Ride Logistics

We’re a group of 15 riders and 4 crew: leader Chi, “mechanist” Linh, bus driver Thanh, and truck driver Cho. They work hard to make sure we are always well taken care of.

Typical day:
-wake up at 6:00am
-hotel breakfast at 7:00am
-ride, or bus to ride start, at 7:30am
-morning – ride 2-4 segments, 10-12 miles each, with breaks in between
-lunch (provided at a local eatery)
-afternoon – ride 1-2 legs, bus 1-2 hours to hotel
-shower
-dinner at 7pm with the group, or head out on your own

Mornings are always a bit of a scramble to fill water bottles, apply sun block, and assemble our various bike bits and bobs.

If our ride segments have turns, Chi leads us at a moderate pace. We stay in a group that ebbs and flows as banter abounds. I’m learning as much about the English-speaking world as I am about Vietnam. For instance, we’ve discovered that we all call a cooler something different:
-English – cooler box
-Irish – ice box
-Australian – esky (a brand that has become the name)
-New Zealand – chili bin (though with Jim’s accent it sounds like “chili bun”)

The bus and truck meet us at breaks with cold water, lemonade, fruit, peanuts, cashews, and peanut brittle. What luxury! We regularly enjoy bananas, pineapple, dragon fruit, rambutan, mangosteens, watermelon, and mangoes.

If there are no turns, Chi lets everyone spread out and go at their own pace. Occasionally he will race one of the fitter guys at about 30 mph for a bit, then leave the winded Brit or Kiwi in his dust. Back on the bus, he explains local sights, history, food, the evening plan, and the next day’s itinerary.

Though I never went on a band tour, I have the feeling there are a couple of similarities. We each have claimed permanent bus seats, and by now I have my “nest” arranged. Nearly every day is a new hotel, so having very little luggage is a plus. The hotels are mid-range: comfortable, but not luxurious. Occasionally there is a pool, or along the coast we might be ocean front.

One constant throughout has been the children trilling, “Hello!” Many also hold out hands for a palm slap. They are adorable and add cheer to the hot miles.