Great ride in Chiang Mai. - I had a fantastic day of riding with Bas-definitely was a challenge, but Bas was a capable and knowledgeable guide, and we had a blast! Although you are descending from a mountaintop, there are certainly some tough climbs as well. We had several short stops to admire the scenery and look at the foliage, but there was several hours of riding. We enjoyed a lakeside lunch, and then rode the 15kms into town and back to the shop.

Challenging But Fun - I signed up for the mountain biking ride the night before. Staff was very friendly. Next day we bussed to the top of the mountain and started out. A bit challenging for a beginner I would say, as we had to ride on two concrete tracks about a foot wide each. Then an eroded road to navigate. Then some road riding which was thoroughly enjoyable. Finally lunch and camaraderie with the group. It was the highlight of my trip.

Fun downhill day mountain biking - I went with my boyfriend and neither of us had any experience mountain biking although we bike on the road every day. We did track 1 and our guide, Art, made some slight changes to the route depending to add some more challenges paths which was really fun! Despite having no experience it was a really adventurous day and the track was sometimes challenging but at the perfect level for us! We were with a group of 11 and everyone was similar level, some a little better than others so they took a few alternate tracks on the way down. For 5/5 stars, we would have liked an intro to the bikes before we started to learn more about how best to use brakes and gears etc and how the bike handles but we figured it out for ourselves :) also the sexist comments during the office intro may be a bit too much and the guide was nice and funny enough without them.

The Old Smugglers Route - XC Downhill # 3 - A great mix of single and double track. - The Chiang Mai Mountain Biking & Kayaks is conveniently located in the old city. I visited the shop before I signed up for the scienic ride #3. The staff recommended this route as the best trip for XC and views. The tour does not begin until late in the morning. It was after 10 am when we left. Too late for the heat in the mountains. The staff was very accommodating to those guests who need to change tours dependent on skill level. After a long and winding shuttle ride to the top of the mountain we geared up. The knee and elbow pads are very tired and don't stay in place. The bikes were not in any better shape. Treck and Kaze. The forks are shot and headsets were loose. Brakes were also hit and miss. The guides did their best to address some issues. The trails are a great mix of jeep double track and single track through the jungle. The XC trails are definately not maintained but fun none the less. It would be a slip and slide in the rainy season! The guides were a lot of fun and very knoledgeable about the area. The working condition of the bikes here is terrible for a XC/DH adventure. The only maintence seems to be a bit of oil on the chain. I passed on the full DH day due to the condition of the rental equipment.