International commercial MTB trips

Looking for a mountain biking tour provider - the following website strikes me as an aggregator of localised MTB tour providers around the country. See www.uniquetrails.com.

Mountain Biking in Sabah, West Malaysia

Sabah strikes me as the adventure capital of SE Asia just as New Zealand is an symbol of sport internationally. Though without the financial resources and oganisation, clearly the region is going to struggle to maintain a good service reputation. Time will tell. For more information on mountain biking in West Malaysia, see the following links:
1. See http://mount-kinabalu-borneo.com/blog/kinabalu-mountain-biking-package-trip-from-busat.html
2. See http://mount-kinabalu-borneo.com/blog/10-ways-to-save-your-money-backpacking-in-kota-kinabalu.html for backpacking in Malaysia
3. See http://mount-kinabalu-borneo.com/blog/how-to-get-to-kinabalu-park-hq-from-kota-kinabalu-using-google-maps.html.

Mountain Biking in Australia

I have mostly gone mountain biking in the Port Macquarie area, North Coast, NSW Australia, though I know of a few other good trails. I dont much like mountain biking in Australia because:
1. The trails are not well-maintained: Its a big country and there are alot of fire trails, so being seldom used, they are not maintained.
2. The geology is not favourable: Australia is mostly quartz-based sandstone and granite, which combined with the dry climate, makes MTB less than ideal. Why? Well you dont get deep soil profiles, you get rock ledges and rocky trails rather than smooth paths. For this reason trails are also more likely to have steps. This issue can be resolved by looking for clay-based rocks, whether based on basalts, andesites, feldspathic siltstones, etc. Incertain areas of Australia there are flood basalts. These make particularly good trails if the climate is wet, eg. Cairns, Tasmania because they weather away into clay soils, as opposed to rocky quartz sandstone rubble.
3. The distances between areas are so far: That is really distances between certain rock types and population centres.
4. Unfavourable topography: I actually dont like Australian MTB because of the landforms. The hills are gentle and broad, so you spend alot of time climbing and then quickly downhill. In Japan the differences between flat & mountains are stark, so suits biking. You dont spend alot of time climbing hills.

You are more likely to find a track on the suburban fringes of the cities than in the countryside where there is the most room. These tracks are forged mostly by school kids on weekends. I think these near-city trails make the best riding tracks. The other places to look for tracks are in holiday destinations, where kids take their bikes, and where local kids also maintain the tracks.

So the tracks that I would recommend are:
1. Swamp in Port Macquarie: There is a park-estuary swampland at the end of the main CBD district of Port Macquarie. If you park near the public toilets ot pub, there is a track leading off to the west. Its constructed of wooden planks at first and you will need to climb 5-steps on the way but its a nice short run. A word of caution: The wooded planks get REALLY stippery if it has been raining. Slipping off as I do is not recommended. Basically its a 4km circle, but you can extend the route by crossing back over the main (pub) road and taking the path along the river to the beach and back. You should also watch for people as you tend to pass them at the first time, eg. Turning a corner.
2. Lake Cathie, Port Macquarie: There is an area of state forest just south of Lake Cathie which has a number of forest trails. Driving south through Lake Cathie, upon leaving the town their is a road linking to the Pacific Highway. Take that right turn, and half way along there is a bridge. There are some good areas to park before the bridge, so you can ride around. The tracks on the south side of the road are better.
3. Blue Mountains, NSW: I am told there is some good MTB trails in the Blue Mountains. I am told there is a good track around the old Zig Zag Railway.
4. Fitzroy Falls, Mittagong, NSW: There is a trail here dropping off the plateau of the Sydney Basin into the Kangaroo Valley. The trail runs off to the south of the falls inside Morton National Park.
4. Barrington Tops: Barrington Tops are located between Scone (west) and Gloucester (east) in the Hunter Valley. I recommend the approach from Scone. There is a good place to mountain bike at the top of the mountain passage. You will know when if you look for a cattle grid across the road. It occurs at stark boundary between some scenic alpine pasture and the national park. There are 2 rides in this area. Immediately after the grid there is a loop road going off to the north, and to the south there are fire trails that weave their way down the ranges to the valley floor. I've only done the loop, which was good riding because the loop was basaltic cap over a high point.

Mountain Biking in NZ

Are you interested in mountain biking. Well NZ is an outdoors enthusiasts paradise. There are 3 areas that I am aware of that are particularly good:
1. Rotorua, centre of North Island
2. Nelson, top of South Island
3. Queenstown, lower North Island

Here is some more info resources:

Biking NZ photo galleries
i. www.vorb.org.nz/index-photos.html
MTB Events
i. www.vorb.org.nz/index-events.html
ii. www.mountainbike.co.nz/forum/list.php?f=16
iii. www.newzealand.com/travel/about-nz/features/mountain-biking/mountain-biking-in-new-zealand.cfm
Trade bikes - NZ
i. www.vorb.org.nz/buysell.html
ii. www.mountainbike.co.nz/forum/list.php?f=15
Photos & videos
i. www.singletracks.com
ii. www.mtbmovies.com/index.php?o=rating
iii. www.geocities.com/singletrak2000/Aaron_Clark2.html
iv. www.mountainbike.co.nz/photos/index.htm
Biking Organisations
i. www.dmoz.org/Sports/Cycling/Organizations/Oceania/New_Zealand
ii. www.nelsonmountainbikeclub.org.nz – Nelson MTB club
Maps
i. www.singletracks.com/mountain-bike/maps.php
ii. www.bikely.com – this is a great global source of trail maps
iii. www.barrieradventures.co.nz/trails.htm - good layout
iv. www.tourism.net.nz/new-zealand-maps.html
v. www.kiwivelo.com/mountainbikemap.html - Nelson MTB Trails
Policy & Regulations
i. www.mountainbike.co.nz/politics/index.htm
Forums
i. www.vorb.org.nz/forums.html
ii. www.bikely.com/forum/categories/
iii. www.singletracks.com/forum2/index.php?c=1
Bike Routes
i. www.bikely.com – this is a great global source of tracks
ii. www.singletracks.com/mountain-bike/trails.php
iii. www.trailsource.com/biking/index.asp and www.trailsource.com/scripts/four.asp?ID=6617&TYPE=BIKE
iv. www.bikenz.org.nz/Article.aspx?ID=22210 – NZ’s 20 best rides
v. www.mountainbike.co.nz/places/index.htm
vi. www.geocities.com/Pipeline/Ramp/2901/
vii. www.nelsonmountainbikeclub.org.nz – Nelson area
viii. http://mtb.live555.com/mtb-anz.html
ix. www.newzealand.com/travel/about-nz/features/mountain-biking/mountain-biking-in-new-zealand.cfm
x. www.outdoortravels.com/biking_nz_overview_7mile.html and www.outdoortravels.com/biking_nz_overview_kelvinheights.html - Queenstown trails
xi. www.kiwivelo.com/mountainbiking.html - MTB rides in Nelson
xii. www.nzonline.org.nz/planetbikerotoruamountainbiking.htm and
Commercial MTB
i. Sth Island - www.puretrailsnewzealand.co.nz/biking-tours.htm
Biking Theory
Track Grading System - www.mountainbike.co.nz/rides/mtb/grading.html
Code of Conduct - www.mountainbike.co.nz/rides/mtb/mtbikers_code.html
Bike reviews
i. www.bikely.com/reviews/Trek
11. www.singletracks.com/mountain-bike/gear.php
MTB Education
1. www.dmoz.org/Sports/Cycling/Mountain_Biking/FAQs,_Help,_and_Tutorials/

Here is a list of the Top 101 Best Things to Do in New Zealand according to voters. I don’t think democracy achieves the best rankings – but its something to work with - www.aatravel.co.nz/101-must-dos-for-kiwis/index.php.

Mountain biking in the Philippines

The Philippines might not be one of the greatest paradises on Earth, and maybe its one of the last places you might think to go mountain biking given the talk of terrorists and communists. But having lived in Batangas Province for almost a year, I can tell you that the perceptions might discourage you from taking a well-worth trip. Over the years I have been to the Philippines numerous times, firstly for work, for holidays, as transits. On this occasion I came to meet my new GF. If you are interested in better understanding the Filipino people see my blog Understanding People at http://hito-wakaru.blogspot.com/. Having arrived and performed some biking I can offer the following info.

GENERAL COUNTRY INFO
1. Climate: Choose your seasons wisely, as it often rains heavily in the wet season, and the 'wet' differs for different parts of the country. There is basically a east-sloping diagonal dividing the country between Summer wet (Sep-Oct) and Winter wet (???). The constraint ranges from widespread flooding to wet boggy tracks that prevent progress. The temperature is similar all year round...as its cooler in the wet, drier in the cooler seasons...so kind of balanced. The intensity of sunshine is constant all year, as you would expect for the tropics. Those areas with a little elevation like Antipolo, Batangas and northern Luzon offer an even more pleasant riding climate.
2. Bike Supplies: I purchased a bike from a vendor in Paranaque, Manila for P10,000 ($US200). They built the bike for me, but did a poor job of it. The peddles were improperly threaded so one fell off. They used poor quality components, so my 8th gear on the back wheel fell off. Basically they used an incompatible 7-gear Taiwanese sproket where there should have been a 8-year Shimano gearset...and made up the difference with a plastic spacer, which broke off ....after just 1month of use. Outside of Manila there are alot of bike shops in the main towns because bikes are everywhere. So I've since spent P3,000 ($60) on parts. I found the bike shop in Lipa very reliable, but there is not the range available in Lipa. Understand most Filipinos are less than 5ft tall, so you need a market place which offers a reasonable choice of frames.
3. Accommodation: There are hotels and guest houses all around the Philippines offering basic accommodation for P250-750 ($5-15/night), cheaper for groups. Its not safe to camp out unless you are in a large group. There are people everywhere, as the country retains a strong agricultural base and squatting is rife. These are poor people and attitudes differ towards foreigners.
4. Dangers: Its pretty safe as long as you are in the public eye. Some vendors will ilicit money or personal relaitonships with you, attempting to lure you into alley ways so they can steal from you. Though such naked ambition is more common in the cities. In rural areas, there are poor communities which harbour dangerous groups, so avoid them. If you happen to ride into the wind, you have a good chance of smelling them because they dont have basic provisions for basic septic/sanitation services. Basically they bury it where it falls, and have a rubbish tip close to their camps. If you are riding on-road avoid hit and runs by remaining in groups. I prefer riding into incoming traffic so at least I have a chance. And generally I prefer to stay off the main roads. I have found that there are good & bad districts in or around any city, and you can gauge that from the attitudes you confront. Basically its best to travel in groups or otherwise join a . If you are interested in a group ride maybe I can help organise one.
5. Routes: There are no formal routes in the Philippines to my knowledge, though there are established biking groups with an online presence. Probably rich kids so they just might have a GPS to log tracks of prior routes. I've always liked to do my own exploring, so I'm more of a supplier than a user. The great aspect of the Philippines is that the whole countryside - topography permitting - is very open. Filipinos are not so hung up on property rights like the West so I've never had a problem passing through properties and there are not so many fences to restrict your travels, though it pays to ask if you confront people. I have never been refused. But it can't hurt to avoid such interaction for safety reasons if you confront groups because some people are very provocative and anti-American, and trust me anyone 'black or white' is American.
6. Trip Preparation: Its one thing to suggest that there are alot of trails and few obstructions, but its another thing to tie those tracks into a continuous trail. In some countries there is a well defined trail. In the Philippines the trails tend to lead off in many directions, whether to houses or villages or paddocks. Afterall their trails are used for transport or walking, not for recreational touring. Unfortunately there is little you can do to solve this problem since Google Map resolution is not good enough to determine a track route, so trial & error is the only sure method. I would suggest using a GPS set destination to keep you targeted at interim destinations or waypoints. I recorded my waypoints as bus stop points on the route from Manila, that way I could be assured if I had a problem with my bike I could get it back to my home, as well as ensuring that I found pre-establishing eating or accommodation points.
7. Support: I dont know why Filipinos are so indifferent to others, but I found them to be less than helpful. Its not something specific to foreigners, nor is it English, because they seem to treat other Filipinos with similar disdain. This is poor Filipinos...the more money they have the kinder they are. There is a strong class hierarchy here so I think its testimony to class resentment. For this reason its difficult to count on any advice given, so I would be inclined to get a 2nd opinion. If your bike breaks down or you get lost and you want to get to some waypoint (landmark best, eg. McDonalds) in a hurry, consider flagging down a tricycle. They are used by Filipinos as a very attractive mode of transport. Basically you will pay about P4/km. I carried my bike on a tricycle by holding the bike frame through the back-window of the tricycle compartment.
8. Roads: Filipinos dont give much regard for road rules, and the police even less. They dont enforce, and they drive 30km/h faster than everyone else and overtake haphazardly. So you need to look at whats coming...on your side of the road...and watch all those kids playing on the roads. In the countryside its better. I think it is unwise to ride on the roads. It would not be prudent to even ride of the tollway curbing since cars use that for overtaking lanes as well....even if its illegal. Basically its safe off-road.
9. Scenery: I dont think the Philippines is a terribly scenic country as far as natural beauty, though there is still alot I havent see. There are special areas though which are worth a look, eg. Tagaytay, Tayabas, Boracay. There seems to be little natural forest protected and the beaches are mostly grey or rocky. Communities are not attractive either - either barracaded garrisons or untidy traditional housing with poorly kept gardens. There is alot of little. Once you get out in more rural areas its more beautiful. You can see lovely scenes like coconut plantations with mountain backdrops. Unfortunately you have to get away from the main roads to have those experiences because anywhere there are main roads or people, there is pollution.
10. People: I think the Filipino people are amongst the nicest I have met, and I've been to many countries. Kind of feel uncomfortable refusing their offers of food when you see what they eat...just dont trust their food preparation standards...as they have alot more resilience to their diseases than I do...already had my fair share of intestinal cramps and diarhorea. The other point is that I dont think much of Filipino cooking....alot of it looks like a brown slurry. But there are some really nice dishes as well. As far as the dangerous people are concerned, well I guess they might be inclined to kill you for P500. Basically they dont do much research before committing a felony...basically its....he's a foreigner....must be loaded....lets get his wallet. Having said that I've biked around alone without incident....just alot of smart comments...but many more friendly ones - particularly kids are always pleasant.
11. City biking: I have no stomach for riding in the city...any city...Its too congested, too polluted and the roads are shocking. Stick to the trails is my suggestion. The reason is that emission standards are not enforced in the Philippines, so the plethora of trucks and tricycles on the road make the experience very unpleasant.

I have so far only biked around Batangas province, but driving around I dont see any evidence to suggest that other provinces of the Philippines are any different. In conclusion, biking is one of the activities I like because I dont have to worry about accommodation, obstacles...the trails are in really good condition, because basically they use them daily as walking and bike trails to get to school, shops. The issue is developing a route...so alot of trial and error if you dont have a guide. I like the exploring myself.

Taking sporting equipment overseas

If you are travelling overseas on an international flight with the intent of pursuing some sporting adventure, you will need to know in advance the arrangements the airlines have for sporting equipment. This can makes your selection of airline that much easier or harder - depending on the rules. Most airlines call this type of baggage 'oversized or special baggage'. You need to check the restrictions as the terms of carriage are always under review. Some airlines - particularly the smaller airlines - offer you carriage capacity at their discretion, which creates a risk for the traveller. The airlines are placing restrictions on weight, diamensions and type of sporting equipment that you can take on flights. Some airlines have treated sporting goods very generously, offering a free or subsidized allowance. Here is a sample of airline policy in the Asia Pacific region:

1. Qantas: They don’t give the limits for carriage of canoes, but you might be able to gauge from the windsurfer limits what they accept, but its best to ask. See www.qantas.com.au/info/flying/beforeYouTravel/sportingEquipment#jump7
2. Philippine Airlines: They charge you for any excess weight over the free baggage allowance, making them an expensive option. See www.philippineairlines.com/TEMPFILES/129.asp?nivSel=5_5_5.
3. Japan Airlines: I could find no info on their website, though I suspect they charge normal handling charges, or have restrictions…just because they are Japanese, or because its never happened before.
4. Japan ANA: Being Japanese, ANA have very specific and tight rules on baggage. See www.ana.co.jp/eng/dms/svc/airport/baggage/index.html.
5. Cebu Pacific Airlines: They have pretty tight restrictions because of the small planes. See www.cebupacificair.com/help/luggage.html. Note the option to use Cebu Cargo Services, which allows you to pick up items within 3 days without charge. See www.cebupacificair.com/promos/faqs-cargo.html.
6. Tiger Airways: They offer surprisingly good terms – charging just $25 per item, though this might get expensive if you are traveling multiple legs separately. See http://www.tigerairways.com/flight/useful-travel-information.php. There is also a risk of non-carriage.
7. Viva Macau Airlines: They charge a fee, and you have a weight limit up to 50kg. See www.flyvivamacau.com/en/before_you_fly/conditions_8.php.
8. Asian Spirit: They are a Philippines domestic airline. They had no baggage information. See www.asianspirit.com/index.html.
9. Air New Zealand: They offer reasonable carriage terms for oversized baggage. You get 10kg extra free baggage allowance. See www.airnewzealand.com/travelinfo/baggageinformation/oversized_items.htm.

Some of the smaller discount airlines contract freight movements to third party companies, so it might be worthwhile to make indepedent inquiries. It might even be worthwhile buying the item new if you know where you are going, for delivery to the destination if you have a receiving destination - say a friend's house. There are often problems with credit card companies sending items to non-billing addresses.

I make the point that most of the airlines would have no special problem carrying an inflatable canoe like my favoured Sevylor Tahiti model, but you would likely have to pay a slight baggage excess fee.