When Nepal held the Asian Mountain Bike Competition in 2008, many claimed that after mountaineering, trekking, rafting, & jungle safari, Nepal would soon be the “Mecca” for mountain bikers as well. The President of Asian Mountain Biking Association expressed his fascination for Nepal & claimed that Nepal is soon becoming the new destination for biking tournaments. The Competition was recognition to Nepal’s immense possibility for biking adventures. Adventures from all over the world have been making a mountain biking as well as motor-biking tours in the spectacular trails of Nepal Himalayas.

However, the professional bikers may have been late in discovering Nepal’s mountain trails; mountain-biking was already an established mode of fun & adventure for the holiday makers. Nepal’s rugged terrain & terraced valleys allow mountain biking to be blended with other sports like cross country adventures, hiking, bungee jumping, etc. The villages, temples, monasteries, & the meeting point for travelers enrich one’s adventure & sight-seeing experience with cultural insights.

Mountain Biking Information

Fitness and experience.
For day trips around the valley anyone can do them from the novice to the advanced rider. If you are planning on longer rides then you should have a good level of fitness and some biking experience. If you have never ridden long distances or consecutive days before then it can become quite difficult and painful for you in the rear end department. If you are doing a long trip we suggest you try and ride 50km 3 or 4 times a week and do some uphill climbing as well. By being fit you will improve the enjoyment of your trip.

The guides
The guides are all highly qualified and expert riders. They know all the best trails and ways around the foothills. Your guides are also all bike mechanics and can fix any problems that should occur on the trail. Your guides will be trained in first aid and emergency procedure. Most importantly your guides are all locals, being well versed in the local culture and history to allow you to get the most out of your trip. They are fun and friendly for your upmost enjoyment.

The trails
Whilst in Nepal you will experience a great array of trails. For riding around the valley the first part of the ride you should expect to be riding in heavy traffic. Once across the ring road the trails will vary for bumpy jeep tracks, quite paved country roads and single tracks through rice paddies. In the national park areas the trails will be unused and very rough jeep tracks and single walking tracks. When you are going up into the mountain regions you should expect to carry your bike quite a bit. The trails are mainly single walking track with very rocky section and steep stair cases. In the Annapurna region, there are a lot of jeep size tracks which make for nice riding.

Best time of year
The best time of year for biking in Nepal is January to June and September to December. During the winter months it can be quite cold so bring some warm clothes. If you don’t mind getting wet and muddy, then august is a great time to come and slip and slide your way down the trails.

The bikes.
When doing a biking tour you can bring your own bike and helmet along with you. To transport your bike on the plane is no problem and as long as you are not over the weight limit you will not be charged extra. Your bike should be dismantled and packed securely in a box. We recommend you to take out t insurance for your bike and bring along a good lock and any spare parts. Spare parts such as tires and inner tubes, peddles, chains etc can be brought in Nepal, though the quality and price vary a lot.

You can hire a bike in Nepal. at a small extra cost the company will supply you with a top quality giant or Fuji bike with front suspension, a bike helmet, spare inner tubes and tools and a good lock and chain. You will be required to leave some form of identification as a deposit for any hire bike.

What to bring
For day trips shorts and t-shirt are fine as everything else is supplied for you. If you plane on a longer trip in the higher altitudes, apart for the normal travel things, you should bring along.

• Long and short biking pants
• long and short jerseys
• light thermal tops and pants
• good quality trainers or cycling shoes
• fleece jacket or vest
• water proof / wind proof jacket
• a light woolen cap
• sunglasses and sun cream
• tracksuit and jumper for when not riding