The eastern province of Chon Buri has good news for mountain bikers — a new bike park!
Built and maintained by Life and Living Bike Net, one of the Kingdom's largest cycling clubs with almost 60 racers in the team, the park will be the venue of the second round of the Eastern Region MTB Championship Series taking place this Sunday.
On my recent visit to Chon Buri, I not only got to ride the racecourse but also had my long-time confusion about the famous team's strange name cleared up. According to the club's president and head of its racing team Saree Thumpitakpong, "Bike Net" are, of course, the core words and self-explanatory, while "Life and Living" are derived from the name of the main sponsor. The team's name is also part of the current name of the former Racha Chakkrayan bike shop in Si Racha, which was where the club originated over a decade ago. The shop, now known as Life and Living Bike Net Racha Chakkrayan, was relocated to tambon Mheung on the Nong Mon bypass road. It is undoubtedly one of the largest bike shops in not just the Eastern Region but the entire country.
Now let's get back to the bike park. It is located at the foot of a hill, just a short drive from the bike shop, which also serves as the meeting place of the club's members. (Some of the team's racers, Thailand's reigning female downhill champ Vipavee D. Kaballes included, work here either as attendants or mechanics.) Vipavee and Thiravut Longhuang, another Life and Living Bike Net rider (cross country) guided me through the bike park.
Designed to be rideable for cyclists of all skill levels, the newly-built track, which snakes beneath the canopy of the woods, is not as technical as many others in this particular region. There are moderate climbs and a few small jumps, plus a man-made rock garden. In future, I was told, there will be separate lines for skilled riders. But for now the major aim is to make the bike park a recreational area for families to come and ride together. In the future, shower rooms and toilets will also be built. A bike shop and repair centre may follow.
All plans and decisions were made by a committee that included the club's senior members and the land owner who is kind enough to allow its use free of charge, on the condition that no big tree is cut and the bike park serves the to benefit society, not any individual. Income from events and sponsor money will go to the fund that the committee will use for trail maintenance and to make all the mentioned future projects happen.
Apart from the race this Sunday, the new bike park is also set to be the venue for the third and fifth rounds of the Eastern Region MTB Championship Series that will take place in the next few months. (FYI, the fourth one will be held in Rayong and the first was in Pattaya.) Yes, that means soon more trails will be built and more obstacles added.
So, expect more good news from this bike park in Chon Buri.
Well, see you here again next Thursday. Until then, if you have questions, news or biking insights you wish to share, please feel free to send an email to pongpetm@bangkokpost.co.th or go to Freewheel Bangkok communitypage on Facebook.
Pongpet Mekloy is the Bangkok Post's travel editor and a mountain bike freak.
LIFE AND LIVING BIKE NET BIKE PARK
GPS coordinates: 13°14’54.92”N 100°57’27.80”E
Trail condition: Single and double tracks in the woods.
Distance: 3.5km.
Getting there: Find your way to the town of Nong Mon, Chon Buri. Once there, drive southward and look for Kasikorn Bank on the left-hand side. Shift onto Road 3144 next to the bank. Follow the road and soon you will find an intersection with traffic lights, go straight. After that, you will cross a railway and pass Tambon Mheung Municipality. The bike track is just a short drive from the municipality office, on the right-hand side just after a left curve.
Parking: At the track, there is space for just a few cars. But on the race day, the organisers have got permission for participants to park in a nearby plot of land.
Food & drinks: There is no shop in the immediate vicinity. Bring your own goodies.
What your family can enjoy while waiting: Unless they also ride, there is nothing for them to do at the track. However, Bang Saen Beach and the aquarium of Burapha University’s Institute of Marine Science are just a short drive away.
Accommodation: A lot of hotels and resorts are available in nearby areas, from Chon Buri and Bang Saen all the way to Si Racha and Pattaya.
Local contact: Call Sari Thumpitakpong on 081-862-4627.
