EQUIPMENT
Your bike can be carried as part of your baggage allowance on international flights. Cardboard bike boxes are still the best protection & value and can be easily stored or disposed of later. You are required to deflate the tyres and turn the handlebars parallel with the frame and remove your pedals. It also allows you to store your helmet etc inside.
These days passage through Nepali customs is quite simple and you may only need to reassure airport officers that it’s your bike and it will be returning with you. Having your bike signed into your passport, to make sure you take it out with you, no longer seems to apply.
If you bring your bike it is essential to bring tools and spare parts, as these are largely not available in Nepal. Unfortunately, carrying a complete tool kit and spares for everything situation may be impractical. Here an established mountain bike tours operator (like Himalayan Mountain Bikes - who offers a full bike servicing center in Kathmandu with a mechanic and a full range of bike tools) can help. This is especially useful for those touring and who often stop in Kathmandu for running repairs after many months or more traversing India and the far off reaches that skirt the Himalayas and beyond. Once on the trails you’re on your own, so plan for such situations and be ready to improvise.
If you are game, what the small local bike repair shops lack in spare parts and knowledge of the latest bike fads & equipment, they make up in their ability to copy & improvise. For basic adjustments their standard of skill is usually high. But still maintain a watchful eye on your equipment.
WHAT TO BRING:
A quick check list:
Although not complete, here are a few items worth considering to bring along.
Lightweight clothing i.e. ‘Coolmax & Gortex’, Windproof windbreaker, stiffsoled shoes that suit riding & walking, cycling tops & shorts, warm hat & gloves (in cooler weather), sun protection, sunglasses, a camelback or water bottles, torch, fleecy top for evenings, cycle gloves/mitts, helmet & sun peak, basic range of bike tools, spare parts (inner tubes), bike lube, (mini) pump, powerbars & electrolyte water additives, bike bell, medium sized mtb fanny bag plus basic first aid kit.
Given the extensive range of cycling clothing available for any season, first check the temperatures for the period during your tour and match it with your clothing. More thin layers of clothes offer better protection and convenience than thick / bulky items.
Note: sleeping bags, mats, jackets, tents and panniers can all be hired in Kathmandu cheaply.
TRAIL ETIQUETTE
When arriving in a new country for a short time where social & cultural values are vastly different from those of our home country it does not allow much time, if any, to gain an appreciation of these matters. This often only comes after years of observation and interaction with locals. You can be assured that everything happens for a reason no matter what our judgments. Consider a few pointers to help you on your way that will develop mutual respect & understanding for all.
Clothing: Tight fitting Lycra bike clothing, although functional, are a shock to the locals who maintain a very modest approach to dressing. Such clothing is embarrassing and offensive to the Nepalese.
An effective alternative to this is simply wearing a pair of comfortable shorts &/or a
T-shirt over your body hugging bike gear. This is especially applicable to women bikers as women in Nepal are expected to & prefer to dress conservatively, which is easy to see at a glance. For both men & women, arms and legs should be covered when entering a temple or monastery.
On the Trails: Trails can often be filled with locals going about their daily work of farming, carting food, portering, playing, passing the time of day and shepherding their stock. A small hammer bell attached to your handlebars and used as a warning of your approach, reducing your speed and a friendly call of "cycle i-oh!" (Cycle coming!) goes a long way in keeping all on the trails happy & safe. Children love the novelty of the bikes, fancy helmets, the colors & novel clothing and will come running from all directions to greet you. They also love to grab hold of the back of your bike and run with you. You need to maintain a watchful eye so no one gets hurt.
Environment: Although issues relating to awareness of environmental is not high for many locals, seeing visitors respecting the land & environment can be a great lesson & education to them. So don’t destroy the trails & vegetation or litter. Leave things as you found them or better than you found them.
Leave the landscape and areas visited as you found it or better than you found it, especially if you are camping. At all times refrain from using wood fires for cooking etc and support those organizations that have the environment at heart.
