Earlier today my buddy Juan at Specialized sent me an invitation for a Taipei-to-Kaohsiung endurance ride on Saturday, April 27. They’re leaving at midnight from the Specialized store in Neihu and anticipate arriving at the Specialized store in Kaohsiung at 9 PM. Apparently the route will mostly follow Highway 17 along the coast. The fee is NT$2000, and that includes transportation for your bike (but not you) back to Taipei, snacks, handlebar grips, a bike wash, and maintenance if you need it.
If you’re crazy enough to ride that far in a single day, here’s the FB link. Rationally, I know it would almost certainly be a bad idea to sign up, but there’s definitely a part of me screaming, “Go for it!”
At least it’s flat, and they’re not aiming at a 30 km/h average. 350 km into 20 hours = 17.5 km/h average, which you should be able to keep up for about 19 hours.
Best of luck!
I’m contemplating a ride round Okinawa in a day, same distance but I’m going for a 5 am depart, 7 pm finish. Oh, and there’s hills. Nasty short ones, from km 150 to km 200 or so. I am fucking mad.
Whoops, they’re actually planning to arrive at 7 PM, not 9. And they say the ride is 400K, so that works out to slightly more than 20 km/h. I don’t think I’ll do it–I don’t want to get injured, and besides, Saturday is my big tutoring day–but who knows, I may change my mind. My current distance record is about 185K, although those rides included hills. I should probably go for 250 or 300K first before cranking the meter all the way up to 400.
A friend did that a month ago. 385 km in 16 hrs (bike time) and 22.5 hrs (total time). I currently have no interest in such a trip. Even if I was that strong I would be more interested in doing that on the east coast like Hannes mentions.
I hope they take a sports masseuse with them. Anytime you try and ramp up to those kind of distances you’re inviting over-use injuries. The slightest inexactitude in your bike set-up when multiplied by that many pedal rotations is a recipe for disaster. Plus in the madness of the moment you tend to ignore the signs of pain and push on to teh end.
This ride would be better done in winter when the prevailing winds are northerly. I’ve done Taipei-Taichung in Feb. and blatted down that highway averaging around 35-40 km/h.
[quote=“urodacus”]At least it’s flat, and they’re not aiming at a 30 km/h average. 350 km into 20 hours = 17.5 km/h average, which you should be able to keep up for about 19 hours.
Best of luck!
I’m contemplating a ride round Okinawa in a day, same distance but I’m going for a 5 am depart, 7 pm finish. Oh, and there’s hills. Nasty short ones, from km 150 to km 200 or so. I am fucking mad.
Any takers?[/quote]
My friends are getting married in Okinawa over the 10/10 holiday so I’ll be there then, most certainly with my bike.
You are welcome to take me out and make me look like a fat-arsed loser (although I still have 6 months to get faster/lighter).
It’s more than 350 ks, and probably more than 400 Ks, too. It’s a very meandering route at times, and wind can be a huge player, though probably not this early in the season. Plus, there are sections around Taichung Changhua where only big bikes and larger vehicles are allowed. That means you’ll be going on parts of some of the busiest roads from mid-morning to noon, and that is not going to be fun.
Parts of it are quite scenic, however. When I ride the west coast, I leave from Yang Mei, quite close to the Hsinchu border, early in the morning and end at Chiayi, and then on to Kenting the next day.
I’m always surprised by how much country–meaning not built up areas–, coast and wetlands there is along that route.
It’s a good ride, but not like that. Do it on your own on a two or three–day weekend.
[quote=“PaddyB”][quote=“urodacus”]At least it’s flat, and they’re not aiming at a 30 km/h average. 350 km into 20 hours = 17.5 km/h average, which you should be able to keep up for about 19 hours.
Best of luck!
I’m contemplating a ride round Okinawa in a day, same distance but I’m going for a 5 am depart, 7 pm finish. Oh, and there’s hills. Nasty short ones, from km 150 to km 200 or so. I am fucking mad.
Any takers?[/quote]
My friends are getting married in Okinawa over the 10/10 holiday so I’ll be there then, most certainly with my bike.
You are welcome to take me out and make me look like a fat-arsed loser (although I still have 6 months to get faster/lighter).[/quote]
A gauntlet!
I spy a gauntlet!
PM me. October can be a good time here, just past the typhoons and not yet raining.
Shall we say, single speeds only? track bikes only? This could be fun!
At least we coud do the top half of the island: best scenery and riding by far. Still a 230 km loop.
[quote=“urodacus”][quote=“PaddyB”][quote=“urodacus”]At least it’s flat, and they’re not aiming at a 30 km/h average. 350 km into 20 hours = 17.5 km/h average, which you should be able to keep up for about 19 hours.
Best of luck!
I’m contemplating a ride round Okinawa in a day, same distance but I’m going for a 5 am depart, 7 pm finish. Oh, and there’s hills. Nasty short ones, from km 150 to km 200 or so. I am fucking mad.
Any takers?[/quote]
My friends are getting married in Okinawa over the 10/10 holiday so I’ll be there then, most certainly with my bike.
You are welcome to take me out and make me look like a fat-arsed loser (although I still have 6 months to get faster/lighter).[/quote]
A gauntlet!
I spy a gauntlet!
PM me. October can be a good time here, just past the typhoons and not yet raining.
Shall we say, single speeds only? track bikes only? This could be fun!
At least we could do the top half of the island: best scenery and riding by far. Still a 230 km loop.[/quote]
Oi what am I getting myself into?
All I have is my CX bike but if you have a stable full of bikes or something and feel like setting up some kind of particularly perverse challenge then I’m down for whatever…