I’m in Taiwan on a last-minute, 6-week vacation (currently 2 weeks in), traveling solo with zero language ability (but yes mobile data & Google translate…) I’d like to do some bike touring on the east coast, and since I have the gift of time I’m hoping to bike ~50km/day and spend my free time exploring along the way, so I’m curious which towns might be more interesting for an overnight. I’m a bit of a scaredycat when it comes to downhills, so if one route option has especially steep or twisty downhill sections and another doesn’t, I’d lean toward the latter. I also want to be mindful of wind direction when choosing my route, having just spent the past few days getting blasted by 40km winds near Kenting. I’ve heard the prevailing winds alternate direction summer/winter, but I’m not sure which is typical for late March. I’ve tried looking into all of this, but only have a phone with me so doing any in-depth research has been a little tricky.
I can start in either Taitung or Hualien, and I have the option to do a full loop of coast+rift valley if it’s all amazing enough that it just can’t be missed, although that would be a lot of days solo in the saddle. I would love some help narrowing my options, please and thank you!
If I did the full loop it seems like I could stay: Taitung, Chenggong, Changbin (a short day but I’ve heard it’s a nice town to stay in), Fengbin (or north of there if there’s another option?), Hualien (or cut across on 11A instead of going in/out of Hualien?), Guangfu, Yuli, Chisheng, Taitung. If I don’t do the full loop and instead cut across, any recommendations on 1) which sections to do on coast vs rift valley and 2) using 23 vs 30 vs 64 to cut across?
from Hualien City down route 9 to Taitung City, then coast route 11 back to Hualien City. Route 11 will get hilly north of Fengbin
from Hualien City take route (white rectangular) 193 south. Easy riding, far less traffic. All countryside. Then hook up to (white rectangular) 197 south. Watch out, it goes to gravel south of Guangshan, so head west to get onto route 9 to go south before gravel part (google maps shows it by red cut lines). Then return by route 11.
if you don’t want that big hill on route 11 going north, you can consider taking one of those east-west blue routes between 9 and 11. However, route 23 has a massive climb either way you ride it.
I’ve ridden all over Taitung dozens or more times by bike and scooter.
PM me if you want info on more stuff.
Rueisui has carbonate hot springs. Worth it to stay there and try it. Water looks copperish, but just as healthy.
Definitely planning on 193/197 instead of 9 for better scenery and less traffic, but I wasn’t aware of the gravel south of Guanshan – thanks for the tip! And if I cut across the mountains I’ll avoid 23 – thanks for that tip as well.
Is the descent in/out of Hualien on 11 just 6km of bombing downhill or are there places where it levels out to catch a breather? And will I be dealing with mountain road hairpin turns, or more moderate curves? I feel great about some climbs and I’m ok with descending, just want to be mindful of risk assessment since I’ll be alone and on a bike I’m not as familiar with.
Any thoughts on route direction (e.g. heading south through the rift valley and north on the coast) based on wind this time of year or which way has easier vs. more technical descents, or is it just a coin toss?
I’d suggest going north along route 11 to Hualien, as the ocean will be on your right and convenient to just stop on shoulder or parking lot to take pictures.
Must stop at Sanxiantai as just reopened.
The ride down into Hualien on 11 is of course downward, but places to rest.
I was with a 50+ year-old guy who does not often bicycle and he made it up 11 going north.
We rode south first from Hualien and then north back to Hualien in April.
Cannot remember any winds that were significant either way.
If you’re doing 50km a day, then wind is not a factor, imho.