[BettyInToronto]

PDLM: Do you just leave your passport with someone you don't know? I value mine too much; especially when I'm in a foreign country and need it to get home.

jgl: Thank you for the answer I was looking for. We aren't sure if we want the bikes to do the trail mentioned above or just to get around all the villages behind Mui Wo since it might be the faster way to cover more ground. Do they supply helmets and locks too?

[jgl]

They supply helmets. They will supply cable locks, but make sure you ask for them. Oh, and ask for a spare tube and pump too as they otherwise seem to forget.

The standard offroad trail would be considered tough by Ontairo standards. PM me if you want info on it.

[BettyInToronto]

Thanks for all the tips jgl. We were going to walk the trail from Mui Wo to Pui Wo (from the video I saw below on YouTube)

YouTube - Mui Wo Hike....plus a little Bus Ride!

and I assume it is a differnt trail than the bike trail. I just thought riding would be faster but sometimes slower is better as you see more.

We also might want to just rent for a day to ride all around Mui Wo checking out the many villages. Again we might see more if we walk.

[PSMaverick]

Originally Posted by PDLM

Be aware that strictly you can only ride on the designated mountain biking trails, and that you need a permit to do so. Details here.

That being the law... its damn loosely policed...

[PDLM]

Originally Posted by BettyInToronto

I assume it is a differnt trail than the bike trail.

No - that is the bike trail, at least the first section out from Mui Wo is - I didn't watch all of the video to see exactly which route they took. "Bike trail" doesn't mean smooth concrete - it is for serious mountain bikers; casual bikers would spend most of their time carrying/pushing their bike on this trail.

By the way, we get about 5 days a year where the sky is clear like that these days.

[jgl]

You're probably better off walking the trail to Pui O unless you're a really keen biker. It's doable on a hire bike, but you really should be comfortable riding down, say, a flight of stairs, to really enjoy it. Otherwise, as PDLM mentions, you're going to be carrying the bike a lot.

If you want to take in the sights, just ride around the villages for a couple of hours. Or if you're feeling up for something more strenuous, ride over the big hill to Cheung Sha Wan beach and eat at the South African restaurant there (The Stoep).

[PSMaverick]

If you want a bit easier and shorter ride, ride past the Chi Ma Wan peninsula directly to Pui O. Did the ride again 3 weeks ago and was a blast! Bcoz we werent expert mountain bikers, we skipped the peninsula instead stretching our ride to Cheung Sha Beach by road, and tried out Stoep! Aiming to do Mui Wo to Big Buddha one day. Any comments? Is there a trail or will we have to bike on the road?

[PDLM]

All the trails where you can legally (if you have a permit) ride a bike off-road in Hong Kong are listed at the link I gave in my previous post. There isn't one going to the Buddha.

[jgl]

If you want to ride Mui Wo to the Buddha, it'll be on the roads with some fairly major hill climbing. Quite doable and there isn't much road traffic, but you should be in reasonable shape to try it.

There is an offroad descent from the Buddha, but it's illegal and technically challenging. Best avoided unless you really know what you are doing, and are prepared to try outrun the AFCD.

A good link up would be Mui Wo to the Buddha, then down to Tai O and along the coastal path to Tung Chung. Taxi back to Mui Wo if you need to drop off hire bikes.

Come to think of it, there's a very good rider living on Lantau who specialises in guided rides and technical instruction: Cross Country Hong Kong