Conquer Doi Suthep: Extreme XC Downhill Chiang Mai

Awesome trip, with friendly and helpful guides. Excellent day out! Totally recommend this company to anyone looking for an ace day out doing techy MTB. 10/10!

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.

I did the Old Smugglers Route with my son and had a reasonable overall experience. The trail overall is good fun and our guide added to the enjoyment. Note though that there isn’t much real single trail at all, which is different to what we had been told. Most of the trail is through jeep track with only a small bit of genuine single trail at the end. The bikes also need a serious refresh. The bikes have seen better days and not of the quality needed to have the most fun from a day like this. We had several issues with a warped wheel, brakes, suspension and gears. Overall though, there doesn’t seem a lot of other choice in Chiang Mai right now, so if you’re keen to explore the trails, it’s a reasonable option.

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.

I did ride #3 the old smugglers route. It was raining and wet, which made the trails a bit slippery, but still had a great time. My guide James was very good. He called steep downhill and uphill bits before we got there so you could be in the right gear, and showed the best line through sections of trail. Bikes and safety gear were all in good condition too. A great friendly and challenging day out.

We did the route #3. We had originally signed up to do the easier route #1, but the guides convinced us to join the more difficult group. After about an hour of riding, the route proved to be  much too difficult for me personally. Thankfully, one guide stayed with me (I forget his name). He was incredibly patient and helpful. He instructed me, altered the route for me, and stayed with me the whole time while the rest of the group went ahead. He was very friendly and personable. Overall, I would recommend the company but stick with the beginner route if you are new to mountain biking!

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.

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.

Joined the programme 3A, which the starting point was on a high mountain, as I have no experience on downhill ride at all so it was a bit tough for me. Stopped by a nice waterfall. Great experience. Tour leaders Art and Jan were good guys.

Excellent day out. Well organised excursion with good guides. Well worth the money. A dip in the lake, meal and beer afterwards topped it off. It rained the whole day but this didn't detract from the trip. If anything it kept the temperature down which is good for a Scottish lad.