January 25, 2024
Jan. 25th - That Phanom to That Phanom
Amy's Mekong Resort
I'm on my third Brooks B-17 saddle and having issues yet again! I swear, it obviously has something to do with the way I ride. It's definitely uncomfortable on my left side and clearly sunk in/soft on that side only. I found a FB group yesterday though and I posted in there with pictures. Multiple people came back and said the wear on one side indicates the saddle is too high. Definitely doesn't feel too high, but I need to figure something out or buy a new seat in Bangkok.
I'm riding along and keep seeing signs for "rapids." I figured I'd stop there and try to do some seat adjustments. I want to move it back a bit as well. I've headed out on road 3015 which will basically follow the river to Mukdahan, tonight's destination. Until it wasn't. 😂
As I'm cycling along, I see a sign for "Amy's Mekong Resort." This is the place my cycling friends had mentioned to me. A couple run it and the husband is from New Zealand AND a cyclist. I make the impulsive decision to stop and see if he can help me with my seat adjustments because when it's just me with two hands and no kickstand, I'm worried the angles will get really messed up. I was greeted by two charging German shepherds, with Amy not far behind. It was a little scary, but I quickly rationalized they wouldn't be running a guesthouse if their dogs were a problem. Sure enough, they calmed down and all was well. She said her husband was out, but should be back in about 30 minutes. I decided it was worth the wait. She invited me to sit by the pool area with an amazing view over the Mekong River. The wind had picked up and it was blowing like crazy. Even I was a little cold, so eventually I took up her offer to wait in their house. She was so kind and offered me a juice and a water while we waited.
I was kicking myself for not staying here last night because it was so peaceful and there was a nice swimming pool. It was a little cold for swimming, but that's beside the point. A cyclist had passed me earlier in the day and we had both waved as we passed by each other. Well, when the husband (Daryn) arrived home, guess who that cyclist was? Yep, it was him.
Long story short, he helped me with all kinds of adjustments and even thoroughly explained how the tensioning works and he tightened my saddle quite a bit. He would make the adjustment and have me ride around and watch to see the angles of my hands/arms/legs. I could tell he knew what he was doing. So yes, he switched out my chain for me too. One less thing I have to worry about and although I kept the old chain for now, I can assure you I will be ditching is as soon as I'm sure there's no shifting issues. The bad news is I definitely need a new sprocket on my derailleur so once someone (me) figures out what the hell I'm doing with regards to my tooth, I'll contact the bike shop and give them a heads up to make sure it's in stock or ordered.
Somewhere in there, I just decided I would stay here in one of the cute bungalows tonight (700b) and gave him extra and told him to keep the change. I was so thankful for the help with my bike and they fed me lunch too, it's the least I could do even though he said it wasn't necessary. So ya, I biked 7 miles today 😂 He said in New Zealand, he would just take his bike in to the bike shops, but here that's not really an option so both Amy and him told me he watched YouTube videos so he could learn how to fix everything himself. Lucky me!
After a quick run back into town because someone needed Coca Cola Light, I relaxed in my bungalow the rest of the evening. I did hear back from the dentist in Chiang Mai or one of his assistants and I need a root canal and he said to get it done as soon as possible. I will have to pay separately for that, but whether I have it done in Bangkok or Chiang Mai, he said if the crown gets damaged, he will replace the crown no charge. So now I am for sure trying to sort out a train or flight back to Chiang Mai and whether that will be via Bangkok first as well as the logistics of my bike and gear. The timing is just a bit of a crunch because of when I have to exit Thailand unless I get an extension and also because of the upcoming Chinese New Year meaning flights are expensive.
The wind picked up so much that it was legit cold. I actually put the extra blanket on my bed. For the first time my whole trip, I didn't even touch the air conditioning!
To any cyclists researching routes, I would highly recommend their place instead of staying it That Phanom.
Today's ride: 7 miles (11 km)
Total: 756 miles (1,217 km)
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9 months ago