It’s going up and down Yangmingshan three times, 2200m climbing and 75km distance to be completed within 7.5 hours. And you get a medal.
Now it seems to me that the online register only allows team entries - so I was wondering if there is anyone else wanting to join a “team”.
So, does anyone want to do this and join in? Entries are needed by 6 November and it’s 600 NT$ each. Plus we need someone whose understanding of written Chinese is good enough to decipher the online booking form
This is the kind of riding that I have always enjoyed. It might kill me this time since I haven’t really built my fitness back as much as I would like, but it gives me a target to work on anyway…
I would be happy to join you on a normal day, i just don’t like hundreds of people squeezing in. Also i am in Taichung now, never been in that area. Is it similar to Nantou or Miaoli area?
Up and down YMS over 75 km in 7.5 hours doesn’t sound so bad. Heck if you summit YMS or FKK and go to the coast, you’ve got to climb it a second time to get back. So this just throws in a third for good measure. And 75 km – that’s only 46 miles. Hardly an Ironman. But it sounds like fun.
Are you sure teams are required? The link says, “6.To join the race with your partners is recommended for safety issue.” Do they mean is REQUIRED?
Also, what does this mean, “We’d suggest that all team members wear your team clothes”? Do they mean uniforms are REQUIRED?
[quote=“Mother Theresa”]Up and down YMS over 75 km in 7.5 hours doesn’t sound so bad. Heck if you summit YMS or FKK and go to the coast, you’ve got to climb it a second time to get back. So this just throws in a third for good measure. And 75 km – that’s only 46 miles. Hardly an Ironman. But it sounds like fun.
Are you sure teams are required? The link says, “6.To join the race with your partners is recommended for safety issue.” Do they mean is REQUIRED?
Also, what does this mean, “We’d suggest that all team members wear your team clothes”? Do they mean uniforms are REQUIRED?[/quote]
Yeah its definitely OK to go as an individual. Here is the relevant Chinese on the form 個人(非車隊、俱樂部)報名者，上方表格僅需填寫通訊處、轉帳日期以及ATM轉帳末五碼即可。
Which is telling you to just fill in your address and the date of funds transfer and last 5 digits of your account ie first and last 3 boxes incl. name in the team name bit. Leave the rest blank I guess.
I’m now registered with a team but by all means ask me anything you want about the Chinese form. You’ll need to scan your passport (main page) and attach it to the application.
There will be around 4000 riders on the day and NO traffic control. So try and get there early and do a Pantini. Note you have 7 hours to complete so if necessary descend FKK and take a half hour beer break before the final climb . Lengshuikeng is tough on a normal ride so it’ll be a killer on the day.
Uniforms are not required. I’ll be decked out in gay pink for the sake of team unity but would much prefer to wear the all black of NZ.
I don’t believe I’ve done Lengshuikeng. Where is it? Here’s the last portion of the ride:
When they say to the top of Fonggueizuei, I assume they mean at the NPM/Wanli summit you take the T up towards Helens and the Neihu/Hsichih juncture, right? Then what?
Heading up the hill from the NPM/Wanli summit, I believe the first left veers off around a tall post/monument with an ROC flag on it. I’ve wondered where that goes.
After that, I believe at the next T one can go left to Hsichih or right down to Neihu. Is that right?
I don’t believe I’ve done Lengshuikeng. Where is it? Here’s the last portion of the ride:
When they say to the top of Fonggueizuei, I assume they mean at the NPM/Wanli summit you take the T up towards Helens and the Neihu/Hsichih (Xizhi) juncture, right? Then what?
Heading up the hill from the NPM/Wanli summit, I believe the first left veers off around a tall post/monument with an ROC flag on it. I’ve wondered where that goes.
After that, I believe at the next T one can go left to Hsichih (Xizhi) or right down to Neihu. Is that right?
Which way to Lengshueikeng?[/quote]
You have been to Lengshuikeng MT. You is confused is all. The FKK climb is from the obscure Wanli side (aka. Urodacus’ secret road). But when you hit the top you go right straight away to descend back towards NPM. You never get near Helen’s. Go right again at the Minde Funpark intersection off of Zhishan Rd and up to Pingdendli. This would basically be your normal YMS ride. Lengshuikeng is the final part of the climb that takes you to the back of YMS/7 star mountain.
From National Palace Museum, you go up to Yang De Boulevarde to YangMingShan village and keep going up to the saddle (where balaka road turns off). then over the saddle and straight down to Jinshan, turn rght at 7-11, along to the service station before Wanli, turn right and head up the back of FGZ. when you summit, don’t turn left and keep going to Helen’s but go straight down to the national palace road. cross that little bridge, turn left onto national palace road, down for about 3 km, then turn right and go up the really steep road (at first) that takes you past the satellite dishes. keep going along till you reach the next local high point, turn right, onto a short connecting road takes you to the road with the YMS visitor’s center etc (turn right under the tall antenna mast), this road then leads up to LengShueiKung. those final switchbacks take forever after 4 hours.
I’ve done it once in sunshine and once in piss-pouring rain and fog at 10 degrees, which was less than pleasant.
the FKK climb from Wanli misses my secret road (well, you can connect to that secret road, a la the 29A i think it is, if you travel up the eastern side of the valley. this road climbs the western side of the valley)
the road with the flagpole on the corner you are thinking of leads to the top entrance of a massive military cemetery. my ‘secret road’ adjoins the bottom entrance road to that cemetery that branches off from the road down to shizhr, which is itself a nice way to spend a few hours on a wednesday night in summer. the coffee shops at the top do a roaring trade till well after midnight)
edit: it’s hardy a secret road anymore, but it’s still bloody hard to find… and it’s little more than a badly-paved pothole-ridden track in places.
[quote=“urodacus”]From National Palace Museum, you go up to Yang De Boulevarde to YangMingShan village and keep going up to the saddle (where balaka road turns off). then over the saddle and straight down to Jinshan, turn rght at 7-11, along to the service station before Wanli, turn right and head up the back of FGZ. when you summit, don’t turn left and keep going to Helen’s but go straight down to the national palace road. cross that little bridge, turn left onto national palace road, down for about 3 km, then turn right and go up the really steep road past (at first) that takes you past the satellite dishes. keep going along till you reach the next local high point, turn right, short connecting road takes you to the road with the YMS visitor’s center etc (turn right under the tall antenna mast), this road then leads up to LengShueiKung. those final switchbacks take forever after 4 hours.
I’ve done it once in sunshine and once in piss-pouring rain and fog at 10 degrees, which was less than pleasant.
the FKK climb from Wanli misses my secret road (well, you can connect to that secret road, a la the 29A I think it is, if you travel up the eastern side of the valley. this road climbs the western side of the valley)
the road with the flagpole on the corner you are thinking of leads to the top entrance of a massive military cemetery. my ‘secret road’ adjoins the bottom entrance road to that cemetery that branches off from the shizhr road, which is itself a nice way to spend a few hours on a wednesday night in summer)[/quote]
ah yes I stand corrected. Your secret road remains a secret to me. When I did FKK from Wanli for the first time the other week I was expecting to summit at that flagpole.
greenmark- I did this last year. It is a lot of fun, with all levels from walk your bike most of the way up to certain unbelievable skinny people who could do it on a 20 year old single speed faster than anyone else can on a helium-filled nano-fiber 70 speed! It is a pretty relaxed affair- you don’t need jerseys or anything, nor do you need to stick together as a group if you don’t wish to. There are plenty of waystations, with food and drink freely available. As another poster said, there are one zillion people, so getting lost is impossible (unless you are at the front or the back I suppose;)!
If you have put a group together, I’d love to join!
Only a lunatic would ride in such conditions. At the Jinshan 7/11, I removed my socks and wrung them out (before putting them back on). Gotta get some booties. And maybe next time I’ll bring a jacket, for what that’s worth.
But I agree, it was great fun.
This was my first time riding up the back of FKK and I liked it. We climbed it on a road towards the north, I think – the one we avoided descending on that one time because it rolls up and down as it descends. I thought it was great climb; better than the regular NPM side.
That looks great! I miss the mountains. MT, I would have been shivering in that wet gear. and cold wet hands don’t brake very well either. get a jacket!
and it’s almost always windy here: just rode three hours today in 20 knot headwinds, with horrific gusts that must have been 40 knots. Very dangerous, and very tiring…
[quote=“urodacus”]That looks great! I miss the mountains. MT, I would have been shivering in that wet gear. and cold wet hands don’t brake very well either. get a jacket!
and it’s almost always windy here: just rode three hours today in 20 knot headwinds, with horrific gusts that must have been 40 knots. Very dangerous, and very tiring…[/quote]
So when are you heading back here on a weekend to join us?
Stu has a bunch of bikes now and you guys are of similar build, so you wouldn’t have to bring any of yours.
. Lengshuikeng is tough on a normal ride so it’ll be a killer on the day.
