we’re leaving from Yangmei, about 40’ drive from TP. If you can get here, we can try to shove you and your bike in.
If driving or the bike is a issue, I could possibly also borrow you a bike and you could come here by train (60’ local train from the main station) However, we are trying to leave here around 7. First we’ll quicky check out the Super8 track, then had over the hill to Dadu and do some diggin…
I’ll PN you my cell# now, s!
thanks for coming out.
I heard there is going to be a race at Super8 in November and a DH race at Jung Fu Gong (Taoyuan) on the 8th or 9th of December.
Super8 is on 11 Nov, it’s enduro race. Who-ever makes the most 8km laps wins.
Going there with some guys from TPE.
Some info: http://ironstable.com.tw/2012-super-8-en
owlright Jaame - we have 1,5 months to come up with a nice line and convince the organiser to use it 
I suggest we wait until it rains, which will probably be next week, and have a trail day.
I bought a new sickle/machete thing this week, I’ve got a tree saw and a small shrubbery saw. I don’t think there are any spades or shovels at Jung Fu Gong now, I haven’t got any so I’ll need to buy those.
All we have to do to link the old line to the new line is hack through about 10m of brush, and probably bench cut it (as it will come off the side of the “shit steep” pitch). The stepdown bit that we worked on last time needs filling over with rocks and dirt, but the typhoons in the summer unearthed a shitload of rocks next to it so it will be easy and quick with a few guys helping. If we get as many blokes helping as we had the other week in Taichung, we’ll have it done in 2 hours.
As for convincing Ant to use that line, I think they are planning to use that old easier line to the right where they had the big pallet jumps last year. If our line is better, I’m sure they would see the merit of using it. We just have to make it better that the line they want to use, and make sure it’s rideable for everyone. As it stands, they don’t like to use that shit steep bit because a lot of guys can’t ride down it.
There is a picture on the JFG facebook page that shows a new line that has been cut. Maybe they won’t want to use our track, even if it is better than theirs.
Sup guys, read through the thread and i’m pretty stoked about coming to Taiwan now. Coming from the UK mid Jan and bringing my bike, nothing too beast, just a Lapierre Spicy but i’m hoping it’ll cope with most of the trails here (?).
I should be studying in the DA’AN area, and I won’t have a car…so I was kinda gutted to find out there isn’t actually a SkiLift at the ‘Ski Lift’ trail… is it going to be possible for me to get to the trails around Taipei - can i take the MTR nearby and then squeeze my bike into a taxi for reasonable price, or are there riders who I can chip in money for petrol/shuttling?
Cheers for any advice, hope to ride with some of you in in the new year!
Roel’s the man to go to for Taipei info.
Skilift would be really good if it got regular use. A bit overgrown when I went. It’s really long. Even if it had a ski lift, I wouldn’t want to do it more than twice in a day.
How did the super8 race go Roel?
I should have said this upfront, but I went to Super8 not really for racing but more for fun.
Damn tired from getting up at 4.30 am, I only did 3 laps and then just hang around, meet other riders (for reference, the winner did sth like 15 laps…)
@ Niko: Lapierre Spicy should be just fine for most trails here. I know some guys living in Xinyi / Daan area. They usually just share a taxi or combine MRT and taxi. No worries, let me know once you arrive and I’ll keep you updated about next ride.
Skilift sounds decent. Not sure quite what to expect, or what state its in, but if its easy enough to get up there then i don’t mind investing time with a spade and some clippers/loppers.
Cheers RoelC, i’ll give you a shout when I land in Jan.
That Skilift trail is very, very long. You’d need ten blokes with petrol hedge trimmers and strimmers to get it cut back enough to hammer down it. The thing about Taiwan is that with the heat, rain and humidity, it turns into a jungle over your lines amazingly fast. Build anything out of wood and it’s rotten in a few months.
There is a sighting day/training day at JFG tomorrow (Sunday) where I gather a few guys are going to meet up to finalise the bottom section for the race on the 9th. It’s totally pissed down all day today and I would be surprised if any of them turn up tomorrow. I’ll be going over at some point I would have thought.
Roel, are you going to enter?
Nyko, the Spicy will be ideal for TW I would have thought.
Hi everyone,
Me name is Patryk, i"m from Poland but I live in Tajpej.
It is possible to rent enduro/dh bike, and when I can ride neer Tajpej? I’m live near Guandu MRT.
Cheers!
There is a shop where I gather you can rent bikes, I think the name is Alan’s bike or Alan’s mountain bikes. It could be www.alansmountainbikes.com or something similar.
The rain has not stopped for the past two weeks. I walked over the Fugong DH race track today. It is muddy.
Is anyone going to the race next week?
Pommes, do you know of anyone who has a Banshee Legend in Taiwan? I’m keen to test ride one if you know anyone who has one.
Legend looks pretty handy
Have you got your new one built up yet? I saw Lee’s on Facebook, it looks pretty special with the gold fox equipment…
I rode Jay’s a couple of years ago, lovely bike but Ild take a L or XL because their tt’s are short. I think even Jay doesn’t have one anymore. Btw, will land next week, in Europe now.
Haa ok. i’ll forget about that then.
Roel, or anyone familiar with Taipei: has anyone got advice for where to search for an apartment. I’ll be studying in Da’an, but seeing as you can only take a bike on the subway at weekends (right?) is there anywhere that i could get good use of my bike on some trails during the week, but still get to class on the subway without a bunch of changes? I thought perhaps near the Taipei Zoo station might be ok, looks pretty hilly around there.
Also, has anyone tried taking their bikes on the Maokong Gondola?
[quote=“Nyko”]Roel, or anyone familiar with Taipei: has anyone got advice for where to search for an apartment. I’ll be studying in Da’an, but seeing as you can only take a bike on the subway at weekends (right?) is there anywhere that i could get good use of my bike on some trails during the week, but still get to class on the subway without a bunch of changes? I thought perhaps near the Taipei Zoo station might be ok, looks pretty hilly around there.
Also, has anyone tried taking their bikes on the Maokong Gondola?[/quote]
As far as I know, Maokong Gondola is a no-go for bikes and there are no bikingtrails around there.
From Da’an it’s very do-able to ride Gasplant trail, which starts around here
Other trails:
Keep in mind that almost all these trails require quite a climb on-road to get to the trailheads.
MTB in in its infancy in Taiwan. Roel’s mate told me there are only 300 mountain bikers in the whole country. That’s why it’s not very convenient to ride anywhere yet I reckon. At least bikes haven’t been banned from anywhere yet though I don’t think. Last time I went back to the UK I was horrified to see the two biggest areas of moorland where I used to ride are now off limits for bikes.
Re: the race last week. That was the muddiest me and my bike have ever been. The muddiest race I’ve ever seen. Totally cakes from head to toe, despite makeshift mudguards front and rear. Absolute mudbath it was.
Pommes King took home the win in a bizarre twist of events. After the first run, Chiang Sheng Shan posted a 1:24, jaame was in second with a 1:36, and Pommes King recorded a 1:38 with no front brake.
In the second run, Chiang Sheng Shan posted a 1:22, jaame went backwards with a 1:40, and Pommes King put down a 1:35.
So second and third for us foreigners, but on the podium Chiang Sheng Shan elected to not collect his prize for some reason, perhaps because he deemed it unfair to make us compete with someone as talented as him, and we were duly elevated.
Pommed King 1st, Jaame 2nd. Not a bad day’s work. Real timing too, using chips like the etag they stick on your headlight lens for the freeway tolls. Of the 80 people entered, only 40 turned up because of the weather. It was hellish but at least it didn’t actually rain for the most part.
I think I’m ready for my first big bike. The plan is, sell my Konig with all the old parts in my parts bin - all the standard equipment off the STP. I’ll try to get 40k for it complete. I saw one last year for 42k and Johnny is selling his for 55k. Then get a second hand Devinci Wilson frame from Pinkbike which should be between 40 and 50k. Build it up with Spank wheels and SLX brakes and off we go…
Never really considered second hand before but it seems to make sense. I mean, as soon as you have a muddy day and the paint gets scratched it’s second hand isn’t it. I can’t get my wife on board for a new one ever 2 years. If I only have to put 30k in to make the switch she won’t be too bothered. What do you think about my second hand idea?
