Not mine, a stock photo as I’m 9000km from it. The only change from the photo is I’m using my “old” wheels- envys on dt 240’s
Not sure if it’s worth shipping it to Taiwan as I have other bikes with me, just not my true love
The Defy3 is cute but so tiny! Have fun.
[quote=“res”]Not mine, a stock photo as I’m 9000km from it. The only change from the photo is I’m using my “old” wheels- envys on dt 240’s
Not sure if it’s worth shipping it to Taiwan as I have other bikes with me, just not my true love[/quote]
Nice bike res! If your other bikes keep falling apart it might be worth shipping over 
It’s time to take her out for a spin Jesus. She’s been in hibernation for too long now. 
[quote=“ranlee”]I’m resurrecting this thread because the cycling sub form looks so dead and I know a few of you here have not posted your rides yet!
The bike guru’s know that I’ve been researching like crazy for the past few months on a new entry level bike/accessories and I though it’s about time I showed you what your advice has bought me. Everything is stock on it, but looking into new pedals and shoes soon. The only thing I take pride on is the blue Giant water bottle that came with my +9,800NT purchase, have to say it’s limited edition 
Brand spankin’ new at the store at around, July 8 (0 KM ridden)
Here she is this past weekend,Aug 9, by the Zhonghua Telecom satellites (450KM ridden)
Look out for me on YMS, I’ll most likely be the only one riding a Defy3, yet to meet a fellow Defy3 rider, up there on Saturdays.
Special shout out to bike gurus Ibis2k12 and urodacus
Also the members of the Unofficial Forumosa Cycling Club for your guidance!
Hit a minor speed bump with the color, but glad I went with 2014 Defy3 because the 2015 Defy Compact color was not to my liking.[/quote]
Neat xD
I’ll get a pic of my bikes when I come back from my holiday in Langyu (or whatever is the spelling of the small island East of Taidong).
In memory of my Giant Defy 3, the carbon composite frame of which was recently pranged beyond repair. We had some good times over the last six months. This picture was from just a few weeks after I got her, near Tainan.
[quote=“StiffUpperLip”]In memory of my Giant Defy 3, the carbon composite frame of which was recently pranged beyond repair. We had some good times over the last six months. This picture was from just a few weeks after I got her, near Tainan.
[/quote]
RIP
Look forward to seeing what you replace it with!
My caad10. Only this one made it to Taiwan (all the way home), the rest are tucked up safely in the UK.
And from Taipei all the way down to Tainan. That bike has seen quite a lot of mileage!
Until it became this – Hit by a drunk taiwanese scooterist
so my friend let me borrow this
I hope you got some money back from the scooter rider, the Specialized was worth quite a bit of cash 
I hope you do too.
You have a very generous friend!
Today I had an idiot on scooter getting too fuckin’ close to my bike… I had to put a foot on the floor because of the traffic… and I step on him, which I used as an excuse for lecturing him about safe distances 
I know I’m turning into the online equivalent of The Ancient Mariner with cries of doom, but once again, if anyone who hasn’t had that much experience of cycling in Taiwan is reading this, there seems to be very little care taken on either the roads or the bike paths. I’ve had several incidents since I arrived here in January, the worst being the one that destroyed my last bike (seen a page or two back) nearly two months ago. I’ve also been sideswiped by a scooter, and had people veer directly into my path on the riverside paths. Never in my life have I witnessed so many traffic accidents as I have in Taiwan. All it takes is one idiot or drunk - and there’s a very great number of them out there - and your fancy carbon bike, for which no insurance is available in this country, is toast.
Anyone who’s just arrived and is shopping for a nice road bike: resist the temptation to go all-out. Buy a cheaper one and ride that for a year so you get used to the traffic here, if that’s even possible.
May be I should have said huge motorcycle instead of just “bike” Nevertheless, there’s a lot of reckless, absentminded, selfish and idiotic riders out there, so yeah, look out!
Can’t agree more. 
I don’t live in Taipei, so I don’t have any experience about cycling paths and/or potential cycling routes over there. I live in Hsinchu and have checked out the area around my ‘community’ (neighborhood) carefully and I have located two routes on which I cycle. They are both on wide, double lane in each direction roads that makes it easier for me to avoid close proximity to both cars and scooters. Also, I avoid being on the road during peak hours for commuters or other cyclists. I guess that explains why I am out on the road between 11am and 1pm when most are either having lunch or don’t dare to venture outside because it’s too bloody hot. 
I know I’m turning into the online equivalent of The Ancient Mariner with cries of doom, but once again, if anyone who hasn’t had that much experience of cycling in Taiwan is reading this, there seems to be very little care taken on either the roads or the bike paths. I’ve had several incidents since I arrived here in January, the worst being the one that destroyed my last bike (seen a page or two back) nearly two months ago. I’ve also been sideswiped by a scooter, and had people veer directly into my path on the riverside paths. Never in my life have I witnessed so many traffic accidents as I have in Taiwan. All it takes is one idiot or drunk - and there’s a very great number of them out there - and your fancy carbon bike, for which no insurance is available in this country, is toast.
Anyone who’s just arrived and is shopping for a nice road bike: resist the temptation to go all-out. Buy a cheaper one and ride that for a year so you get used to the traffic here, if that’s even possible.[/quote]
Disagree…you must be riding on the wrong roads. You’ve witnessed a lot of accidents because there’s a lot of traffic. I’ve been cycling here for years and never had anyone touch me. Sure I’ve had words with a few drivers but nothing serious. Also I pick my roads quite carefully. So for example I avoid the hell that is the Bei-Yi highway. If I ride on the riverside paths I take it as an exercise in improving bike handling skills. Its nowhere near as dangerous as riding criterions with Cat 5 riders or bunch sprints in wet weather.
[quote=“kailun”]
Until it became this – Hit by a drunk taiwanese scooterist
so my friend let me borrow this
[/quote]
OMG, hopefully you weren’t on your bike when it happened.
That’s a nice friend you have. 
[quote=“StiffUpperLip”]
I know I’m turning into the online equivalent of The Ancient Mariner with cries of doom, but once again, if anyone who hasn’t had that much experience of cycling in Taiwan is reading this, there seems to be very little care taken on either the roads or the bike paths. I’ve had several incidents since I arrived here in January, the worst being the one that destroyed my last bike (seen a page or two back) nearly two months ago. I’ve also been sideswiped by a scooter, and had people veer directly into my path on the riverside paths. Never in my life have I witnessed so many traffic accidents as I have in Taiwan. All it takes is one idiot or drunk - and there’s a very great number of them out there - and your fancy carbon bike, for which no insurance is available in this country, is toast.
Anyone who’s just arrived and is shopping for a nice road bike: resist the temptation to go all-out. Buy a cheaper one and ride that for a year so you get used to the traffic here, if that’s even possible.[/quote]
I how much hardship you’ve had to go through in the past few months with your crash, (RIP Defy composite) but I won’t go as far as stopping someone to purchase cheaper product just because there’s a chance that it’ll get ruined or end up in a crash.
I haven’t been riding for too long, but I do have almost 10 years of Taipei traffic patterns and road knowledge.
You do have to get used to traffic patterns though. I myself drive, scooter, and cycle in Taipei on a regular basis (a little less cycling lately 
) and you just have to be aware of your surroundings when operating a vehicle, tunnel vision is no way to ride or drive.
When it comes to bikes on roads, I never ever ride main roads (FuXing, Nanjing, Heping) during the day or night, unless I have no other way of turning around or another route. I once ended up on Tiding Rd in Neihu (borders the riverside park) where scooters and bikes are not allowed, it was not something I enjoyed very much and thought I would get hit at any second.
Bike paths, regardless of time of day, I make sure that at any blind spot or turn, I slow down, or if there’s people ahead, I pull on the breaks a little. You never know if they will all of a sudden jerk left or right and if you’re going at 20km/h+ and try to dodge them at the last second, someone is going to get hurt. No PR or other reason why you didn’t slow down or check your surroundings is worth an injury or replacing your bike.