Mountain biking is great extension of your trek or expedition. Personally, we love it. Although The Netherlands is a pretty flat country, it has great mountain bike trails, too. So, we can say we're a bit experienced there. Years ago, Armand was also one of the first foreigners to cycle (illegally) from Lhasa to Kathmandu on an old Chinese bike (it's in Holland now). No wonder that we love to combine our treks and climbs with biking. And so you can, too!
Mountain Biking is great way to explore Nepal. The terrain and landscapes are excellent. There are many tracks that can be used for biking. From easy and quiet village roads to challenging mountain trails with climbs and down hills of hundreds or thousands of meters. Mountain biking gives you the chance to leave the crowds behind and to discover idyllic Nepali culture mixed with the beautiful and unexplored country side. But, as we said, if you're in for a challenge, then we can take you to the mountains, too!
As you can imagine, there are many possibilities. You may be looking for fixed trails, but as we now the area, we can easily make a ride shorter or longer, depending on your interests and fitness. To name some of the more popular trips, we give you a few suggestions:
One day trips around Kathmandu
Longer trips
Interested in a bike extension? E-mail us your ideas and we'll come up with some good ideas and itineraries, ok? Almost everything is possible, from renting a single bike, to multi week, all inclusive biking packages. Below, you'll find some general information about mountain biking.
Renting a mountain bike in Kathmandu
There are several companies that rent mountain bikes. Some of them have crappy Chinese or Indian bikes, others provide western brands such as Trek or Giant. Don't expect to get the best bike in the right size if you just turn up one hour before. It's better to plan ahead and let us take care of a bike for you. We'll make sure that a good bike will be available for you. The costs for a bike, including a helmet vary from US $10,- to US $25,- per day. It's a good idea to bring your own lock...
Bringing your own mountain bike
Perhaps not the best idea for a single day trip, but when you're considering to make a long trip, such as the 1000km trip from Lhasa to Kathmandu, then it's wise to bring your own bike. Have a look at your airline's policy about transporting a bike and make sure to prepare it properly. Altough you might be able to buy spare parts in Kathmandu it's a way better idea to bring a set of spare parts.
The day trips around the Kathmandu Valley are suitable for evryone. If you are thinking of longer trips, you need to have a good level of fitness and some experience, too. If you have never biked long distances befor, then it can become a bit difficult and painful for your butt, back, legs and arms. Make sure to train for a longer trip, the fitter you are, the more you can enjoy!
Well, that depends on you. For some easy day trips you may want rent a bike yourself, sometimes we can join you ourselves, and for other trips we arrange an experienced guide. All of the guides have a lot of experience, are well trained and know the best trails. The guides will also be able to repair your bike and solve problems if anything goes wrong. We always try to use guides who have cultural knowledge and are fun people to ride with. Although, there are some very skilled guides and great personalities, don't expect them to be a native English speaker, mountain bike champion, medic, bioligist and historical expert in one person...
There are many different trails in Nepal. To get out of the city, you'll need to bike through the fascinating Kathmandu traffic mostly followed by jeep tracks, and single (walking) tracks through rice fields and forests. A certain times the tracks may become to steep or too difficult to keep biking. In that case you will have to push or carry your bike. As Nepal villages love to create stone stair cases, you will probably have to deal with them, too. A few years ago, the muddy and ribbed roads from Lhasa to kathmandu have been turned into smooth paved roads.
Indication of best seasons for mountain biking:
- Spring: February, March, April, May
- Autumn: October, November, half December
Biking is possible through the year. However, if you like to bike in the summer months (July, August, September) expect it to be hot, humid, wet and slippery. The winter month's can be cold, especially in the morning, evening and nights.
Yak Attack
The Yak Attack is a special mountain bike event in Nepal. It claims to be the Highest mountain bike race on Earth! Well, it probably is... Let's give some of their facts: