Dirt Roads / MTB Touring, Personal setups » Martijn’s 4-day Thailand – Myanmar border dirt road setup
by MartijnSThis is my setup for a 4-day tour with MTB which I did in Thailand near the border with Myanmar through forest. All dirt roads, very steep up and down hills, uncountable river crossings, quite hot during day, unexpected very cold during nighttime (lesson learned!).
- 20 liter drybag with mostly food stuffs, also 1 clean set of cycling gear, and 1 set of clothes for night-time. Tied to a simple seatpost TopPeak “rack”. I added 2 short pieces of wood to the rack (about 3 x 3 x 35 cm), which I tied with old inner tube to the rack. This way I could better tie the bags to the rack. I used straps with a small metal ‘lock’ which works great, the bags never loosened even a little bit. I had a spare bungee cord as well, and a few pieces of rope for tying stuff, drying line, etc.
- Hammock from SiamHammock with ‘built-in’ mosquito net, this hammock can be used as a mini tent as well. Tied to back of bike (green bag).
- I also brought a rainsheet for the hammock, just in case (I didn’t need it). Tied to handlebar with bungee cord net (small red bag).
- Thermarest sleeping mat. Tied to handlebar as well (dark grey).
- 1 liter bottle with filter (yellow bottle), tied most of the time to handlebar. Useful because there was only river water available.
- A bag for easy-to-grab things on the top-tube.
- A small frame bag with medicines and some other small things.
- Seat bag with innertubes in case the tubeless tires won’t seal and some not often to use tools.
- A medium-size camelbag with snacks, nuts, electrolyte powder and 3 liter bladder.
- 2 bottles of about 600 ml each on the frame.
Thankfully I got a blanket from a village at the end of the first day, which I tied on top of the drybag with a bungee cord (in nice pink with flower decorations!).
I carried some tools and some things to repair my bike, but after only 20km a stick flew into my rear derailleur and comletely bent it. I didn’t bring a spare derailleur, but luckily nothing was broken. So we carefully bent everything back into shape more or less, leaving me with 2 working gears for the rest of the trip.
The type of straps I used: (doesn’t stretch)
ScottM on 
Dylan on 
AmosIv on 
Preston on 
Jesse on 
Martin on 
Rod on
Hi there, nice setup. Have you got any gpx files or route details? I might be in that neck of the woods in a few months and would like to spend as much time as possible out of the big cities. Cheers
You can check Openstreetmap: http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=18/15.37426/98.58166&layers=N
This link points to a village about halfway in. It’s a national park and you’ll need to arrange an access permit before you leave. More info about the permit here: http://www.thungyaiwest.com/western-thungyai-naresuan-wildlife-sanctuary/entry-permission.html
Rgrds
Hi, is that the dirt track that goes from Sangkhlaburi to Umphang?
I live in BKK and have been eyeing that for some time. So you managed to do it in 4 days? Well done, it must be a very tough ride! How many kms were you doing per day on those tracks?
I’m moving to Bangkok in July to start a new job and I’m an avid bike tourer/packer. I’ve been scouring maps already planning possible tours but any advice would be greatly appreciated. I’ll also be looking for folks to ride with I get there. Do you need to arrange permits for all the National Parks prior to riding there? If so, is that only to access their hiking trails? Also, are most of the hiking trails within the parks open to bikers? Any must need gear that you guys might think I need to buy before I come? I usually camp without a tent, only bringing my sleeping bag and a tarp or bivy sack. But I’m wondering if I should buy some sort of mosquito netting, or even possible a small single person tent for touring out there. Also, is it easy to find tubeless sealant (ie. Stans) in Bangkok? Thanks again for any help in advance. Hopefully, we might get the chance to ride together this fall.
Joe
Joe, this is a wildlife sanctuary so access is more restricted than a national park. Best to check with the specific park you intend to visit. Sometimes bikes are not allowed, not even on the (dirt) roads.
I bought all my gear in Bangkok, so I don’t think you have to bring stuff over. I use a Siam Hammock that I can also set up as a small tent. Mosquito netting forms the upper part, a tarp is separate. I think the mosquito net is essential. It can get quite cold at night in “winter” (roughly Nov-Feb) when you’re out in nature, so also bring something warm.
Sealant and tubeless tires are available here. Small local bike shops won’t have it though so prepare before you head out of town. List of shops: http://bicyclethailand.com/bike-stores/
Thanks MartijnS.