I finally got to ride my own bike up the hill that I usually take to demo bikes. However, this time it was a wheel demo. The hubs on those bad boys are Chris King and boy do they make the ride oh so much smoother.
I locked in 3 rides on Saturday to make up for the lazy week. A quick ride in the morning to the highest point on 106, one demo ride and lastly my commute home. It was an exhausting day, but so glad I got to go out in the amazing weather.
I busted a front spoke while descending yesterday. A steep but short hill, but it was my infrequently-used track bike with a newly-installed front brake… hence my attempting the steep hill, and hence the extra load on the rim.
Nearly shat myself but managed to stop, turn around, beast my way back up the hill, and ride home before the wheel tacoed too badly.
An easy repair once I found a spoke of the right length.
maybe i should replace ALL those spokes? Nah, fuckit: it won’t happen again, I’m totally sure!
Let future urodacus worry about it.
Hey, I found this bridge today! Kind of a weird spot - what’s the white road for? I came around the 北11 (that’s a lovely road!), and descended down to this - stopped there for a couple of minutes, but didn’t bother taking the (rather rough) white-paved road up to see where it went.
Weather kept me off the bike for a bit, and then work got tough, but hopefully I can keep a better balance now.
Got a quick ride in today before the rain that’s supposed to arrive tomorrow.
That’s quite a steep descent if you took what I think you took …
I frankly have no idea why there is that bridge.
It has been there for decades, with an inaccessible entrance for most of the time, only cleared up a year ago.
From the bridge, it goes up through the rice fields, then ends at my favorite tree in Taiwan, close to the water mill (if you know that place).
BTW, did you receive my reply some weeks ago?
What are those spokes made of? Same material as politicians promises?
I think I never broke a spoke, and I hit (rode over) a stone the size of my fist going downhill years ago… spokes were fine but I think I got a snake bite flat…
I had a painful ride on Monday in Gongguan coming back from Taipei bureau of consular affairs in the rain, lost my yoyo card so no Ubike I intended to use.
Turned right over a wet manhole cover OOH the embarrassment lying in middle of the road. Busy spot as well.
Wednesday, ride to Ulay from JongHe, tried with micro video camera mounted on my helmet, bit disappointing, much to jerky and sky shots riding uphill. Need another plan to mount on body.
Nice day and good ride, chilled in Bitan on return.
Re-started bike to work 2 weeks ago. The ride has been OK and I kept changing bikes so they don’t sit at home. Quit alcohol since new year. Quit coffee. Now bike to work is my next challenge(should be very easy)
@LukeForward search 單車通勤日請你喝咖啡 on FB. This org arranges free coffee for anyone who rides to work on Fridays. No May dates/locations just yet, but stay tuned. I’m sure they’ll announce it soon!
Do not forget to bring your own mug/cup as they are also promoting reusables.
I took my cheapo 6-speed folding bike up to Fudekeng park this weekend, was a fun little climb.
The routes thread has been super useful, definitely going to try to deviate off the river path more often.
Respect!
I used to bike there in the nineties, most weekday mornings an hour before work.
Considered a spooky place, graveyards, active landfill, and the more, always without people at 6AM, perfect.
That is quite a motivation for bike commuters. I quit coffee just recently due to my funny heart rate. And also I just can’t afford them any more, hence the bike to work as well. I hope they offer tea or lemonade.
Fell off an edge riding offroad in Maokong, Taipei Saturday. Dropped about 1.5M in a very slow motion. Was lying in the bush hoping some hiker passerby to drag me up, but no one was around and I was soon surrounded by furious mosquitos. I gave up and drag myself back to the trail. No major injuries.
Above Neihu (near the strawberry farms). btw if you want to ride up there it is easier from Shilin side.
If I had read your post, I would’ve seen that you quit coffee. Nonetheless, spread the word! It’ll get people to ride more bikes!
Glad it’s been helpful!
I have updated it with a new route.
Happy riding everyone!
This weekend I did something with my better half that I love to do but has become infrequent because I don’t live as central anymore… early morning Sunday city ride. Love to get out just before dawn and cruise around totally empty streets. Noise picks up around 7 which is the clue to head home.
Being able to zig zag around a 2-3 lane street that is usually busy is quite a bliss. I know that feeling.
On Sunday, I finally finally got the chance to go out on a longer ride this weekend to the pagoda at the top of Jiufen. Feels good to log a nice 100km ride after such a long hiatus.
Yesterday was my day off and I got the chance to participate in Rapha Taiwan’s Treasure hunt. They announced locations where the pictured sticker is located and if you happen to grab one, you can bring it back to Rapha Clubhouse to redeem a free coffee and a Rapha Prestige mask cover. I picked mine up at the tip of the duck head on the riverside paths.
Details here ,there’s 2 days left, so keep an eye on the page for location announcements!
