TRAILS OF TONKIN ALPES MOUNTAIN BIKE
( 75% off road )
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS
This extreme 8 day trip takes you to the very heart of the
north Vietnam mountain . You will discover some of the finest
cycling trails in Vietnam has to offer. Beginning in Hanoi ,
take overnight train to Laocai we will
cycle and climb five major passes from 1,500m to 2,000m.
This allows you to reach one of the most delightful parts of
the Northern Top in Vietnam where you'll find big rolling
hills, great views and speedy open descents with good sight
lines.
A single track in the middle reminds you what real
mountain biking is all about. At its end, it lands you on a
steady climb that takes you over some grand hill tops and
more amazing views for some excellent descending .
With enough left in the legs the day can be rounded off
by dragging yourself up and ripping down trails. By that
stage in the day they are usually are pretty empty.
The images below were taken on a series of visits. They say
more than I could about the type of riding and atmosphere on
the route. There's no doubt I'll be returning just as many
times.
We
are supported by a sturdy transit van on the main road ,
motorbike is perfectly
equipped support for the terrain . Some day we not riding from
hotel to hotel but not an entirely comfortable
passenger vehicle and participants should sign up expecting to
ride as much of the tour as they can.
This trip is 7/10 difficult
mountain bike with off road ,terrain, dirt trails , single track, tough.... That is
REAL mountain bike trip.
Itinerary
Day 1
Hanoi- Night train
Meet at the hotel collecting bike from cyclist .
Dinner and transfer to train station for night
train to Laocai at 8 :30 PM. Overnight on train
)
Day 2
Laocai-Bac Ha.
Distance ride : +- 42 Km. D+: 1250m D -: 500m,
80% off road, dirt road, trails, single track
uphill
Overnight in CongFu hotel or same standard.
Day 3
Bac ha- XinMan .
Distance ride : +- 55 Km. D+: 1100m D-: 1600m,
80% off road, dirt road, single track.Overnight in
XinMan. Dinner at first “Basic” restaurant.
Day 4
XinMan-Hoang Su phi
.
Distance ride : +- 50Km. D+: 1000m D-: 1230m,
dirt road, 60% off road
Day 5
Hoang Su phi
- Ha Giang.
Distance ride : +- 50Km. D+: 1100m D-: 1230m,
single track, 100% off road
Night in Hotel in HaGiang
Day 6
Hagiang
- Quan Ba.
Distance: +-80Km. D+: 1500m D-: 1330m,
10 % off road
Night in very basic hotel in Quan Ba
-Lunch in local
restaurant or support by our food assistant.
Day 7
Quan ba - BacMe.
Distance: 55 Km . D+: 1500m. D-: 1600m.
90% off road
Overnight in Bac
Me
Day8
Bac Me- Babe lake: Distance : 55 km. D + 600m, D
- 600m, 40% off road
Day9
Ba Be - Vinh Loc( Chiem hoa ). Distance: 53 Km
(73 Km if start riding in Ba Be Guest House). D+:
450m. D-: 300m. 20 km off road, 20 km single track
Night at hotel and dinner at restaurant.
Day10
Vinh
Loc - Tuyen Quang- Hanoi
Distance:
45 Km. D+: 300 m. D-: 350m.
100% off road , single track.
Pm driving back
to Hanoi.
Overnight in
hotel in Hanoi. End of service.
Extension
tour , 2 days sleep in wooden boat in Halong bay
= from 190 to 450 USD one cabin for 2 people
with lunch, dinner , breakfast , Shuttle
bus around trip .
Note:
Prices are based per person, double occupancy,
with a separate cost for solo travelers. If you
are traveling in a group but prefer single
accommodations, a single supplement fee applies.
Triple accommodations are not available in many
of the destinations we visit.
Best time to go
Start
End
Prices in US$
6/Dec/2011
16/Dec/2011
1,199
20/Dec/2012
29/Dec/2012
1,249
12/Jan/2012
21/Jan/2012
1,249
21/Jan/2012
29/Jan/2012
1,259
29/Jan/2012
8/Feb/2012
1,259
10/Feb/2012
19/Feb/2012
1,259
20/Feb/2012
01/Mar/2012
1,259
4/Mar/2012
13/Mar/2012
1,259
10/Sep/2012
19/Sep/2012
1,249
5/Oct/2012
16/Oct/2012
1,299
22/Oct/2012
31/Oct/2012
1,299
1/Dec/2012
10/Dec/2012
1,299
WHAT'S
INCLUDED
English speaking local guide
Accommodations in home stays and local hotel around trip as mention (
some hotel very basic standard )
Meals as noted
: B= breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner
Drink as water, coffee, tea,
energy drink by nutritional gel, juice for cycling tour.
Sightseeing and activities as
noted in the itinerary
Ground transportation
with 100% stand by
Additional guides where
necessary
Entrance fees and permits
Basic medical
WHAT NOT
International airfare; meals
not noted on itinerary; Vietnam visa; insurance other than basic
medical ; optional
tipping to leader, guides and local staff; excess baggage charges;
international airport taxes; cost of medical immunizations; items of
a personal nature (alcoholic beverages, laundry, etc.).
Bike Hire
Cannondale F2 lefty pay 180 USD.
Cannondale
F3 Fatty pay 140USD
Full
suspension Cannondale RZ one twenty 3 pay
200USD
Bikes suggest
: XC hardtail, Freeride , All mountain
If
you bring your bike
please ensure
that you bike is in good working order before
you leave on tour. If you are not the most
mechanically minded we suggest that you get your
bike looked at by a professional bike mechanic.
In particularly we would suggest looking and
adjusting all wheel spokes, greasing all your
bearings, checking your brakes/gears cable,
tighten all nuts and bolts, check chain, quick
release clamps, tires and put in new inner tubes
and check wheel rims are not worn. In addition
make sure the bike is well serviced and ride it
with as much care and attention as possible.
This tour
follows a mixture of well-surfaced roads and off road onto single
track, and rough tracks, so some off-road riding
skills are an advantage.
Support
One or two 15-seat air-conditioned transit vans
converted to take bikes and bikers.
Group Size
Minimum 2. Maximum 8.
Staff
Groups of 6 or more Vietnamese cycling guide
and drivers and assistants. Groups of 2-5, an
experienced English speaking Vietnamese cycling
leader plus guide and support team.
Accommodation
1 night in sleeper train. 3 nights in
comfortable tourist class hotels, 3 nights
in basic tourist class hotels. All
accommodation has a/c or fan, hot water and
private facilities.
Food
All meals are included as B= breakfast , L=
lunch, D=dinner .
Break
every 15- 20 km ( 10 miles) for tea break with water, coffee
,tea, juice, bread, tuna ,banana, apple... including:
nutritional ( 3 Clif Bar energy bars
/per day)
During the " BikingVietnam.com" the main meals are
breakfast and the evening meal. Thus, breakfast should be large and
substantial (and include cereals). We recommend that all
participants should bring a supply of their favorite cereals as many
of the hotels where we stay don't yet have cereal on offer at
breakfast.
For lunch (picnic) you will need to make sandwiches in the morning,
and take some fruit. We recommend you also bring along some of your
favorite energy bars.
The evening meal will be in a restaurant, and precooked by the
Organizers. We will make sure there are always plenty of
carbohydrates and protein on the menu.
Don't forget adequate hydration is as important as a good meal and
so you should make sure you carry enough water with you. In some
stages there is no where to “top up” along the way. Follow your
guides instructions for each stage. We recommend you use a hydration
pack with at least 2l capacity, rather than water bottles. The water
bottles don't carry as much water, plus it will get warm during the
day, they are not as hygienic and the water bottle cage can get in
the way when you may have to carry your bike.
NUTRITION
We recommend you should bring
nutrition as details:
*
Hammer Gel energy gels
are 100% pure complex carbohydrates
* Clif Bar energy bars are a
great-tasting, convenient source of energy for any activity. Made with 70%
organic ingredients
Mix of
carbohydrates, protein, and fiber promote steady increase in blood
sugar levels followed by a gradual decline for sustained energy
4:1 ratio of
carbohydrates to protein; excellent for post workout recovery "
A 3 day Off road Mountain Bike trip covering over
170 kilometers of fire road through pine forested hills and
rain forested valleys, single track and trails use by local people.
This tour offers some
challenging cross country mountain bike and a wonderful
opportunity to experience the traditional and varied lifestyles of the
people of this spectacular country.
This tour offers some challenging
mountain bike, some technical on offroad riding and a wonderful
opportunity to experience the traditional and varied lifestyles of the
people of this spectacular country.
This allows you to reach one of the most delightful parts of
the Northern Top in Vietnam where you'll find big rolling
hills, great views and speedy open descents with good sight
lines.