ROUND ISLAND CYCLING TOUR TIPS & INFO

Taiwan is one of Asia’s biggest surprise packages, with even some well-travelled visitors guilty of overlooking this green isle when thinking of Asian holiday destinations. With over two-thirds of the island mountainous, and a hundred peaks over 3,000 meters, not to mention  beautiful beaches, waterfalls and emerald green rivers, Taiwan is a more than ideal location for the adventurous traveler. 

Home to much of the world’s bicycle production, Taiwan also has some of the best cycling that Asia has to offer. Great roads, massive hill climbs and a cyclist-friendly environment combine to make it the ideal destination for a cycling trip, whether you bring a touring, road or mountain bike. The local cycling culture deepens with each passing year, and this is reflected by the many great bike stores that have opened over the last decade or so, with some offering high-quality rental bikes.

THINKING OF A ROUND ISLAND TRIP?

The prevailing wisdom for this journey is that it’s best to head down the west coast on the way out and to head up the eastern side on the way back. That’s because the wind in Taiwan blows most often from north to south, so as the western side is much less scenic than the east, most people prefer to take advantage of a tailwind to sail south a little faster on the outward journey. 

NORTH TO SOUTH

First though you have to get out of Taipei. As with any major city, it’s quite congested at times so many take advantage of the bike carriages that feature on some inter-city trains. If you pack a light bicycle bag you can then pop the bike in there and travel on any train. If you choose to leave Taipei by bike, then the simplest way is to head up Route 64 to the coast, then come down the 61 to Hsinchu, a route of some 130 kilometres.  Alternatively jump on Route 3 from Banqiao.

Hsinchu is a relatively unremarkable city but it does feature a fantastic place for easy hikes: the 18 Peaks Mountain Park, an arc-shaped park cultivated during the Japanese colonial era. The trails here undulate over several small hills, flanked by a huge variety of flowers that, when in bloom, create a remarkable mix of scents and colours. 

From there the next obvious stop is the city of Taichung, though it’s best to move to an inland road here as the roads on the coastal plain can become congested. Route 3 is the old highway and is relatively uncrowded, with a rolling profile as it passes through forested valleys. In all, the ride from Hsinchu is just over 100 kilometres and should take the average rider around five hours. 

Taichung offers the visitor a mix of the traditional and the modern, with its old centre down by the train station and its newer malls and shopping area based around the Sogo department store. A must-do for many people coming here is a trip to the Feng Jia night market, one of the most famous in Taiwan.

Here you can enjoy late night shopping and a variety of Taiwanese delicacies, such as chicken’s feet and stinky tofu – aptly named but nonetheless… well, let’s just say ‘special’! Stick with the candied fruit if you’re squeamish.

Leaving Taichung on the third day out from the capital, you finally hit sustained stretches of countryside, with a turn-off to the interior beyond Nantou offering the chance to access some of the most beautiful landscape that Taiwan has to offer, taking you up Route 139 then onto the 131. Brave souls can also head directly from Taichung up the locally infamous 136, an eight-kilometre climb that averages about 9%. From there you can head along the 14 and higher on the 131 to Sun Moon Lake, which is well worth a stopover in itself. Sightseers can hop between the various lakeside attractions by boat, or cycle around the lake in around an hour and a half. 

Even in the summer months this is a relatively cool ride, as the road is shaded by a canopy of leaves overhead. The undulating, serpentine route is a favourite of many local cyclists. There’s also a love-themed shrine at Longfeng Temple, and an Aboriginal village nearby, called Idashao. 

From there, Route 21 up to Alishan is one of Taiwan’s legendary bike routes, but be warned – this is one serious mountain! Reaching the summit here will take you to just over 2,500 metres, where the scenery is more alpine than tropical, so decent warm clothing is required. The mountain offers a rare chance to get above the tree line, and the views are exceptional. 

There’s plenty of good, moderate hiking in the area, and the mountain is a favourite spot for people to see in the sunrise, so avoid holidays if you can to beat the worst of the congestion. At over 50 kilometres in length, the descent down towards Chiayi City is one for the thrill-seekers out there, especially if your timing is good and the road is clear. All told, this is a long day in the saddle at over 200 kilometres. 

Not for the faint-hearted, it will take even the very fit roughly seven to eight hours. From Chiayi City it’s best advised to get back onto Route 3 towards Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s second city. On the way down you’ll come across the ZengWen reservoir in the Siraya National Scenic Area, beside which sits Chiayi Farm, 70 kilometres from the city. The farm sits among verdant hills, offering a serene getaway for the weary cyclist.

There’s accommodation too in the form of European-style cottages if you fancy a shortened day for a change. If you elect to push on for Kaohsiung, you’ll discover a modern city with wide walkways, the usual bustling night markets and a buzzing bar scene. 

From there the next stage of the ride takes you to the beach resort area of Kenting and the end of the outward leg of the round-island journey. Again, it’s recommended here to head inland before heading south to catch the best views, though either way the urban landscape soon gives way to beautiful, quiet stretches of coastline and, closer to Kenting, to inviting beaches. 

The town itself sits in Kenting National Park, the north of which offers some beautiful mountain roads ripe for exploration, while the coast has reefs that attract snorkellers and divers. Kite surfing is also increasingly popular. The town makes a great little place for a day or two’s stopover, affording a chance to refuel and enjoy the surf-town atmosphere of the place. 

A full range of accommodation is available, from truly luxurious hotels that feature private beaches to more rustic guesthouses and B&Bs. There are scooters and motorcycles for rent here, allowing you to explore while saving the legs, and if your timing is good, you can also enjoy the very popular Spring Scream music festival, held annually in early April. 

SOUTH BACK UP NORTH… AND THE KOM HILL!

Day 6 of the itinerary heads to the southernmost tip of the island before finally turning north to begin up the east coast towards Taitung: a total of 150 kilometres of riding. To your left as you ride lie the most remote parts of the country. Here you encounter a windswept coast of often breathtaking beauty, heading through bay after perfect bay on the only road in the area. 

The east coast of Taiwan is far less developed than the west and offers a tranquility that makes for truly memorable riding. The breeze blows cooler on the east coast too, making Taitung not quite as hot as the west in the summer months. The town has in many ways missed out on the economic boom that took over the rest of the island, affording it a rustic charm that many travellers fall in love with, with several vibrant Aboriginal communities making their traditions and presence felt much more than elsewhere. 

Out of Taitung next day, you can stick with the coastal route or swing inland to the East Rift Valley, reached by heading up Route 9. The valley runs parallel to the coast for dozens of kiometres and is dotted with farmland, tea plantations and hot springs – more chances for respite for tired muscles! From there, two routes are possible up to the next destination, Hualien City, about 170 kilometres away to the north. Following the East Rift Valley up the 9 to the 16 beyond Guangfu will take you inland through the hills, along the reverse of the route of the annual Huadong Road Race. This is a good choice if the headwinds are blowing south along the coast. 

Alternatively, Route 11 alongside the ocean has some fantastic views and some equally fantastic roads. Azure blue waters meet windswept beaches on the right, while on the left is gently sloping, verdant grassland that suddenly pitches up to magnificent cliffs. If you’re really lucky you may even see whales and dolphins breaching in the ocean as you pedal by! 

Hualien is a city of 110,000 inhabitants but you’d never know it, as it has a similar sleepy, relaxed feel to Taitung. The area has amazing scenery, with the coastal flats giving way quickly to majestic, vegetated cliffs that mark the northern end of the immense mountain range you have been pedalling past for the last few days. There are long, quiet stretches of sand to enjoy too and a strong Aboriginal community that holds several festivals throughout the year, and if you get a chance to go along to one, you will find a warm welcome – try the Aboriginal wine, it’s delicious!

There’s a bike path that runs right by the sea here, affording calm, traffic-free riding, and for a real adventure you can try out river tracing in the area. Deep-cut valleys coupled with Taiwan’s relatively wet climate make Hualien and its environs perfect for trekking up the streams, clambering from pool to pool. 

The next portion of the ride is the one that most people enjoy the least – another coastal stretch along Route 9 known, macabrely, as ‘The Highway of Death’! It is rideable but it is worth considering taking the train from Hualien up to Yilan, from where the riding is far more pleasant again. It’s hairy enough to do this road in a car as trucks (there’s more industry again north of Hualien), buses and cars barrel along the winding, twisting single-lane road that hugs cliffsides and teeters above the ocean. The are also several tunnels to contend with.

There is an alternative to this route, heading up due west from a point just north of Hualien through Taroko Gorge, to what feels like the top of the world at Wuling (also known as Hehuan Shan). The road crests at 3,275 metres though, going up for 105 kilometres, with a final eight kilometers pitched at no less than 17.8% in average incline, making this the hardest challenge the island has to offer the cyclist. This is of course home to the famous Taiwan KOM Challenge.

Route 8 up through Taroko Gorge is an astonishing ride, taking your breath away in more ways than one as you carve up on the road below the giant marble cliffs, winding by a deep river gorge and passing temples and shrines perched atop the peaks. 

Those final eight excruciating kilometres are a real test as the climb pitches up in front of your wheel like gigantic, asphalt waves. You can take solace though in the extraordinary view: beautiful mountains all around, most of them now thankfully sitting below you. Whether you ride the whole way up, or just make a 25km detour up the gorge and then head back down to the east coast, this route just off the round-island loop is a must-see for any cyclist. For those who make it to the top, an alternative to the busy ocean-side highway is to make a right turn just before the summit onto Route 7 and following this all the way down, to Yilan Town. 

This though, from Hualien up the KOM route and down to Yilan in one day, is a monster ride and would take at least eight to nine hours, even in favourable conditions. You could choose top break up the ride by opting to stay for a night near around Cinjing Farm, which is at Dayuling, then head down the next day. From Yilan, you can either finish your trip with a straight dash to Taipei on Route 9, or by snaking up further along the coast, taking in yet more beautiful beaches and coastline. Heading inland here on just about any route – though especially along the 102 or the 106 – will take you up some amazing climbs and into the lush valleys of northern Taiwan and a stop at the picturesque Jiufen, a former gold mining town. This is well worth a stop, especially after dark.

While they lack the grandeur of the major mountains, these chains of knobbly peaks lie remarkably close to Taipei and quickly you find yourself in the outlying suburbs of the capital again. 

TAIPEI

Taipei can be a fun city to ride in and a relatively safe one too. There’s little of the anger directed at cyclists that you find in places like Singapore for instance, and the ubiquity of scooters seems to have trained car drivers to be more aware and considerate of two-wheeled vehicles than in many other places. 

Taipei may be a sprawling capital city but there are literally thousands of little lanes that subdivide the grid of major thoroughfares and allow for a great day’s adventure. Saddle up and head out to sample the plethora of boutique stores, restaurants, food stalls and coffee shops that line these more manageable side-streets. 

If that isn’t your cup of bubble tea, you can always head down to the river to take advantage of the more than 250 kilometres of bike path that wind by the water. There are no cars or scooters allowed there, making for a great and very safe day’s riding. 

Head out to Dadaochen, also known as Pier 5, a short ride from Taipei Main Station, where there are several food vendors and bars – this is a great spot to spend an afternoon and enjoy the sunset. 

Down by the river you can rent bikes from as little as NT50 an hour, with the better bikes (including tandems) costing about NT350 for the day. There are rental kiosks at Guandu, Muzha, Dajia, Jingfu, Dadaocheng, Huajiang, Erchong, Tamsui and Bali along the river, and most are open all year. 

Heading out of the city to go north, most roads lead up. Within 30 minutes from Taipei Main Station, you leave the city behind and can start to enjoy wonderful roads. A favourite is to head up the iconic Feng Gui Zui climb, a hotspot for locals, then down to Jinshan and onto Route 2, following it up the eastern coast to the tip of the island, then heading up the Balaka climb to the top of Yangmingshan National Park.

Practicalities 

When To Go 

Taiwan has a tropical climate, with the whole of the island experiencing hot and humid weather from June through to the end of August, when temperatures are often over 30˚C. Cycling at any time other than the early morning in these months is a wet, sticky affair. It rarely rains aside from during typhoons (mostly between July and October) which bring heavy rain and high winds, but usually last only or two to three days. 

Northern Taiwan experiences a rainy season from January to March when temperatures get as low as 5˚C, with central Taiwan and the south usually 2-5˚C warmer. In spring, from March to May, and autumn, from September to December, the island typically enjoys cooler, perfect-for-cycling temperatures with the average about 20-24˚C. 

 A GPS system is more or less essential for the more adventurous. A phrasebook or phone app is useful for non-Chinese speakers: note that Taiwan uses traditional, as opposed to simplified characters. 

If you’re looking for a tour to join or to ride with an experienced guide, look no further! Simply….