Road bike trip in Taiwan. Need help for planning

Dear fellow riders,

I have started to plan a bike route in Taiwan and I would like to have your opinion, and to know how easy/steep/hard it is, and if accommodation and food can easily be found along the route.

I will have 10 to 12 days for the bike trip. I am in good shape (did some triathlons, riding my road bike, but not too much experience with steep mountainous road on high altitude). The current itinerary is something like:

  1. A couple of day rides around Taipei. Probably 2 days.
  2. Take a bus fromTaipei to Puli to save some energy and avoid some steep climbs. Is it ok to bring a bike as a luggage in the bus?
  3. Bike from Puli to Hualian via Tarako Gorge (road 14 and 8). Probably spend a night in/around Yushi. Any idea about the temperature on the highway road in mid September? There are some steeps part but nothing too hard, right?
  4. Bike along road 9 from Hualian to Kending. Probably in 3 or 4 days.
  5. Day rides around Kending area. Probably 2 days.
  6. Bike along the west coast to Fangshan. Take a train or bus bike to Taipei.

Do you think this itinerary is realistic with a good road bike and limited amount of luggage? And is there any specific element I shoud be aware of (climate, bike equipment, etc)?

Best,
Julien

We’ve been here a few times, so do some search work and dig out the old threads. Plenty of info there.

Puli to Hualien with panniers could be 3 days to savour more of the atmosphere:

  1. Puli to Qingjing (try for a mon-thu ride, traffic will be lighter).
  2. Qingjing to Guanyuan, decent hostel there.
  3. Guanyuan down to Hualien.

Road is steep but nothing too horrible. Altitude shouldn’t be a problem unless you over-push yourself :2cents:. Weather variable but very unlikely to be super cold. Or you could do 2) & 3) same day.

This is a fairly major highway so it is well graded (at least as well as it can be going to 3000m or close to it). September will be quite nice during the day and still nice at night. Anybody reading this and planning a winter trip over Hehuanshan (people have asked) should be prepared for absolutely frigid and awful conditions (not every day) and the long downhill will turn you into a popsicle.

Most will recommend that you ride on the smaller Hwy 193 and whatever roads run parallel to Hwy 9. An awesome road to ride is Hwy 23 connecting Hwy 9 to Hwy 11. It is absolutely stunning (I have only done it on motorcycle and car). Also take Hwy 199/200 between Daren and Kending. Another beautiful area.

I think you will have to ride to Fangliao and not Fangshan but it is only another 10kms or so. I checked the Fangshan train schedule once and I think there is only one cargo train that takes passengers at 5am or something early that uses that station.

[quote=“Julien.grunfelder”]Dear fellow riders,

I have started to plan a bike route in Taiwan and I would like to have your opinion, and to know how easy/steep/hard it is, and if accommodation and food can easily be found along the route.

I will have 10 to 12 days for the bike trip. I am in good shape (did some triathlons, riding my road bike, but not too much experience with steep mountainous road on high altitude). The current itinerary is something like:

  1. A couple of day rides around Taipei. Probably 2 days.
    [/quote]

In Taipei, don’t missing riding the Balaka.

I recommend doing it like this. goo.gl/YVd8zy.

Yes.

Long but not that hard (by Taiwan standards). Avoid weekends. Be ready for wet, foggy conditions after noon. It can get down to 8-9 in September. It’s colder than it sounds.

Don’t ride the 9. You want highways 197 and 193 as suggested by others. Cross over to Highway 11 on the coast for more variety.

[quote]
Do you think this itinerary is realistic with a good road bike and limited amount of luggage? And is there any specific element I shoud be aware of (climate, bike equipment, etc)?[/quote]

Yes, this is realistic. Make sure you have warm, dry clothes for your Puli to Hualien riding.

I’d suggest you take an extra day in the north and ride the Northern cross highway instead of 3-4 days riding to Kending. The fall is a really good time to ride in the north, and you will be wasting a day riding from Taidong to Kending–flat and boring. Just take the train or a bus for this part.

[quote=“Feiren”][quote=“Julien.grunfelder”]
3. Bike from Puli to Hualian via Tarako Gorge (road 14 and 8). Probably spend a night in/around Yushi. Any idea about the temperature on the highway road in mid September? There are some steeps part but nothing too hard, right?[/quote]
Long but not that hard (by Taiwan standards). Avoid weekends. Be ready for wet, foggy conditions after noon. It can get down to 8-9 in September. It’s colder than it sounds.
[/quote]

This makes me wonder if I should be preparing a warmer kit for the Puli --> Wuling Neverstop event on the 12th of September.

[quote=“ranlee”][quote=“Feiren”][quote=“Julien.grunfelder”]
3. Bike from Puli to Hualian via Tarako Gorge (road 14 and 8). Probably spend a night in/around Yushi. Any idea about the temperature on the highway road in mid September? There are some steeps part but nothing too hard, right?[/quote]
Long but not that hard (by Taiwan standards). Avoid weekends. Be ready for wet, foggy conditions after noon. It can get down to 8-9 in September. It’s colder than it sounds.
[/quote]

This makes me wonder if I should be preparing a warmer kit for the Puli --> Wuling Neverstop event on the 12th of September.[/quote]

Just ask the boys who did the Wuling cup on Saturday. The whole team took refuge in the ambulance at the top. I guess rich teams have support vehicles ready with thermal blankets and hot cocoa but us plebs got nothing.

The northern cross island highway is great. Unless you like all your pain to come in one short burst near the beginning, don’t start from Yilan but from Taoyuan/Fuxing instead. and watch for monkeys on the descent past Ming Ce, or however you spell it (that’s the brutal climb if you go up the wrong way).

Guys, you are awesome!!! Thanks a lot for all the precious tips!!!

I am gonna take a map of Taiwan (I am a cartographer, can’t help it) and play a bit with google map to investigate your suggestions.

/Julien

OK but many maps don’t show smaller roads where the best cycling is. 711 sells decent local maps (in Chinese but roads are labeled).

Here’s how to do the Northen Cross: goo.gl/d84Yyw

Start from the west and go east.

You can ride back from Yilan via Fulong and Pingxi.

I think that the Northern Cross starting in Sanxia would be a better choice than the Central Cross starting in Puli. It doesn’t go over Hehuanshan but it is a smaller road and more scenic imo and you could still go to Hehuanshan as a side trip.

Something like Sanxia to Wuling Farm to Lishan to Hehuanshan/Cingjing Farm (optional) to Taroko to Hualien - note that those are not specific day segments but rather the general route

That probably adds an extra day to the ride which may or may not be okay for the OP’s schedule

[quote=“Julien.grunfelder”]Guys, you are awesome!!! Thanks a lot for all the precious tips!!!
I am gonna take a map of Taiwan (I am a cartographer, can’t help it) and play a bit with google map to investigate your suggestions.
/Julien[/quote]

Maps are good :thumbsup:. Bring a small large-scale map of Taiwan, but you also want to pick up the local county maps (sold at most large 7-11s). For the Central Cross west-side you need Nantou. As Feiren says, these maps are decent scale and show the minor roads. They’re small and even fit in a back jersey pocket. You can throw them away as you cross the county line if you don’t want to accumulate them.

google.com/maps/d/edit?mid= … wBcFJqlmM4

Guanyuan, any hostel there to recommend.