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Bike Paths & Routes Around Pattaya


forcebwithu

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Teleporting over another topic and posts I had on Secrets before they are relegated to the dustbin of history.

For those interested in biking around Pattaya I thought it would be good to have a topic detailing the bike paths in the area. To date I only know of three (one of them currently closed), but I imagine in the coming years more will be built.

This post is about the new path just constructed in the Wat Yan/Silver Lake area. It's advertised as a 13.6 km route end to end. The route as recorded by my GPS can be found on Google Maps (link).

Except for the part that starts at 331, the bike path is a relatively easy ride. Here's a screen shot of the elevation profile. Note the double peaks at about 10 km and 27 km are the result of me reaching the end of the bike path at 1063 and 331, turning around and going back up the hill I had just rode down.
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Here's the beginning of the bike path at route 1008 and Sukhumvit.
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Of course TIT so I only had to go about 50m when I encountered the first obstacle on the path. Surprisingly though I only encountered maybe half a dozen parked vehicles on the path during my ride.
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 There were a couple of places, RR crossings and bridges, where the bike path ended and you were left to ride in the road with no shoulder as a safety margin.
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While the path did have debris and sand on quite a few stretches, there was usually a clear path on the ride side of the path. Here's a pic of perhaps the worst amount of debris I encountered. Note how the lane on the opposite side is pretty much clear. Probably due to store drains built into the curb rather than down the middle of path.
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One pet peeve of mine is the disregard road builders have for those on two wheels when orienting drain grates. When they're parallel to the direction of travel they're an accident waiting to happen if you ride over them with a bike that has skinny tires.
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Coming into the Wat Yan area you have a choice of continuing on straight to Wat Yan or taking the path to the right which takes you around the lake towards Chi Chan Buddha Mtn.
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Not sure why they went to the trouble and expense to make a new path to the right when they already had a perfectly usable, and more scenic path about 50 m up the road. It runs along the shore of the lake and is closed to vehicle traffic.
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On the approach to the Wat Yan you have a choice of continuing straight into the Wat area or bearing to the left which will take you to the northern end of the path.
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The northern path has a bit of climb, with a slope that maxes out at about 6% grade.
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Once to the top you're treated to a nice view to the east of relatively undeveloped land. Although I expect that will soon change in the not too distant future.
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And the ride now brings you to the northern end of the path. From here there are some very nice, low traffic back roads you can use to get back to Pattaya.
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Ok, now to fast forward the ride back to the entrance to Wat Yan grounds. There's a short stretch here with the bike path on only one side of the road. It may be hard to see in this pic, but the bike path is on the sidewalk. That's sure to get the blood pressure up for those that say a bike has no place on a sidewalk. In fairness, the law does state no biking on sidewalks so not sure how the road engineers got around that. Of course, TIT. 45031906621_1ae7a42573_b.jpg

When you get to the white chedi start looking for the bike path to split again.
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The road markings aren't the best, but it doesn't really matter as all the path does at this point is make a short loop through the Wat grounds.
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It's on this loop though that you have the option of leaving the bike path and continuing on a very scenic road that ends up out on 331. The road is at the top of the parking area and passes between the two buildings you see in the pic below.
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Next stop on the ride is Chi Chan Buddha Mtn. Leaving the Wat grounds you'll hang a left at the previously mentioned scenic path along the eastern lake shore.
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When the path intersects the road, turn left. Note the helicopter landing pads along the southern shore. Kind of a strange place for landing pads, but I have seen them used for military training a few times.
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If riding from Pattaya, this usually is a good time to stop and give the legs a break. A good pit stop is the small group of stands across from Viharnra Sien.
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First time I had Coke w/Coffee. The combination tasted pretty good.
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Legs rested and the caffeine and sugar fix doing its thing, it's time to move on. On this stretch you'll be treated to good views of Buddha Mtn as you make your way on the winding road. One would even be tempted to think it's a relatively flat stretch of road.
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But you would be wrong when you round the last bend and see a nice climb ahead of you. This one is a bit harder than the last hill, maxing out at about a 9% grade.
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With perseverance and a lot of sweat and leg power you'll soon make it to Chi Chan Buddha Mtn.
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Past the Buddha Mtn you'll then enter wine country. Here the bike path is quite a bit older and the surface not as smooth as the new path. Ok if cruising along at a slower clip, but on these slight downhill stretches I can easily move along at 40+ KPH, which would make for a bumpy ride not to mention the hazard of hitting some obstruction on the path.
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The view of Silverlake Vineyard and surrounding country is well worth a stop and a few pics.
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Leaving the vineyard it's now time to make our way to the eastern end of the bike path at 331.

Side note: off to the right in the pic below is the Siri Charoenwat Forest Plantation. The Plantation used to have, until about 2016, a great mtn bike dirt trail. Then about a year ago they completed paving of the trail. Unfortunately it was only open a short time until they closed it for "maintenance". Word now is it's permanently closed as it was deemed too dangerous with mud slides, huge cracks and debris on the trail. I also heard heavy construction equipment was using the trail. Let's see, heavy equipment moving around on a trail built for bikes. No surprise then the trail developed huge cracks. Here's a link to an article about the trail.
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Along this stretch you'll encounter rolling hills which you can almost make the top of the next hill w/o too much effort if you enter with enough speed from the last downhill. The final downhill stretch is your chance for speed, if that's your thing. Max grade is 20% which allowed me to clock a max speed of 68 KPH.
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If there's any doubt you've reached 331, there's a helpful sign 100 m from the intersection.
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One last section of the path to log and that's getting back to Sukhumvit on 1003. What really sucks though is to get there from here I need to go back the way I came. That means going back up the 20% grade I just blasted down.

Pictures never do justice when facing steep hills. But the sign "Use Low Gear" is spot on. Sadly I succumbed to fatigue about 2/3 of the way up and, shame of shames, had to walk my bike up the last bit.
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Top of the hill and back in the saddle again, quickly made my way past Silverlake and Buddha Mtn. Just past Buddha Mtn there's a sign telling me only 6 km to Nong Nooch Gardens. Note the blue sign about 100 m farther up the road which I have a close up of in the next pic.
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Must have hit a space warp between the two signs as the next sign tells I'm now 5.3 km, 700 m closer to Nong Nooch after only traveling 100 m.
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If you're into tourist attractions, there's this along the way.
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Personally I found the view across the road of Na Jomtien, Jomtien and Pattaya more interesting.
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And finally, after 36.5 km the end of the bike path and Sukhumvit is in sight.
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Another bike path in the Pattaya area is in the Bang Lamung Exercise Park along the northeastern shore of Map Phrachan Lake. The path opened in early 2016 and is a very easy 2 km loop through the park. The route as recorded by my GPS can be found on Google Maps (link).

The pics in this post were taken in April, 2016. I rode the loop about two weeks ago and I'm happy to report the path is still in great condition. The trees have also filled in nicely to provide plenty of shaded areas.

Enter and exit the bike path from the left and right off the main entrance to the park.
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The direction of travel is clockwise and is marked with arrows on the path.
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They've done a nice job of landscaping the park.
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There's a small play area for the kids.
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While the path isn't long in length, it has several branches to keep it interesting.
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Other than a couple of workers watering, I had the park entirely to myself. It was very peaceful and quiet while I was there.
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In 2016 the lake was at one of the lowest levels I've ever seen. Water levels have since recovered to normal, and two weeks ago I noted the swim platform was again floating, although in a different location. 44155631575_7f29f31480_b.jpg

The long term plan is to eventually build a bike path around the entire lake. Looking forward to the day when this path extends to the north.
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And the south.
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Once the crowds come this might be an interesting corner to kick back with a beer and watch the confusion.
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The park also has a nice football pitch.
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Here's a Google Earth pic of what the park grounds and path looks like as of February, 2017.
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Khao Mai Keao Route

I had a nice ride this morning on a route around Khao Mai Keao. The main thing this route has going for it is once on the north end of KMK you have a very enjoyable ride that's mostly a gentle downhill all the way to Hwy 7. The route can be found and downloaded from Google Maps using this link.

RT distance starting and ending at Pattaya Klang and Sukhumvit is about 59 km. It's a relatively easy ride with only a moderate amount of elevation gain near the south end of KMK.
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The first part of this route takes you up Soi Siam Country Club road. While there is no marked lane for bikes, the road is quite wide giving you a comfortable separation from passing traffic.
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Along the way you'll pass what once was a darkside favorite, the Butterfly Bar.
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Just before you reach Map Phrachan reservoir you come to the construction site for the hwy bypass from Hwy 7 to Rayong. To avoid the very muddy dirt road that's being used to divert traffic around the construction, veer to the right around the construction barriers.
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What you'll find is a very serviceable tarmac road.
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A much nicer ride on two wheels to what the rest of the traffic is using.
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Another benefit is the shade the overhead highway provides.
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If you're so inclined, a couple hundred meters past the construction site is the entrance to the road running across the reservoir dam. To the left of this road is some nice mtn bike trail, something I'll ride and report on in a future post.
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Another good thing about this route is along the busy roads you have a wide shoulder to ride on that is relatively clear of debris.
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Mark your calendar as next weekend is the Chonburi Buffalo Races. The race grounds are on the south side of the reservoir. Looks like some contestants have arrived early and are fueling up for the big race.
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Anyone that fancies a game of cricket, now you know where to go.
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Just past the 3240 junction is the previously posted Bang Lamung Exercise Park and bike path. Since I was in the area I thought I'd make a quick diversion and check out how trees have filled in since my last pics from 2016.
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Back at the 3240 intersection with SCC road.
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From the intersection to the south end of KMK you have a fairly easy climb spread out over about 6 km. At the top of the climb you'll see the Rugby School off to your right.
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Once on Hwy 331 you'll again have a wide shoulder to ride on.
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Reaching the north end of KMK your next turn is on to Rd 1015.
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From Klang you're now at the approx. halfway point, so time for a break and refueling. Just after you make the turn onto 1015, there are a couple of mom and pop stores to rest at and make your purchases.
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My favorite concoction is to mix soda water with Sponsor energy drink. I find energy drinks too syrupy sweet on their own, but by mixing it with soda water it dilutes down to something more palatable.
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For this section of the route there isn't any shoulder to speak of, but as there is very little traffic that doesn't present a problem. One thing to watch out for is in several areas rain has washed sand into the road, and it can cover a fair bit of road. More than what you see in this pic.
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For the trip from here to Hwy 7 you'll have a mostly gentle downhill ride with some nice curves along the way to keep it fun. There's a long section that, tucked down on the aero bars, I was able to cruise along at 45 kph w/o having to pedal once.
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As you get closer to Hwy 7 you'll start to see more pallet manufacturers, thus the nickname of Pallet Lane for this road.
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When you get to Hwy 7 you'll ride a very short section of the frontage road. Just before the first bridge there's a dirt track that you'll need to take to exit the frontage road.
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Correction, muddy dirt track. It's a PITA to ride, but it's only about 200 m and then you're back on pavement.
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Back on hard surface again you'll be treated to a view of the west side of KMK.
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Your next turn isn't marked, but is about 800 m from the dirt track.
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For those that are interested in where all the money from Tony Gyms barely used and then abandoned, lifetime gym membership goes. If you continue on a short distance past the turn you'll see the roof top of Tony's palatial estate.
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You really can't see much of anything from the road due to high security walls and foliage, but from space you can see just how large his place is.
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From this point it's a couple of back roads that will get you back to SCC road. Turns are marked well with signs. First turn to the left at a roundabout. The sign points you in the direction of Hwy 36.
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It used to be you could shoot straight across Hwy 36. But no longer.
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Instead you have to use a U turn about 200 m up the road. It's not as bad as it looks since traffic isn't moving too fast due to construction. Once construction is done though I imagine it will be a bit more dicey using the U turn.
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Having made it safely across Hwy 36, next turn is again to the left towards Nongprue.
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A short distance later you'll come to the intersection with 3240. Hang a right and keep an eye out for the Black Pearl Bar sign. Not a bad place to stop at if you need a beer and want to cool off in their pool. If you want, you can have female company to help clean you up. Continuing on though, just past the Black Pearl is the road that will take you back to SCC.
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At the intersection with SCC continue straight to the T intersection that is the top of Soi Nern Phlap Whan, with a Wat on the left side. Side note: the Wat is the meeting place for the Monkey Extreme Bike Riders rides.
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After several hours in the saddle I usually like to relax with a massage. On Nern Phlap Whan, just before the railroad is a one of my favorites, Turien massage.
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Enjoy and ride safe.

 

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Siri Charoenwat Forest Plantation Path

I finally made it out to the newly re-opened Siri Charoenwat Forest Plantation bike path, located near Chi Chan Buddha Mtn and Silverlake Vineyard. I have to say I was impressed. It's a beautifully maintained, tarmac surfaced, 17.2 km loop that takes you through some very scenic countryside. Best of all, at 9 am on a Thursday I had the bike path to myself. Didn't see another soul in the hour it took me to do the loop.

The bike path is of medium difficulty with a lot of 5%+ slopes, up and down. Fortunately the steeper slopes are relatively short.
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The entrance is off of 1003, which is the road that takes you by Chi Chan Buddha Mtn and Silverlake Vineyard.
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Riding the bike path is free, but you will need to register before you enter the path. You'll be asked for a Thai drivers license or passport, which they'll hold until you finish your ride. The registration desk is on the left side, just inside the main entrance.
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Once registered, your ride starts just to the left of the entrance. Note also the trail is one way. Once you enter, there's no turning back. This is for safety reasons as the majority of the trail is sweeping, blind curves. It would really suck to come flying around a curve only to meet up, headlong with some numb nuts going the opposite direction.
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Ride around the building, then make a 180 degree left turn to get on the bike path.
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I'd say 90% of the trail is tree lined, and well shaded in the early morning/late afternoon.
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The trail is well marked, with warnings of steep slopes ahead. According the Google Earth, the max slope is 17.7% with an average slope of 5%. Don't let the 17.7% scare you off as I don't even remember where on the path that was. As mentioned before, all the climbs were very short in distance. They must have had a fire sale on 8% signs, as every steep slope had one, regardless of what the actual % slope was.
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What was great about this path is pretty much everything was gently sweeping curves with great views.
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Other than occasional leaves on the path, I didn't encounter any other debris such as sand or tree branches. You do need to be mindful of the leaves though as you can get up quite a bit of speed on the sweeping downhill turns. It would sure ruin your day to loose traction on a couple of leaves and wipe out.
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Very considerate of the trail designers to cut a path through the higher points. It would be some tough climbs otherwise.
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The path has two rest stops. One at just over 10 km.
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And the other at 14 km.
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Near the end you'll be treated to a view of Buddha Mtn and Ramayan Water Park in the distance.
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While the trail is well marked, about one km from the end they're missing a turn arrow to direct you back to the start. The direction you want to go is right when you see the pond.
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Edited by forcebwithu
changed width of embedded map to fit post
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In a prior post I mentioned plans to extend the park bike path around the Mabprachan reservoir. I'm happy to report the work to do just that is now underway.

Last Friday, 8 February, I had a nice ride around the reservoir to check on the progress. Pictures start at the north end and go clockwise around the reservoir.
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Looks like they've also started work on extending the park to the north.
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Inside the park is the future connection to the north end of the extended bike path.
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There will also be what looks to be a walkway extension into the expanded park to the north.
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Reservoir levels are looking great for this time of year.
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This will be the connection to the south end of the new bike path.
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At the junction of 3240 with SCC Rd, the path widens quite a bit leading me to believe this will be a combination road and bike path when done.
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There are also several bridges under construction on this section, and from the looks of them they'll be able to support quite a bit more than just bike traffic.
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The path will have some nice views of the water.
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The turn to the west at the junction with SCC Pattaya arch. From this point on they've only started grading and backfilling.
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At the south end where SCC Rd passes under the new highway, another tourist trap is under construction.
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A cool respite from the hot sun under the new highway.
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15 hours ago, Krapow said:

Tremendous thread, and something I would get into in Thailand if I could be persuaded it wasn't so dangerous there. 

Can't disagree there is a higher risk on two wheels compared to four, or on two feet. Some of that risk can be mitigated by riding defensively, same as on a motorbike. In the ten years of living and riding here I've only had a couple of close calls, and those were at relatively slow speed so had plenty of time to react and avoid, plus a healthy dose of expecting the unexpected.

One thing I do have a issue with here is group rides that don't follow safe riding practices. Bikers that ride two and more abreast on busy roads are just inviting trouble, not to mention pissing off overtaking traffic. I'll join a group ride for off road mtn biking, but my daily road rides are done solo for that reason.

 

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  • 4 months later...

Not in the Pattaya area, but a bike path in Nakhon Phanom made the news.

Unsafe new Mekong riverside cycling path closed

The viewpoint section of a new cycling path alongside the Mekong river collapsed, in Muang district of Nakhon Phanom province, on Tuesday. State engineers deemed the cycling path unsafe and have closed it. (Photo by Pattanapong Sripiachai)

A new cycling path along the Mekong riverbank has been closed after part of it collapsed only two days after an inaugural cycling event to promote tourism.

The cycling path, in Muang district, is about 1.1 kilometres long and only recently built, and was still awaiting acceptance by the provincial hall.

A viewpoint section about 50 metres long collapsed on Tuesday.

Engineers from the Department of Public Works and Town and Country Planning examined the path's structure and found many structural cracks and a mudslide had already affected its foundation.

The engineers said the structure as built could not withstand the riverbank erosion caused by recent heavy rain.

The collapse occurred only two days after the Tourism Authority of Thailand and local authorities held a cycling event along the path on Sunday to promote local tourism.

Chanchai Sribenja of a Nakhon Phanom cycling club said on Friday that cycling events organised alongside the Mekong River in Nakhon Phanom were popular with local tourists.

The collapse of the new cycling path could have a negative impact. Enforcing construction standards would be an effective solution, he said.

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I took ride out to check on the progress of the new Mabprachan Bike Path. I was happy to see it's about 90% complete.
Starting at the north entrance to the reservoir dam road, asphalt and lane markings are in.
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The only bit that remains is at the northwest end that connects with the Bang Lamung Exercise Park Bike Path.
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There are two remaining bridges that need to be constructed. Pilings are in.
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And one of the bridge support beams is almost finished.
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Work is also underway for the northwest extension of the Bang Lamung Exercise Park.
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This is the last of the two bridges that need to be completed, which will connect the bike path to Bang Lamung Exercise Park.
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On the other side of the park, the final touches on the new bike path connection are almost done.
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The north side of the park also is the start of a walk/jogging path that is separate from the bike path.
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One thing I noticed on my ride is the new asphalt seemed to be of lower quality than what I've seen on western projects. As proof to my thoughts I soon came across areas where they have already had to patch the bike path.
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There's a good chance the heavy equipment they're driving over the bike path is the main reason for the needed repairs.
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For the most part the bike path is separated from road traffic by steep, concrete lined storm water culverts. The few places where vehicles could enter they have a couple of low barricades, which is good b/c otherwise the Thais would soon be using the bike path as a parking lot.
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There were a few places where there was sand and gravel on the path, but I think once construction is finished that will be swept off and the storm water culverts will probably do a good job of keeping storm debris off the path.
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Not that it really matters, but the smaller culvert that separates the paths, someone didn't plan the fall correctly so the rain water won't make it all the way to the outlet hole.
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Nice sweeping curves on the bike path across from the Soi Siam Country Club arch.
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Looks like they ran out of shoreline, so the walk/jogging path ends about 800m short of the south end of the reservoir dam road.
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The bike path might eventually extend farther west, but for now you can continue your ride through the bike gap in the south end reservoir dam entrance.
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It's a 2.7 km ride, straight shot across the reservoir dam.
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The view from the north side entrance to the reservoir dam road.
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The green line in the map below marks the existing Bang Lamung Exercise Park Bike Path. The area to the west of the reservoir dam road has quite a few single track paths in the woods that make for an enjoyable ride in the shade on a mtn or hybrid bike. The ride around the reservoir is 10.3 km.
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Edited by forcebwithu
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I think they've done a fantastic job on the landscaping in the Bang Lamung Exercise Park, and I expect the northwest extension will be equally nice. They've made a lot of improvements on the northeast side of the reservoir. If I was so inclined to move from the brightside to the darkside, that would be the area I'd look to buy or rent in.

 Bang Lamung Exercise Park pic from post #2
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Edited by forcebwithu
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  • 7 months later...

Our group ride yesterday was different from our usual off road, Friday rides. Yesterday's ride leader called it the Urban Commando Ride, and it was just that. A lot of road riding mixed with bits of off road. It was also a long ride at 50.8 km that took us as far north as Laem Chabang Port. Thought I'd post the ride details incase someone is looking for a route to ride that's a bit different.

First stop was about 11 km into the ride at the Forbidden Floating Temple. A place until now I didn't know existed. The entrance to the Temple is Chittaphon Wan Buddhist College, just off Sukhumvit.
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Air quality was good yesterday, so had great view towards Nakula to the south from the Temple.
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And Laem Chabang Port to the north.
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After enjoying the view and a bit of rest, we were off to our next stop.
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While not really rough off road riding, it was certainly a lot nicer than riding on busy Sukhumvit.
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As the ride leader didn't tell us where we were going at the start of the ride, we didn't realize until we reached this point we would be getting a much closer look at Laem Chabang Port.
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The ride out to the far end of the port area was a 2 km stretch along an area that can best be described as a salt marsh.
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From the far end we had a nice, breezy view of Nakula and Pattaya off in the distance.
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After relaxing and enjoying the view we were once again off on our ride back to Pattaya.
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After a 15 minute rehydration stop on Sukhumvit, we made a mad dash across three lanes of speeding traffic to a U Turn, then repeated the process on the other side. Then it was a shortcut through a temple to a route that was parallel to the railroad.
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This far north of Pattaya, the area next to the railroad is still pretty wild with some good single track to ride.
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Once we made it to 3240, I split from the group so I could snap a few pics of the current water level at Mabprachan Reservoir.
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Edited by forcebwithu
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  • 2 months later...

For those interested in a bit of off road riding, there are some nice paths around Mabprachan Reservoir on the west and north sides. The screenshot below are tracks from various rides I've made over the years around the reservoir.
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The area parallel to the dam is primarily eucalyptus trees with trails that are hard packed and easy to negotiate.
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While the area on the north side of the reservoir is a good mix of service roads, hard packed trail, and narrow single track.
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  • 10 months later...

As founder member of the Bangsaray Viagra Vikings Cycle Club ( motto "Stand  and Deliver" ) I can confidently confirm that a couple of circuits of Bangsaray including twice up and down beach road is about our limit these days.

All the early morning cyclists in Bangsaray are really friendly and all say hello as they overtake me. 🤣

 

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20 hours ago, Pumpuynarak said:

FBWY, great thread from a very brave man, you would'nt catch me riding a M/C or bicycle anywhere in Thailand unless it was completely free of the idiot murderous drivers, but thats just me, stay safe my friend.

You are absolutely correct in warning about the perils of being a cyclist in Thailand.

I am back to riding my cycle most days as it is my main source of exercise giving no impact on my dodgy knees. The main problem is that many car drivers treat cyclists as if they do not exist. The last place you want to be is on the inside of a vehicle because they will have no idea you are there. Similarly, vehicles pull out of turnings and either ignore or never see the cyclist right on top of them.

The other problem is that the brakes on most cycles are effing useless. 🤣

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21 minutes ago, Jambo said:

You are absolutely correct in warning about the perils of being a cyclist in Thailand.

I am back to riding my cycle most days as it is my main source of exercise giving no impact on my dodgy knees. The main problem is that many car drivers treat cyclists as if they do not exist. The last place you want to be is on the inside of a vehicle because they will have no idea you are there. Similarly, vehicles pull out of turnings and either ignore or never see the cyclist right on top of them.

The other problem is that the brakes on most cycles are effing useless. 🤣

My mate here in Korat got knocked off his bike whilst out exercising by a car that just pulled out on him, luckily he only had bumps and bruises, the car just drove away as if nothing had happened. Needless to say he bought an exercise bike that never left his house lol

You would'nt get me on one on Thailands roads for all the tea in China and if the braindead Thai drivers don't get ya the rabid soi dogs will lol, all my exercising is done at home where i've only got wifey to contend with and that can be quite a challenge !!!   

I've learned if you want to survive in Thailand you have to minimize the risks but each to their own.

Edited by Pumpuynarak
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I've had a couple of close calls over the years of riding two wheels here, but fortunately no accidents that involved contact with another bike or cage. Main reason I've been fortunate in that regard is good situational awareness and doing my best to anticipate the other driver doing something stupid.

Understand riding isn't for everyone, but if you stay within your comfort zone it's great exercise.

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6 hours ago, forcebwithu said:

I've had a couple of close calls over the years of riding two wheels here, but fortunately no accidents that involved contact with another bike or cage. Main reason I've been fortunate in that regard is good situational awareness and doing my best to anticipate the other driver doing something stupid.

Understand riding isn't for everyone, but if you stay within your comfort zone it's great exercise.

I am not what one could describe as a serious cyclist. I cycle purely for exercise and the view I enjoy most early mornings of the ever changing specter of riding up and down Beach road a couple of times in Bangsaray.

Some of the serious lycra brigade group cyclists who effectively insist in taking out the nearside lane of the Sukhumvit Road instead of the safety of the "hard shoulder" are a selfish danger to themselves and other vehicle users.

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33 minutes ago, Jambo said:

I am not what one could describe as a serious cyclist. I cycle purely for exercise and the view I enjoy most early mornings of the ever changing specter of riding up and down Beach road a couple of times in Bangsaray.

Some of the serious lycra brigade group cyclists who effectively insist in taking out the nearside lane of the Sukhumvit Road instead of the safety of the "hard shoulder" are a selfish danger to themselves and other vehicle users.

Actually on Sukhumvit with three lanes available, the lycra brigade if they're doing it correctly should be riding no more than two abreast in the left lane and staying as close to the left side of the lane as possible. The problem with the shoulder is it's usually not a safe place to ride due to debris, especially for the road bikes with the very narrow tires. Cars coming up on them have plenty of space and opportunity to use the other two lanes to safely pass the group.

On roads with only one lane available in the direction of travel, two abreast is ok unless a vehicle wants to overtake. Proper riding etiquette when a rider sees a car coming up on the group should call "car back". The group then should move into a single file. There's also no excuse for a rider not to see cars approaching from the rear as most, if not all should be riding with a mirror.

Unfortunately that last bit didn't happen with a group I use to ride with on Monday's, and is the reason I stopped riding with them. They were a danger to themselves and a right PITA to other cars on the road.

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  • 9 months later...
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