The clothing and sunscreen I can't believe I forgot. I've gotten extremely burnt before and didn't take notice until after the ride. With the wind blowing and all, it's hard to notice just how strong the sun rays really are.

- Wear solid footwear. If you do come off the bike, your feet will probably be one of the first parts to hit the ground, and whilst you may see locals riding around in flip flops, that doesn't mean that you should necessarily do the same. I had an off in Koh Lanta and barked the top of my foot quite severely (along with my knees, elbow, cheek and half an eyebrow). The other injuries were easy enough to cope with, but backpacking with a ruined foot was less than pleasurable.

- Wear appropriate clothing and sun protection. A ride may feel nice and cool, with the wind blowing past you and keeping you cool, but if it is a hot day, you run a very real risk of getting sunburnt on your arms, face, legs. One of the most painful places to be sunburnt is on the backs of your hands, and as you will have them on the handlebars all day, they are ripe for a roasting. Also, try and wear clothing (if possible) which might stand up to a scrape with the roadway should worst come to worst. There is a reason why people back home wear leather jackets and heavy jeans when riding, and whilst that may not be appropriate for a Vietnam summer day, boardshorts will just melt should you find the road the hard way.

I have, obviously, ridden in Vietnam and Thailand. In Vietnam, I rode around Nha Trang (including an unexpected and somewhat surprising wandering onto the airstrip of Cam Ranh Bay Airport) and Dalat. In Thailand, I rode around Koh Lanta (dropped the bike, and tore myself up a bit – US$50 in medical bills and US$200 in damage to the bike, plus a week or so of daily hospital visits to recover and some rather unsightly scars).

It is a great way to see a place, and breaks down the bubble of a bus window so you can see/smell/feel everything around you.