My bikes

From left to right - Trek 3900 hardtail, Trek 7200 Hybrid, Nashbar 6000R

The 3900 hardtail is mainly used for short spins of 25kms or less. I just can't seem to get used to the 42/34/24 chainset! It is a nice, comfortable ride. I have replaced the tyres with 26" x 1.5" semi-slicks. Bought in 2007

The 7200 hybrid - anything over about 25kms. I rode a touring bike for years with a 48/36 chainset so I am more accustomed to the 48/38/28 but I think the twist grip (SRAM MRX Comp) will have to go. The suspension seat post took a bit of getting used to. I bought my first 7200 in April 2008 but was written off about a month later after a Bangkok bus customised it! The present one was bought in May 2008.

The Nasbar 6000R has been with me since 1993, it was originally supplied with a SunTour groupset but was replaced with a Campagnolo Avanti groupset and Campagnolo Omega rims. This bike has done in excess of 100,000 kms and now lives in semi-retirement. The bike was rebuilt by my good friend and mentor, Alan Booth, who sadly passed away in September 2006 and I want to keep it in its present condition as a tribute to Alan.

Hathai Rat route

0 kms - Start at Ram Intra/Ram Intra 39. Ram Intra is fast and busy but it is flat!
11.5 kms - The end of Ram Intra and we turn left.
12.25kms - After passing Carrefour on the left; we turn left onto Hathai Rat Road, leaving the traffic behind and head into the countryside.
25 kms - This is where Hathai Rat Road crosses Highway 9 - a fairly steep slope but a fast downhill to
27 kms - Sai Mai Road and we turn left onto Sukhaphiban 5. I don't know what it is about Sukhaphiban 5 but it always seems uphill no matter which direction I travel. At about the 34 km mark, we go straight at the lights down the last part of Sukhaphiban 5 where it becomes Ram Intra 39.
36 kms - At the end of the road, turn left and continue onto Ram Intra
37 kms - End

Route 842

0 kms - Start at the junction of Lat Phrao Wang Hin Road and Lat Phrao 41, just past Wat Lat Phrao. A nice east start through two sets of lights to Kasert-Nawamin Road.
4 kms - The junction of Lat Plakhao and Kasert-Nawamin. We turn right at the lights here. In the early morning rush hour, the right turn is coned off and we have to turn left and U turn about 500 metres down the road. After the U turn, it's straight on at the lights for about 4 kms.
8 kms - Turn left onto Paradit-Manutham Road. The big flyover crossing the road is the Chalong Rat Expressway.
11 kms - Turn left onto Ram Intra. I normally take the second left lane along Ram Intra and leave the left lane to the buses & mini-buses. After about 700 metres, look to your right and you will see a Douglas C47 acting as gate guardian to the Police Flying Division.
14.5 kms - Most of the traffic will be taking the flyover to the Laksi Monument and Pahon Yothin Road, we will bear left here. About 2 kms along Lat Plakhao road is an S bend and you will see Wat Lat Plakhao as you turn round the first part of the 'S'.
17.8 kms - We are now at the junction of Lat Plakhao and Kasert-Nawamin, once through the lioghts, is atraight on to Wat Lat Phrao.
21 kms - finish at Wat Lat Phrao.

Route 248

Lat Phrao Road is normally very busy so I tend to use this route early on a Saturday or Sunday morning.
0 kms - Start at Lat Phrao 41.
1 kms - Saphan Song Market is on the left. This is very busy every morning. It's three lane but caution is needed as vendors pick up their produce and quite often there is double parking!
3 kms - A lot of the traffic will be turning left to go onto Pradit Manutham Road - extreme caution advised. The road from here has a nice gentle, downward slope.
5.5 kms - Lat Phrao 101, the traffic lights can be very slow here. Please leave left lane free for traffic going into Lat Phrao 101.
7.3 kms - Keep left, two lanes go over the flyover, the road dips down to the traffic lights and we turn left into Soi Happyland. The road has a right hand bend at the top so bear right.
9.0 kms - Turn left at the lights onto Nawamin Road. This road is busy. You will pass through two sets of lights. At the third set, turn left onto Kasert-Nawamin; During rush hour in the week and on Saturdays, the police normally cone off the 'straight ahead' option so there is only a left turn!
12.7 kms - We are now on Kasert-Nawmin Road and there's a gentle rise for a few hundred metres. Traffic moves along here at a brisk pace, caution is needed at the junction with Pradit Manutham Road and at other controlled junctions.
19.7 kms - We now turn left into Lat Plakhoa Road at the lights. It's now one , long stretch through Sena Nakhorn lights and Wang Hin lights.
24.66 kms - In front of you, you will see Wat Lat Phrao and there is a junction on the left hand bend just before it, we turn right here and cross over Lat Phrao canal bridge. Follow the road to the end and you will find yourself on Lat Phrao 41 and turn left. Follow the road and you end up at the traffic light at the junction of Lat Phrao Road and Lat Phrao 41 and the end of the ride.