On 28 Sep 2004 20:31:19 -0700, Nige wrote:

Making an impromptu trip to Hoi Chi Minh City in a couple of weeks and
taking my road bike with me. Other than fitting some stronger wheels
and 25mm tyres I'll just use it as is. I'm going to be making day
rides which start/finish in the city. Any suggestions, links, tips?
All feedback welcome thanks. I'm trusting that i can pick up a street
map once I arrive, but I'm having trouble finding any road maps of the
surrounding area. Any ideas or online sources? Thanks again. Nige.

I can't help much on routes but I did spend 3 weeks in HCMC a few years
ago as a pedestrian.

The roads are reasonable quality in and around the city but do take care
of potholes and the edges. There are lots of cyclists and mopedallists.
Plenty of buses and trucks too. There are much less private cars. The
roads can be very busy.

There tends to be an order in the chaos, cyclists on the inside, then the
mopeds, then the bigger vehicles. Drivers of bigger vehicles will use the
horn frequently when they want to pass a slower smaller vehicle. Traffic
lights and traffic cops are obeyed but with a bit of fuzziness on the
ambers. Vehicles will often use the wrong side of the road to make
progress but they always seemed to get back in in time.

Pedestrians cross by walking out into the sea of cycles and mopeds---it's
the only way! As long as you are aware of this and use eye contact a lot
it seems to work. But do take care as peds can often be carrying stuff
like yokes which make them a bit bigger.

Also take care of heavy overloaded mopeds and cycles, I saw one where the
pillion passenger was carrying a sheet of plate glass extending out a
couple of feet either side of the moped.

I only saw one cyclist knocked off in the whole time I was there and he
dusted himself down and cycled on. Everyone stopped to help though.

It will be an interesting experience but it is a fantastic city. There are
plenty of Internet cafes so let us know how things are going.

Colin