In Reply to: Bike-Baik questions posted by Heatherbelle on Tuesday, 22. September 2009 at 13:37 Bali Time:
Hi all, my wife and I took my mother on the bike ride about a month ago. She is 62 years old, average fitness and hadn't ridden a bike since she was 15. She had no problem riding, and even though she was often last to arrive at each stopping point, there was no problem as she had a staff member riding with her to make sure she was OK. The stops were fairly frequent and the group leader, Darmah, waited for everyone to catch up and have a break before starting off again. A majority of the ride is a downhill gradient with only a couple of rises and little traffic. The pace of the ride is very casual indeed an adds to the relaxing experience that the tour is. There was plenty of bottled water and fruit handed out during the ride, which was ice cold and tasty. The bikes were fine and we had no problems with them at all. One of the girls on the tour did have a minor issue with the gears but as soon as the staff were made aware, a replacement bike was on the scene within a minute. The bus does follow the group but I would recommend having a go at the bike first. The Lunch at the end of the ride was absolutely fantastic and cannot rate it higher. The insight given by Darmah into Balinese life and his own background in general made the tour a great learning experience. There was no taboo subject and he was more than willing to answer any question about Balinese culture and lifestyle. All of the activities on and off the bikes, such as coffeee tasting, rice paddies, wood carving, family compound, and the panoramic view of the volcano over buffet breakfast were just as memorable as the ride itself. Finally, The kids on the route were friendly and it was fun 'high fiving' as we rode past. I do not make a habit of endorsing products or tours etc. but this is an experience I would happily recommend to anyone and would do again. I am glad that I went along and got to see the real Bali. Thanks.