Touring - Biking Costa Rica

I am planning on traveling by bike around Costa Rica for a month this summer. I am not sure specifically where I will go, but I want to see the whole country. Are the roads OK? I have heard that many are dirt and pot-holed, and steep. I am planning on taking my mountain bike. Has anyone done anything like this or heard anything about biking here? Thanks

I am planning on traveling by bike around Costa Rica for a month this summer. I am not sure specifically where I will go, but I want to see the whole country. Are the roads OK? I have heard that many are dirt and pot-holed, and steep. I am planning on taking my mountain bike. Has anyone done anything like this or heard anything about biking here? Thanks

I was surprised at how bad the roads were. In many areas they were this reddish type of road surface that I hadn't ever seen before; it almost looked like the type of clay tennis courts use. I was primarily on the PanAm system as part of my world tour. I don't remember anything steep, but the mountain roads go into the cloud forest so they are wet and drippy alot of the time. I camped one night in the woods behind a small cafe and an animal ran of with my helmet and took it up a tree. One of the cooks at the cafe, familiar with this scavenger behavior, somehow fetched the helmet for me when he went up there while I was eating breakfast. All the straps had been chewed off...I had to use bungie cords to hold the helmet on till I could get replacements.

You'll love Costa Rica. It has alot of national parks. Its cities are safer--not SAFE, safER--than most cities in the region. And they love cyclists. MAny familes would run to the edge of the road and applaud and ask you where you are going.

roughstuff

i've spent a lot of time in CR. As roughstuff implied..the roads are horrible; your average car would have a difficult time on much outside the paved roads in the cities (at least those which have paved roads).

If I were to biketour CR, i would definately take a MTB. Coming from a guy who rather dislikes MTBs.

CR is one of those countries you can, and want to, visit amonst the people. Nice, leasurly pace. Perfect for a biketour, imo.

I was surprised at how bad the roads were. In many areas they were this reddish type of road surface that I hadn't ever seen before; it almost looked like the type of clay tennis courts use. I was primarily on the PanAm system as part of my world tour. I don't remember anything steep, but the mountain roads go into the cloud forest so they are wet and drippy alot of the time. I camped one night in the woods behind a small cafe and an animal ran of with my helmet and took it up a tree. One of the cooks at the cafe, familiar with this scavenger behavior, somehow fetched the helmet for me when he went up there while I was eating breakfast. All the straps had been chewed off...I had to use bungie cords to hold the helmet on till I could get replacements.

You'll love Costa Rica. It has alot of national parks. Its cities are safer--not SAFE, safER--than most cities in the region. And they love cyclists. MAny familes would run to the edge of the road and applaud and ask you where you are going.

roughstuff

Any ideas on tire thickness, areas to avoid, places to go?

I'd probably run 2.0
Avoid San Jose (well, you really cant, you'll most probably be flying in there - but dont bother staying there). The rest really depends on what you like to do....The pacific side is a little more laid back. Much better waves. The carribean side is a little more uptight (and more crime). Much better diving. Definatly stay on Arenal for a night or two....not often you get the chance to sleep on an erupting volcano.

Its really hard to go wrong. Take a month and see it all! Leave the spandex at home.