Have you ever tried Taipingshan National Forest Park 太平山?
It’s in Yilan.
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Since you’re living in Longtan, Dongyanshan National Forest park or county highway No. 118 is also great.
Daan,
oh yeah, or Luoma Lu, as I know it, hwy 118 is a real beauty.
It is a 65k route for me from home in Longtan.
I prefer going clockwise as hwy 3 is more comfortable returning home after dark if necessary.
I found many lovely spots for pix. I like the fact it is a loop not an out and back too.
Dongyanshan park looks nice, I will have to give it a go. Thanks for suggesting.
Geoff
Here ya go, paradise in background and bike in foreground.
Nice whip. Is that a custom frame?
Thanks, it’s not a custom, the frame is a Soma Speedster, which seems to be their early version of what became the Stanyan. I think it’s made by Maxway in Taiwan. It sat on Ruten for about four years before I saw it, which is crazy, and it wasn’t expensive. Have no idea the story behind it, some sort of factory reject or prototype I imagine but it seems okay/straight, just a funky finish.
It’s a bit long for me so I built it into a townie with swept back bars. It’s kinda squirrelly having the main hand position back so far.
Might get a basket and fenders for it.
Love the saddle! A Brooks, isn’t it?
and on the back, a 34?
Handy for Taiwan’s grades.
i have been jogging near the tamsui river in taipei city and noticed a huge bike trail. i have bugged my boyfriend to buy me a cycle so i can be better looking for him. ha ha
And another great thing about cycling in Taiwan,
after an hour of cycling in the warm, humid air
up and down mountains, etc. I can pull over at my local 7/11
and siit down outside with a cold brew, - a beer!
something I cannot do in Canada or the USA.
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Yes, a Brooks saddle, the pre-softened version. So far so good, better than the previous one I had which was super slippery and never really comfortable. Not sure having a leather saddle in Taiwan’s humidity is the best idea as it can grow mold if the conditions are right.
And yes, 11-34 in the back with 48/38/28 front, though toying with the idea of a sub-compact front.
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I have to agree that Taiwan is a paradise for bicyclists.
This weekend around Kenting hundreds arriving biking in groups of 2 or 10 or 20 at all the times of day and night including 2 or 3 or 4am (Yes I was up at 3am, for unrelated reasons 
). I guess they’re left over from the KOM Challenge.
And it’s really nice to see so many dedicated bike lanes between some cities.
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We met a guy in Sarawak earlier this year and he said his dream was to go cycling around Taiwan. He was big into biking.
There was a 520k challenge from North Lighthouse to South Lighthouse.
That’s why there was an influx of cyclists. 
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Very inspiring post! I will be coming to Taipei in mid-March and will have an extended weekend free (Fri-Sun) for a mini-tour. I am thinking ~40miles/60k per day for 3 days. What route would you suggest? I was thinking Hualien to Taitung with a train to/from but would welcome alternative suggestions.
Hualien to Taitung is well worth the trip, but you may have trouble finding mid-ranged 3-4 star accommodation with 60km rides.
You could also just do some rides out of Taipei or if you are in shape and the weather is good, you can try the Puli to Wuling pass, which is the highest elevated road in Taiwan at 3275m above sea level. Easy to access from Taipei Main Station via express bus, plenty of accommodation in Puli and not too long of a route.
I can definitely handle longer rides but want to save time to explore things along the way and in the towns where we stay. As for the highest road climb, perhaps not this time. I am in Houston now so I am not very climb-trained. I don’t need 4*, small B&B or hotel will suffice. Would coastal/river or some combination of these be better route?
If you’re thinking about doing the Hualien to Taidong route, the coastal road is very nice and has great views, but lacks accommodation.
What you can do is do a little bit on the coastal road (No. 11) and climb back towards the river basin (No. 9) where it is easier to find places to stay. There’s a few roads that link the two in No. 11甲 , No. 30 and No. 23. I do not suggest the No.64 as it is a industrial road, may not be as well paved as the others. Of the three, the No. 30 is the shortest climb.
Another alternative is taking No. 197 above the river basin. It’s a nice rolling road that’s mostly paved and there’s more options to duck out towards No. 9 to accommodation.
Last, but not least, the roads at the southern point are a must. You do not get much better views than that. Do be careful of the heavy side wind!
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Just FYI…64 is awesome…it’s not as well maintained as the others but it’s doable on a road bike. It’s up and down with some steep sections. The others are a steady grade all the way up and down. There’s a couple mom and pop shops near this church for water and snack replenishment.
奇美（布農）基督長老教會
978, Hualien County, Ruisui Township, Ruigang Industry Road, 59號號
https://maps.app.goo.gl/8CWP4gxFthvHF6CY6
The best part is that it dumps you into Ruisui from the east (best go from the coastal side) and I can recommend this awesome place:
RUISUI SUNSHINE HOT SPRING
No. 137號, Section 3, Wenquan Road, Ruisui Township, Hualien County, 978
03 887 0203
https://maps.app.goo.gl/pYf2LP1kDuacp52i6
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