Training (???)
« on: Jan 3rd, 2003, 4:25am » Quote Modify Remove

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Has anyone had any expierience with "Pai Enduro Team" which is a small outfit in Pai that does three-day rider traing courses including bike and safety gear for about 900baht/day. (I think.... I am still a bit confused about the pricing structure...) It includes 3hrs of instructution/ practice/day and 3hrs of trail riding/day

I didn't get to speak to, Peter, the Swiss owner/instrucor but looked at the bikes, Kawasiki 250 four-strokes, which looked a bit on the beat side.

The concept off road traing seems a bit strange to me but the price seems attractive and I've hear the off-road riding around Pai is top notch. I haven't ridden moto-x bikes off road since I was a teen (in the 30s now) but can still tear it up on a Mountain bike.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Jason
 
Jan 12, 2003
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Re: Off-Road Rider Training (???)
« Reply #1 on: Jan 3rd, 2003, 5:27am » Quote Modify Remove

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Jason
If it helps I've never heard any complaints about Peter & his Pai Enduro riding courses.
I'd think that at the price quoted it has to be good value for money & you're riding skills would improve considerably.
Perhaps you can make a report for us after you've done the course...

203.146.88.169

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Davidfl
 
Jan 12, 2003
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Off-Road Training (Cost Correction)
« Reply #2 on: Jan 4th, 2003, 8:39am » Quote Modify Remove

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Sorry for the mis-information.... It is 1800bhat/ day for the three day group lessons. At 300bhat/hour its still sounds like a good deal. Peter suggested that one day course might be all good road rider might need to get started and he said one-day courses are easier to arrange groups for. (Individual training was more $$)

.... but as of yesterday Peter's training course was flooded. Hopfully Pai had the same sunny weather as Chiang Mai today... then perhaps I'll be able to write a report on Pai Enduro Training.

Untill then I'm looking for some good newbie dirt (mud) for a Chiang Mai day trip. Anyone have any suggestions? (The only day trip with dirt in David's GT rider book indicated it wasn't for newbies.. If I recall correctly.)

ThanX

Jason
 
Jan 12, 2003
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Re: Off-Road Rider Training (???)
« Reply #3 on: Jan 5th, 2003, 1:37am » Quote Modify Remove

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Jason
For some easy dirt day trips from Chiang Mai, just take the Mae Sa Valley / Samoeng route 1096 from Mae Rim and turn right for Tard Mork waterfall (just before the Shell petrol station) 3.5 kms from route 107. Go up in here 16 kms to the Hmong village Mae Khi & the asphalt should run out. After Mae Khi the dirt should start & there are a couple of nice little loops you can do, (1) that comes back into Nong Hoi and (2) the better longer loop that goes the back way into Samoeng, via Mae Pa & Ban Pok. If you have a copy of my new Mae Hong Son loop map you will see these roads & villages marked.
From Samoeng there's heaps of other dirt roads & loops you can do. Try going from Samoeng up to Papae on route 1095. Or from Mokfa waterfall on route 1095, back into Mae Rim, this trail alongside the Mae Rim river is beautiful. All these trails are on the MHS loop guide map.
Hope this is a help - if you do any of them, pls make a brief report for others to read.
« Last Edit: Jan 5th, 2003, 2:58am by Davidfl » 203.146.88.155

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Davidfl
 
Jan 12, 2003
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Re: Off-Road Rider Training (???)
« Reply #4 on: Jan 5th, 2003, 1:32pm » Quote Modify Remove

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Jason,
If you go up Doi Suthep and just past the temple at the top you will notice a sign on your right saying NP Entrance go in and follow the road round until you come to the top/back – here are the living quarters. Go along this little concrete road and you should see a sign saying Hmong Village take this track nice off roading all the way to MHS if you want to go that far! It can get a little messy with various cross roads etc but if you keep turning left you should be fine. The walk down to the waterfall is worth it, sadly I usually end up carrying a bag full of plastic bottles and coke cans back up the hill which can be knackering. Once in the village you have many options one of my fav's is to turn right at the main village entrance and follow the dirt track round until you come to the lakes (now sign posted, look up in the trees!)& depending on the time of year the veiw can be fantastic. Don't turn right if it is starting to get dark, turning left will take you to Doi Pui from there it's tarmac freewheeling all the way into CM, my best ever freewheeling has got me as far as the second main junction (trafic lights at the super highway turn off). I've never been able to time this right so now I turn left but never get too far! Have fun up there and if you see a manic looking nutter covered in mud, flying around up there on a KLX don't worry it's only me.
P.S Any women out there that can ride and want to join me?

jake
 
Jan 12, 2003
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Re: Off-Road Rider Training (???)
« Reply #5 on: Jan 6th, 2003, 2:19am » Quote Modify Remove

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Hi jason....i am planning on heading to Pai on the 7th ...weather permitting ....and i would be up 4 some off roading...we can hook up at Rudi's bar later if you wish....or contact me at the top north hotel room 420....im around for 2 weeks and basically just want to ride about
and explore n thailand

Roland
 
Jan 12, 2003
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DIY Dirt Training
« Reply #6 on: Jan 6th, 2003, 12:58pm » Quote Modify Remove

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Yesterday I headed out for my first DIY training in the dirt... and the first task was finding it.... (I headed out before getting David and Jake's replys...so it was a bit of a hunt at first....)

I headed for 1096 with the intent of turning right 14.7km in towards Nong Hoi... but newbie trouble with XL 250's trip odo combined with a bit of bad math put me past the turnoff (probably at 17km in) and into some dead end suburban type enclave housing... Opps.. turn around and head back on 1096 too see a grey bearded charcter waving at me and riding towards Samoeng on dirt bike. As he goes by I think perhaps he looks a bit like David... Mr. GT Rider himself... so I spin around thinking even if he is not David, he'll know where to find some good dirt.

Chasing the bearded charcter proved fruitless despite what I felt was a valid and somewhat scarry effort to catch him... Damn those crazy old men. (and those crazy Thai squids)

Now my trip odo is way off so just I turn in at the next right which leads to a hill tribe filled with folks in costume and mini-bus full of farang (I now believe this to be Doi Sang but really not sure) Villagers and farang alike both look at me like I've crashed the party. I pull up and behind a hut to turn around and leave.... and promptly stall out the bike a few times... much to the delight of some non-costumed tribe dudes hanging around back. Then I notice I small road leading out the back of the village... So after some hand gestures and a few broken words of Thai I've finally found my dirt road.

This lightly rutted road leads past a few houses along the side of a hillside fields and up and down along nice rice paddy filled mountain views. I stop in a village perched on a hill side view and listen to locals watching satellite TV.

The road continues with a few easy decents and climbs. I keep to the right at a few intersections and a bit of mud and gravel later I arrive in what I believe is Pong Khrai. From there a lightly rutted dirt road turns to a paved road and I'm back at 1096.

I ride to Samoeng to grab some lunch check out the Luang Mae Sap caves. (not too terribly impressive but worth the stop) I think I headed up towards Kong Khak Noi and Tung Ting falls... but I'm not really sure. I go past a village and up..up and over a small pass where the road turnes gravel. I ride down and on past a somewhat major interscetion which is all in Thai and totally usless no matter how hard I stare at the map. I stick to the right and go past some farmland and into to some good mucky stuff... A bit intimating at first and really entertaining after my second go at. I play in the mud a bit and realize that is probably not the road I was hoping it was so I head back the way I came in... so as to get the bike bike to Jaguar by 6:00..... and so I don't get stuck and lost alone after the sun sets...

Mission acomplished: I did it in the Dirt... almost wiped out a dozen times.... and rode home to tell about it.

I hope to check out David and Jakes's suggested rides as soon as the weather dries up a bit. Thanks to both of you for the info... I can't wait!

Jason