| Bicycle
touring was once the domain of a few
adventure seekers in Taiwan. However, in the
last few years it has suddenly burst into
the mainstream. It is now common to see
people on bicycles loaded up with bags
cycling on roads around Taiwan.
The year of 2007 was perhaps a turning
point. In this year the movie Island Etude
was released. It was an inspiring story
about a young hearing impaired man who rode
his bike around Taiwan. Two very well known
public figures also set out on high profile
bike tours. King Liu, the founder of Giant,
Taiwan's most famous bicycle maker, spent 17
days cycling around the island. It was a
special feat for a 73 year old. Ma
Ying-jeou, who was at the time campaigning
for the Presidential election, spent ten
days riding from the south to the north of
Taiwan.
People of all ages and from all walks of
life in Taiwan have embraced cycling as a
recreational activity. Now it is common to
see politicians from all political parties
riding bicycles as part of their election
campaigning activities.
Cycling around the island has become a
popular challenge for people to take up. For
many it is a chance to travel and experience
their own homeland in a new way rather than
going on an overseas trip. The government
has even encouraged young people to ride
around the island when they turn twenty as a
coming of age ceremony.
The round island trip will take between
five and fourteen days for most cyclists. A
variety of routes are possible and it is
possible to enjoy high mountains, beautiful
coastlines and peaceful country roads
through farmland. Taiwan offers a great deal
of diversity within short distances. While
traffic in Taiwan's cities and on its major
highways can be very busy, there are many
minor roads with little traffic allowing
cyclists to fully enjoy their surroundings.
Not everyone can afford to spend two
weeks cycling around the island. However,
there are plenty of interesting rides that
can be completed in just two or three days.
For cyclists who are not afraid of the hills
Taiwan's cross-island highways present a
wonderful challenge. There are three
cross-island highways – the northern,
central and southern.
The Northern Cross Island Highway is the
easiest of the three routes and also easily
accessible from Taipei. It links Taoyuan and
Yilan Counties. The road reaches a peak
altitude of around 1,200 metres. Although
there is a lot of climbing on this route in
the west to east direction the gradient is
quite gentle.
The highlight of the ride is the
magnificent forest of ancient cypress trees
at Mingchi. The ancient trees are part of
the Ma-kau Ecological Park. Some of the
giant trees are over a thousand years old.
They really are one of the most amazing
sights in Taiwan. There are hot springs in
Baling which has several hotels making it a
good place for an overnight stop.
The southern and central cross-island
highways are much more demanding and reach
greater heights. For the cyclist prepared to
take up the challenge though they will not
be disappointed. Both routes also have hot
springs along the way which are perfect
places for tired cyclists to relax and
rejuvenate their tired muscles.
For those who like to avoid the hills
there are still no shortage of interesting
roads to explore. Hualien and Taitung
Counties are noted for their beauty. The
distance between the two cities is perfect
for a two day ride and there is a choice of
two main routes, either along the coastal
road or down the Rift Valley. The Rift
Valley offers a superb ride with mountains
towering on either side. The coastal road
has the beautiful Pacific Ocean on one side
and mountains on the other.
A favorite ride of this author is the
Tonghou Trail. It makes a great one day ride
from Taipei. The trail heads into the
mountains above Wulai, a popular hot springs
resort in New Taipei City. Although it is
only a short distance outside of the
metropolitan area of Taipei once you are on
the trail it seems incredibly remote. There
are only beautiful mountains and forests to
be seen in every direction. For the more
adventurous and well prepared it is possible
to continue following the trail all the way
across the mountains to Yilan.
Given Taiwan's compact size and wealth of
natural and cultural attractions it is not
surprising that people are working to
connect it all together with a round the
island trail. The Thousand Mile Island Trail
group is a team working to map and link
trails around the island for walkers and
cyclists. The purpose of their project is
not limited just to creating the
infrastructure, but also to promoting points
of cultural, historical and natural interest
along the way.
The Taiwanese bike manufacture Giant are
also making it easier for cyclists with a
bike hire program that hires out quality
touring bikes for round the island tours. It
is possible to hire the bikes at one store
and return them in a different location
giving cyclists plenty of flexibility in
choosing their route. This is particularly
attractive for cyclists visiting Taiwan from
overseas as it saves the trouble of having
to transport their own bikes with them.
On some popular cycling routes cafes and
restaurants catering especially to cyclists
have sprung up. In addition to offering food
and drinks they often have parking areas for
bicycles. They also fill up water bottles
and provide pumps for cyclists to pump up
their tires. Some convenience stores and
police stations are also offering similar
services.
There are so many wonderful routes to
explore on the island of Taiwan. The
Portuguese called the island Formosa for its
beauty. A bicycle is one of the best ways to
discover that beauty.
Written by David Reid |
