Adventure Nomad

Adventure Nomad

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Bali Rides Again

Destination: Bali, Indonesia
Activity: Mountain Biking
Season: Mid-June through Mid-September
Operator: Guided, with bali-rides.com
Cost: Low to Moderate

Back again to Bali for some mountain biking.  I'd been cooped up for the past few weeks video editing at my computer and needed to kick start my training and get some biking in. A change of scenery is great motivation, so I contacted Ramang Kristian of Bali Rides to see if he could fit me in for a multi-day ride.

Mt. Abang to Telaga Waja River Ride.  Photo by Bali Rides/Ramang Kristian

Ramang arranged 6 days of riding for me.  3 days on, a day rest, followed by another 3 days of riding.  It was a no-hassle trip.  Bali Rides arranged everything from the airport pick-up and drop-off, all meals and accommodation.  Bali Rides' airconditioned rooms were all full, so I stayed in the non-airconditioned bamboo hut - Simple, rustic and comfortable, although a little noisy in the early morning.  One balinese massage was also included in my package.

Bamboo Hut at Bali Rides B&B

Each ride was about 42km, and mostly downhill, but had an average of 550m of total climbing.  Technical difficulty ranged from the easy, but scenic Ubud loop, to intermediate trails like the Abang to Mengwi trail, easily the best ride in Bali with small techy drops, swooping singletrack, and breathtaking views.

Riding the beginner Ubud Loop trail through rice padi fields and coconut trees.  Photo by Bali Rides/Ramang Kristian.

Costs are low to moderate, depending on where you come from.  A day ride will cost IDR1.1 million (USD$78, SGD$110), which includes the guided ride,  hotel pickup and dropoff, lunch and snack, and full-suspension bike rental (Specialized carbon Epic 29ers or carbon Stumpjumpers - really good rental bikes!).  Multiday rides are all custom arranged.  Contact bali-rides.com for a quote.

I just wanted to ride, so I didn't shoot any photos or video this trip.  But here's a video from my first trip with Bali Rides.  The riding is pretty typical, but we chose to stay at different hotels to get to see more of Bali:


Updated 25 June 2016 with a new video I shot for Bali Rides.

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