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Mountain Biking
Hurtling down dirt roads on a mountain bike and getting a big thrill out of it is for the hardy and the fittest adventure seekers. And Nepal is just the place for such high spirited people. Beginning right here in the Kathmandu valley, there are endless possibilities for bikers. The dirt trails up and down the valley lead to far flung settlements with great views along the way as the fields are covered in lush green and mountains appear in the distance as you climb to higher elevations. Out of the valley there are terraced hillsides, waterfalls and better views of mountains that loom large in the background. Or if you choose to ride in the mountains, there are serene valleys, pristine glacial lakes and you’re ever so close to the Himalaya. And the ever-smiling people who greet you along the way will warm your hearts enough to make you want to stay. It’s a great way to discover the heart and soul of Nepal. Hard core bikers can go all the way to Tibet. There are many agencies that lead organized trips to most destinations in Nepal as well as to Tibet. The popular destinations around the valley are Bhaktapur, Sankhu, Budanilkantha, Nagarkot and the Kathmandu Valley Rim. Pokhara is fascinating for bike rides with its incredible natural beauty. Each year there are Mountain Biking Championships held in Kathmandu and Pokhara in which many tourists also take part.
Source: Nepal Tourism Board
Video of Biking in Nepal
source: Discovery channel
Mountain Biking
Mountain biking is one of the most recent adventure sports and already its suitability to the cobweb of dirt roads that crisscross Nepal is evident. From the trading trails of the mountains to the lowland plains of the Terai, the mountain bike has proven itself the ultimate way to explore the rural countryside.
Mountain bikes were developed in the 1970s by a group of enthusiasts in California to handle rough, rocky trails and steep hill climbs. Old bicycles were modified with five to ten speed gears, front and rear drum brakes, motorcycle brake levers and big, knobby tyres. These were tested in California hills that dropped 400 meters (1300 ft) in 2.4 km (1.8 miles) averaging a 14 percent gradient an ideal testing ground for the Himalaya. In the mid 1980s mountain bikes were introduced to Nepal by some of the more enterprising expatriates of Kathamandu . Intrigued children in distant villages would run up shouting "Gerwallas Aayol!- the people of the geared bikes have come!" And they keep coming .
Mountain biking is an incomparable way to explore the temples, medieval cities and rural settlements of the Kathamandu valley. Daily village life can be observed from a dirt road without the intrusion of vehicles or the constraints of travelling on foot. If you choose to leave town under your own steam, a pollution mask is a valuable precuation and available from many department stores. Once beyound the Ring road the airfreshnes up quickly . Without much time to roam you may want to stick to the roads shown on the various valley maps. The fields in all four directions offer endless scope for single track adventure. Beyond the valley a mountain bike is a woderful way to reach a trek start point, the beginning of a river trip of just to tour the country.
A more pleasant route to Pokhara on a mountain bike follows the longer, more scentic old Rajpath down to the Terai (stop off for a few nights in Chitwan National Park) , then takes the Siddhartha Highway up to Pokhara. Other great routes around the country include biking from Kathamandu to the Tibetan border at Kodari, Kathamandu to Jiri and Kathamandu to Dhunche, with a side trip to the ancient palace of Nuwakot,. More ambitious trips go from Pokhara to Bardia Natioanl Park in the far west , from Kathamandu to the Arun valley in the east or even the Annapurna circuit through Jomsom.
Mountain bikes do have shortcomings - they are suitable only for selected trekking trails, for safety and ecological reasons. At the other end of the spectrum, some of the main roads of Nepal, such from Kathamandu to Pokhar, are too clogged with lorries and buses for enjoyable biking .
Day rental bike stands have now been overshadowed by bicycle touring comapanies that offer higher quality bikes and dependable maintenance and guides. Of these, the leader is still Himalayan Mountain Bikes (www.bikeasia.info), located in Chaksibari Marg in Thamel. They have 60 well maintained, customized bikes, all with front shocks, get seats and good touring equipment. They set up classic routes and offer trip advice, as well as exciting combination adventures that team up biking with canyoning , hot springs, rock climbing, paragliding, rafting , monastery tours or jungle treks. Dawn till Dusk (www.nepalbiking.com) is another reliable outfit that offers good rates on valley and country tours. They sell spares and tools for bikes too. But any good bike company should be able to help you to assess the best routes for you, given your ability, schedule and what you want to see.
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