The Regent Bike Park will be the venue for the mountain bike training camp. photo: Pongpet Mekloy
Cycling is not just about pedalling power. To enjoy the sport to the fullest and make sure you come home in one piece after the ride, you need to have some bike handling skills. A fast cyclist who doesn’t know how to brake properly in a critical situation, for example, is a potential hazard to himself and anyone nearby.
While many riders, roadies and mountain bikers alike, receive advice from their peers, others learn from experience, which is often the hard way. Here’s a chance to be coached by a pro.
On the weekend of Sept 24-25, seasoned bicycle racer of various disciplines (MTB, road and BMX) Winai Thanthranon, popularly known as Lek Winai, will conduct the “Regent MTB Training Camp” at the bike park he and his team had designed and built for the Regent Cha-Am Beach Resort.
The 4.5km route in the 200-rai bike park features technical sections that require different techniques to clean. It is therefore, a good and safe venue for such a training camp. In the area, there are also decades-old traditional style wooden houses, one of which is well preserved to honour the noble man who was the owner of the vast land on which the resort is built.
The two-day course will cover crucial things newbies need to know, from bike setting and gear shifting to cornering, climbing, descending and much more. With expert guidance, each participant is likely to become a better rider after finishing the training programme.
Application fees for the course come at different rates. For participants who will travel to the Regent Cha-Am by themselves, it’s 2,500 baht (no room) or 3,900 baht (shared rooms). For those who will use the transportation provided by the organiser for themselves and their bikes, it’s 4,900 baht per person (shared rooms). The vans will leave from the Regent House Building on Ratchadamri Road in the morning of Sept 24, and back to Bangkok in the afternoon of the following day. Rental bikes are available for those who do not bring their own bikes.
Family members and friends wishing to accompany the riders are also welcome. They are required to pay 2,500 baht each. Like the riders who stay at the resort, they are entitled to a dinner on Saturday, plus breakfast and lunch on Sunday.
This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.