Jajaja 
, I’ve been in some rides like that. I don’t know if Taiwanese are especially crazy, or the whole world is as mad as them now.
It’s almost like a right of way as a cyclist here in Taiwan and “accidentally” joining a ride that tends to stop very often for pictures. Hey, there’s really no wrong way to ride a bike, just lots of groups with lots of different styles.
I finally rode Guangming Rd. the other day. What a great road! It’s like a dedicated bike path in the mountains! Smooth asphalt that gently winds down the mountain (except the last section) before dumping me at the tunnel next to the 106. Had the whole road (from beginning to end) to myself except for a scooter or two. Makes Maokong look like Ximending 
. I took the 106 back to the city. There was no way I could climb back up that last section. Now I want to ride it again, but I want to find a different approach. Both Dongshi and Jiuzhuang St. are steep (for me at least; they’re probably like the riverside path to you seeing that you ride back up on Guangming 
). Xiding Rd. is ideal, but then I need to ride out to Xizhi first and that’s a bit far for me. I was thinking going up Dingnan Rd. (what Xiding Rd. turns into) from the 106. Google street view looks pretty good, but you can’t really tell the gradient from it, and it looks pretty exposed unlike shady Guangming. Have you ridden it?
I did Guangming Rd. in May. Before it, some steep climbs and rough sections. Probably not the easiest approach to that road. Not a soul on those roads.
106 is the easiest in gradient, but what it lacks in gradient it’s compensated with assholes. 北31 is probably a better option to attack Guangming from the South. Very nice road, gentle gradients and no traffic.
I did a road (北32) near that. From what I remember, very nice, I can recommend it. Unlike pretty much everything I did later that same day.
Hi Incubus, yes, I’ve gone up Dingnan Rd a couple of times years ago, but prefer to go the other direction. While it’s not as steep as going up Guangming Rd, the difference is that it’s quite a long uphill ride that takes some time to finish (reminded me a bit of going up Xiping Rd from Xizhi) unlike Guangming Rd which is steep and relatively short. Also agree it’s more exposed than Xiding and Guangming Rd. It’s certainly very doable on a road bike though. In fact, I think I can only ride up Guangming Rd and some of the other steep sections in that neighbourhood of Xizhi because I ride an old MTB from the 90s with 26:34 ratio granny gear. I’d ride with you one of these days if you don’t mind riding party pace (which basically means non-competitive speed or for me “Zone 2”).
FWIW, I ride a road (endurance) bike. But my gearing is gravel, not road like. I only grind coffee, not my knees.
I see that you took Qinjin Rd. from Xizhi. That’s a steep climb. Most people take that road to get to that Instagramable temple.
106 is the easiest in gradient, but what it lacks in gradient it’s compensated with assholes.
Yep, the sports cars and big motorcycles. Fortunately, the 106 is wide and straight enough so they’re less of a threat to cyclists than on the twisty 9.
北31 is probably a better option to attack Guangming from the South. Very nice road, gentle gradients and no traffic.
You mean 北33, right? 北31 is farther out east.
No, I meant 31. But I think you were looking for options to go back to Taipei, Xizhi. And I was thinking about options to go south from Xizhi.
No, the other direction. I descent it towards Xizhi. I’ve never climbed that road, it looked painful.
Thanks for introducing me to Guangming. Took me a while to get up there. At my age, I’m all about Zone 2. 
I think most cyclists just go up to the Luku Memorial and head down the mountain without realizing something better is just a short climb away. Thanks for offering to ride together. I was off the bike for a while this year and am still trying to get back in shape. One of these days.
Yes, this is one steep road to ascend with crazy gradients, but very rewarding when you make it. I met two young foreigners earlier this year who did it as part of a weekly ride consisting of three uphill and downhill sections (on Qinjin Rd, Shuiyuan Rd and Xiding Rd, iirc). I couldn’t believe anyone could do all three of those climbs in one morning and on road bikes even, now that was hardcore.
Living in Tamsui, I don’t ride in that area very often. The day I went down Qinjin road, the plan was actually to descend Xiding road to ascend Qinjin as the last climb of the day. But I took a wrong turn, I climbed a few steep climbs already and there was a mountain stage of Giro d’Italia that evening. So I cut it short and went back to watch others suffer instead.
I ride up that road every now and then. Its gentle gradient is a good warm up before riding up Maokong. My only gripe is the road surface. The hairpin at the end of your picture is pretty rough. Is the university lacking funding for campus road repairs? Even the back roads in Maokong have a smoother surface than this road.
That’s so true! You have to be specially careful during the descent.
I’ve seen similar pavement at NTU, but I think it’s more the universities thinking “ahh, not too many cars use these streets, why would we bother fixing the pavement?”.
I’ve finally ridden up Dingnan Rd. (北33) from the 106 to get to Guangming. It’s a lovely climb – clean air, tranquil, hardly any cars. Yes, it’s more exposed, but in this weather, heat is not an issue. Now that I’ve ridden the entire length of 北33 albeit covering it over several rides, the entire road from Xizhi to Shiding is just an ideal road for cycling. No need to go up north to ride Balaka anymore. (Well, it’s harder than Balaka for sure.) And Guangming is the cherry on top of the cake. Going down Guangming the second time was lovely. My only advice is you really got to slow down in the final steep descent if the pavement is wet.
Came to this lovely hairpin on my climb up 北33.
I did 北35 yesterday and I was thinking “we may have been close to each other”. Then I looked for 北33 on the map. Nope, not even close. I really don’t know how they numbered these roads, randomly?
北33 is a road I missed so far. I’ll have to go an check it out.
I took trains yesterday (Songshan-Shuangxi and Ruifang-Songshan) to explore some roads around that area which I have never ridden before. Very nice weather, even chilly during the descends. Quiet roads with the exception of Jiufen, but not as bad as it is on holidays.
First climb to Caoshanleida Station was pretty brutal, but it paid off with great views. I was expecting some dirt roads, and plenty of concrete, in that area after checking Street View. But everything I did is concrete now. Nevertheless, the last part towards the station was pretty rough, something like concrete gravel.
Second climb had much gentle gradients and it was quiet until the point where it joins the road that goes from Ruifang to Jiufen (avoid this one if you plan to ride to Jiufen).
By the third climb I was already tired and my left calf was giving me issues almost all day. I wasn’t sure I was going to make it to the top but I did on time to go back to Ruifang before dusk. Amazing views on the way up to Wufenshan, but I would not like to do this climb in a hot, sunny day. It is very, very exposed.
Ride by ride, I’m covering more ground.
北33 would be a ride in the park for you seeing how much distance and elevation you cover on each ride. You’re in Danshui, right? If you ever want to get to the 106, it would make a good connection from Xizhi to 106.
I brought my bike on the train and took it to Shuangxi once. Just wanted to go up to Buyan pavilion. You can’t call yourself a serious cyclist without visiting Buyan. I looked at Caoshanleida Station and was convinced that I would get a puncture on that surface and gave it a miss.
I did Wufenshan a couple years ago. Yes, very exposed but what stunning views! It’s also another place that serious cyclists have to check off on the list of must-visits. Now is the best time to go given the cool weather with the sea of silvergrass that has actually turned silver.
This thread has been pretty quiet lately. Wonder what’s happening to the local regulars like @ranlee , @lostinasia , @flatlandr , @best_intentions , @LondonSpice , @ericinformosa and others. You guys still riding? Now is the best time of the year to ride.
Pollution season puts a damper on my riding. Until I find a suitable mask, I’ll be watching my tires go flat.