Bike Riding Ho Chi Min

Posted by chumi (369 days ago)

I am moving to Ho Chi Min next month to live. Is there road bike riding clubs? Is there safe road rides around Ho Chi Min? Is there bike repair shops? Is there mountain bike trails near HCM?

Posted by ldldjr (368 days ago)

There are bike sellers and bike repair shops everywhere in VN - but maybe not what you are expecting. And replacement parts for your latest high tech model may be hard come by - you might want to brush up on your bike tuning skills. I would imagine it isn't too difficult to find challenging riding trails - major elevation changes though may be a long ride away. "Safe" is a relative term - the VN seem to be fine riding their bikes almost anywhere. You on the other hand will need to learn the "non-rules" of the road before you will be safe.

Posted by DakLak (341 days ago)

The expression "bike repair shops" needs qualification. There are many talented types, complete with spanners / wrenches, who can work miracles with the barest of supplies.

As the other poster said, if you are looking for manufacturer recommended supplies, hard. Look north towards NanNing, GuangXi, China for more professional supplies. (I have a Dahon).

First of all, invest in KEVLAR protective strips which go between the tire and the inner tube. VN streets and roads are notorious for sharp objects and I have never had a flat since I bought the Kevlar strips (my tires also have Kevlar molded into them).

Sam Mountain (Tay Ninh) is a challenge, but I find cycling in 40C weather a`challenge on the flat (I have cycled for the past 8 months, on business, from the Chinese border and have now reached Hue).

You might consider buying an electric horn that sounds like a scooter as well as investing in LED lights so you look more like a scooter.

Road discipline is unheard of in VN and as a bike rider you are at the bottom of the pecking order.

One disconcerting thing that often happens is that some cyclist/scooter driver will decide to chat with you and will drive parallel to you for kilometres and kilometres before finally driving off. This can be a pain and dangerous.

The 'rule' of the road is that cyclists and scooters occupy the kerb lane and cars and trucks the inner lane.

This leads to very confusing situations when cyclists want to turn left or motorised vehicles want to turn right. Utter and complete chaos.

I use the Western style and move to the centre line (real or imaginary) of the road and hold my arm out to clearly signal my intention.

Even when riding less than a metre from the kerb you will find scooters driving between you and the kerb - often with them wanting to carry on straight whilst you are turning.

Traffic signals are for someone else, too, certainly not for cyclists and scooter drivers in HCMC. Most times 4 wheeled vehicle drivers will acknowledge the signal function.

Beware of buses of the opentour type, they are completely unskilled and like to bear down on you with horns blaring obviously in the belief than horns will either scare you or cause you to evaporate. I find an old bicycle chain very handy at times.

Finally, either buy a folding bike (Dahon!) or make sure all your accessories can be removed and your roadster secured through all wheels (and frame) using a looooong motorcycle chain and lock.

Unfortunately, they are thieves in HCMC and even very adapt at mobile "grab and run" so make sure your goodies are well secured.

I have found that locking my bike to some object elevated from the ground (such as a decent sized branch) discourages people from trying to steal your wheels.

And don't forget your crash helmet, either.