Apologies if this is posted in the wrong section, it isn't a road report so I wasn't sure. I am planning some shorter and easier routes to begin my trip. I am using Davids Map along with the Mapsource 8.1 version. It come as no surprise that there are differences so I am presently concentrating onf Davids map and hope to find the co-ordinates later for GPS. Anyway, the Sameong loop looks a good place to start. In my mind i have the following as a route. North on 107, west onto 1096. Then, I want to be a bit more rural so wondered about the following. North at Ban Mai? and follow that to Pang Kah when I head west again. Stick along that route to Mae Pa where I have the option of heading south gain or heading west still to Tung Ting. Head south and head back to Sameong. Questions Are these roads generally passable and ok given that I will be there in late June Is this a practical one day route for a first timer to GT. One more general question too. What time is daybreak and dusk in the area in June-July time. How much daylight will I have per day. I like an early start and won't ride in the dark. I really do prefer rural rather than urban so the more rural the better. Any advice is welcome thanks T
Hi there Tony Now bearing in mind I have not ridden all this route in June / July, I am uncertain of the rideability of one stretch, that is the bit between Mae Khi & Mae Pa after the tarmac runs out. If you take a look at the other pics of this section here ... , the reservoir and the eventual outcome of tarmac, you may be heartened. This area is RURAL and no matter what experience riders have, with common sense, the roads are very enjoyable. If you were to plan on taking the Mae Pa to Samoeng (south) route you could find tarmac on all the remaining route via Samoeng and completing what people refer to as the Samoeng Loop on the 1269 back to the city. If you took the Mae Pa to Mae Tung Ting (west) option, that is equally all tarmac but another couple of hours ride time. I guess the biggest issue is which bike your on. The ride I took the pic above on, I was testing out a D-Tracker for the day and it was brilliant. In June I will be up for a ride of that area, it's on my door step, let me know, I would like to ride with you. Perhaps a few others would care to tag along with you too? The days are longer at that time of year and according to my gps kit, on 30 June the sun is scheduled to rise at 05:47 and drop away @ 19:07. Have fun planning, try not to let the saliva dribble from your bottom lip, as you hyper salivate about this venture, ruin David's map, I guess that's the beauty of having the plastic coated versions :lol: These roads are wonderful and if you are up here staying in Chiang Mai, you can ride 7 days and not travel the same loops twice. Good luck. Ally
Thanks very much for the comprehensive reply Ally, it is much appreciated. I will certainly let the you know when I am there, the chance to ride with a local would be an opportunity not to be missed, so thank you for that. As for the bike, I envisaged hiring whatever is most suitable for the terrain I am due to ride on. Looking through the hire firms there appears to be a good selection, however I am not sure whether the recent 'crack down' has had an effect on the stock levels. I am at the mercy of the hire firms but have always preferred the offroad style of bike. I currently ride a Honda Baja here in New Zealand and recently purchased a Transalp so am getting used to that too. I am relatively inexperienced in relation to other group members so will look for a bike which is safe and more than likely offroad style. Cheers Tony
