The Stats

Days of cycling: 23

Total distance covered: 1846 kilometers

Average per day: 80 kilometers

Total moving time: 115 hours

Average rolling time per day: 5 hours

Strava KOMs: 5

Crashes: 0

Days of rain/wind/clouds: 0

Overview

This year, for the Winter mountain bike adventure, I travelled to northern Thailand. Chiang Mai to be specific. I have been to Chiang Mai before, it's in fact 10 years ago that I went to the city for the first time, back in 2013. Which is really cool because Strava has my times on different segments since 10 years back!

Why Chiang Mai?

Amazing trails
Great weather
Friendly people
Delicious food

The Race

Northern Thailand Cross Country

The race was a three part affair:

Stage 1 - Cross country mountain bike - 33 km 400 m climbing

Stage 2 - Gravel race - 66 km 800 m climbing

Stage 3 - Short track MTB Race - 7 km 100 m climbing

Me trying to break away from my two opponents on the gravel part of the race track

This was not really a stage race in the traditional sense - No combined time. Just three separate races. The first at 07:30 in the morning, then a one hour break, then the gravel race (which I did on my mountain bike), and lastly, in the afternoon, a short track MTB race.

I had signed up in the Open category, instead of my usual age category; M50. There were not a lot of participants so Open seemed like a good idea. It turned out that there were just three of us in the two MTB races in the Open category.

Race 1 - Cross Country MTB

Rather a simple track with 80% asphalt and a short gravel road loop. Three laps of this. All starting and ending with an asphalt climb.

All categories started together but almost immediately the three of us in the Open category formed our own group at the front. There was me and two tiny Thai guys. The youngest one 17 years old, and the other 20+. In the climbs I had a serious weight disadvantage.

My plan was to ride the gravel section hard each lap and see if I could drop anyone. This tactic did unfortunately not work out as my two opponents stayed glued to my rear wheel during the entire gravel part. Then on the asphalt climbs they would cooperate with one breaking away while the other would take my wheel. Each time this happened I had to chase down the one of them who tried to break away. I was able to do so until the last time up the climb where I was too tired and they both left me in the dust. Finished just a minute or so behind in third (and last) place however so okay result.

Race 2 - The Gravel Race

This second race of the day, which for me came only an hour after the first one had finished, had the most starters. And almost all of them on gravel bikes. And also, none of them had ridden the first race, as I had. It was perhaps a bit silly for me to take part in this race, considering I was rather exhausted after the first race, and also had a third race a bit later in the day. But also typical Alex behaviour to do such an ambitious and overly optimistic thing. It didn't go well. I was tired. I have no idea how I placed. The race was the same track as the first one, only six laps instead of three.

Race 3 - The Short-Track MTB Race

This third and last race was by far the most fun of the three. I had ridden quite a few practice laps around this track, and it was definitely necessary because it was a super-technical tight and fun track.

There's a video of one of my practice laps here:

This race was in the early afternoon and it was getting really hot. I had already done two races but ahead of this last race I had a few hours of rest. However the heat had me pouring bottle after bottle of cold water over my head.

I was really worried that my two opponents in the Open class, the same two opponents that I had in the first race early in the morning, were just going to drop me right away. They had after all not ridden the second Gravel race, which I had. But we stayed together throughout most of the race, the young guy managed to pull ahead just before the finish, and I ended up right in the middle of the bunch, in second place

The Bike

Lapierre XRM 8.9

This is a fairly new bike for me. I purchased it after all the 2023 races were done. I had not ridden a race on it before taking it to Chiang Mai, or even any real serious terrain. This was in other words the first real test for it.

Worth noting is that it's not much of an "8.9" anymore. I've rebuilt it with SRAM XX1 Eagle and some nice Duke wheels. The weight has come down 2 kilos and it now weighs in, race ready with pedals, at about 10.5 kg.

The bike performed excellently in the touch terrain around Chiang Mai. Both the crazy downhills from the top of the mountain, to the super-technical Cowboy Track, and in the Northern Thailand cross-country race.

I could not be more happy with the bike.

Favorite Routes

Cowboy track

This track was here last time I was in Chiang Mai as well, but it's been extended and is much longer now. I really love this track. It's super-technical, tight and difficult. Just look at the map!

Strava: Cowboy Spaghetti

Here's a video from one of my fast laps:

Up the mountain (benchmark climb)

This is a a serious climb, 9 kilometers long and 900 meters in altitude gain. There's a small village at the top with multiple coffee shops. Going back down there's a bunch of fun downhill tracks to chose from.

Up the mountain on Benchmark climb and down the fun downhill

I have done this benchmark climb every year and this time I didn't manage to beat my PR but I did manage a respectable time anyway.

Southern Scenic Route

Lots of sandy trails and singletrack through the jungle

Northern Scenic Route

Mostly gravel roads but so beautiful

Strava: Northern Scenic Route

Epic Ride

I went for my Epic Ride, not on New Year's Eve, as per tradition, but on the day before. Bill Morris joined me and we had so much fun. The stories that that guy can tell! He should write a book... or they should make a movie of his life. Seriously!