Dirt Biking in Pattaya, Thailand

Trying the stunt course out towards the end of the trip

Recently I decided to go Dirt Biking with my mate just south of Bangkok in Pattaya. This city is known more for its night life and "alternative nightlife" but there is so much more to this place than said reputation. If you explore remotely on the outskirts it's a beautiful place.

We drove down there the same morning and showed up an hour late! Still the place I had booked was really professional and waited patiently to gear us up and send us on our merry way with a guide.

Figuring I have never dirt biked before I chose 250cc bikes which was more than fast enough for a beginner. Even 250cc bikes can accelerate at silly speeds especially given the terrain and environment. After all even the beginner route for dirt biking was very challenging at times as we were driving through narrow jungle and it had rained the night before so I'm talking about driving through a swamp at times.

Actually heading out biking during the rainy season in Thailand is twice as exciting as the dry season where your bike gets too much traction and the essence of "dirt biking" is lost.

While I had never really driven a geared bike before I knew I would take to it with a little practice up front in the yard. I ride an automatic scooter all year around in between the crazy traffic in South East Asia so already had enough practice with balance and control. 20 minutes later I had got use to the basic gear changes and brakes using my feet rather than hands.

The dude in the shop had told me many guys who dirt bike here tend to BS the companies out of a sense of pride pretending they can handle the bikes and then 5 minutes into the ride they crash and have to pay a whack for repairs. I wasn't going to be one of those chumps!

We biked 8 hours through the jungle, fields and dirt tracks. I fell off as expected a few times having stalled the bike on a hill or two, all part of the fun and even got to try the bike on a stunt course. I enjoyed this far more than the mountain biking in Chiang Mai, it was more about balance and technique than the physical side and as I do enough physical sports it's always good to mix it up with an adrenaline sport. It was also fun to practice drifting around corners.

I booked and went with ENDURO Madness, I can recommend them to anyone considering biking in Thailand, they are a truly hospitable and professional biking and quad company, plus they are located so near Bangkok (2 hours drive away) so it's convenient for anyone wanting a different adventure while passing through Bangkok quickly.