# Greater Taipei Cycling Routes: A Discussion

**URL:** <https://tw.forumosa.com/t/greater-taipei-cycling-routes-a-discussion/254652>\
**Category:** Cycling\
**Tags:** taipei\
**Created:** [August 20, 2021, 3:47am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/greater-taipei-cycling-routes-a-discussion/254652 "2021-08-20T03:47:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 15\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Incubus](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Incubus)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2026, 11:51am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/greater-taipei-cycling-routes-a-discussion/254652/41 "2026-03-04T11:51:50Z")

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I went up there recently to go hiking, and there was a constant stream of cars going up and down that narrow road. Could be due to the cherry blossoms. It was certainly much busier than Maokong which is where I usually ride.

> [@Membrillo](#):
>
> If steep gradients are a problem,

They may be a problem but they always beckon me.

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**Author:** ![Membrillo](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/membrillo/32/139669_2.png) [@Membrillo](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Membrillo)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2026, 12:48pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/greater-taipei-cycling-routes-a-discussion/254652/42 "2026-03-04T12:48:40Z")

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There are a few big temples there too. If you are unlucky and there’s a religious event, the traffic will increase a lot. The few times I’ve been there (I can’t say it’s one of my most ridden roads) I didn’t feel it was worse than Satellites, Wulai, 106… Definitely better than Yangde Boulevard (weird name for a road in a mountain)

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**Author:** ![topofan](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/b38774/32.png) [@topofan](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/topofan)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2026, 1:26pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/greater-taipei-cycling-routes-a-discussion/254652/43 "2026-03-04T13:26:30Z")

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Bishan road is crazy crowded on sunny Saturday/Sunday afternoons due to the temples. During the week however much emptier vs say Satellites.. I was riding there a lot last November.

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**Author:** ![shaokilai](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@shaokilai](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/shaokilai)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2026, 1:42pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/greater-taipei-cycling-routes-a-discussion/254652/44 "2026-03-04T13:42:03Z")

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Try this for a route up Bishan Rd and FGZ - much less traffic than the main ones (via the temples), and although tis got a few steep parts, IMHO I think its a much nicer road.

> **[Bishan Rd | 18.4 km Cycling Route on Strava](https://www.strava.com/routes/3464253200564119888)**
>
> Bishan Rd is a 18.4 km Cycling Route. Discover this route and more at Strava. Visit today!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Incubus](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Incubus)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 2:57am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/greater-taipei-cycling-routes-a-discussion/254652/45 "2026-03-05T02:57:57Z")

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This looks like Neihu Road Section 3 that @Membrillo mentioned earlier. I think double-digit gradients are fine as long as they don’t extend for more than 10 meters and are wide enough for me to zigzag my way up (hence the importance of light traffic).

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**Author:** ![Incubus](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Incubus)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 3:01am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/greater-taipei-cycling-routes-a-discussion/254652/46 "2026-03-05T03:01:18Z")

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> [@Membrillo](#):
>
> Definitely better than Yangde Boulevard

Yangde is terrible for climbing but awesome for descending.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Membrillo](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/membrillo/32/139669_2.png) [@Membrillo](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Membrillo)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 3:20am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/greater-taipei-cycling-routes-a-discussion/254652/47 "2026-03-05T03:20:00Z")

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> [@Incubus](#):
>
> This looks like Neihu Road Section 3 that @Membrillo mentioned earlier.

It is.

> [@Incubus](#):
>
> Yangde is terrible for climbing but awesome for descending.

I don’t think I’ve ever climbed it fully from the bottom. There are so many other options… And I have descended it to the city very few times too. In part because it’s not the most convenient route to go down for me and in part because I don’t see the point on racing university students on scooters with little will to live.

> [@Incubus](#):
>
> double-digit gradients are fine as long as they don’t extend for more than 10 meters and are wide enough for me to zigzag my way up

You would love to ride with me 😅 . Ask @shaokilai

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**Author:** ![ranlee](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/ranlee/32/174127_2.png) [@ranlee](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/ranlee)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 3:56am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/greater-taipei-cycling-routes-a-discussion/254652/48 "2026-03-05T03:56:35Z")

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> [@Incubus](#):
>
> Is it better to go up Zhishan Rd. from the back or should I take Neihu Rd.? Seems like Bishan Rd. itself (the most direct route) has the most traffic.

Three ways up BiShan, which you’ve already pointed out two

- ZhiShan Rd via Feng Lin Bridge
  - Most popular
  - Low traffic
  - Heavy traffic going down (if you decide to descend to Neihu)

- BiShan Rd Option 1
  - Most direct
  - Quite steep (you will have sections of 10%+ grades over 10m long)
  - Heavy traffic, as others have mentioned

- Bishan Rd Option 2 ([Neihu Rd, Lane 256 | Strava Ride Segment in Neihu District, TW](https://www.strava.com/segments/6231764))
  - Back road to the most direct
  - Not much traffic in this section as it’s a more roundabout way
  - Short steep ramps here and there

- Jin Long Industrial Road (Strava: [碧山路 Full Climb | Strava Ride Segment in Neihu District, TW](https://www.strava.com/segments/5470461))
  - Road less taken, probably the least amount of traffic of your options
  - Steep early on and goes into rolling hills towards the second half (plenty of room for you to zig zag)
  - Sweet views

My suggestion, to unlock a new route, would be to do a counter clockwise loop via Jin Long Industrial Road.

- Ride riverside to the DaZhi exit
- Neihu Rd and turn at this gas station ([Google Maps](https://maps.app.goo.gl/W5ERwQfMK26cVUxB8))
- Straight through to Huan Shan Rd to avoid traffic on the main Neihu Road.
- Turn left to take the short tunnel ([Google Maps](https://maps.app.goo.gl/KCcgPp7jrpxfrPn6A))
- Left after the tunnel to take Jin Long Industrial Road up
- Loop over ZhiShan Road and back to riverside to head home

Jin Long does have pretty amazing views towards the second half of the segment and the main benefit is you skip all the Bi Shan Temple + Cherry Blossom traffic. Downside is, it is quite steep in the first section.

Enjoy!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Incubus](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Incubus)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2026, 7:41am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/greater-taipei-cycling-routes-a-discussion/254652/49 "2026-03-06T07:41:31Z")

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Thanks for the detailed directions. Looks like Jin Long Industrial Road is what Neihu Rd. Section 3 turns into. The only change I would make is I’d also like to go up (down?) to the temple for the views (gotta have the pics to show when you unlock a route, right?) before I head back over to ZhiShan Rd.

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**Author:** ![Membrillo](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/membrillo/32/139669_2.png) [@Membrillo](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Membrillo)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2026, 6:52am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/greater-taipei-cycling-routes-a-discussion/254652/50 "2026-05-21T06:52:21Z")

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These threads started with this Tour of Taipei:

> [@Greater Taipei Cycling Routes: A List](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/greater-taipei-cycling-routes-a-list/165008/3):
>
> **Route name:** Tour of Taipei [Tour of Taipei | 67.1 km Cycling Route on Strava](https://www.strava.com/routes/2401345)

Now I am bringing to you the ultimate Tour de Taipei:

 ![imagen](https://forumosauploads-12829.kxcdn.com/original/4X/4/a/7/4a77dc5d24f5b24362e0b1eae63cebdaed106009.jpeg)

**Route name:** Tour de Taipei (goated) [Tour de Taipei (goated) - Strava link](https://www.strava.com/routes/3482623642615542176)  
**Start point:** You can start anywhere along the route.  
**End point:** Wherever you started.  
**Traffic level:** Low for most of the mountain roads. There are a few km of urban riding.  
**Main climb(s):** Oh boy, where to start

- [\* Taipei City University of Science and Technology](https://www.strava.com/segments/27792452?filter=overall). The climb is short but it has some steep sections. Be aware, the descend is very steep.

- [\* Main climb](https://www.strava.com/segments/41468429) This climb includes bastards like Fuxing 3rd Road and the infamous Goat Road. The Goat Road is barely cyclable but fully walkable. No shame in walking (but see below). A wiser alternative is to go to the Flower Clock to climb Zhongxing Road, but you will be breaking the spirit of the route.

- [Helen’s Steep](https://www.strava.com/segments/6876307?filter=overall) Yep, I ignored the steep climb towards Lengshuikeng. Helen is a b\*\*\*h of 20%, but after the Goat Road everything else is barely uphill.

- After Helen there are 3 smaller climbs. The first two have moderate gradients while the third one to the graveyard is quite mild.

- [政大威秀~草湳橋](https://www.strava.com/segments/27972459?filter=overall) This was my second to last climg an by now anything higher than a 10% is painful. I did this at night and I had dogs coming towards me. Luckily the owner was there.

- [Maokong East](https://www.strava.com/segments/40043572?filter=overall). I thought this one was going to be very steep (I never did this section before) but it was much better than I was expecting. I still was zigzaging big time.

**Total estimated distance:** 127km  
**Total estimated elevation gain:** 2500m  
**Max elevation:** 800m  
**Difficulty:** Advanced

**Description:** The rules for this route were to ride as close as possible to the Taipei-New Taipei border without trespassing (at least not for any significant distance). U-turns were not allowed, i.e. no riding the same road twice. It happens to be that some of the roads required to obey the rules are crazy bonkers.

**VERY IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER ABOUT THE GOAT ROAD. PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU GO THERE**. This is a VERY steep road. The steepest part probably goes close to 30%. The Goat Road can be skipped by doing the Flower Clock climb. If you do this route anticlockwise, I strongly suggest to avoid the Goat Road. Descending that on a road bike is not a pleasant experience and can be dangerous. If there aren’t anything but perfectly dry roads (keep in mind that the Goad Road is always covered in shade and therefore it can be wet from recent rains even if all the other roads are already dry) please don’t go, especially downhill. I am not sure if it is walkable with road shoes. I did walk the steepest of the steeper section on gravel SPD shoes and it was okayish.

[Goat Road (Full Climb)](https://www.strava.com/segments/3611629?filter=overall)

[Goat Road (Steep First Half)](https://www.strava.com/segments/774526?filter=overall)

The road that connects Dahu St. with Kangle St. is narrow, with a rough concrete surface covered in dead vegetation. Probably not a pleasant ride on a wet day. It also has some short steep parts.

https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1779345460289!6m8!1m7!1sChT4zWVA6UUuYWpLeEbA2w!2m2!1d25.09765594294076!2d121.6104691193366!3f19.487487998845694!4f-10.187928652540762!5f0.7820865974627469

Here my attempt at this route. I called it Giro because il Giro is ongoing now.

> **[Giro di Taipei | Strava](https://www.strava.com/activities/18584647741)**
>
> View Membrillo 鵲龍's Ride on May 20, 2026 | Strava

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ranlee](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/ranlee/32/174127_2.png) [@ranlee](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/ranlee)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2026, 2:00am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/greater-taipei-cycling-routes-a-discussion/254652/51 "2026-06-03T02:00:36Z")

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Almost 12 years of cycling and not once have I attempted Goat Road. It’s still on my bucket list. It’s a segment you can’t really plan to ride. As you’ve mentioned, it’s always covered in shade, so you need to wait for 2-3 days of sun before you attempt. Time of day has to be early as it’s a major shortcut from Dong Shen Rd up to Zhu Zhi Hu and there’s zero room for thru traffic.

Mad kudos.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Membrillo](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/membrillo/32/139669_2.png) [@Membrillo](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Membrillo)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2026, 7:28pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/greater-taipei-cycling-routes-a-discussion/254652/52 "2026-07-23T19:28:03Z")

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> [@ranlee](#):
>
> Time of day has to be early as it’s a major shortcut from Dong Shen Rd up to Zhu Zhi Hu and there’s zero room for thru traffic.

I think car traffic is rare. A few houses there but for through traffic is not practical. There’s a choke point barely wide enough for a narrow car to pass.

That day I saw a few scooters. I think they were exploring the road since they were laughing and joking.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![eugenelife9889](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@eugenelife9889](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/eugenelife9889)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2026, 12:01pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/greater-taipei-cycling-routes-a-discussion/254652/53 "2026-10-12T12:01:40Z")

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For anyone planning to ride Bishan Road, I’d definitely recommend going early in the morning on a weekday if possible. The temple traffic can get pretty busy on sunny weekends.

Also worth checking the weather before starting, especially after rain when some of the steep descents can be slippery.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![shaokilai](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@shaokilai](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/shaokilai)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2026, 1:22pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/greater-taipei-cycling-routes-a-discussion/254652/54 "2026-10-12T13:22:20Z")

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I agree, the main Bishan Road is busy, steep, narrow and pretty sketchy (anytime) - that’s why I now ride Jinlong Industrial Road - very, very quiet with close to zero cars, scooters and never any buses. As an added bonus, the views across Taipei are awesome.

[https://maps.app.goo.gl/w7TStZepGeLjHqcWA](https://maps.app.goo.gl/w7TStZepGeLjHqcWA)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Incubus](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Incubus)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 7:54am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/greater-taipei-cycling-routes-a-discussion/254652/55 "2026-10-13T07:54:35Z")

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I recently rode up Lane 329 off Balian road in Xizhi, which connects to the main road that goes up to Wuzhishan. This little road is nice because it has few cars (so you can safely zigzag your way up when you get to the 18% grade section near the top). It’s also narrow with a stream flowing along it so it feels like you’re out in the country even though you’re in Taipei. There’s also a pet cemetery near the top so we can call it the pet cemetery ride from now on (a nice contrast to the graveyard in southern Taipei). Here’s the turn off from Balian:

[Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/place/221%E6%96%B0%E5%8C%97%E5%B8%82%E6%B1%90%E6%AD%A2%E5%8D%80%E5%85%AB%E9%80%A3%E8%B7%AF%E4%BA%8C%E6%AE%B5/@25.0999911,121.629567,26a,75y,36.95h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1snGpJESyeNv7T1nf57yCC8w!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.clients6.google.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D0%26panoid%3DnGpJESyeNv7T1nf57yCC8w%26yaw%3D36.95025!7i16384!8i8192!4m6!3m5!1s0x345d52d3efaa0265:0x63ec8f631b972cd2!8m2!3d25.1028692!4d121.6288032!16s%2Fg%2F1tf2vjlg?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MTAwNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D)

I’ll try descending it next time. It’s steep near the top but shouldn’t be as hairy as coming down Dahu street toward the bottom at 55 kph.

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