How was your ride today?

You definitely don’t have to go to Taichung. You can stay in the Jaiyi and Nantou (I have all over this area) county mountains and they are greatly underappreciated. And you can’t circle the island if you don’t ride on both sides of the central range.

OP: here’s a suggested route from Taipei to Kenting via the northern cross highway. I still suggest skipping Suao to Xincheng. Consider crossing the coastal mountain range between Hualien and Taidong a couple of times. Ruisui and Fuli are the best but they are all good. See the link I posted earlier for more details and avoid Highway 9 in the rift valley.

[quote=“urodacus”]I trust you’d be starting from Taipei or Taoyuan. If Taipei, ride thru Pinglin to Yilan and stop. Then ride Yilan uphill(!) to Wuling and stop. That’s the center of the island. Then ride thru lishan down to Hualian thru Taroko gorge. It’s stunning but you need good brakes. Seriously. Best descent in the island, but can be dangerous.
Then Hualian to Taidong and finally down to the southern peninsula somewhere. Five days and you’re done.
South of Taidong you have two choices: in the central Rift Valley or on the coast. Several roads connect them through a small mountain range that still features some nice climbs.

Follow other instructions for the far south, that’s not my territory. But pack light and make sure you’re happy with 1500 meters climbing and 150 km in a day and this is a good route that offers much of the best of Taiwan.

If you start from the airport in Taoyuan then cross the island through Fuxing and the northern cross island highway to Yilan (watch the steep descent, but stop for monkeys). next day do a little backtracking to Wuling (30 km or so but 2500 m climb).

You will need to pre book in Wuling and perhaps Hualian. Carry excess water or Gatorade for the ride to Wuling and dress warm after October.

Weather wise, just expect brief heavy thunderstorms after 3pm. Mountain weather is always unpredictable.[/quote]

Absolutely. Some of the best riding in Taiwan is in Nantou, Jiayi and points further south. Here’s one way to do it after Puli.

goo.gl/maps/VYEqd

Hey that looks quite good. Under appreciated, as you say.

I posted a while back about the stray dogs disappearing along my regular ride. Well, they are back. It must have been the summer heat behind their disappearance (I’m usually on the road around midday). I also worked out that it is probably the same individual who feeds them all as there are three places where dog biscuits are dumped and one morning I noticed a fresh pile of identical biscuits at each location. Just last week I saw pups at the first location and a lactating bitch at the second, so I guess the next generation has arrived.

I still haven’t found the time for a century. Fantastic weather of late though.

[quote=“antarcticbeech”]I posted a while back about the stray dogs disappearing along my regular ride. Well, they are back. It must have been the summer heat behind their disappearance (I’m usually on the road around midday). I also worked out that it is probably the same individual who feeds them all as there are three places where dog biscuits are dumped and one morning I noticed a fresh pile of identical biscuits at each location. Just last week I saw pups at the first location and a lactating bitch at the second, so I guess the next generation has arrived.

I still haven’t found the time for a century. Fantastic weather of late though.[/quote]

I still have to try that road. Especially because it is the other side of the ridge from one of my regular rides (Xiongkongshan). Let me know if you want to do it on a wknd sometime. Actually I might give it a try tomorrow afternoon. Should I be able to do it without any nav aids or should I bring the phone? Also, which direction (clockwise or counter) is the best?

[quote=“PaddyB”][quote=“antarcticbeech”]I posted a while back about the stray dogs disappearing along my regular ride. Well, they are back. It must have been the summer heat behind their disappearance (I’m usually on the road around midday). I also worked out that it is probably the same individual who feeds them all as there are three places where dog biscuits are dumped and one morning I noticed a fresh pile of identical biscuits at each location. Just last week I saw pups at the first location and a lactating bitch at the second, so I guess the next generation has arrived.

I still haven’t found the time for a century. Fantastic weather of late though.[/quote]

I still have to try that road. Especially because it is the other side of the ridge from one of my regular rides (Xiongkongshan). Let me know if you want to do it on a wknd sometime. Actually I might give it a try tomorrow afternoon. Should I be able to do it without any nav aids or should I bring the phone? Also, which direction (clockwise or counter) is the best?[/quote]

Hey, I didn’t see your post until today. Did you make it out there? I did it yesterday around 12 but didn’t see any other cyclists. Normally I ride during the week and my weekends are taken up with work (Saturdays) or girlfriend duties (Sundays). But my gf had a social engagement yesterday, so I was free to head out for a ride.

If you haven’t done it before I’d take a phone although doing the loop clockwise would be fairly straight forward. Just turn right here and then right again here. That will get you to the start of the climb proper and after that there are no intersections until your descending the other side - and all of those are easy to navigate, just keep going DOWN. Going anticlockwise is a little more confusing and I would definitely take a navigational aid if you have one. It’s not that confusing really but just DON’T take the hard left here, go straight on.

I really should get a bit more organized and head out along the 110 one morning and cover some new territory. I think I’ve found Xiongkongshan on Google maps - that would be a beast of a ride from my place.

[quote=“antarcticbeech”][quote=“PaddyB”][quote=“antarcticbeech”]I posted a while back about the stray dogs disappearing along my regular ride. Well, they are back. It must have been the summer heat behind their disappearance (I’m usually on the road around midday). I also worked out that it is probably the same individual who feeds them all as there are three places where dog biscuits are dumped and one morning I noticed a fresh pile of identical biscuits at each location. Just last week I saw pups at the first location and a lactating bitch at the second, so I guess the next generation has arrived.

I still haven’t found the time for a century. Fantastic weather of late though.[/quote]

I still have to try that road. Especially because it is the other side of the ridge from one of my regular rides (Xiongkongshan). Let me know if you want to do it on a wknd sometime. Actually I might give it a try tomorrow afternoon. Should I be able to do it without any nav aids or should I bring the phone? Also, which direction (clockwise or counter) is the best?[/quote]

Hey, I didn’t see your post until today. Did you make it out there? I did it yesterday around 12 but didn’t see any other cyclists. Normally I ride during the week and my weekends are taken up with work (Saturdays) or girlfriend duties (Sundays). But my gf had a social engagement yesterday, so I was free to head out for a ride.

If you haven’t done it before I’d take a phone although doing the loop clockwise would be fairly straight forward. Just turn right here and then right again here. That will get you to the start of the climb proper and after that there are no intersections until your descending the other side - and all of those are easy to navigate, just keep going DOWN. Going anticlockwise is a little more confusing and I would definitely take a navigational aid if you have one. It’s not that confusing really but just DON’T take the hard left here, go straight on.

I really should get a bit more organized and head out along the 110 one morning and cover some new territory. I think I’ve found Xiongkongshan on Google maps - that would be a beast of a ride from my place.[/quote]

Thanks for the info. My rear shifter went out en route and I didn’t fancy climbing that bad boy stuck in the top of my middle chainring so no, I didn’t make it. It’s still on my list though. Let me know if you have a free Sunday sometime and we can do Xiongkongshan.

Based on your recommendation, I just did that ride ( 獅仔頭山 / Lion Head Mountain) this past Saturday morning. It was a great ride, and I’ll be sure to try it again in the future. I saw plenty of dogs, and was approached by two different packs at different points in my ride. It always seems to be when I’m going uphill, as when I’m heading downhill most dogs will not bother chasing.

I’m just curious what people do when a pack of at least 4 dogs approaches you. I just cursed at them in a loud voice, and they seemed to back off, both times. I can keep doing that, but I was wondering what other people do. Ideally, I’d like to handle it in a way that doesn’t break my momentum or make me get off my bike. I know some people might say I should get off my bike and put my bike between myself and the dogs, but I’d rather keep on riding than have to do that.

Also, is there any way to get from 獅仔頭山 to 熊空山 (Xiongkongshan)? They both look like good rides, but there doesn’t seem to be any road connecting them based on the maps I’ve seen. From my home to 獅仔頭山 and back it was a trip of 55 km, but I’d like to somehow extend that to be a more challenging ride if I can.

Thanks for any suggestions.

No worries. :thumbsup: I’m a little concerned about the traffic coming out of Xindian along the 110. Have you taken that section much?

[quote=“scomargo”]Based on your recommendation, I just did that ride ( 獅仔頭山 / Lion Head Mountain) this past Saturday morning. It was a great ride, and I’ll be sure to try it again in the future. I saw plenty of dogs, and was approached by two different packs at different points in my ride. It always seems to be when I’m going uphill, as when I’m heading downhill most dogs will not bother chasing.

I’m just curious what people do when a pack of at least 4 dogs approaches you. I just cursed at them in a loud voice, and they seemed to back off, both times. I can keep doing that, but I was wondering what other people do. Ideally, I’d like to handle it in a way that doesn’t break my momentum or make me get off my bike. I know some people might say I should get off my bike and put my bike between myself and the dogs, but I’d rather keep on riding than have to do that.[/quote]

Yeah 獅仔頭山 suits me to a tee. I normally do it during the week when the traffic is even less (I noticed a definite uptick on Sunday). I’ve been riding it almost every week over this summer so I’m quite familiar with all the dogs on the ascent :laughing: (doing the loop anticlockwise). I haven’t ever been chased going down the eastern side and actually I haven’t climbed it from that way yet.

I don’t know how to deal with the dogs without getting off or slowing down but I just accept that. I’m pretty zen about it now. This is my take on it: basically, they want to chase you, right? They play the same game with scooters and motorcycles. Every rider or cyclist who tries to flee or swerve away, or kick at them like I’ve seen a postman do, makes the game more fun and further reinforces this chasing behaviour. That’s why I just don’t play the game - i.e. I stop.

Once a pack of about ten were on the road and they were already hyped up and barking from the garbage truck that had just passed. Then they saw me cycling up towards them and their energy intensified. I immediately slowed right down and got close to the rock face that ran alongside the road. When I reached them they surrounded me as best they could, barking, but only one was game to come within about three meters - and this one was looking at my legs and growling, threatening to come in for a bite. A funny thing happened then - I snapped my shoes out from the pedals and the mere sound of this gave the dog a fright and made it back off. Then I got off my bike and just stood there, with my back to the wall and my bike between me and the pack. I can honestly say that when I glanced around at the dogs they all looked disappointed, like children just after their ball has been confiscated by some spoilsport teacher. One dog on my left tried sneaking a few paces towards me along the rock face but when I lifted my bike and swung it calmly around to block him he turned around and trotted away again. They quickly started to lose interest in me so I began walking up the road. A couple of times dogs tried to start moving in behind when I turned my back briefly but each time I just stopped to face them again. When I was about thirty meters clear I got back on my bike and continued my ride. The whole incident took maybe two minutes, I guess, out of a 2.5 hour ride. Now when I see these dogs they recognize me and know I don’t play with them, and I can ride past them now, usually.

I don’t think so, at least not a direct one. If there is I’m all ears.

Good dog management :thumbsup:. Turn and face them. Talking to them non-threateningly usually also works.
I always ask dogs to “Come on here, then, come on.” None of them ever do :smiley:.

I should stop reading this. Last night I dreamt I was being attacked by dogs - I woke myself up kicking the wardrobe next to my bed. Now my foot hurts. :blush: :fume:

Thanks for your comments, antarcticbeech. I appreciate it.

It seems as though you do that 獅仔頭山 route in the opposite direction than I did. Your way seems steeper going up, but even if it is, that gives you a better workout. Unfortunately, weekday rides are not an option for me at the moment due to job and family commitments, but I agree that most rides would be way better during the week.

Thanks again for your insight.

[quote=“antarcticbeech”]

No worries. :thumbsup: I’m a little concerned about the traffic coming out of Xindian along the 110. Have you taken that section much?[/quote]

Yes, I’ve taken it several times. The traffic in Ankeng is horrible if you leave too late but after that it’s not bad, just the occasional asshole driver like you encounter on any similar sized main road in Taiwan.

Haokaiyang used to take it all the time and he never complained about it. It’s a really easy road and you can get to Sanxia faster than you think. For example, last year I rode to the Tonghou trail head out past Wulai and while the ride was over 100km from my house it didn’t seem so bad because a decent chunk of it was the 110.

Thu - Yilan to Niudou (#51 road) - 45km in the dark.

Fri - Niudou (#51) to Fuxing over the Northern Cross - 80km. Had to ford the Taipingshan river at the south of the #51, as the bridge had been washed out again. Just about made it across in 2 trips, as the unpleasant alternative was back out to Niudou and then across to the 7. After that though, got great weather, and so gained revenge for the miserable cloud back in March, going west to east.

Sat - Fuxing down to Sanxia, then rode with PaddyB up to Xiongkong and then over the top and down to the #114. Steep and worth it. All in, about another 80km.

Here’s pics from the Friday.

Climbing up to Mingchi on the Northern Cross

Luofu, looking east

Sunset from Fuxing

It’s been a while.

Mon : northern loop from Yuli, south Hualien county. Up the #193, then across the river and up into the aboriginal villages of Lunshan and Lishan. Nice little school they’ve got right at the back of Lishan, back down by the river. Possibly one of the best-located 國小 in the country.

Tue: southern loop ex-Yuli, down along the mountains in and out of more tiny villages: Zhuole, Changliang etc. Then across to Puli, and deliciously lost in the rice fields going back north, in the valley and trying to stay off the #9. One dry riverbed crossing, and 3 sorties across paddy fields later, forced back onto the #9 at Dongli. Covered in a million grass seeds. Then found Old Dongli Station (now the start of the Yufu Bike Path), and took that back to Yuli past the abandoned Antong Station.

Crappy air, but dry and still good to be out down in the Rift valley.

To celebrate his 13th birthday, my son asked us (daddy and mommy) to accompany him for a tour of Taichung.
So… Friday 9th was … Taichung harbor up to Guguan with mommy…
Saturday 10th was lovely … Guguan downhill straight to Tsaotun with me.
And Sunday 11th… riding alone back home with North wind in his face!
He made it. Just turned 13 and rode 110 K in just 3 days easy easy…
I will keep an eye on this thread and maybe let him join some of your rides.

A great thread to revive Nuit.

The cycling group did about 110-120km this past Sunday in Taipei/New Taipei/Keelung. We started in Song Shan and headed up to Wu Zhi Shan Peak and had coffee at Star City. We got very lucky and the roads were starting to dry so we got patches of wet and some patches of dry on our way up. Even luckier was the peak was not foggy and we got a good view at the top.

We crossed over to Feng Gui Cui and descended into Wan Li from there. We met some other cyclists on TT bikes on the way and they quickly lost us. About 5km out from Jin Shan, some of our party members were starting to lose their legs and get hungry. Luckily, we had already planned a pit stop at a breakfast shop in Jin Shan. There’s hundreds if not thousands of breakfast shops in Taipei, but from what I’ve seen and tried, nothing beats the Mai Wei Deng麥味登 shop in Jinshan. If you’re curious, it’s at the corner of Ren Ai and Zhong Xiao 1st Road.

After about an hours worth of rest and refilling our bottles, we headed towards Xiao You Keng via Yang Jing Road. Along the way, we bumped into a teammate of ours stopping to put on his wind jacket. Both parties were happy to have some extra company. He was happy to have company, he said he probably would’ve stopped multiple times due to boredom if he didn’t have someone to chat with. The hour long climb brought us into 15C and windy temperatures at the peak. We had a visitor from out of town and his first time up into Yang Ming Shan, so after some rest at the saddle, we rode into Xiao You Keng visitor center to do some touristy things. This is also where I finally found that computer!

To save some dignity and strength, we opted not to take the steep hill up towards Leng Shui Keng and descend towards the National Palace Museum. Instead, we took Yang De Blvd down into Shilin and took the riverside path home.

All in all, it was a cold and breezy morning when I left home at around 6:45AM. After a 20 minute warm-up. I was glad I didn’t wear that extra base layer, but could’ve used it at the peak of Wu Zhi Shan and Xiao You Keng. Glad the weather is cooling down so we are able to do long rides without having to worry about heat! Not too happy that the bike needed a very very thorough cleaning of the mud that accumulated on it, very tough when all you want to do after a 100km+ ride is…nothing.

Ranley, good write-up, but perhaps make the picture a bit smaller :wink:

EDIT --> And I see you updated your post :wink:

[quote=“Jurriaan”]Ranley, good write-up, but perhaps make the picture a bit smaller :wink:

EDIT --> And I see you updated your post :wink:[/quote]

IMGUR used to have an option to adjust the image size AFTER upload, but they for some reason decided to get rid of that. So I had to resize the picture before uploading. Whyyyy!

Thanks, I left out the nitty gritty details of what happened during lunch. Hehe.