My boyfriend is out for his weekly taiji class on saturday mornings. I feel very lazy and guilty staying home and sleeping the whole morning, but his class is way to advanced for me, I can only go to the sundays beginners class. In plus, I have a bad knee and if you don’t do it right (which I guess I don’t really), taiji can hurt your knees.
So I thought of doing some sports for myself like hiking or biking, but then again, I don’t really want to go up in the mountains myself. I’m not familiar with the roads and wouldn’t feel save all alone…
So would anybody care to go hiking or biking with me then? I’m not in great shape, so if you are, you’d have to go slow in the beginning…
Saturday mornings, 8-12h. I live in Xinyi District, close to 101.
pm me if you are interested in company
I PM’d you about Yaminshan, but have to apologise because I realised later that it’s too far for you and bad advice. However, I did remember the Lion Mountain trails, which are very close to your home and very relaxing. It’s not too hot over there, there are many small trails, families relaxing, badminton courts, etc. You can hike far or just a little.
To get there? Go along Hsinyi Rd to a corner which has a tall building-police station on your right. Turn right, wind past a bus station and left up a hill, on your right is a hospital. Park your scooter at the top of the road and you’re out of the city.
Biking’s good exercise if one has a bad knee. Just make sure your seat is high enough that your legs will straighten out as you ride, unlike so many here in Taiwan who lower the seat all the way so their knees are constantly bent. And keep it in an easy gear, particularly if you’re riding into the wind. I’d ride with you mesheel, but I don’t live in that area and I haven’t got the time lately anyway. But glad to hear about your plan. Happy trails.
Thanks EEzzee. Yeah Yangmingshan wasn’t such a good idea, but I think I know the trail your talking about. It’s pretty close to my place and I always wanted to go up there, but didn’t know what to expect.
Hiking with a bad knee is not such a good idea, at least not if you need to go down the mountain again. Biking has never been a problem for me though…
I had my seat made higher at a close by giant store and the guy thought I was crazy to have it made that high. Nobody in Taiwan rides a bike like that and my boyfriend wouldn’t even want to try and see how much more comfortable it was…=(
Well, I guess I’ll be riding alone then tomorrow. Thanks for your advises anyways.
Maybe some of you can make it next week…
I have a bad knee, and biking’s fine. It’s good to give your knee a bit of a warm-up, flex, slap, massage, for a few minutes first though.
I’d love to go biking with you along the riverside paths, but we’re on opposite sides of town, and it’d take you a while to get to a river or an MRT. But PM me if you’re serious.
My kneecap is pretty unstable and tends to jump out when I’m walking downhills…so answerer was right, not too much hiking for mesheel…especially not downhills…
biking would be great though. i mean biking as in doing sports, not just riding slowly around the city like window shopping…=) i need to do something for my shape…
So, where do you live bu lai en? it takes me like 20min to half an hour to get from heping to mingquan. are you anywhere in that area?
i notices that it is pretty hot already at 8am. but getting up even earlier on a saturday or sunday morning would be very cruel
If you’re a boring old fart like me, mesheel, and get to bed at a reasonable hour it’s not hard to ride early. During the week I’m out the door on my bike before 6 and it’s worth it. It’s cool and peaceful, traffic is very light and I get home in time for breakfast. On weekends I try to leave by 7 and that’s ok too, though the sun’s already pretty bright. But by 8 or 9, I agree, it is HOT and the traffic is heavy. Besides, if you ride early on a Saturday or Sunday, you can always go back to bed after breakfast.
MT, I wouldn’t consider myself a boring old fart…=) I usually get to bed late and doubt that I can get up before 6. I should try once though and see myself if it’s worth it…
Bu Lai En, what do you think?
Joe…I’ve already given up on my knee after 2 useless operations and am prepared to have a plastic knee in a few years…=) but I’ll have a peek at the post anyways…=) Thanks for your concern
Take a trip to Alan’s bike shop on Roosevelt Road. They get together on a Saturday morning for some off and on road mountain biking around Taipei. I went with them to Maokong a few months ago and it was brilliant. I haven’t had the chance to go since but it was a fantastic start to the day. Alan’s wife speaks excellent English and they’ll take the time to make sure you see Taiwan at it’s best.
I would never have known about the trails if Alan hadn’t shown me.
I’m a once-a-week bike rider, nothing hardcore and the route we took was enough to make me sweat but not enough to kill me.
alansmountainbike.com.tw/
Alan does morning rides. There are a lot of climbs and descents. Call and ask to speak with Yen if Chinese is a hassle. They are both very nice people and always happy to help new comers to Taiwan biking.
As for raising the seat high enough to straighten out your legs - bad advice. You need raise such that your leg is not at full extension rather just before.
Eg: ehow.com/how_14103_determine … addle.html
My seat is at a hight where my knees are still bent a little when riding and not straight…i guess that’s the way it should be, at least where I come from we ride like that…=)
Actually, it was good advice. I didn’t mean completely straight. I meant that one shouldn’t have the seat all the way down so your knees never straighten more than 90 degrees, as is so common with beginning (and Taiwanese) riders. Many people seem to think the seat should be adjusted so they can place their feet on the ground while seated. I would think that would make riding very difficult and hard on the knees. Your link has a good description of the proper adjustment, and it sounds like mesheel’s doing just fine.
Actually, it was good advice. I didn’t mean completely straight. I meant that one shouldn’t have the seat all the way down so your knees never straighten more than 90 degrees, as is so common with beginning (and Taiwanese) riders. Many people seem to think the seat should be adjusted so they can place their feet on the ground while seated. I would think that would make riding very difficult and hard on the knees. Your link has a good description of the proper adjustment, and it sounds like mesheel’s doing just fine.[/quote]
Erm, the link clears it all up so I dont think we need to banter to and fro. Lets say we are both right.
Hi Mesheel, hope you don’t mind if I put in a post for this Sunday for myself? Thanks. Hope you get someone for Saturday!
If anyone is up for a ride on Yamingshan on Sunday, on roads, maybe the back-side near Tamshui, 4pm-6.30pm, fast and hard on the hill and country roads. I’d welcome the company.
The ride was a 4 hour affair. Met up at 7am and got back home about 11am. Have tootled around Wulai, Yangmingshan and Maokong on my tod recently and I’d definitely say the earlier the better. It’s no fun riding around in the heat, dodging buses and taxi-drivers at midday.
Take a peek at the bicycle paths next to the river. They go on for miles and are relatively easily accessible from anywhere in Taipei.
Unfortunately I have to work at the ungodly hour of 9am every Saturday, so no go then.
