Monday, December 12, 2005

Christmas Triple Crown Challenge

Up for a push? Let's meet Saturday 11:30 am at TAS. First finish line
is Helen's Pagoda, second is Sanjr on the coast, third is top of
Highway 101. We'll regroup after each push.

See you there!

Bill O'B

Sunday, December 11, 2005

Saturday ride time change

Sunday's ride departs at 11:30 from TAS- in the rain. Out to Wanli
and back on the flats...

Saturday, December 10, 2005

Saturday ride time change

Saturday's ride departs at 2:10 from TAS instead of 2 pm. Over to
Jinshan and up the mountain...

Friday, December 09, 2005

Riding on the Weekend

Steve, Dave, Leon and I are riding out to Jinshan and up the mountain
Saturday. Meet at TAS at 2 pm. I believe Steve Reed is doing the same
ride at 7 am, but you may want to contact him directly.

Steve Seymour is doing the flat Wanli ride leaving at 1 pm on Sunday.
I may join him then or ride in the morning instead. Email if you're
interested in joining.

Bill O'B

Friday, December 02, 2005

More Weekend Riding - 12/3

I will be riding to Wan Li and back, starting from TAS at 0530 on Saturday morning.  Pace will be moderate - anticipate about 4:30 ride time and 5:00 overall, with one watering stop in Wan Li.  Headwinds likely on some parts of the ride, but hills are minimal.
 
Bill Bryson


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Weekend Riding 12/3 & 4

Late start for Steve, Leon and I on Saturday- 2 pm at TAS Main Gate
for a ride to Jinshan and up the hill (2:45).

Early start Sunday- 6:30 am at TAS Main Gate for a ride out along the
coast to Wanli and back (all flat- 3:30).

Bill

Friday, November 25, 2005

Saturday 11/26 & Sunday 11/27

Saturday's ride will be out through Tamshui and up 101 followed by a coffee- nothing too rugged. Meet at TAS at 7 am.

Sunday's ride will be 3 hours of flats departing TAS at 6:30 am.

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Thanksgiving riding

Meet at TAS Main Gate Thursday, Saturday or Sunday at 7 am for a road
bike spin- 3 to 4 hours each day. If there is a change in the
departure time, I will post a note.

Hope to see you out!

Bill

Thursday, November 17, 2005

6:30 am Saturday, 11/19

Meet at TAS Main Gate for a road bike ride out through Tamshui and up 101, stopping off for a coffee at Starbucks. Home to Tien Mu by 9:30. Pace will be moderate road bike pace.

Hope to see you out!

Bill O'B

Sunday's Race Results

The Yangmingshan riders fared well on Sunday. Steve Seymour set the pace in the Elite 35+ category with a blistering 11:13:34. He was followed closely by Leon (11:38:40) and Steve Reed (11:47:85). Dave Wittry put in a strong ride to finish 8th (13:18:36). The remainder of the field of 30 or so racers trickled in after with the boys taking out the top podium spots.

Bill hung in with the young pups and looked to be about to take it in the sprint when his foot came unclipped from his pedal. He managed to limp across the line in second at 11:23:51.

On one website following the race, Dave Wittry's wife translated the caption under the photo of the old gits as "foreigners have good manners."

See you out in the hills!


Friday, November 11, 2005

Short hill climb race Sunday, 11/13

There is a short (10-15 minute) hill climb race this Sunday on
Elspeth's Hill (past the National Palace Museum). Riders go off by
age category; there is also a category for mountain bikes. It's
usually a real citizen's race.

If you're interested in coming, we'll be meeting at the TAS Main Gate
8 am. First races start at 9 am. Registration is 200NT.

Hope to see you there!

Bill

Thursday, November 03, 2005

2 pm Saturday, 11/5

Leon and I are heading over the red bridge to the Pali hills to check out the hill climb course. We're meeting at the TAS Main Gate at 2 pm.

Undecided for Sunday. Any plans?

Bill O'B

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

any rides weekdays

hi, work in waishuangxi and was wondering if you do
rides on weekdays - i normally go up to yms on mon,
tues and/or thurs but it would be nice to ride with
others. i am about 10 mins from seans giant shop.

mark

Mark Williams
Tel: +44(0)20-7617-7476 (LDN)
Tel: +886-(0)2-8972-9561 (TPE)
Mobile: +886-(0)955-353-099
Skype: accidentalenglishman



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Saturday, October 29, 2005

8 am Sunday, 10/30

We've changed the time for the Sunday ride- 8 am at Sean's Tien Mu Giant shop. We'll head out to check out the Pali race course. I expect to be back by 10 am.

Come along!

Bill O'B

Friday, October 28, 2005

6:30 am Saturday 10/29

The semi laid-back ride continues to be regularly scheduled for 6:30 am each Saturday.  Meet in front of TAS.    This week’s ride has no chosen venue or time frame, but we should be on the road by 6:45. I’ll have my road bike, so we won’t be doing the ride we did last week

 

Also, is there a well-laid out map for the 101 loop?  I headed out there last Sunday, climbed up to the cemetery overlook, and then just went back through Tanshui again, since I wasn’t sure how much further I needed to go to connect with a familiar road.  Of course, part of the fun of riding in Taiwan is being adventurous, but a little knowledge can be a good thing!

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Le Tour de Hualien & Weekend Riding


This past weekend saw some fast and furious racing action down in Hualien. Reedus, Seymour, Maggio and I flew down Friday evening whilst Director Sportif White Dog drove the steeds down in Sean's van. After several days of carbo loading, spirits were high and energy levels were spiking by the time we reached the hotel.

Saturday morning saw the four Team Columbus riders line up along side 193 other riders, including 61 international Elite riders. National teams from Korea, Malaysia, Thailand and elsewhere were represented. Giant Asia had swelled their ranks with the #3 finisher of the previous week's Sun Tour in Australia (who beat out Baden Cooke in 6th). I later Googled one of the racers who had flown in from Colorado- #1 US Pro in 1990, raced 1991 Tour de France for Motorola, etc... In short, the field looked impressive.

From the gun, the pace was high. Unfortuntely, Reedus answered the call of nature early on and never caught back on to the main group. Seymour pulled away with the pros on the first hill, while Leon left me for dead half way up. After a number of km along the flats, the race again turned into the mountains for about 30 km. Steve still hung in with the big boys, while I managed to catch up with Leon and the female Merida pro (whose wheel he was very closely drafting) just before they descended back to the flats.

With 70 km to go, Leon and I formed a group of 8 or so riders who we pushed as hard as we could. Unfortunately, only one other Hong Kong rider was willing to put in much of an effort into the brutal headwind. With 15 km to go, we split our group on a rise and Leon and I and the HK rider pulled ahead. In the last 5 km, Leon drifted off the front, forcing the HK rider to bridge the gap. I then pulled away. Leon waited until the gap opened and then sprinted across, leaving the HK rider hanging out on his own. He was overheard later talking about “getting worked over by a couple of Columbus guys”…


Leon and I finished together in 58th and 59th place, just inside 5 hours for 167 hilly headwindy km. Steve placed an impressive 32nd, just ten minutes behind the winners. Reedus finished with a solid 77th place.

I flew back to Taipei that night, but the others stayed down to do it all over again Sunday morning on a hilly 5 km circuit. Leon and Reedus rode hard and hung on to the brutal pace for 9 laps. Steve was sitting pretty with the pros until he flatted in the 14th lap. Impressive effort!

We had a terrific weekend and we owe a large thanks to Sean Huang. Without Sean's support, we never would have been able to even enter the race. Thank you Tien Mu Giant!



The next local racing will be a hill climb on Sunday, November 13th. This is a good race for anyone to enter, as it will be low key and requires no special riding skills. Sign up with Sean Huang or drop me a note if you’re interested.

Word on the street is that the illustrious Lanslow will be joining the boys for this weekend’s riding. At the moment, the plan is for a 6:30 am departure Saturday for a two hour ride (although that time may be moved a bit later- email to double check). Sean may give a tour of the race course Sunday morning, and Land is threatening to show up as well.

Hope to see you out there!

Bill O'B

Friday, October 14, 2005

Friday afternoon and Saturday morning

Leon and I are going for a very easy spin out past the National
Palace, leaving TAS at 4:05. Saturday morning's ride departs at 6:30.
We're heading out through Tamshui and along the coast towards Jinshan
and then back. I believe we'll be doing some short pushes to continue
with our race prep. Sunday should be an easy spin- I'm not sure of
the time yet- probably 6:30ish again. Let me know if you'd like to
meet up for any rides...

Bill

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Races and race training

If you're interested in racing, there's a 7.5 km hill climb race on
Sunday, November 12th over in Bali by the red bridge on the way to
Tamshui. Entries close November 5th. See Sean Huang if you're
interested.

Leon, the Steves and I continue to train for "Le Tour de Hualien" on
the 22nd and 23rd of this month. We'll be doing intervals on the
Switchbacks this afternoon around 4 pm and we'll be heading out for
another hard push Saturday morning followed by an easy spin Sunday.
Next Wednesday afternoon will be our last hard push before the racing
on the weekend. If you're interested in meeting up with us for any of
these rides, just drop me a note.

Bill O'B

Friday, October 07, 2005

Riding 10-10 weekend


The girls and I joined Joe Earley and the boys for a spin out along the river this morning- beautiful!

My ride tomorrow will be departing TAS at 2 pm for a race training ride up the Satellites to the Saddle, down to Jinshan, along the coast and back up 101. I know Steve S. and Leon will be there; hopefully others as well.


Sunday's ride will be an early morning departure (6 or 6:30 probably) out towards the airport along the flats with a couple pushes.

I imagine Saturday will be a recovery ride.

Let me know if you'd like to meet up!

Bill O'B

Saturday Oct 8th Ride

Well, I hope any of you that are off today (Friday) are out enjoying the great riding weather.  The rest of us sit in offices and look at the rain forecast for the weekend!

Anyway, if the weather looks OK, I plan a ride at 6:30 at TAS on Saturday Oct 8.  Maybe up Helens, along the coast then Jinshan?.  Or maybe reverse depending on wind direction. 

See you there.

Thanks,

Simon Moore

Simon R. Moore
Director, Fab Business Development
Air Products Electronics
Taipei, Taiwan
Office Phone (886) 2 2537-9326
Mobile Phone (886) 921-939-974
Fax (886) 2 2568-1602
mooresr@airproducts.com


Thursday, October 06, 2005

Saturday, Oct. 8

A group of us will be meeting in front of TAS at 6:30 am for a semi-leisurely ride. (Most likely, no hills involved on this ride.)  Itinerary to be determined Saturday.  Brenda

 

Tuesday, October 04, 2005

Riding week of October 3rd

I'm up early for a ride this morning- sorry I didn't post anything
earlier. Wednesday, Leon, Steven and I are going to launch an assault
on the Switchback times (actually, Leon and Steve will be launching
the assault; I'll be setting a benchmark for this year...). We'll be
up there in the afternoon (departing Tien Mu around 4 pm). I'm hoping
to get out for a spin Thursday afternoon as well (around 4 pm). If
you'd like to join either ride, let me know.

As TAS has a four day weekend coming up, we will probably have two
big days of riding in preparation for the October 22nd race. At the
moment, those days look like Friday and Sunday. More details
forthcoming.

Bill

Friday, September 30, 2005

Saturday morning ride

Apologies for the late notice, but a group of us are heading out
Saturday at 6 am from the TAS main gate. The plan is to return to
Tien Mu by around 11 am- the riding should be fast and hard. Planned
route:

Out through TamSui, then up the road to the beginning of 101, carry
on down to SanJr, then along the coast and up Chin Shan but only to
the bridge, then turn round go back along the
coast, back up the road to 101, and then either carry on up 101 or go
back down and through Tam Sui.

Anyone up for a push is welcome!

Bill

China's B-Day Ride

For those interested in an experienced-level mountain bike ride, four of us will be riding the Wu Jr Shan trail starting at 7:00am Sunday morning (Oct. 1st). We will meet at the 7-11 opposite the National Palace Museum at 7:00am. Total ride time expected to be 5 hours and includes 600 meters of vertical ascent. The Wu Jr Shan trail has excellent single-track riding with moderate hike-a-bike. Total trail descending time exceeds two hours.

Hope to see you there. Mark (0935-519-259 before 9:30pm)

PS - Don't forget the cake!

Friday, September 23, 2005

Saturday, Sept. 24th at TAS

Couple of us headed out at 5am from TAS – not sure where we’re headed.

dave

Monday, September 19, 2005

Sattelites ride - Tuesday morning

Departure from National Palace Museum 6:15 tomorrow (Tuesday) morning for a short but fairly quick climb towards the satellites and onwards to Starbucks. We should be able to leave Starbuck at around 7:30-7:45.

 

Jesper

 

 

 

Saturday, September 17, 2005

Mtn. Bike Ride Sunday Sept. 18 - Experienced Level

For those interested in an experienced-level mountain bike ride, five
or six of us will be riding the Wu Jr Shan trail starting at 7:00am
Sunday morning (Sept. 18). We will meet at the 7-11 opposite the
National Palace Museum at 7:00am. Total ride time expected to be 5
hours and includes 600 meters of vertical ascent. The Wu Jr Shan
trail has excellent single-track riding with moderate hike-a-bike.
Total trail descending time exceeds two hours.

Hope to see you there. Mark (0935-519-259 before 9:30pm)

Friday, September 16, 2005

YCC Riding Notes: Post rides to the blog!

Hello cyclists!

What gorgeous cycling weather! I can't believe how perfect the riding has been recently. My rides have been snuck in here and there; apologies for not posting any group rides. I did see that there is a regular 6:30 am Saturday ride heading out with Brenda Huff. I hear that Steve and Leon and the boys are planning some pushes this weekend.

I'm away to the States tomorrow morning for ten days, so I won't be posting any riding notes for a little while. Please continue to make use of the website. To post a ride, just send an email to yangmingshan.taipeiycc@blogger.com with the post title in the message subject and the posting in the message body. To check if there is a ride heading out, visit  http://taipeiycc.blogspot.com

Have fun out there!

Bill

Thursday, September 08, 2005

Weekend Riding

Due to the typhoon, I am thinking of doing the Triple Crown ride
Saturday morning, departing at 6 am from TAS (over Helen's, along the
coast and up 101- about three hours or so at a quickish pace...). Let
me know if you'd be interested in coming- I'm still undecided.

Bill O'B

P.S. Apologies for not getting out this week. Things have been very
busy, although I've snuck a couple afternoon rides in...

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

Saturday 9/10/05

Regular Saturday morning 6:30 am ride. Route/s and pace to be
determined, depending on weather conditions and riders. One route may
be to Four Corners via Peitou. Other route/s may be along bike paths.
Y'all are welcome to join us. Brenda Huff

Sunday, September 04, 2005

YCC News: Interested in a duathlon? Sign up today.

Hello cyclists-

Message from Craig Johns:

Jinshan Duathlon.

 

Distances are 5km run / 40km cycle/ 5km run
24th September 8am start (7am check-in)
Howard Resort Green Bay

 

5 people have already entered with me. I will send the entry form away on Monday 5th September. If you wish to enter please email me the following details:

 

Name
Date of Birth
ARC #
Cell Phone Number
Email Address

 

And bring NT$700 to the TAS aquatics office please.

 

Craig Johns
TAS Aquatics



Saturday, September 03, 2005

Saturday update and Sunday ride



It was another beautiful Saturday morning ride. Steve S., Steve R., Claus, Jesper, Leon and I headed out to Damshui and up 101 where we met Peter for a spin down to Starbucks and a couple lattes. Steve S. blasted up 101 in 28:18, just off his record and Steve R. set a PB with 29:05 (must have been due to that stretching...). Others set marks to beat for the future!

I'm meeting Craig at 1 pm in front of TAS Sunday for a very leisurely ride out past the Palace Museum towards Helen's. I expect we'll turn around at the ridge past Psycho Squirrel Bridge. Please feel free to join us.

Keep spinning!

Bill O'B

Friday, September 02, 2005

Sunday bike (9/02/05)

Hi,

Does anybody biking to Yang-Ming Mountain or any places every Sunday morning
at 6:00am?

I'll love to meet you in front of TAS, thanks!

See you soon!

Best,
Susan

Sat. 6:30 ride

A mixed group of 4-5 people have been setting out from TAS most Saturday mornings at 7:00.  We are now going to start meeting at 6:30 am for various rides.  The pace is fairly gentle (9-10 mph) and we usually average around 25-30 miles each time.  You are more than welcome to join us.  Brenda Huff

Post-Typhoon Road Conditions

Hi Everyone:
 
FYI, for all riders - I did the 101 (Bailaka) ride this morning, and I came back to Tien Mou from Starbucks and down Cherry Hill.  While road conditions in Tien Mou, Peitou and Tam Shui were all OK (apart from a blown-down construction fence in Tam Shui which was hanging out into the road), road conditions on the mountain were pretty variable and, at times, treacherous.
 
In particular, as you are climbing up from 101 you should be wary of a number of mudslides and rockslides on the way up.  Some of the rocks are pretty big (no boulders, though), and there are fields of them in some places.  The mud slide is particularly treacherous, as it consists of red clay mud, and occurs on a curve on which you would ordinarily be inclined to accelerate (and which does not allow motorists to see you coming wide around the turn).  The downhill from the Ta Tuan Mountain parking lot also had a few slick areas from rain runoff and rocks of varying size that had come down from the mountain.
 
The road to Starbucks suffered its usual landslides during the typhoon and there is a downed street lamp near the bus area.  Most of the debris had already been cleaned up when I got there this morning, but there is also a partially downed tree which is suspended over the road like a bridge.  It looked fairly stable for now, but you may want to exercise some caution when approaching it.
 
I am sure that most of the slides and vegetation blow-downs will be cleared in the next couple of days.  Those of you who plan to ride this weekend, though, may want to exercise some additional caution, particularly on your downhills.
 
Also - anyone who may have been thinking about a ride on the Kwantu-Tam Shui bike path should reconsider, as sections of the path generall remain flooded for up to a week after any typhoon.
 
Ride safe,
 
 
Bill Bryson

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Thursday, September 01, 2005

YCC Riding Notes: Wet weekend or calm between storms? Watch the blog...


Hello cyclists (86 of you)!

I hear the Steves and Leon battled their way up past downed branches
for a ride to the Saddle the afternoon- hardcore cycling. Another 12
or so cyclists gathered Tuesday morning at 5 am in front of TAS-
again, it was great to see so many non-TASers out. The group split
into three different rides; I joined Alec, Dave and Craig for a flat
spin out past the incinerator along the coast. I can't say I'd want to
do that ride very often due to road conditions, smell and congestion,
but I appreciated learning a new route. I look forward to heading back
into the mountains next Tuesday morning!

I'm not sure what the weekend will hold weather-wise, but I'm planning
on meeting the speedy guys at TAS at 6:30 Saturday for a time trial of
some sorts (organized by Steve S.). I was also thinking of doing a
mellow ride out past the National Palace Museum Sunday at 1 pm with
some friends who hadn't ridden out that way before- anyone's welcome
to join me on that ride. I'll post the definite time
on http://taipeiycc.blogspot.com.

If you're riding and you'd like company, please consider posting to
the blog. To do it,  just send an email
to yangmingshan.taipeiycc@blogger.com with the post title in the message subject and the posting in the
message body.

The photo below is of a group of cyclists who headed out to Damshui
this past Saturday. Ginny Ford leads the group that meets each
Saturday morning at 6 am at TAS. Anyone is welcome to join their rides.

Hope to see you out in the hills!

Bill

Monday, August 29, 2005

Ride Tuesday, Aug. 30th 5 am

I will be out Tuesday morning at 5 am from TAS Main Gate. No
particular ride in mind. Satellites? Somewhere flat? I'm flexible...

-Bill O'B

Thursday, August 25, 2005

YCC Riding Notes: Blog, early rides, the weekend and more

Hello cyclists!

Another wonderful week of riding. For me, it all started with a visit Sunday to the Dutch Territories over the back side of Helen's with tour guide Lucas. What amazing roads! Lucas led us up and down through bamboo forests, along creeks, past psycho dogs- with nary a house in sight. Leon, Steve and I agreed that the only thing that could have made the ride better would have been having Tom Hart there to appreciate the vistas. It was great to have Craig, Corey, Vicki and Jeff out there as well.

The early morning rides have been joined by masses of riders. At 5 am this morning, I counted around 11 or 12 women along with 7 or 8 men! Four rides headed out on different routes and at different paces- the ideal situation! There were a number of riders out Tuesday as well for the Satellites- nice to see so many non-TASers, too.


The Blog: taipeiycc.blogspot.com

Don't forget to bookmark http://taipeiycc.blogspot.com. Highlights from the past week include weekend and Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday ride posts and a first-hand description of the Taipei bike paths.

If you'd like to post a ride or a message to the Taipei cycling community, just send an email to yangmingshan.taipeiycc@blogger.com with the post title in the message subject and the posting in the message body. 


Weekend Rides:

Bill Bryson is taking two beautiful and long rides this weekend, departing TAS at around 5 am each morning. He writes:

I am contemplating a 90-100k, 4-5 hour ride on Saturday.  Two possible
routes, but both end with a climb from Wan Li to the Helen's saddle (with
coffee at Helen's, if time permits - I have to be home before 1115), and
then the ride down to Tien Mou.  Route 1 (around 100k) is to ride through
Tam Shui and then take the coast road to Wan Li.  Route 2 (93-94k) is to
take the 101 (Bailaka) ride to the Saddle, then down to Chin Shan and over
to Wan Li.  Route 1 takes less time, but has only one downhill and much of
the coast road riding is likely to be into a moderate headwind.  Will
decide the route that morning.

On Sunday, I will be riding the Linkou Loop, which is a ride out to the
Linkou Power Plant on the coast road, and then a left turn onto 106, climb
up to Linkou and then come back down to the Coast Road on 120.  This ride
is 84k, with a moderate climb up 106. 
 
He welcomes company, but points out:

I don't mind company, though these are not novice rides.  Pace will be
moderate, and rest/rally stops will mainly be dedicated to re-filling water
bottles and (on Saturday's ride) munching energy bars.  Since Saturday and
Sunday are expected to be sunny and hot, that probably means up to three
stops on Saturday (depending upon the route taken) and one or two stops on
Sunday.  Sunglasses are a must, as a substantial amount of time will be
spent riding into the rising sun (particularly Sunday).


I'll be heading up to Helen's from TAS at 6 am Sunday. I plan on meeting Lucas there and riding out to the coast for a nice long 4 to 5 hour ride. I welcome company, even if only up Helen's, but as Bill says, it won't be a novice ride.


Look for other weekend rides posted to the blog.


Other Notes:

Aaron Gray writes:

PowerBar products are now available.
The PowerBar Beverage System, Energy gels and Protein replacement bars are in stock at the pool office.
Below is the price list per box.
Please check out information on the PowerBar range and suggested use here
Performance Bars        Vanilla, Cookies & Cream, Choc Peanut & Cream, Banana, Raspberry Cream       $920/Box of 12 (to be ordered approx 2 wks)
PowerGel                    Vanilla, Lemon-Lime, Tropical Fruit, Raspberry Cream                                                $1425/Box of 24
ProteinPlus                   Fudge Brownie, Peanut Butter                                                                                     $1120/Box of 12
Endurance                   Limon Lime (Pouch & Canister)                                                                                   $770 12xPouches, $1240/ Can
Recovery                     Orange (Pouch & Canister)                                                                                         $770 12xPouches, $1240/ Can


Kathy Cutler writes:

I have a TCR 1 for sale if you hear of anyone interested.  It is yellow, hardly ridden. Also have riding shoes and clips.


Brenda Huff writes:

If you’re interested in an online place to record your miles, etc. check out bikejournal.com.  Not only can you keep track of every little thing, but you can join in an active forum and “meet” cyclists from around the world.  


If you'd like to get in touch with any of the riders above, just email me and I can put you in contact...


See you out in the hills!

Bill

P.S. If the pattern of rain stops on Friday, I'll be doing a short TGIF spin from the TAS gate at 4:10 followed by a cool down in Wendell's Beer Garden.


Tuesday, August 23, 2005

5 am Ride Thursday, Aug. 25th

Great to see so many riders this morning at 5 am- 14 by my count and
two separate rides.

I'll be heading out from the TAS main gates at 5 am Thursday morning
for a ride up towards the Saddle. I expect to get back down the hill
by around 6:30 or so. Moderate pace on a road bike. Please come along.

-Bill O'B

Monday, August 22, 2005

Ride on Wednesday

I will be riding out to the Pali Incinerator (the first smokestack on the coast road heading out towards the airport) and back on Wednesday.  I will start riding from the TAS main gate at 0500.  Average speed for the ride will be around 30kph for 42.5k, so I expect to be back in Tien Mou before 0630.  No big hills on this one.  Anyone who wants to join is more than welcome.
 
Bill Bryson


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Sunday, August 21, 2005

5:00 a.m. Thursday Ride for Women

It was great to see so many bikers Thursday morning.  Our next ride will be this Thursday at 5:00 a.m. in front of TAS.  We will have two riding options:

 

Beginners:  ride out to Tamshui

Intermediate:  ride up to Horse Stables

 

If you know of anyone else that may be interested in riding, please encourage them to join us.  See you Thursday!

 

Laura

 

 

5 am Ride Tuesday, Aug. 23rd

I'll be heading out from the TAS main gates at 5 am Tuesday morning
for a ride up to the Satellites. I expect to get back down the hill
by around 6:30- nothing too hard. Please come along...

-Bill O'B

Friday, August 19, 2005

Cycling Paths

All:

Here is the description of bike path routes I sent to Bill earlier in the
week:

I have done a fair amount of riding on the new bike paths. There are some
good family rides along the paths, but opportunities to travel fast along
the paths are non-existent (with one exception). The path to avoid
entirely is the path that runs across the river from the American Club,
through Ho Ping Park. Because of traffic, pedestrians, unleashed dogs,
motorcycles (which the police do little to discourage), soccer balls, and
even kids with remote control cars, that particular bike path is less safe
than riding on the roads and streets of Taipei. Unless, of course, you
want to do that ride at 0500, in which case the only problem is the large
patches of river silt left behind by the flooding during the last typhoon.

One other note: bike paths are for your second bike, not your main road
bike. I ride a 25-year old touring bike when I go out on the paths, mainly
because it does not have clipless pedals. With one exception, you will
never go fast enough on a path to justify bringing your Ferrari; your VW
is a much better option. In addition, paving conditions vary and some
paths are wood, not concrete. Leave your 700x20's home for those rides.

The best sections of bike path are:

1) Kwantu: If you are riding out to Tam Shui, the Kwantu Temple
turn-off is a left turn at the top of the hill at the end of the really
long, flat section of Ta Tu Road. If you go to the parking lot at the
Kwantu temple, you have two viable options. One is to ride the old bike
path along the east side of the river to Tam Shui. There is a Starbucks
there, plus pony rides, and other fun and games opportunities. The other
is to take the bike path over the big red bridge and then take the new path
to the right to the Ferry Terminal or the Anthropological Museum. If you
stop at the Ferry terminal, there is a donut shop there, and you can take
the Ferry to Tam Shui and then ride back to Kwantu for a nice loop ride.
The ride out to the Museum is longer, but more scenic and at a reasonable
hour of the morning you can get coffee at the museum. Traffic on either
path is bearable (probably because of the absence of a convenient rental
kiosk), and people are much more astute about the effects that their bike
handling has on other path users. Kwantu to the Ferry Terminal or Tam Shui
is about 8k, and add another 3-4k each way if you go out to the Museum. If
there has been torrential rain within the last week DO NOT take the Tam
Shui side of the path, as it will be flooded.

If you turn left onto the path after the bridge, you can ride along
the river in San Chong. I have not done this, though it looks like a nice
ride.

2) American Club: Just over the wall from the American Club is a
bike path that runs on the north shore of the Keelung River. It is far
less well-travelled than its brother on the south bank (in Ho Ping Park),
but goes all the way out to Nankang (the land beyond Neihu). There are
parts that are a little crowded at times, but in general traffic is about a
tenth of what it is on most paths. The city is also in the process of
connecting this bike path with a bike path that runs through Shih Lin and
will ultimately go all the way to Tam Shui through Kwantu. From the
American Club, take the sidewalk on the south side of Pei An Road until you
get to the steps that lead to the path. Construction of the new path is to
the right, so you need to take the path to the left. Distance from the
access point to Nankang is about 11k, making the round trip around 22k.
Watch out for river silt deposits if a typhoon has passed through recently.

3) Min Sheng West Road: The only place where you can get up a
reasonable head of steam along the bike paths (or at least along the ones
on the Taipei side of the Tam Shui River) is where Min Sheng West Road
meets the river. There is a car-accessible gate and parking lot there. If
you take the path to the right, you will follow the levee (ride on the
levee, actually) along the Tam Shui river to where it meets the Keelung
River across from Kwantu, and then follow the path up the Keelung River to
the Pai Lin Bridge. Round trip is about 30k and the scenery is very nice.
The map also shows that the path has been completed almost all the way to
Youth Park, but that the final section connecting Youth Park to Ho Ping
Park has yet to be completed. It has been a while since I took this
particular path, so I have never gone all the way to Youth Park. If it is
actually connected, you can add another 4-5k each way.

If you follow the path to the left, you will be able to ride all the
way to the Taipei Zoo in Mucha, at least when the final section is
completed. For now, you could ride down to Shin Dian. I have not gone
that far, but it looks like another 20k on the map. There are also bike
paths in San Chong and Yong He, but I have not explored them, either.

Enjoy,

Bill B.

6 am Ride Sunday, Aug. 21st

I'm going on a 3 hour road bike ride this Sunday, departing the TAS main gate at 6 am. I haven't chosen a route yet. I expect the pace to be moderate. If you'd like to join me, please come!

-Bill

Welcome!

We'll have to see how this works, but the idea is that anyone can post a ride to this blog. To post, just send an email to yangmingshan.taipeiycc@blogger.com. If you are making a ride announcement, include the date, time, difficulty level and departure location.

Anyone can leave comments on a posting as well (you might want to indicate whether you will be joining a particular ride, or perhaps you'd like to comment post-ride...).

Hope to see you in the hills!

-Bill