The thought of heading off into the unknown with not much more than answers to your best researched questions, a few maps and provisions is for some the best way to travel & experience a country. No guide, rely on the locals for information and making it on your own or with a few friends has the ingrediance for adventure. This takes a certain pioneering spirit to do this or reliable details in hand that will assure you of reaching your destination.

In many ways Nepal is ideally set up for the independent traveler as many of the well known treks are capable of accommodating such trekkers given the well worn trails, frequent lodges & supply shops, lots of travel books and little likelihood of any personal threat. Kathmandu Valley especially is designed this way given the web of village trails that have existed for centuries and splinter in all directions. Any wonder, given many are the original trade routes and pathway of communication for all their needs. Walking tracks also make great biking trails but they need to be shared with a multitude of others including chickens, cows, dogs, ducks, buffalo, children, adults (young & old) all of whom rarely expect to come across a mountain biker travelling at speeds beyond the sleepy pace of the villagers. Take care! or the consequences can range from paying rupees Rs250 for the chicken you ran down (and they keep the chicken) to being carried out and taxied to the nearest clinic, which maybe some distance ( Kathmandu City).

Out on the roads:

Typically the Nepalese as pedestrains have little sense of what is around them and mostly they seem preoccupied with whatever it is they maybe doing or has caught their attention. There is an inherent attitude of "let all others watch out for me" and until you’ve had the chance to see this in action, over most areas of life, it may misconstrued.

Another way to interpret it is that once you see an on coming vehicle then you have the responsibility to avoid it, until then it’s the vehicle job to avoid them, so why look. The pecking order is that the bigger vehicle has priority, however in the event of an accident the bigger vehicle will be held at fault. With that you must have sounded a warning (horn / bell) of your impending arrival. This will help explain the huge dim that surrounds any traffic at all, be it bikes, tempo’s, taxi’s to trucks. Everyone sounding horns and bells will add a few more hear shattering belchers just for luck in case someone may have been missed. The more you watch what goes on you’ll see the order in the chaos!

Notice as pedestrians walk into the face of oncoming traffic without the "look left, right & left again" road safety rule!…… nothing, they’ll just step off the kerb with Shiva’s blessing and let the traffic or the God’s handle it. As such there is a constant chain reaction of swerving motorbikes, tempo’s & cars as they all swirve to avoid each other. This is where the foreigner should beware. You’ll quickly see there are no road rules, that police have little or no authority and if you hit someone you’ll almost surely be asked to compensated them and or take care of medical expenses at inflated rates, whether it was your fault or not. Until you get into the swing of it you’ll have to manage with cars and buses squeezing you off the road, motor bikes approaching you head on, on the wrong side of the road, traffic swerving to avoid a pothole whether or not you are in the way …… it’s an eternal game of ‘chicken’. Add to this cud-chewing cows warming themselves on the bitumen of major roads and children blindly playing within meters of on-coming hopelessly overcrowded buses and drivers sharing their seats with two others an this is what you need to be ready for on the roads, whilst cycling. I figure it’s still a lot better than being in the taxi’s or buses.

The single saving grace is the speed at which most people travel and this saves countless accidents. However, the 4WD barons are claiming the roads with greater frequency as affluence grows and as a result the traffic is getting faster.

The pollution in the City Kathmandu and its major roads has reached staggering levels as the government continues to allude taking any stance. This quickens the need for many tourists to depart the city and find a green quiet haven. A mountain bike is ideal to escape the smoggy environment and even within 20-30 minutes of the city you can find the tranquility of the trails and rice fields.

Take care:

So, get on your bike and clear the city as soon as you can and head for the hills. As an independent biker there are certain difficulties you’ll be faced with:

Here’s a clue: Get a small pocket phrase book and learn a few basic words. Don’t point when asking directions i.e. "is this the direction to………" as most people out of courtesy will say "Yes!" even if they don’t know. Better to put your hands in your pockets and ask "which way to…….." and do this several times in a short distance to be sure you’ve got the right answer.

The more care & precautions you need to take.

5. Distances in kilometers have little bearing in Nepal by western standards. Don’t gauge your rides by what you ride back home. The most realistic comparison "is hours riding per day" and most will find a 6-7-hr. day, including lunch break to be sufficient. Plan to arrive at your destination around 3pm, which provides for a balanced day and time for some sight seeing, repairs & washing etc on arrival.
6. Ask the riding (walking) time to the next village, were you could get accommodation, if you are uncertain of your estimated arrival time and evenings destination. Don’t expect the answers to be too accurate as it’s unlikely they have ever ridden it and converting walking time to riding time leaves a lot to contemplate.