Comments on: Guide: Cycling the Mae Hong Son Loop in Thailand https://www.cyclingabout.com/guide-cycling-the-mae-hong-son-loop/ Bikepacking, Bicycle Touring, Equipment, Testing, Videos Wed, 27 Dec 2023 16:11:33 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.2 By: Bob Armbrester https://www.cyclingabout.com/guide-cycling-the-mae-hong-son-loop/#comment-4751 Fri, 30 Mar 2018 15:09:00 +0000 https://www.cyclingabout.com/?p=6002#comment-4751 In reply to Alee | CyclingAbout.com.

Thanks Alee – no problem!

Thanks for sharing about your Mae Hong Son loop experience here!

]]> By: Alee | CyclingAbout.com https://www.cyclingabout.com/guide-cycling-the-mae-hong-son-loop/#comment-4744 Fri, 30 Mar 2018 11:06:00 +0000 https://www.cyclingabout.com/?p=6002#comment-4744 In reply to Bob Armbrester.

I don’t know any of the local shops unfortunately.

]]> By: Bob Armbrester https://www.cyclingabout.com/guide-cycling-the-mae-hong-son-loop/#comment-4737 Fri, 30 Mar 2018 03:57:00 +0000 https://www.cyclingabout.com/?p=6002#comment-4737 In reply to Alee | CyclingAbout.com.

Thanks Alee – I’ll be headed to Chiang Mai in early May 2018. Of course it’s a lousy time to tackle the hills along the Mae Hong Son loop, but it is what it is.

Do you recommend a local outfitter who could provide a suitably-geared road bike for a shortened version of the loop? I will only have time to venture from CM to Mae Hong Son.

Thanks for any guidance!

]]> By: Alee | CyclingAbout.com https://www.cyclingabout.com/guide-cycling-the-mae-hong-son-loop/#comment-4481 Sun, 28 Jan 2018 10:24:00 +0000 https://www.cyclingabout.com/?p=6002#comment-4481 In reply to Kieran Barry.

Thanks for the update!

]]> By: Kieran Barry https://www.cyclingabout.com/guide-cycling-the-mae-hong-son-loop/#comment-4480 Sun, 28 Jan 2018 01:01:00 +0000 https://www.cyclingabout.com/?p=6002#comment-4480 Thanks for the write-up.
Am currently riding the loop clockwise but it’s still been helpful.
A couple of points so far:
If you’re planning to stay the night at Wat Kiew Lom, I would suggest that you don’t go for the Phot option but try to find Tiwson Resort which is about 3kms west of the Wat. It is a small motel-type place where I got a room for 400B and also has several small simple restaurants nearby. If you stay at the place suggested in the article there’s not a whole lot going on and it may well be full (as it was when I got there )
Also, re ‘buttery smooth roads’…hmm! Largely true but also some nasty climbs on very loose, dusty, gravelly surfaces.
It does look like some of the worst are getting repaid however so that’s good news for the future.

]]> By: Alee | CyclingAbout.com https://www.cyclingabout.com/guide-cycling-the-mae-hong-son-loop/#comment-3754 Tue, 25 Jul 2017 00:44:00 +0000 https://www.cyclingabout.com/?p=6002#comment-3754 In reply to Tony Frusciante.

Hi Tony. I hope you enjoyed the Mae Hong Son loop and I’m also glad you found this guide useful. The ride from Thailand to Cambodia is pretty straight forward; there’s hotels in every town, great food everywhere and lots of friendly folk along the way. You can definitely pack light and rely on services along the way – have a great ride. Alee

]]> By: Tony Frusciante https://www.cyclingabout.com/guide-cycling-the-mae-hong-son-loop/#comment-3665 Sun, 02 Jul 2017 16:32:00 +0000 https://www.cyclingabout.com/?p=6002#comment-3665 This is a great article about the ride, the roads, gear you used and how to get it done yourself. A great resource.

I’m gonna leave Chiang Mai on this loop to Pai on Wednesday. Looking forward to continuing those ride flashbacks that I get from getting after it here 20 years ago. Last time I went to Laos from Pai.

This time it’s a build up for a CM to HCMC ride on starting August 1st. This article has guided me to change the gearing on my bike, be disciplined about what to pack, and how to time days out where lodging is available and things to do off the bike. Love it.

Any input for a cross Thailand and Cambodia prep? Cheers.

]]> By: Jeroen Pomplemoen https://www.cyclingabout.com/guide-cycling-the-mae-hong-son-loop/#comment-2716 Wed, 30 Nov 2016 14:44:00 +0000 https://www.cyclingabout.com/?p=6002#comment-2716 PS I just converted my Cannodale road bike to a compact cranck set 50/34 with a 11-40 cassette and I strongly recommend it for “recreational” riders. The 40 for those 30% stretches…

]]> By: Jeroen Pomplemoen https://www.cyclingabout.com/guide-cycling-the-mae-hong-son-loop/#comment-2403 Wed, 03 Aug 2016 12:44:00 +0000 https://www.cyclingabout.com/?p=6002#comment-2403 Haha, Alee means second child in the Lisu language. The Lisu live along this road.. Fantastic video on youtube. I cycle to Kiewlom (the viewpoint between Pai and Soppong) a few times a week in winter. That’s when I’m there. I never cycled the whole loop until last year. I felt so bad. The Thais were cheering me on from their motorcycles, honking from their cars.. I felt like I was cheating! All I did was the 10K from the village to the top. So one day I got on the mountainbike in Mae Hong Son. Rode downhill to Kuhn Yuam and turned left to Mae Cham. Although shorter by a 100K, between Kuhn Yuam you are crossing three valleys before you can crash at the Hot Coffee Guesthouse (http://www.hotcoffee-th.org/index.php/facilities.html). You better be in shape! But it was great. The challenge, the ride. I’ll do it again this year, probably at the end of November, a great time to cycle. Cool air, perfect blue sky. Be aware, between March and the end of May there is a BRUTAL smog from forest burning. Not a good time to go. When you read this, PM me through google… There will always be a coffee for a cyclist anytime from Mid October through mid April.

]]> By: Alee | CyclingAbout.com https://www.cyclingabout.com/guide-cycling-the-mae-hong-son-loop/#comment-2139 Sun, 29 May 2016 22:10:00 +0000 https://www.cyclingabout.com/?p=6002#comment-2139 In reply to Sim Diver.

Doi Suthep is a much more mellow climb in comparison to some of the climbs between CM and Pai. But that said, if you have the low gears, I don’t think you’ll have too many problems if you ride at a sustainable pace! Take your time and enjoy.

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