By MikeBehnken

Bicycle Upgrade

I believe I told the story in previous posts but I’ll repeat it again.  I spent around 4,500 baht ($136 USD) on a bicycle from Big C which is basically Thailand’s version of Target from the USA which turned out to be a complete waste of money.  In addition to the handlebars falling off as I was riding it home, the cheap components died after the 2nd bike ride I went on.  While the bike had multiple suspension systems and looked cool, it was a complete piece of garbage.

I ended up giving the bike to one of the security guards for my apartment building and start looking for a real bike shop to get a bike I could zoom through the streets of Bangkok on.   I had ridden a bicycle through the streets of San Francisco for the past 3 years on my Specialized Sirrus Comp and felt the need to get a better bicycle if I was to ride one at all.

Probike

I found probike by searching on google.  The location was perfect because it was in a familair location right next to Lumpini Park (map above).  I bought a bicycle in the first place because of the traffic-free bicycle path which leads from my apartment to Lumpini Park (pictured above).  After getting used to the Bangkok traffic I decided that it is actually easier to ride bikes through the streets of Bangkok than San Francisco.

While there is more traffic in Bangkok than San Francisco the traffic is slower and believe it or not a little more predictable.   As I was looking around Probike’s showroom I noticed familiar hybrid style bikes which is what I wanted as well as high end road bikes, mountain bikes, and all sorts of bikes.

I started thinking that I really didn’t need a street bike because Bangkok’s geography is the polar opposite of San Francisco.  While the hills in San Francisco present a challenge for any bicyclist the almost 100% flat area of Bangkok doesn’t require as light a bike.  The unevenness of the curbs, and poorly layed brick sidewalks of Bangkok gave me the idea that a mountain bike would be a better idea anyway.

Part of the Showroom at Probike in Bangkok

Probike Service

Probike is stocked with mostly Trek and Gary Fisher bikes from what I saw.  The staff of green shirted employees was very friendly and helpful.  As soon as I pointed out the bike I wanted, without asking they immediately dropped 2500 baht ($75 USD) off the sticker price, offered me a free 1 year service plan and a bunch of discounts on accessories such as lights, locks, helmets and more.  I talked to an ex US army doctor on the way out and he told me they did the same for him saving him a lot of money as well.

I ended up spending 14,000 baht ($415 USD ) on a 2009 green Trek mountain bike (picture at top of post).  The sales guy offered me the 2008 model of the same bike for 10,000 baht ($330 USD) but I liked the green color and thought the bike’s Shimano components felt a lot smoother.  I was very surprised how fast the mountain bike was compared to my hybrid from in San Francisco.  It probably has something to do with riding on all flat surfaces past the slow Bangkok traffic.

I have went back a few times since I bought the bike to get things tightened up and tuned up a bit and the staff is always very friendly and doesn’t even ask for my proof of service plan to fix everything for free.  The shop and atmosphere reminds me of  my bike store in San Francisco Mike’s Bikes.  I highly recommend Probike for anyone looking to buy a quality bicycle in Bangkok.

The Probike website is very nice as well with tons of information about the shop as well as everything related to the bicycle culture in Thailand.  Probike.co.th

Last 5 posts by Mike Behnken

• Bangkok's Best Kept Secret? Places to Eat in Bangkok: Sanjorn Cookshop - July 1st, 2010
• Places to Visit from Bangkok: Ancient Siam - July 1st, 2010
• The Great Wall of China - June 11th, 2010
• Beijing, China - June 10th, 2010
• Taipei, Taiwan - June 5th, 2010