Pushing better than pulling
Time for E bike ?
Always bring a spare tube and a pump. And tire levers. And a patch kit, so you may not have to use the new tube if you just have a tiny hole. All that should fit into a packet the size of a large dog, which you squeeze into your wife’s pocket.
Problem solved.
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That’s like giving the finger to @urodacus
Always bring a spare. No one is ever free from punctures. There’s many different shapes and sizes that you can store spars like saddle, top tube, handlebar and tool kegs (that fit in your bottle cage).
If you don’t know how to replace a spare, bring one and maybe a passerby would be able to help. YouTube is your friend if you get stuck a bit further out with not a soul in site.
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Yes! My wife thinks baskets and handlebar bags are cute, and I am fine with that 
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This morning, up Balaka, up Datunshan (for the first time in a year and a half for that additional summit, to my surprise!: not since just before I sprained my knee a while ago), and back home again. That felt good. It’s not that hot yet, but on the descent, it was definitely one of those days when you can feel the temperature climbing the lower you get.
Surprisingly empty up there. I didn’t see any other cyclists on the Datunshan stretch, and usually I see at least a couple.
I feel like I’ve been lazy about cycling this year, but the numbers look comparatively good for me: I crossed 900km for the year today (wish it were higher!), and it looks like mid-May is the earliest I’ve done that since 2015 (when almost all my rides were flat rather in the hills). Last year I didn’t reach 900km until November (!); July in 2021; June in 2020 (the Covid year when the swimming pools were closed for a few months, so I started cycling more in earnest).
Best picture I’ve ever taken of a Taiwan / Formosan blue magpie. Not that it’s great (iPhone, way too much digital zoom), but I’m happy with it.
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I did a cursory tally as I was taking a rest at Erziping parking lot on a busy Saturday once. Only one out of 10 cyclists continue on up to the top. Those steep hairpins are just demoralizing. But I did see someone with a Youbike up there once. Not sure if he rode it or pushed it up.
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Yup - there are significant stretches where I unclip from my pedals because I’m worried I’m going too slow and may need to plonk my foot on the ground. I guess that steepness is why I hadn’t done the climb in so long; after I twisted my knee, I was getting contradictory advice from a doctor and a physiotherapist (Cycling on hills will help! No, don’t cycle on steep hills!), so I just fell out of the habit of going on up from Ezriping. But today was a little cloudy to reduce sun intensity, comfortable temps, strong winds (and it’s not as if headwinds matter on that climb!), and I know that things will be getting a lot hotter soon - good motivation to do the climb again.
The descent of Datunshan is an amusing contrast to that down Balaka. Balaka’s great! Long and fun and I feel like I’ve earned it! Datunshan … god, so much effort to get up there, and then I get down so damn quickly?!
I’ve seen a YouBike descending before as well. I definitely wanted to find out their story.
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I saw a woman climbing Balaka in a folding bike. Later I saw her climbing Datunshan.
I have to admit that I rarely climb to Datunshan. Sometimes because of time constraints, sometimes because I’m already doing a long enough ride and don’t feel like adding a detour.
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Datun should be the ultimate achievement in your riding area 
Such an annoying climb!
It was shorter than I remembered (albeit just as difficult and steep): roughly 45 minutes for me from the Erziping parking lot and back again.
There are steeper climbs on other roads above Sanzhi, Beitou, and Danshui, but I can’t think of any that have as good a payoff at the top.
I have no idea how much that should be. I think I’ve done it before but it was long time ago. Sounds short or fast indeed. Maybe you’re the KOM of those segments
Last time I did it I was kinda surprised that I managed to finish it without much trouble especially considering I didn’t make any stop before or during that climb, and I also found it “shorter” than what I thought. Then I looked at my PR and nah, I didn’t really do a great job that day speed wise haha.
I can think of worse climbs but I guess not right in that area. There’s also climb famous for being tough in YMS but I never tried it… and I don’t need to try it now. My current combination of legs, cogs and power don’t really call for much rock and roll.
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I was looking forward to a long ride today. Weather forecast was a bit worse this morning than yesterday, but it was dry outside. As soon as I headed out I started feeling drops on my skin. 100 meters later it was raining. So, long ride today was less than 10 km
Was already to go, looked out the window one last time and saw umbrella’s checked my phone and the group had cancelled due to rain. 15 mins later it poured here. Since I was already up and ready I popped the bike onto the trainer and used zwift instead. Not as much fun as riding outside with a group but better than nothing.
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Went for the first ride in over a year yesterday. Bike riding sucks. I’ll have to drag my ass out there tomorrow to see if yesterday was an anomaly. Also, Strava stopped recording at the 1/4 mark so I can’t even show anyone how non-lazy I am.
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Hats off to all you hill climbers. Flat and straight still sucked today, just less so.
Give it time, or change your user name to highlandr
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Ha. Yup, that can happen. But unless I’m really near the top of Balaka, I’ll turn back if I hit rain, and I definitely won’t bother with Datunshan in fog.
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Nah, I aborted yesterday’s ride, didn’t want to do it again today. Now I have a bike to clean 
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