Yangmingshan Cycling Club

North Coast Race Results & Tour of East Taiwan Sign-up

2008-03-22T17:42:00.002+08:00

Craig Johns recently sent out some links from the North Coast Race and some details on the Tour of East Taiwan:

Here is the bikeman brief article with Barry Sullivan Headlining http://www.bikeman.org/modules/news/article.php?storyid=692

Here is the Bikeman photo link http://bikeman.blogdns.org/Qmultimedia/cgi-bin/thumb_index.cgi?folder=/Qmultimedia/2008/%e5%8c%97%e6%b5%b7%e5%b2%b82008/Small

Here is Peter B photo link http://peterbaiamonte.com/northcoast/

Entry details for the 2007 Tour of East Taiwan are still not available, but if you havent done so already and are keen to go to the April 26-27th event please drop me a line so we can get an estimate on numbers for accommodation and other logistics. Already informed me:

Challenge
Bill Bryson
Marcus Woo
Bill Farrell
Carl Wegner
Dave Pacey
Steve Young

Main Race
Adam Glendenning
Greg Svarc
Jim Hadden
Kaight Forgie
Leon Maggio
Amanda Shuman ?
Anthony Sinyard
Leon Maggio

Get out and ride while the sun is shining

Craig

More information from Craig can be found at http://www.taiwanracing.com/.

Future of the Yangmingshan Cycling Club Blog

2008-03-16T05:59:00.001+08:00

Hello cycling friends-

Congratulations on the racing this weekend- sounds like a great time was had by all. Does anyone have a full race report? I wish I could have been there...

In the past two years, we have tracked the spring racing scene and more on the blog http://taipeiycc.blogspot.com. Past North Coast race reports can be accessed by going back to March 2006 and March 2007 posts. When I departed Taiwan this past summer, Dave took over the maintenance of the blog. With Dave's passing, I am the only one with administrative access. Anyone can post to the blog by sending an email to yangmingshan.post @ blogger.com, but it is probably a good idea to have an administrator overseeing the site in case spammers start posting. It is an easy task to change the email address that allows posting.

If you are interested in taking over this blog, please let me know, and I will give you the administrative login information. I am happy to be the distance administrator if no one wants to step forward- I can post race reports and the like that are emailed to me and watch out for spammers- but if no one steps forward, perhaps this blog should end. Craig Johns is doing an excellent job maintaining the blog/site http://taiwanracing.com/. This may be sufficient for the needs of the expat cycling community.

I am open to suggestions.

Regards,

Bill

(in Maine, USA)

Goodbye to a good friend.

2008-02-13T23:22:00.004+08:00

Dave, thanks for everything you've done for all of us- you were a great friend and you will be missed terribly. Your posts on this site stand as testament to your generosity and support.

Bill

RIDES - and how to join us

2008-01-19T19:12:00.000+08:00

Since someone just asked, it's probably a good time to let folks know how to get with one of the many rides each week. Here is a rough idea of what goes on, whom to contact, etc.
There is a very regular group that rides Tues, Thurs, and Sat. The Tues/Thurs rides are religiously at 5am - we're back at TAS by 6:30am - and we leave from TAS (just about every ride meets at TAS). Sat. am has been at 5am - but there is a group of us now starting the 6am rides as well. Bill Bryson will add you to his sms emails - he texts us his intentions(rain-out, out of town, etc. - but most of the time he just says, "see you there, I'm riding"). This is nice because we all then know at least one other person will be there. If you'd like him to add you to his sms list, email him at webryson@jonesday.com.
There are other rides as well - and things change. The best thing to do is send me an email and I'll add you to my "regular riders" list - whenever a small group of us is thinking of riding, I try to send that out to everyone - along with other misc emails about race dates and such. Most of the rides are arranged with a few emails. My name is Dave and my email is wittry@hotmail.com.
There are other groups that ride - the rides I've been talking about so far are roadies with racing/road bikes. If you're more interested in riding the paths here in N. Taiwan, I would talk with Brenda at mailto:huffb@tas.edu.tw- she rides with folks both on the paths and up into the mtns. There is another group of "ladies only" - they don't require you're female - but if you want to ride with them, let me know and I'll connect you to them - they often ride some flats and then finish with some climbing about half way up YangMingShan mtn - where there happens to be a Starbucks!

In short, there is a lot of riding that goes on. I haven't listed everything here. Start by contacting me - join for a ride or two - ask a few folks and before you know it you'll find what suits you. You'll also find that some of us are triathletes - if that's your thing.

Sat. 6am - TAS to WanLi (60km one way)

2008-01-16T15:22:00.000+08:00

The long, flat rides began last weekend - everyone enjoyed. We're doing it again! Join in if you can for 120km. It might be in WanLi that we first stop - be prepared.

Sat. 6:30am Ride - TAS

2008-01-09T10:58:00.000+08:00

Simon and Dave headed out the coast 6:30am from TAS - now you have 2 choices since I'm assuming the regular "Bryson" ride is headed out at 5am
happy riding whenever/wherever you can squeeze one in...

Gadget Heads - Garmin releases new Forerunner 405

2008-01-08T21:40:00.000+08:00

Well, thanks to Victor, I became aware of the Forerunner 405 being demoed at the big CES in Las Vegas this week. Articles are hitting the web - you can search and see or just start with this one.

For those who might have known that I tried to order the 305 just before x-mas and have a friend bring it back to Taiwan - well, that fell through and my attempt to order online never worked(computer glitch? who knows). Things happen for a reason, however. Now I can go after the 405 instead! Do you think my wife will be happy with the approximately $300 price tag? Why do you think I bought her the '08 T-Mobile Alliance (for 10,000NT, right guys - sorry if you're not in on that reference) just before X-Mas. Ah, yes - my evil master plan - keep her happy, so I can keep buying a big boy-toy every now and again...

1/1/2008 - The New Year Has Begun

2008-01-01T19:35:00.000+08:00

The new year started off right. Six riders wearing from 3 to 5 layers of clothing started off the '08 riding season the right way at 6am this morning with an 80km ride out to JinShan and up to the saddle. We hit the saddle at about 10am where the temperature was a cool 8 degrees celcius. Since Victor the photographer wasn't with us, no pics. Carl, Bill B, Curt, Markus, Ron, and Dave stopped at the usual Starbucks before heading home.

Start up those journals - it can be fun to look back on the year and see that you've ridden a few thousand km. Bikejournal.com is one such free service.

Moore Family's Tri Party - Huge Hit

2007-12-31T12:27:00.000+08:00

Car, Kaight, Joe, Julie

Chris, Bill

Victor, Curt, Jody, Dave

Lucas, Leon

Well, if you missed Simon and Ingrid's Tri party, then I'm here to make sure you don't next year. This annual event brings together everyone in our cycling, swimming, and/or running group. Without counting there were 50 there or so. Everyone brought a dish to pass. That was the most incredible display of dishes I've seen in a long while. Everyone out-did the next guy. The desserts were professional looking and fat/sugar free(yeah, right) - absolutely to die for(my favorite was the cheese cake - USA-style cheese cake - I controlled myself and had only 3 pieces). I hadn't had lasagna in a long while - and it was a good one. Simon's stick-a-name-tag-of-a-famous-athlete-on-your-back-yes/no-guessing game was a hit. It only took me several hours to guess mine - Eddy Merckx. The joke of the night was Lucas trying to guess "Bill O'Brien" on his back - he, of course, got it after putting together clues like "top amatuer rider", "club leader", "always behind Lucas on climbs" - ok, maybe some of these were made up by this writer but you get the idea of what was going around. So, a HUGE thanks goes to Simon and Ingrid for the hospitality in their spectacular home. Happy Holidays.

YMS Challenge - Beautiful Weather

2007-12-09T17:40:00.001+08:00

David P, Bill B, Chris, Kaight(aka Leon), Bill F, Markus(aka Carl), Dave, and the real Carl were all at the last rest stop together before heading off to ascend Satellites and Buffalo Meadows. Carl met us on the way down Helen's with his son Carl (is that 3 Carls now?). They took some awesome photos(all photos). We had an awesome day. Curt and Nate missed the part about this being a challenge ride and their testosterone kicked into high gear on climb one - so, we let them go bye-bye. The day started a bit cool - but absolutely no complaints - especially from what I hear about last year's yucky weather. No rain. The weather just kept getting a bit better the whole day. By the time we hit the top of Helen's from the back, it was perfectly clear and warm. Riding time it took us somewhere between 4 and 4.5 hours - add about another 1hr for eating, talking, drinking at the rest stops - it made for a good 5-6hrs out and about. The ride itself is about 74km - by the time you ride down from the finish and home, you probably rode about 85km like me. Oh, and climbed maybe 23000m (maybe Bryson can get a more exact figure). The timing chip in our sticker enabled the organizers to print out and laminate a nice certificate with stats right there at the finish line - nice touch.
See you next year.

Jody Climbs Helen's on First Try

2007-12-09T17:38:00.000+08:00

First, a little athletic historical context before I tell you my wife just climbed Helen's(FongGuiZui) without stopping - oops, I gave away the punch line. Back when she was in grade school in Taiwan she once pulled up and intentionally lost a running race - reason: if you win, you go on to represent your school at a bigger city competition. She hated athletics. Well, some 30+ years and 2 kids later she couldn't get the few extra lbs off just by eating well - she's always eaten well. So, 10-12 months of training, she learned to swim(deathly afraid her whole life), runs 5ks like they're nothing, stairmaster, free weights, and floor/core exercises. It was finally the right time to bring up getting her on a bike - she needed the next challenge since she pretty much dominated the club - even some of the guys were afraid just watching her do flys. Well, 2 weeks ago we went up the back of "Donut Hill" (annual opening of school easy social ride we go on), but from the NeiHu side where we live. Her first time up that she stopped twice(happens when you've never climbed in your life) - second time up, no stopps. On Sat. we finally had mom-in-law over to watch kids and that gave us enough time to attempt to conquere Helen's(600m over 6km - average 10% grade - highest grade about 15%). She did it! Holy smoke - how many of you reading this climbed Helen's on the first shot, no stops? - after only riding a bike up hill 3 times in your whole life? Oh, and she did it on a comfort bike that weighs no less than twice what our fancy bikes weigh - tennis shoes, no clips, no standing possible. It goes without saying, if anyone dares give me any trouble, I'm telling my wife on you! Ouch for you. Dave - Jody's Husband!

Yang Ming Shan Challenge

2007-11-26T21:03:00.000+08:00

This challenge ride is on Dec. 9th. Luk/Sean can help you register (500NT). You ride up YangDeDaDao to the saddle, down to Jinshan, over and up the NorthShore race finish, down a bit and then up the back of Helen's, down to Palace road and then up Satellites to about Buffalo Meadows. This isn't for the faint of heart. It comes the day after Simon's TriFit/Sport party - load up on carbs if you plan on attempting this one!

"Howard's" Ride and Bike Shop

2007-09-26T18:25:00.000+08:00

Howard's Bikes, is between Ba De Road and Civic Boulevard on an east-west lane which runs near Yan Chi Street.

1F, No. 27, Lane 22, Gunagfu South Road
Tel 2579-3357 FAX 2579-2126

Howard Chen - 0922833525

They ride Saturdays. Meet at the shop in the 6:30 range and depart about 7.

Customized Maps - for Taiwan CYCLISTS only!

2007-09-25T20:07:00.000+08:00

As a service to my riding buddies, if you're looking to get from point A to point B anywhere in Taiwan(maybe to join our group ride and you're new to the area) and want a customized map with detailed directions, send me Point A and Point B - detailed addresses. I'll use my Garmin GPS pc software and you'll be all set. Alternatively, if you only know the name of a major landmark (e.g., Palace Museum - in English is fine if you don't know the Mandarin name), send me that - I can search in that manner as well. Please don't send me "7-11 in Taipei" however, the search will give me all 7,425 of them! :-p
dave - wittry@apcomputerscience.com

Rides In/Around Taipei and TienMu

2007-09-25T20:00:00.000+08:00

With respect to maps, good maps of Taipei can be obtained at Page One, the bookstore on the 4th floor of the Taipei 101 Mall.

Not sure where you live, but there are lots of riding opportunities in Taipei, and here are some suggestions:

1). Downtown - there are at least two bike shops which run weekend rides. One is Boutique de Velo, which is in the Hsin Yi District on the lane which runs behind Agora Garden. They have a list of their Saturday rides available and will ride as scheduled unless it is raining.

The other is Howard's Bikes, which is harder to find. It is between Ba Teh Road and Civic Boulevard on an east-west lane which runs near Yan Chi Street (I can provide more detailed directions if you need them). Howard's group rides on Saturdays at about 0730. They sometimes have Sunday rides, too. This is also a hydrophobic group.

Both these shops ride all over the Taipei area. Sometimes they head north, sometimes they head south. Pretty mixed groups in terms of speed and experience. The ride leaders make sure nobody gets left behind. Both groups are co-ed.

You can also hook up with Andrew Collins, who has already responded to your message and who also lives downtown. Peter Baiamonte also lives downtown.

2). Between downtown and Tien Mou: if you want to ride level, there are bike paths that run along the three major rivers in Taipei Indeed, it is possible to ride all the way from the Mucha Zoo to Tam Shui (which is where the Tam Shui River meets the Taiwan Strait), a distance of about 75k, and never leave a bike path. The most popular paths are the ones that run through the Kwantu Bird Preserve, and the ones that run on either side of the Keelung River near the Grand Hotel. Not recommended for an afternoon ride on weekends, however, as they can be quite crowded at that time.

There are bike rental kiosks along the paths and you can get a bike path map at any of those kiosks.

3). Tien Mou/northern Taipei: lots of options here, and almost all start from the Taipei American School. The group I ride with rides at 0500 on T/Th/Sa. 32k on weekdays, 90-100k on Saturdays. Speed and intensity varies with who shows up and whether or not there is a race coming up. There are sufficient numbers of rally stops, however, to make sure newbies do not get lost. We also collect cell phone numbers so we can check on people who do not appear at the rally stops.

There is another group that favors an 0600 start time, and there are groups that ride on other days of the week. People who are on the above list and are familiar with the rides can give you details about those rides.

There is also a Boutique de Velo in Tien Mou (on Cheung Chen Road, just east of the BMW dealership), and they also ride on weekends. Have not ridden with them for a while and it helps if you speak Chinese, but they ride all over northern Taipei. The last time I rode with them, they rode to Taichung.

All of the above groups are co-ed. There is, however, a group of women riders who ride at 0500 on Tuesday and Thursday. They start from the Welcome store on Tien Mou West Road. This is just slightly north of the American School.

Another group of women ride at 0815 on Wednesdays. They start at the American School.

Well, that is pretty much what I know. Hope to see you out there sometime.

Best regards,

Bill Bryson

Bryson on "What YCC is all about"

2007-09-25T19:45:00.000+08:00

The following email was posted by one of our fearless leaders. It was sent out to help us all at a time when yours truly lost what few marbles he has for a few minutes. If you're new to the group or will be soon and curious what we're about, no one could put it better(thanks Bryson):

The group of riders on this e-mail is one of the friendliest and most supportive groups I have ever had the pleasure to ride with. We ride for a variety of reasons - some race (road races, triathlons), some want to stay fit, some want to lose weight, some like the camaraderie and fellowship of the group ride or paceline, and some just enjoy the taste of a Venti iced latte at the end of a long ride. For most of us, it's a combination. For all of us, it's an opportunity to get out of the house and onto our favorite carbon/aluminum/steel/titanium steeds for a few enjoyable hours before we have to return to the reality of our day jobs.

As with any group of riders, there is friendly competition among the regular riders, but in the three years that I have been riding with this group I have never seen weaker riders derided in any way, nor have I seen or heard anything which could be called browbeating.

What I have seen is strong riders who will hang back with someone who is struggling, or a large group of riders who will wait for a comrade to repair his punctured tube, or give him the spare tube and CO2 cartridge he or she needs to get going again. What I have heard (when we are riding below our lactate thresholds) is advice freely given by experienced riders, debates about the best bikes and components for different riding scenarios, general friendly chatter within the group and lots of very engaging and funny observations about life, Taiwan and life in Taiwan.

No rider is ever discouraged by other riders, and those who feel discouraged by their performance on a particular ride are likely to receive an almost embarassing volume of advice and encouragement from other riders in the group. I have learned a lot from my YCC friends and teammates and we have had some really great rides together.

In any event, I hope that, notwithstanding the northern latitude and ungodly hour at which we ride, you will be able to join us for a ride sometime.

Best regards,

Bill Bryson

A Li Shan Race - 71km UP!

2007-09-18T11:49:00.001+08:00

From the start we rode 17km flat - then 54km up. It's quite a ride. Awesome views and the weather was perfect for riding. Our trip down on the high-speed rail was nice - about 285km/hr, just slightly faster than we averaged on our bikes.

Taiwan Mountain Biking - September 21-23 - Taiwan East Coast

2007-09-08T08:05:00.001+08:00

Dear all,

Great seeing all the photos and reading about all the news and events posted
on the website. Fantastic to see so many people enjoying the rocking summer
we have been having!

I run an outdoor adventure company call IN MOTION ASIA which organizes a number of adventure tours throughout the year here in Taiwan and overseas.

I have a fantastic MTB tour coming up from Friday September 21 - Sunday September 23. A superb 3 day / 2 night tour based on the East Coast of Taiwan that takes in the mighty Taroko Gorge and the rugged Feitsuei Valley. An exhilarating tour through one of the most beautiful regions in Taiwan! This riding is a mixture of old off-road Aboriginal and Japanese era trails, orchards and farm land, deserted mountain roads, and the Central Cross Island Highway. This is fully supported trip with all transport, accommodation and food provided. All you need is a good mountain bike and a sense of adventure!

There is around 4-5 hours riding each day which I would grade as moderate to challenging.

If you would like more details, drop me an email and I can send you the complete itinerary and everything else you need to know. Hurry - Only 2 spots left

Looking forward to a fantastic trip!

Many thanks
Cam McLean
inmotionasia@gmail.com
www.inmotionasia.com

New Taipei Cycling Regulations

2007-09-06T19:49:00.000+08:00

As of Sept. 1, there are new regulations for cyclists in effect. In short, wear a helmet, have running red lights, ride with traffic. If you get pulled over and have no ID, you may be in trouble. We should each probably have some sort of ID in our seat bags.

article

Thanks for the article, Brenda H.

Riding for Mon 3rd - Sat 8th

2007-09-02T21:07:00.000+08:00

5am from TAS on Tues and Thurs - heading up XingYi Rd. to the saddle.
6am from TAS on Sat. - heading out for a long ride, a few climbs - where? tbd by those attending

see you there - dave

Wu Ling - 3275m climb

2007-08-28T19:01:00.000+08:00

If interested, this race is 55km with 3275m of climbing. Register by 8/30 for the 9/9 race at Sean's bike shop in TienMu - ask for Luk as always. You'll need your arc and 500NT.

http://www.cool-cycling.com/2007tpp/n2007tpp.doc

Harry Wilson and Andrew Collins are entering - see them for transportation/accomodation ideas.

A Li Shan Race - Sept. 15

2007-08-27T18:28:00.000+08:00

As I have it so far, here are the 10 "foreigners" riding in the ALiShan race.

Harry Wilson
Barry Sullivan
Dave Wittry
Bill Bryson
Bill Farrell
Pacey David
Curt Farnham
Maggio Leon
Kaight Forgie
Andrew Collins

This will be a 60+Km climb. You have until 9/1 to register.

Annual First Ride - A Nice Morning

2007-08-27T18:26:00.001+08:00

It was a great day. There were just over 40 of us. Lots of pics can be found here:
http://www.apcomputerscience.com/biking/AnnualFirstRide/

Annual First Ride

2007-08-06T20:01:00.000+08:00

Come catch up with everyone after the summer. Meet folks from N. Taiwan who like to ride. Great way to find your riding group for the year. Get motivated and off to a good healthy start to the new school year. Read details at first ride

Weekend Riding

2007-08-05T18:19:00.000+08:00

Davy and Steven go out every Sat or Sun at about 7am
for a spin up to Helen's. It has finally started to
get a little easy (yeay!), so we have begun to wander
further afield (satellites yesterday). We stop for a
coffee and a chat somewhere (a nice place called Momos
or something yesterday) and get back around lunchtime.
We'd love some company! Beginners very welcome. Old
hands that can show us the rides- we'll buy the
coffee!

Cheers!

1000 km Cycling Tour

2007-05-31T05:10:00.000+08:00

The Taiwan Cyclist Federation is again sponsoring a 1000 km supported tour of the island August 5-15. You can't beat the price- US$100 for students or 11000 NT for others- and all hotels and meals are included. This is a great opportunity for someone either on island or off.

The link is here:

http://www.cyclist.org.tw/en_home-03.asp

Send it around to your friends!

Bill

Saturday Riding

2007-05-25T18:54:00.001+08:00

As far as I know, the Bryson Ride is departing TAS at 5 am tomorrow for a 100 km spin out along the flats and back.

I just received a text from Davy saying that he is meeting at Taipei 101 at 7:30 am to lead a "leisurely beginners bimble to Helen's." He said he will be passing by the National Palace Museum at 8:15.

I am meeting Peter for a ride out towards Jinshan at TAS at 9 am. I'm racing in the Giant Cup Sunday, so I'm not sure how far I'll go, but I know Peter is planning on lunch at Camp Taiwan, so he will be going all the way to Wanli.

Have a good weekend of riding!

Bill

Tour de Pig

2007-05-24T16:42:00.000+08:00

The Course:
45min + 1 lap Criterium race around the Tien Mu Baseball park ( A.K.O TPEC park)

The course is the inside loop (1 road south of pig n whistle road) so we limit traffic problems. Start at the top of the hill with a rolling first lap so everyone knows the course. Rotate in a clockwise direction. Finish at the 6 white lines at top of hill.

Sprint prime at the end of 5 laps (includes the rolling first lap) the line is the 6 white lines at top of hill.

Date:
Friday 1st June

Meeting Place:
Pig n Whistle 5.15am

Start Time:
5.30am

Entry Fee:
NT$100

Prizes:
Sprint Prime Male: 10% of all entry fees
Sprint Prime Female (if 3 or more female riders): 10% of all entry fees
Male 1st: 20% of all entry fees
Male 2nd: 10% of all entry fees
Male 3rd: 5% of all entry fees
Female 1st (if 3 or more female riders): 20% of all entry fees
Female 2nd (if 5 or more female riders): 10% of all entry fees
Female 3rd (if 7 or more female riders): 5% of all entry fees
Clydesdale 1st: 5% of all entry fees
Over 45 1st: 5% of all entry fees
If there is 7 or more female riders then the extra money can be given away for fun prizes- oldest cycle kit, worst haircut, best raleigh 10speed etc....

Notes of Interest:
Going through red light at own discretion. (outlawed in September)
be cautious on corner by cinemas and downhill corner
Nudity at your own discretion
No one is to pull out at the 11th hour (You know who you are)
If the pack is disrupted by a loose dog, person or car, 2 whistles will be blown and group must return together
1 whistle will be blown to determine sprint prime lap and the final lap.
If you happen to crash, get back on your bike and finish the damn race without bitching or moaning!

Questions to be asked:
Will Dave W continue his fine form of smoking it up the hill for the finish line?
Will Bill O'Brien take victory in his penultimate race in Taiwan or will he make friends with Jose Cuervo again?
Will Sean don the Columbus kit and give the young fellas a run for their money?
Will Seymour and Reedus make an appearance?
Young vs Mature members of the team
Which country will be atop of the podium

See you on the start line.

Craig Johns
www.taiwanracing.com

May 26th & 27th Giant Cup & Weekend Riding

2007-05-17T11:00:00.000+08:00

Recent Races

I still need to post updates from the Tour of East Taiwan and last week's Fulong race- we had some great finishes. Update and photos to come...

Weekend Rides

There is a 4 pm Friday Cultural College spin followed by a cold one at the Green Bar. Meet at TAS.

Saturday morning meet at TAS at 6 am for a spin out somewhere. At the moment, the plan is to ride the coast road to Jinshan and then ascend from there, but plans could change.

Any thoughts for Sunday?

Giant Cup

Sign-ups have mostly closed for the Giant Cup race in Taichung on the 26th & 27th, but if you missed the deadline, it might be possible to sneak you in- let me know with a comment at the end of this post.

Details on that race (courtesy of Craig):

Saturday:
XC - mix of dirt trail and road
Downhill - I hope you have good medical insurance (weight back is recommended....)
Sunday
Road Race - course is flat
Climb - apparently has a hill in it (weight fwd a good idea)

Saturday 26th May MTB (XC)

30km - RE, REM
8km - M15, M20, M25, M30, M35
6km - M35, M40, M45, M50, M55, M60
4km - W20, W30

Saturday 26th May MTB (Downhill)

All categories 1.2km of pure adrenaline rush

Sunday 27th May Road Race

4laps (44km) - RE, REM, M15, M20, M25, M30
3laps (33km) - M35, M40, M45
2laps (22km) - M50, M55, M60, W20, W30

Sunday 27th May Road (Hill Climb)

All categories 2.5km

Cost is 300 NT for the first race with 100 NT for each additional race.

-Bill

Saturday Morning Ride

2007-05-11T06:50:00.000+08:00

Anyone up for a short ride Saturday morning? I need to be home by 9 am. I'd be happy just to get out for an hour or so, but I can go longer, too.

If you've been meaning to do a particular ride, I'd be happy to show you the way...

Bill

Taipei Traffic Laws Enforced

2007-05-06T21:18:00.000+08:00

Victor sent out an email update on Taipei city bike law enforcement:

Starting September of this year, there will be fines charged for bicycle violations. They are similar to motor scooter fines, you must:
have front/rear lights
wear helmets
follow traffic signs
not run red lights
not ride in recreational areas (like parks)
not ride against traffic
etc…

Beware...

Paris-Roubaix and Tour of Taiwan

2007-05-05T04:43:00.000+08:00

ESPN is showing the Tour of Taiwan and Paris Roubaix over the next couple of weeks. The Tour is on today and tomorrow at 11 am, and Paris-Roubaix is on tomorrow at 10 am.

A full schedule is available over at www.bikeman.org.

New Wheels

2007-04-29T19:41:00.001+08:00

Any advice on new wheels? I can feel the rims worn down at the brake contact surface on my Ksyriums.

Looking at Ksyrium ES or SL3 or Fulcrum Zero or 1 - anybody with good or bad experiences? Wheels need to be strong - my oversize weight would probably kill a super lightweight wheel.

Thanks,

Simon Moore

Tuesday May 1 Ride

2007-04-29T19:37:00.001+08:00

Anybody else have Tuesday May 1 off?

Planning a longer ride leaving from TAS at 6:30. Up Helens, down Helens backside, then either up Jinshan or 101 depending on weather/wind/energy/etc. As most of our fast racing teachers will be working, pace will be slower and we will regroup on top of Helens, Wanli, Jinshan, etc. Come out for all or part?

Can meet people at National Palace Museum if easier.

How has the racing been? Any race report from last weekend?

Bill/Craig, can you forward this to your invite list?

Thanks,

Simon Moore

Race Results and Weekend Riding

2007-04-12T20:46:00.000+08:00

I've been waiting to post a race report until official times and photos were available, but I haven't found anything yet. So... despite the rain, Rock, Leon, Craig, Curt, Chris, Mike and I made it out Sunday morning for the Elspeth's Hill Climb.

Mike was off in the first group and finished first (again!). He demolished the field, finishing a full minute quicker than anyone else and posting the 4th fastest age group time of the day (a few youngsters were a little quicker).

In the 30 year old category, Rock came in 5th with Chris taking the Canadian Cup over Curt (at least for this round).

Leon passed Craig and I near the top in the elite race to finish with the quickest time of us all and 7th place overall. There were definitely some quick riders out there.

Weekend Riding

I'm out for the 5 am Bryson ride tomorrow morning, and then Leon, Rock, Mike and I are doing a Sanjr spin on Saturday at 3 pm (update: we are departing at 3:30 now- blame Rock!). We'll meet at TAS. If you're interested in an early morning ride Saturday, the Bryson ride is departing at 5 am, back by 9:30ish.

I'd like to get out for a short spin Sunday morning, but I don't have anything solidified yet.

Anyone else have plans?

Bill

Weekend Riding

2007-04-06T16:23:00.000+08:00

As long as the weather doesn't deteriorate much more, Leon and I are meeting up at TAS at 6 am Saturday for a steady ride out to Jinshan and back.

There's another 4 km hill climb race up Elspeth's Hill (rifle range) Sunday at 9 am. The race start is on the bridge on the right half a kilometer past the National Palace Museum. You can register on the morning of the race- just plan on getting there before 8:30. The race is Round 3 of the Canadian Cup- should be a fun one!

Bill

NCR Results and Coming Races

2007-03-28T06:43:00.000+08:00

The Foreign Riders of Columbus Team

Sunday morning may have been grey and gloomy, but the cyclists lining up in Wanli for the 2007 North Coast Race were ready to go. A group of close to 20 expatriate cyclists from Taipei joined the 1000+ local riders in the various road and mountain age categories.

The first groups to set out at 8 am were the Elite and Elite Masters. Three teams fresh off last week's Tour of Taiwan- Giant Asia, PZ Racing, and e-Ma- led the field of Elite racers. Several of the riders had finished well in the Tour, including the winner of Stage 4. The rainbow stripes on one rider indicated his status as the 2006 UCI Masters World Champion. Leon and Craig rode well in the peleton and finished strongly on the final climb. Leon even managed to break away with one of the pros at one point before being reeled back by the field.

The age group categories followed at 2 minute intervals. Results were impressive. Mike pushed the 35+ age groupers with Simon and Rock helping out. On the final climb, Mike blasted away, taking first in M40. Barry and Peter forced the pace on the coast as well, with Barry taking first in M55 and Peter claiming another medal for his trophy room with 5th in M45. A number of the other riders were in their first bike race and rode very well- nice job, guys!

Age Group Results
Overall Results

Mike on the podium for M40

Barry on the podium for M55

Big thanks go to Dave and Craig for putting together the post-race tailgate. Craig went to great risks to procure Red Bull and sausages (including a run-in with the Kaioshiung police and Red Bull girls) and make it back from the Kenting Half Ironman in time to drive out to the race the next morning. Dave arrived home from a week with 100 ninth graders in Beijing (85% of whom were angels, 15% of whom were hellions) and 12 hour days on his feet and still had the energy to run out to Costco for food and beverages. You'd never know from the smile on his face after the race that the cassette on his borrowed wheel was skipping every second revolution. Thanks guys.

Thanks also go out to Barry, Bill, Simon and Craig for driving riders and bikes from Tien Mu out to Wanli. We really appreciated it!

Coming Races

The next race is the Elspeth's Hill Climb on Sunday, April 8th. Pre-registration of 100 NT usually occurs at Sean's with race day registration of 200 NT possible. The race goes off in age-group packs beginning at 9 am. Since it is only a 4 km race, it's a quick one...

Registration is now closed for the April 21st-22nd Tour of East Taiwan.

After that, set your sites on the Saturday, May 12th Gongliao-Shuangsi (Fulong) race. In addition to the NCR and the two days of the Tour of East Taiwan, this will be Round 4 of the Taiwan National Club Cycling Championships. The starting and ending climbs are brutes.

Round 5 of the Club Championships will be Sunday, May 27th with the Giant Cup down in Taichung. It will consist of a 11 km lap raced four times followed by a separate 3 km hill climb.

My final Taiwan race will be the Saturday, June 9th Datun Shan climb via the 101.

Hope to see you out at a few more races this spring!

Bill

Exciting Weekend of Cycling

2007-03-22T17:56:00.000+08:00

If you're looking to check out some bike related activities, this is the weekend for you!

This year's edition of the Tour de Taiwan started on Sunday down in Kaoshiung. English language results are available on www.cyclingnews.com. The Tour finishes up Saturday morning with a criterium around Taipei City Hall. Below is a map of the course.

The course is easily accessible for the Taipei City Hall stop on the blue line of the MRT. There is a citizen's race on the criterium course of 20 laps of the 1km circuit from around 7:30 until 10am. At 11am, the pros hit the circuit for 60 laps. If the weather is nice, it's a great spectacle. Actually, it's a great spectacle even in the rain!

While you're down at the course, you may want to head over to the Taipei International Cycle Show held at the World Trade Center. Although the show is mainly for vendors and buyers, it's pretty neat to check out if you're into bikes. If it's similar to past years, tickets are usually sold at the door or they can sometimes be obtained from Sean by asking nicely. Young children are not allowed, however.

Sunday is the North Coast Race, a 47 km club race that runs from Wanli around to Baishawan and back, finishing on a 5 km hill. There are 801 road cyclists and 512 mountain bikers registered for this year's edition of the NCR. There are close to 20 local expats mixing it up as well. If you'd like to ride out to check out some of the race, the Google Earth file
can be viewed by right-clicking (control-click on the Mac) the previous link and saving the .kmz file to the desktop. It can then be opened with Google Earth.

Have fun!

Bill

Tour of East Taiwan Sign-up ASAP

2007-03-18T09:43:00.000+08:00

I know we haven't even had our North Coast Race yet, but entries have just been posted for the Tour of East Taiwan on April 21st and 22nd.

Information (in Chinese) is here:

http://www.cyclist.org.tw/bulletin_info.asp?news_id=N0063

You can use http://www.google.com/language_tools to get a very rough translation of the page.

Basically, it will be a big weekend. Riders will need to get to Hualien Friday evening, April 20th. In the past, we've transported bikes down with Sean in the morning and flown down to Hualien after work- I don't know if there will be room this year, though. We stay in Hualien that night and get up Saturday morning for the 130 km race to Taichung. We stay that night in Taichung and then get up Sunday for the 160 km race back to Hualien. We then head back to Taipei.

From what I can tell, race entry fees are 2000 NT. Hotels and transport are extra.

I've actually never managed to do the race weekend- this will be my first. Perhaps someone who's done it before can give a better description. I do know that it's the highlight of the Taiwan club racing schedule.

There's also a 350 km challenge ride held over the same roads (with a few extra thrown in for fun) over the same two days. Bill Bryson knows all about this one. Information (in Chinese) is here:

http://www.cyclist.org.tw/bulletin_info.asp?news_id=N0064

Registration for the race closes on March 30th, but Sean is collecting entries early, as spaces in the race and hotels are limited. I would like to get the entries to him by this coming weekend. If you would like to race, please email me ASAP.

Thanks,

Bill

Saturday Ride

2007-03-16T11:14:00.001+08:00

Hi Everyone! Since the North Coast Race is fast approaching, a number of riders want to practice the last 5k of the NCR course, which is a variable (4%-18%) climb up to Ta Ping (home of Camp Taiwan). I therefore plan to follow the same route as Bill O this Saturday, which means I will also be returning to Tien Mou by climbing over the back of Helen's. This route will be familiar to anyone who did the Yangmingshan Challenge ride last year, as TaPing and Helen's were the second and third peaks of that four-peak effort. This being the case, the ride options for everyone on Saturday's ride would be:

1) Turnaround in San Jih for those who want to do neither hills nor 90-100k, or who are short on time (60k);

2) Rest stop and turnaround in Chin Shan, for a full metric century (100k);

3) Rest stop in Chin Shan and climb up YangChin Road (the "back of YMS") to the Saddle, and then down to Tien Mou (82k);

4) Rest stop in Chin Shan and climb up to the NCR finish line (TaPing) and return to Tien Mou over the back of Helen's (85-90k).

Depending on how long we stop in Chin Shan, and assuming we start on time, all of the above options should get people back to Tien Mou before or around 0900. We can discuss post-ride coffee venues during the ride. Hope to see everyone there on Saturday!

Bill B.

Weekend Riding & taiwanracing.com

2007-03-15T09:38:00.000+08:00

Getting very excited for next Sunday's North Coast Race- and the tailgate party following! In preparation, Chris, Rock and I will be departing TAS at 5 am Saturday to ride the coast and the race finish. We will come home via Helen's- we must be back in Tien Mu before 9:00 for family commitments. Anyone up for a blast is welcome. The Bryson ride should be meeting at 5 am as well (although there is discussion of a different route for that ride- perhaps Bill will elaborate on the blog...).

I'll be going out for a shorter spin Sunday afternoon at 1 pm with Rock and Chris. We'll swing by TAS before departing- we will return by 3 pm.

Also, Craig is keeping the updates coming at http://www.taiwanracing.com/. He has information on Sean's grand opening Sunday and race reports on the Paris-Nice stage race. Check it out!

Hope to see you out.

Bill

Update:

I received the following from Bill:

Glad to hear you guys will be doing the longer ride. I would prefer to do the coast road and the race finish as well. So, I guess the Saturday ride will be a coast road ride with the following options:

1) Turnaround in San Jih for those with limited time or who do not want
to do hills or 90-100k (60k);

2) Metric century coast ride, with a rest stop and turnaround in Chin
Shan (100k);

3) Coast road, rest stop in Chin Shan, push up to the NCR finish, return
over back of Helen's (85-90k).

I will happily take the third option, though I do not expect to keep up with you guys once we start climbing to TaPing (though I may try to keep with you on the bridge breakaway).
FYI, Howard and his team will be joining us, as will Tracy and her friends, so it looks to be a pretty big group.

Best regards,

Bill

Sean's New Shop Grand Opening

2007-03-14T07:06:00.000+08:00

Word on the street is that Sean Huang's new Giant shop has been accepting visitors over the past couple of weeks. The official opening will be this Sunday, though.

Watch for details to be posted shortly at www.taiwanracing.com.

Bill

Weekend Riding

2007-03-09T06:45:00.000+08:00

What a rainy, yucky week. I got out a couple of times and was wet and cold each time. Blech.

Chris and I are away for a soccer tournament on Saturday. I believe the Bryson ride will be departing at 5 am unless it's raining.

Leon, Chris, Rock, Dave and I are riding out to the NCR course Sunday afternoon departing TAS at 12:00. We hope to blast out there pretty quickly. We'll ride the hill finish and then make our way back to Tien Mu by 4ish. If you're up for a push, come along!

Update: Due to wet, cold and family obligations, the ride will be shortened to just a 101 climb. Back to Tien Mu by 2ish. The group should be a little larger...

Bill

Awesome Weather - It's riding time - Sunday recap

2007-03-04T08:56:00.000+08:00

Well, I don't usually post ride recaps - but I just had to today. For family reasons I had to get out early - so I headed out Satellites from where I live in DaZhi. Oh my - what awesome weather. If you've been a dormant rider waiting to get back out, now is the time - great time to get back into things before Taiwan heats up and gives you any more excuses not to ride again.

Heading back down Satellites toward the Palace road I first met Brent Loken on his way up - he's getting back into the swing in preparation for "Test of Metal" this summer in Squamish, BC. This is one of the major such events - the event was sold out in 45 minutes (1000+ entries). If you're into x-country or trail mtb-ing style, then you have to do this type of an event once in your life. It's absolutely grueling - an incredible challenge (roadies who think they know what a climb is - give off-road climbing a shot and make your call).

Shortly after passing Brent, Tom Broughton was a few minutes behind Brent. Once on the Palace road, I then saw Brenda Huff heading on up. I didn't count, but on the way down Satellites and home through the DaZhi tunnel, I passed at least 100 riders on the way - it was inspiring. Just before getting to the tunnel, Bill O'Brien's gang of 4 was headed up Helen's (Simon M., Curt F., and Davy).
see you on the road - dave

Time Trial This Saturday

2007-03-04T06:13:00.000+08:00

A note from Craig:

For those cycling and triathlon enthusiasts. If you know of anyone else who maybe interested in this event. Feel free to email them.

Cycle 40km or 60km Individual Time Trial March 10th

There is a 40km and 60km Individual time trial next Saturday. Time trial events are extremely rare if non-existent in Taiwan so don’t miss out (one in September also) Its out near the international airport. Entries close Monday 5th March. If anyone is interested let me know and I will get the entries to in. I will be taking a van out to the race. Entry fee is approx NT$500.

For those who are new to the sport an individual time trial is where you are sent off at 20 or 30 sec intervals and ride against the clock. No drafting allowed.

If you are looking for other information on cycling, triathlon, running adventure racing and a few other weird and wacky sports please check the following two websites

http://www.taiwanracing.com
http://taipeiycc.blogspot.com

Regards

Craig

If you're interested in signing up, send me a note, and I can forward it on to Craig. Sounds like a blast...

Sunday Ride Time Changed

2007-03-03T15:32:00.000+08:00

Gorgeous morning! Sixteen riders at 5 am- more later as Howard's group met up with us. The climb up from the coast was one of the best- clear, warm and dry.

I will be meeting a new rider (Davy) for a Helen's climb tomorrow morning. I am meeting at the Starbucks by the National Palace Museum at 8 am, so I will swing by school at 7:45. This is 15 minutes earlier than I had previously said...

I need to be home by 9:45- please feel free to come along and ride a bit longer with Davy if you're available.

Bill

Bryson Saturday Ride

2007-03-02T13:14:00.000+08:00

Bill has written with more details and options for Saturday's ride:

The Saturday ride has several options, depending on how much time you have
and how many hills you want to climb (note that ride times only include
time actually spent riding - it does not include the usual stops at
BeiShinChuang, San Jih and Chin Shan):

1) 60k: Turning around after the downhill to San Jih is approximately
60k. Good for those who are not confident they are ready for long climbs
or 100k, or who have early morning commitments. Ride time: Approximately
2:30;

2) 80k: Going up to the YMS Saddle from Chin Shan provides an 80k ride
with a 16k climb and a screaming 16k descent to Tien Mou, with the
possibility of an intermediate stop at Starbuck's. Ride Time:
Approximately 3:00 - 3:15. Good way to be back to Tien Mou by 0900;

3) 85k: Going up from Chin Shan to the North Coast Race finish in Ta
Ping, and then up the back of Helen's (just like the YMS Challenge course)
and down to Tien Mou. Coffee available at either Helen's or any of the
Tien mou coffee shops. I understand that many of the riders who have
entered the NCR will likely do this route on Saturday, as NCR is three
weeks from this weekend. Ride Time: Unknown, but estimated to be 3:15 -
4:00, depending on your climbing ability;

4) 100k: The usual return to Tien Mou along the Coast Road. 20k of
flat terrain at a relatively easy pace from Chin Shan to Bai Shia Wan, and
then 30k of rolling hills to Tam Shui and Tien Mou. Coffee at Starbucks on
Tien Mou West Road. Ride Time: 3:20 - 3:45. Virtually guarantees a
return to Tien Mou by 1000, though recent rides have seen the group sitting
at Starbuck's by 0930.

Look forward to seeing everyone on Saturday.

Social with Cycle, anyone?

2007-03-01T20:18:00.000+08:00

Anyone interested in riding that's heavier on the
social and lighter on the riding? I appreciate those
of you with families need to be back early, but for
those of us still seeking our SO (in pubs :) and/or
late evening classes, the pre 4am wake ups are a
cow!!!

Something along the lines of Sat or Sun 7-8am meets at
the palace museum for a spin up to Helen's and a nice
leisurely chat? Back for lunch or even lunch together?

Davy

Riding in the Rain and Weekend Rides

2007-03-01T06:32:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday's Lucas epic was awesome- 6:45 riding time, 120 km of hilly roads, 3425 m vertical climbing and 4950 calories (according to Peter). At one point, we were a group of two Dutchmen, two Taiwanese, a Canadian, an Australian, a Brit, and an American. Curt (riding from Lujyo) gets the rider of the day award for adding 45 minutes to the 5 am start and 45 minutes to the end.

The Saturday Bryson ride was bumped back half an hour due to rain at 4:30, but a group still managed to fit in the 100 km ride. In general, the rain policy is that if it's raining hard, the ride is a no-go. Bill sends a text message to those on his riding group list if he cancels one of his rides. I post a comment to the blog entry if I cancel, but you're also welcome to text me if in doubt (093-014-4184).

This Saturday, I intend to start the Bryson 100 km ride departing from TAS at 5 am. Leon, Chris, Rock and I plan to climb up from Jinshan or ride the race course finish. We should be back to TAS by 9 am.

Sunday morning, I'm meeting Curt for a mellow spin up Helen's. I need to be home by 10ish.

My weekday rides seem to be settling into a routine:

Tuesday 5:15 am Saddle or Satellites with Dave, Chris, Mike and Rock. We meet at the Section 7 bus circle and pick up other riders at the Chung Shan North Road/Tien Mu Road intersection. 32 km. Back to Tien Mu by 6:40.

Wednesday 5 am Bryson Extended Wimpy Hills. Larger group of riders. Meet at TAS, ride the flats out to Guang Du, climb up to Four Corners, ride the ridge to Starbucks/7-11. 28 km. Back to Tien Mu by 6:25.

Thursday 5:15 am Horse Stable Road Intervals with Dave, Chris, Chris, Mike, and Rock. Again, we meet at the Section 7 bus circle and pick up other riders at the Chung Shan North Road/Tien Mu Road intersection. Two easier 2 minute intervals, followed by six hard 2 minute intervals- enough to make you ill. We stay on the same section of Horse Stable Road, so anyone is welcome to come out even if you just plan to ride a portion of the 2 minute interval.
Back to Tien Mu by 6:25.

I met a rider at Sean's the other day who said he'd love to come out with us, but he needs to get into shape first. I understand this sentiment, but the best way to get into shape is to ride with a group that pushes you and gets you up and out of bed! With the exception of the end climb on the Saturday and the brisk paced Tuesday morning ride, our other rides are really open to anyone with a road bike who wants to get into shape and enjoy some good riding company. There are also versions of the Saturday ride that are shorter and easier than the full 100 km.

Hope to see you out there!

Bill

Sunday Ride

2007-02-24T13:36:00.000+08:00

Missed the Sat. rides - so will be riding Sun. Will go up the mtn. from the DaZhi/NeiHu side (either Spider or its parallel road) - over the other side and down a bit until it connects to Helen's - that's about 1/2 way up Helen's so will go up Helen's - and then back down past the Palace. If feeling ok, go back over mtn. instead of through tunnel back to DaZhi. Heading out latest at 6am - but negotiable back to 5am if anyone interested. Easy to meet just this side of tunnel - contact if coming.

dave
wittry@apcomputerscience.com

Saturday Rides

2007-02-23T18:18:00.000+08:00

Lots of options tomorrow!

As posted below, Simon is departing TAS at the reasonable hour of 7 am. I am meeting the Bryson crew at 5 am. The Bryson ride will be the standard 100 km flat ride, returning to Tien Mu between 9 and 9:30. This is a great ride- highly recommended.

I will be heading up Helen's and across the valley to explore the New Territories on a Lucas special ride. Lucas promises beautiful scenery, little traffic, and regrouping at the top of the hills (he hasn't been riding much recently). I don't expect to be home to Tien Mu before noon. Definites: me, Peter, Curt, Lucas, Harry. Hopefuls: Dave, Ron, others?

Hope to see you out!

Bill

Saturday Feb 24 Ride

2007-02-23T15:15:00.000+08:00

I know the epic team is heading out for 100's of KM on Saturday Feb 24 at some ridiculously early hour, but I won't make it. I am meeting a new rider at 7:00 at TAS. Plan to head up Helens. Depending on weather / legs, drop to North Coast, down toward Lucas, or back home. Thanks, Simon

Tourist who likes cycling looking for info

2007-02-23T03:06:00.000+08:00

Hello Taipei cyclists!

I'm coming to Taiwan on a holiday in april and one of the things i'd
like to do is cycling in the hills around Taipei.
Your website was already very informative, but what i haven't found yet
is a place where you can rent bikes (road-racing or MTB's that is).
Any info on that subject is welcome, as well as extra route descriptions
and maps (i have downloaded the google earth file already). What i'd
like to do are loops starting in or near Taipei of max. 70km.
If their's anybody that wants to accompany me on these rides (in the
period of 10-14 april) feel free to contact me as well. I'm not looking
to go racing though, just enjoy the scenery and climb at my own pace.

You can send a mail to: kdewinter@scarlet.be

greetings,
Kris

Friday Ride

2007-02-22T17:57:00.000+08:00

Listening to the rain last night, I wasn't sure I'd get up and out this morning, but I ended up meeting Rock and Michael for a few intervals; as usual, I was glad I got out.

Bill is going out at 6 tomorrow for an easy recovery ride. I'm meeting Peter for a 101 loop at 7 am from school. All welcome!

Bill

Thursday Ride

2007-02-21T18:25:00.000+08:00

It was a bit wet this morning, but Ron, Chris, Chris, Rock and I defied the Bryson text cancellation and rode the 101. We finished up with a nice Starbucks coffee in Tien Mu and plans for some intervals tomorrow morning. We're meeting up at the bus circle at 5:15. We'll swing down by Blockbuster for a warm up down by Takash and then we'll do a few repeats on Horse Stables. We should be home before 6:30.

I may take Friday off, but I'm excited for the Lucas epic on Saturday. Harry has now signed on. Lucas says if it's raining, we'll have to change the route, though- our tires will slip out on the incline... I think the Saturday Bryson ride is going at 5 am again, so I may just meet up at TAS then. Curt and Peter will be the final arbiters of time. More to be posted tomorrow.

Bill

Wednesday Ride

2007-02-20T19:36:00.000+08:00

It was a bit too rainy for me this morning. I know that Rock made it out and said it wasn't actually that wet...

I'm planning on the 5 am Bryson ride tomorrow from TAS. I know this ride is usually weather dependent, but unless it's pouring out, I think I'll be there- perhaps not on the new bike, though...

Bill

Tuesday Ride

2007-02-19T19:16:00.000+08:00

Great spin today- ten out for the 101 climb. My legs are toast, but Mick assembled my new bike today, so I'm going out for a very easy Reed Point spin tomorrow morning with Rock and Chris. I'll swing by TAS a little after 6 am to see if anyone else is out- I'll aim to be back by a little after 7.

Bill

Biking Routes, Google Earth, Pics with Friends at Waypoints

2007-02-18T19:08:00.000+08:00

Hi all,

I'm attempting to map out every ride, every waypoint, altitude profiles, etc. - a sort of "Northern Taiwan Biking" guide. Thought it would be fun for you to contribute if you wish - simply, you could take your camera on rides (for non-weight-wennies, anyway) and snap a shot of your group - then send it to me with the names of the folks on the ride. This serves 2 purposes - it's fun and, if you show the waypoint in the background, you'll be helping new folks find the location. This is all easier viewed than explained - so I invite you to look at the site below - in particular, view the Google Earth file for the "All Routes" row. Each waypoint in Google has a website link attached to it - the best example so far is the "Satellites Top" waypoint - click it and see 8 or so of us at the top of Satellites...

http://www.apcomputerscience.com/biking/

Also, we're going to have to name one of the waypoints after our mentor Bill O'brien! So far, he's taken care of naming some of them after friends - let's find one for him before he leaves and immortalize him.

dave
p.s. suggestions for the site welcome

Re: Monday, Feb 26 Ride

2007-02-18T15:36:00.001+08:00

For Monday, Feb 26 - If the weather is OK, I plan a longer ride from Tienmu through Danshui to Jinshan, then over Jinshan hill. May adjust dependent on weather. Just back from 2 weeks in the US, so not a fast pace. Meet at TAS at 7:00. Thanks, Simon Moore

Monday Ride

2007-02-18T15:27:00.000+08:00

Marcus, Kaight, Bill, Curt, Dave and I spun up to Helen's this morning for a recovery ride. Bill and Kate said they counted 19 riders at yesterday's ride. Bill confirmed the plan for Wednesday- do it all again at 5 am from TAS. Curt and I continued over Helen's to meet up with Lucas. Lucas was out for five hours yesterday scouting out Saturday's route. He claims that the gradient in places will be very steep.

I'm meeting Bill, Kaight, Marcus, and Curt tomorrow at 6 am for the 101 spin. I will be back in Tien Mu by 8 am.

It's looking like Saturday's epic will start at 5:30 from TAS. Peter, Curt, Lucas and I are definites. We'd like other company.

See you out there?

Bill

Sunday Ride

2007-02-17T16:18:00.000+08:00

Great ride this morning- 16 or 17 riders showed up for the spin out to Jinshan. According to Bill, that's a new record...

I'm meeting Bill tomorrow morning at 6 am at TAS for a spin up Helen's. I'm hoping to run into Lucas up there, but I'll probably be back to Tien Mu by 9:30 or so.

I'm looking to do a mellow Elspeth's Hill or Reed Point Monday, maybe a Saddle ride Tuesday and then a repeat of the 5 am Bryson Jinshan ride Wednesday morning. I'll post a ride time for Monday/Tuesday sometime tomorrow.

See you out there?

Bill

CNY Riding & March North Coast Race

2007-02-14T06:39:00.000+08:00

There were 13 riders out on the Bryson Ride this morning- a new record!

A number of riders are here over CNY, so please feel free to post your planned rides here (see this prior post for how to post). For me, I'm joining Saturday's Bryson 100 km departing from TAS at the ungodly hour of 5 am. I may climb over Jinshan rather than return along the coast.

I will be riding regularly through the week, and I'll post my rides a little in advance. I'll probably stick to mornings for the most part.

My big CNY ride will be a week from this Saturday with Lucas and Peter. I'll post more details closer to the day, but I think it will be 6+ hours out in the New Territories (on the other side of the valley). Should be fun...

If you're interested in racing in the March North Coast Race, registration closes at the end of the month. Get your 500 NT into Sean at the Giant shop ASAP. Here are two maps that were recently posted at http://www.cyclist.org.tw/.

See you out there!

Bill

Miscellaneous Riding Notes

2007-02-12T05:11:00.000+08:00

Sorry for the dearth of postings this past week. No excuse, really...

Unhappy with his Giant, Chris found a new mount on last weekend's ride.

Last Sunday, I got out on the coast ride with Dave, Land, Chris, Curt, and Harry for a pre-North Coast Race practice spin. The discussion turned once more to designing a jersey for the Yangmingshan riders; Harry has some new ideas- more to come...

Wednesday's Bryson Ride again gathered ten riders for the 5 am start from TAS. We now have another Chris along to join the three Bills. This is a great ride. We're back in Tien Mu before 6:30- all are welcome.

Leon and I headed joined the Columbus Team for the www.bikemen.net hill climb Team Time Trial yesterday (I know, I had never head of one, either). The ten teams of nine departed every three minutes for the 25 km ride.

Team Time Trial profile.

The team score came from the top six riders' times. The very powerful e-Ma team took out overall honors, but Columbus Team finished just behind. I would highly recommend this ride if it is held again. Photos, results and information (all in Chinese) are available here.

Leon powers the team in to the finish.

Team Columbus takes second overall.

In other news, Craig has set up a website for information on triathlon, cycling and running events in Taiwan (and around the world). Visit the site at www.taiwanracing.com.

An event passed along by Victor is the Shuang-Qi Duathlon on March 10th (the day before the Jinshan Marathon). Registration closes March 1st. Check out the event description here on www.taiwanracing.com.

Looking for a challenge? Big Joe emailed to report that the Satellites have now successfully been ridden on a single speed. From what I hear, it wasn't pretty, but there was no stopping til the summit...

And finally, I'm putting together plans for Chinese New Year riding next week. I will be sending around emails this week to organize the longer rides, and I will post the results here. If you would like to be included in the email deliberations, drop a note to the disposable email address ycc@eml.cc.

See you out in the hills!

Bill

Sunday Ride

2007-02-03T09:41:00.000+08:00

I'm meeting Chris, Mike, Curt and Dave at TAS at 6:45 Sunday morning. We'll head out along the coast and climb up from Jinshan. We should be back in Tien Mu by 10:30ish.

All welcome.

Bill

10 Riders out on Bryson Ride

2007-01-31T06:52:00.000+08:00

5 am, but the numbers keep growing. Curt met us at the Guang Du bridge this morning.

The Bryson Ride goes out Wednesday and Friday mornings at 5 am from TAS and returns by 6:30. Doesn't go if it's raining...

The Saturday Bryson Ride also departs at 5 am and returns after 100 km of riding along the coast.

All riders welcome!

Bill

Sign up for March 25th North Coast Race Now

2007-01-30T06:41:00.000+08:00

The Taiwan Cyclist Federation has posted the application for the March 25th North Coast Race. The application and race information (in Chinese) is available here.

I will be signing up with Sean at his shop. The deadline is March 1st, but I believe Sean will be sending in entries before that. Cost is 500NT. You will need your ARC number to sign up. Categories are by age, and there is a separate mountain bike category. Here is a description of last year's race.

It should be a great race- a forgiving course and lots of enthusiastic riders. Hope to see you out there.

Bill

Weekend

2007-01-26T05:14:00.000+08:00

Harry's rides (see previous post) sound great. Unfortunately, due to family commitments (as well as quite sore legs), my Saturday riding will be a bit less intense. I'm meeting Chris at 7 am for a leisurely hour or so ride out to Reed Point. We should be back to Tien Mu by 8:15. I will swing by TAS to see if anyone else is interested.

I'm not available until 1 pm Sunday, but I think I've convinced Rock, Chris and Leon to make Sunday our harder ride. We will be meeting at TAS then and deciding on the route from there.

Hope to see you out!

Bill

Weekend Rides

2007-01-24T16:44:00.001+08:00

OK, it is time to explore a little away from the usual YMS haunts.

If there is anybody interested in a moderate ride about 80km or so, max altitude about
600m, in the hills near PingXi, I will be riding that way from 7 or 7:30 on Saturday.
Ample opportunity to paceline on rolling ground with not many cars. If you like, we can
meet at LiuZhangLi station, corner of Keelung and HePing streets at 7:00, or at Taipei
Zoo at 7:30, where there is lots of car parking. Anybody still keen can try the Tea
Ride, a short steep loop around MuZha hills, when we get back! (see Google Earth rides
list: PingXi-Mystery Road-Provincial 9 and Tea Ride)

Another option is the climb over GuanYinShan, meet at TAS or GuanDu Temple on Sunday at
noon or so. Any takers?

Harry

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9 Riders out on Bryson Ride

2007-01-24T06:57:00.000+08:00

It may have been 5 am and cold, but Tracee, Joshua, Dave, Mike, Rock, Chris, Kate, Bill, and I enjoyed the spin out to Guangdu and up to the Starbucks/7-11. Dave drove in from Neihu to make it in time!

I believe Bill will be out again Friday at 5 am.

Come join us next week!

Bill

2007 Schedule: Revised!

2007-01-22T10:40:00.000+08:00

Great rides this weekend: on Saturday Simon, Mike, Rock, Curt and I did the Sanjr-101 loop followed by coffee, and on Sunday Mike, Curt, Harry and I did the Temple Switchbacks followed by coffee. I'll be out Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday mornings, Saturday morning, and Sunday afternoon this week. Details on the weekend rides to come.

I saw on the Taiwan Cyclist Federation website this morning that the calendar of races has been updated. The schedule is here.

Roughly translated:

March 25th North Coast 60km (this year's race description here)
April 21st Tour of East Taiwan Day 1 120km (this year's race description here)
April 22nd Tour of East Taiwan Day 2 160km
May 26th Northeast Coast Gongliao Shuangsi 58km (this year's race description here)
June 23rd Ilan Time Trial Day 1
June 24th Taiping Shan Climb Day 2 23km (this year's race description here)
July 29th Giant Tour Race (seems to be a new race- can anyone give me a better translation?)
August 25th Ali Shan Climb 62km (this year's race description here)

So... the big news for now is that we have an extra three weeks of training before the first race.

Bill

Saturday and Sunday Rides

2007-01-19T09:21:00.000+08:00

Great rides this week, although a little wet Wednesday and Thursday mornings. I don't know if I would have made it out if I wasn't meeting riding partners...

My weekend plans:

Saturday 7 am from TAS. I think I'll do the same ride as last Saturday: out to the coast to Sanjr and up the 101. We were back in three hours last week with a 7-11 stop. I'd love to do coffee at Starbucks in Yangmingshan if I can be home in time to get to my daughter's tumbling class at 11! Signed on so far: Rock, Simon and Mike.

Sunday 8 am from TAS. I'll do anything as long as I'm back by 10:30 or so.

Other rides that I know of:

Saturday 5 am from TAS on the Bryson Ride. 100 km out along the coast. This ride only goes if it's not raining, though.

Hope to see you out!

Bill

Ride Report

2007-01-15T20:11:00.000+08:00

Great ride Saturday- Harry, Curt, Rock, Chris, Leon and I braved the wet and wind for a three hour jaunt around the coast road to Sanjr and up the 101. I used up all the hot water in my shower when I got home and I'm not sure I would have enjoyed the ride much on my own, but suffering, like misery, enjoys company. Glad I did it.

From what I hear, the Saturday Bryson ride was well attended, and I know Simon and Claus had a good spin in the morning. I heard that Karen and Brenda explored the bike paths lower down.

Sunday's ride was a bit more mellow. Leon and I showed Simon, Curt and Mike the Spider Hill loop. We were back for coffee at Starbucks in under two hours, but Mike and Simon continued back up the Satellites afterwards, as they had not yet used up their leave passes.

I'm out in the morning tomorrow with Chris, Rock and Mike. We're thinking of doing the Saddle. Dave says he'll join up for the Bryson ride Wednesday (5 am from TAS), and I'll think I can convince the guys to get out again Thursday morning.

My tentative plan for Saturday is 7 am from TAS. Simon said he could make it out, and I'm counting on Rock and Mike since Leon and Chris are traveling. I'm happy to go a bit later on Sunday. 8 or 9? I'll post a more definitive time closer to the weekend.

Let me know if you'd like to meet up for a morning or weekend road ride or post your own ride to the blog. It's a great time to be out in the hills!

Bill

Riding the Rollers- No Hands and One Leg

2007-01-14T05:24:00.000+08:00

Brenda sent this video in:

http://teamchainreaction.com/video/hungerford/no_hands_1_leg.wmv

Off season balance practice!

Sat Jan 13 Ride

2007-01-12T18:07:00.001+08:00

Claus and Simon will meet at 7:15 at TAS on Jan 13 - plan to ride along the coast and either go up 101 or Jinshan or back along coast depending on weather.

Weekend, Training, & Posting to the Blog

2007-01-11T16:26:00.000+08:00

Weekend

It's great to be back. With long sleaves and leg warmers, the dry roads and chilly January mornings have made for some wonderful rides this week.

I'll be at TAS at 1 pm for a coast blast on Saturday. I think Chris, Rock, Curt and Leon will be there. We'll be back to Tien Mu by 4 pm. If it's nice, we may climb up to Yangmingshan, but if not, we'll stay low.

Bill Bryson is going on his coast ride departing TAS at 5 am on Saturday. I know some others are departing a bit later.

The plan for Sunday is a more mellow ride departing at 9 am from TAS. Perhaps Helen's?

Training

I've been out each morning this week. For the next while, I think I'll be doing the Wednesday Bryson Ride (5 am TAS) and Tuesday and Thursday 5:15 am from my house (with Chris, Rock, and/or Mike). Let me know if you'd like to join along. I'm aiming for the March 3rd North Coast Race.

I've run into other cyclists out in the morning- some on road bikes and others taking it a bit more mellow on mountain bikes.

Posting to the Blog

If you're looking for a training partner or just want to make a cycling related post, feel free to use this blog. To post, put the blog title in an email subject line, your post in the email body, and send to:

yangmingshan.taipei @ blogger.com

Most of my posts relate to road riding and local races, but the blog can be used for anything related to riding around Taipei.

Hope to see you out in the hills!

Large Jersey for Sale

2007-01-04T06:55:00.000+08:00

When I was back in Maine this summer, I was impressed with the new kit being worn by the local Belfast Cycling Club. I ordered a jersey and a pair of socks, but unfortunately, I forgot that U.S. cycling gear tends to run a bit on the large size.

If anyone is interested in purchasing this size L jersey (never worn), you can have it for cost (1800 NT). I'll be ordering a M jersey for myself. If anyone else would like to add a jersey or a pair of socks (150 NT) to my order, just let me know.

Email me at obrien @ alumni . williams . edu.

Bill

2006 Club Championship Overall Results

2007-01-04T06:43:00.000+08:00

The Taiwan Cyclist Federation recently announced their overall results from their Club Championship competition.

Leon with his 5th place overall trophy.

Local expats earned a few top ten age group placings. Despite missing one of the races due to summer holidays, Leon placed 2nd in M40 and a very impressive 5th overall (out of 1425 racers). Steve S. placed 3rd in M35 and 21st overall, although he only competed in three of the seven races. Bill also competed in three races and finished 10th in M35. Steve (Maximus) Reed raced in four races and finished 6th in M40.

Overall Results
Age Group Results

Races in Taiwan are well organized and the large fields contain riders of all ability levels. The 2007 racing season should be an exciting one with new riders Simon, Chris, Rock, Mike, and others expected to join the competitions.

See you out there!

Challenge Ride Recap

2006-12-12T06:55:00.000+08:00

A group of twelve expat riders met Sunday morning for the Yangmingshan Neverstop Challenge Ride. The timing chip in our numbers were triggered as we rolled out under the start banner. The field of 300+ riders started any time between 6:50 and 7:30.

Rock and I rode the first hill together. We picked up a couple bananas at the food stop near the Saddle before the chilly descent down to the coast. Fortunately, it was much warmer when I met up with Mike in Jinshan, and the refueling stop at the North Coast race finish was a more pleasant affair. We picked up more fruit and energy gels at Psycho Squirrel Bridge. The final climb to Buffalo Meadows was steep but doable.

As we crossed the line, we were given a finishing medal and funneled to a tent where a computer, printer and laminator were set up. Our finishing certificates were printed with our times and laminated within thirty seconds of finishing- very impressive!

Overall Times
Photographs

I would highly recommend this well organized ride if it is held again in the future. The course can either be ridden as a long time trial or an enjoyable group ride. The route was clearly marked and marshalled and the food stops were well stocked.

Bill motors up the hill.

Claus, Rock, and Bill smile for the camera.

Harry, Michael, and Chris ascend Yangmingshan.

December 10th Challenge Ride Details

2006-12-08T06:55:00.000+08:00

Bill B. has said he will send me more details on Sunday's challenge ride this morning. When he does, I'll post them here. What I know so far:

If you registered, you will receive a timing chip in your helmet number (although this is not a race). You may begin any time between 7 and 7:30. There will be food and drink stops along the way.

I will meet at TAS at 6:15 to ride to Pink BMW Corner (park at bottom of Yangde Road) for registration. I know that some people who haven't registered are still riding some or all of the route. Come along!

Hope to see you out there.

Bill

Further details:

After registering, riders can start their time by crossing through the timing gate anytime after 7 am. There will not be traffic control. Food/water stops:

High point of Yang Jin Road (closes at 9:30)
Dapin Elementary School (closes at 12:00)
Fonlin Bridge (closes at 14:00)

The finish line closes at 15:00.

There will be more than 30 "mobile service stations," emergency stations, and traffic direction stations.

Phone numbers:

Command Center: 0932379804
Rescue Center: 0955878863
Radio Frequency: VHF 145.640, 145.620, 145.600

Epic Day in the Saddle: Dec. 2nd Challenge Ride

2006-12-04T05:39:00.000+08:00

Leon, Ron and I met Henry at Sean's shop at 5:30 Saturday morning. It took us about forty minutes to ride into the city to Banchiao. Although the skies were gray, the roads were dry.

At the challenge ride start, hundreds of cyclists, many on mountain bikes, city bikes and folding bikes milled around, registering and enjoying the early morning singers and dancers up on stage. Leon declined to dance the warm up. Curt met us at the start, as he had been staying at his in-laws in Banchiao with his two week old daughter.

The group rolled out promptly at 7 behind scores of uniformed bicycle policemen on new full suspension Giants. Traffic was stopped at every intersection as hundreds of cyclists moved through to the outskirts of the city. At one point, our path was blocked by a political rally complete with firecrackers and bottle rockets, so the massive group just backtracked to the next road down and continued on. It was at this point that we met up with Harry and Victor.

Unfortunately, about an hour into the ride, the skies opened up and it began to pour. Because the organizers were blocking roads for us, we had periodic rest stops to regroup which proved to be quite chilly as the temperatures dropped and the rain continued to fall. Many of the riders turned back when the organizers promised to mail them their completion certificates even if they didn't finish.

After what seemed like several hours of bucketing rain, the skies let up, and we pulled into a local elementary school for our first food break. Spirits rose like the pork buns set out for us when the rain stopped completely.

When we hit the coast at Fulong, a group of road cyclists formed a small peloton at the front, led by Harry and Curt. When a massive headwind sprang up, Leon launched off the front, chased by several Giant Asia riders. This continued for two more rest stops, until we pulled into our lunch stop in another elementary school just outside Keelung.

We were all impressed with the spread of food laid out, considering that there was no entry fee for this challenge ride. The doors to the classrooms were open for those who needed a little more warmth, but you could imagine that on a nicer day, the quad would have been filled with lunching cyclists.

Victor provided us with a map and helped us figure out how to navigate through Keelung, so Ron, Harry, Curt, Leon and I left early and rode as a small group to Wanli where we decided to head into the mountains rather than continue along the rainy coast.

After refueling at the Wanli 7-11, we began our first real ascent of the day up the back of Helen's. Of course, the rain came heavier and heavier as we ascended, but the waterfalls and misty vistas balanced the cold that was beginning to seep into our bones.

The descent back into Tien Mu was quite chilly, but the hot showers waiting for us at the end of the line made it all manageable.

The final stats (for me):

10 hours door to door
7:02 riding time
162 km

Even with the weather, I'd recommend the challenge ride to anyone looking for a manageable long ride with good support.

I'm looking forward to this weekend's Yangmingshan Challenge!

Bill

2007 Race Schedule

2006-12-01T09:30:00.000+08:00

Here is the 2007 Taiwan Cycling Club Championship schedule:

March 3rd North Coast 60km (this year's race description here)
March 31st Tour of East Taiwan Day 1 120km (this year's race description here)
April 1st Tour of East Taiwan Day 2 160km
May 26th Northeast Coast Gongliao Shuangsi 58km (this year's race description here)
June 23rd Ilan Time Trial Day 1
June 24th Taiping Shan Climb Day 2 23km (this year's race description here)
August 25th Ali Shan Climb 62km (this year's race description here)

If you look at the results from any of this year's races, you'll see that you don't need to be a serious bike racer to compete. Taiwan is a great place to try your first bike race. Start your training now!

Bill

Weekend Rides & Challenge Sign-ups

2006-11-21T21:24:00.000+08:00

Since it's Thanksgiving break for TAS teachers, I've got some rides planned for the next few days:

Wednesday 5 am @ TAS Bryson Ride
Thursday 6 am @ TAS Triple Crown Challenge (4ish hours of fun- see profile below)
Friday 1:30 pm @ TAS Flat Coast Smash (either return on the coast or up Jinshan)
Saturday Rest
Sunday 7:30 am @ Sean's Shop to ride with the boys...

Triple Crown Profile

Let me know if you'd like to join up...

I'm bringing the December 2nd Challenge Ride sign up into Sean's tomorrow evening. So far, it's me, Ron, Bills, Leon, Simon, and Chris. We've decided to ride it as a group. More are welcome- registration is free and food is provided. It'll be about 180 km, assuming we turn off at Tamshui. Just sign up by November 25th...

The December 10th Yangmingshan Challenge sign up sheet is at Sean's. Cost is 500 NT.

Hope to see you out in the hills!

Bill

Alishan Race Results

2006-11-20T17:22:00.000+08:00

Leon, Bill, Bill, Ron, and I traveled down to Chyayi this weekend for the final competition in the Taiwan Club Championship series- the race up Alishan.

Leon, Ron and I were racing with Sean's Columbus Team, while Bill and Bill were racing for Howard's Spinning Team. For some reason, Howard signed the Bills up in the Elite category, so they ended up wearing #1 and #2 (out of 1165 preregistered racers). Undaunted, they led the group of under-35's and professional riders in the first wave to up the mountain. Five minutes later, Ron, Leon and I and the rest of the 35-and-overs and women joined them on the climb.

We couldn't have asked for a more perfect race day, weatherwise. It was warm at the start line, sunny on the climb, and cooler as we ascended. The views (when you could enjoy them) were spectacular.

The Bills and Ron and I were content to race up the 65 km hill at our own pace. We enjoyed overtaking riders from our respective age categories, but we weren't out for a victory. Leon, on the other hand lined up behind Morris, the e-Ma Team rider whom he had beaten once at the start of the season but who had got the better of him since. At 56 kg of sinewy muscle, Morris was a fearsome opponent. He surged ahead of Leon numerous times on the first half of the climb, but Leon always managed to ride his way back onto his wheel. During the second half of the climb, Leon took over the pace making and led Morris and a small group of under-35's up to the finish. In the final sprint, Leon held off Morris to take the victory in the M40 category.

Leon and Morris sprint to the line

Leon's time up the hill put him in 22nd overall, 10th fastest non-Elite rider. A very impressive performance!

I managed a podium placing with 5th in M35, some consolation to finishing almost eight minutes back of Leon. Results are available here:

Age Group
Overall

Leon takes the M40 podium

Bill, happy to finish on the M35 podium

The Alishan race will be held at the end of August next year- I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a challenging ride in some beautiful mountains.

Bill

Another Challenge Ride!

2006-11-16T07:19:00.000+08:00

The information for the December 10th Yangmingshan Challenge ride is in a previous post (see below). I gave Sean my 500NT last week and signed up. If you haven't done so yet, get down to Sean's and register!

In the meantime, I've found out about another challenge ride through Taipei County on Saturday, December 2nd. Information and registration form (in Chinese) is available here.

It starts in Banchiao and can be done as either a 160 km circuit ending in Tamshui or a 200 km circuit ending back in Banchiao. This sounds like a long way, but much of the ride is flat.

Ali was kind enough to find an English map of the starting area and a translation of each of the districts on the ride:

The start line is near the Xinpu MRT station. The ride then heads east along Highway 106. Here are the route names translated:

臺北縣縣民廣場-tai2 bei3 xian4 min2 guang3 chang3

板橋-ban3 qiao2

中和-zhong1 he2

新店-xin1 dian4

木柵-mu4 zha4

深坑-shen1 keng1

平溪-ping2 qi1

雙溪-shuang1 qi1

貢寮-gong4 liao2

福隆-fu2 long1

澳底-ao4 di3

龍洞-long2 dong4

瑞芳-rui4 fang1

八堵-ba1 du3

大武崙-da4 wu3 lun2

萬里-wan4 li3

金山-jin1 shan1

石門-shi2 men2

三芝-san1 zhi1

白沙灣-bai2 sha1 wan1

沙崙-sha1 lun2

淡水-dan4 shui3

關渡-quan1 du4

八里-ba1 li3

五股-wu3 gu3

泰山-tai4 shan1

樹林-shu4 lin2

新莊-xin1 zhuang1

板橋-ban3 qiao2

臺北縣縣民廣場-tai2 bei3 xian4 min2 guang3 chang3

The entire route is 200 km, but riders can opt to finish in Tamshui after 160 km. I believe I will do that...

Registration is free but must be completed by November 25th. Please let me know if you need help registering.

I'm off to the Alishan race tomorrow afternoon with Leon, so I think I better go get some sleep...

Jyaio!

Bill

Hill Climb Results

2006-11-12T12:08:00.000+08:00

The foreigners made a good showing at this morning's 4 km Elspeth's Hill Climb. Harry, Curt, Chris, Duffy and Michael were all out for their very first bike race.

The M30, M40 and M50 categories all started out together promptly at 9:00. Despite crashing in the first 50 meters, Michael managed to power his way back to a 3rd place finish overall, 2nd in M40 with a time of 12' 44". Harry was just behind in 5th place overall, 4th in M40 with a time of 13' 01". Chris took home the Candadian Cup by powering ahead of Curt in the second half of the race. His time of 13' 53" placed him 4th in M30, while Curt's 14' 36" placed him 5th. Duffy finished just out of the placings in the very competitive M40 division with a time of 15' 13".

Henry stands in for 1st, Michel takes 2nd, Yamada 3rd and Aussie Harry 4th.

The Battle for the Canadian Cup: Chris in 4th and Curt in 5th.

Leon and Bill followed the boys in the Elite category race at 9:20. Looking around the peloton, it was clear that most Elite riders were in their twenties; Leon was certainly the elder statesman in the group. After the jackrabbits blew themselves up, Leon took over the pacemaking at the front. His surges devastated the group (Henry later commented that there was just no way to keep on Leon's wheel). Before long, it was just Bill and two Hsinchu boys hanging onto the Leon-train. In the final sprint, the wheelsuckers prevailed, with the two youngsters beating out Leon and Bill. Still, both were more than happy with their sub-eleven minute times: Bill with 10' 48" and Leon with 10' 54".

The winning time was 10' 36". Bill and Leon took 3rd and 4th fastest times on the day.

A beautiful morning, a quick race and a post-ride Starbucks- what more could you ask for?

Hope to see more riders out there next year!

Bill

Riding, Racing & Challenges

2006-11-09T23:37:00.000+08:00

It's been a very nice and dry week for riding. Chris, Rock, Mike and I have been out scouting out Sunday's race course a couple of times, and Chris and I met up with Ron and Bill for a ride up into the hills on Wednesday morning.

My ride Saturday will be brief. I'm not sure where and when I'll head out. I think Bill is going on his normal 5 am from TAS 100 km.

Sunday is race day. Duffy, Chris, Michael, Leon, Dave, myself and hopefully others will be meeting at Elspeth's bridge (see Google Earth link at right) for the 4 km hill climb. It's a great informal local race, complete with mountain bike categories. The times to beat from last year are here. Registration starts at 8:15, and the first race heads out at 9:00. Should be a blast!

Next Saturday, Bill, Ron, Leon and I are heading down to Alishan for the last club race of the season. I believe it will be about 75 km, mostly uphill. Should be fun!

Registration for the December 10th Yangmingshan Challenge is available now at Sean's shop. I signed up this evening. Entry fee is 500 NT.

Hope to see you out in the hills!

Bill

Weekend Rides

2006-11-03T13:34:00.000+08:00

What a wet week of riding! As the weather worsens, it becomes more and more important to have riding partners to stay motivated. I know that if I wasn't meeting Bill and Ron this morning and Wednesday, I probably would have rolled over and gone back to sleep. This morning's ride up to the Saddle was a bit wet, but with Rock, Chris, Bill and Ron grinding up the hill with me, I hardly noticed the weather.

Don't forget- the 4 km hill climb is this coming Sunday, November 12th. You can sign up on the morning or you can pre-register at Sean's shop.

The big December Yangmingshan Challenge ride is coming up, too. The date is December 10th...

My rides this weekend:

Saturday @ 6:30 am (wrong time previously posted) from TAS. Rock and I will practice on the hill climb course and then maybe do the Satellites. Chris will be there if he's not soft. We'll finish on the Satellites or somewhere similar, aiming to be back by 8:45ish.

Sunday @ 7 am from TAS. Weekly Helen's ride. Coffee if weather is suitable.

Hope to see you out there!

Bill

December 10th Challenge, Club Jersey, Hill Climb & Weekend Rides

2006-10-27T11:11:00.000+08:00

December 10th Challenge Ride

More information has come out about the Yangmingshan Challenge. It will be held on December 10th, not November 25th.

The rumor of 120 km is also false. As you can see from the map and elevation above, the total distance will actually be 74.7km with four climbs (800m (Yangmingshan Saddle), 400m (North Coast Race finish line), 600m (Helen's Saddle), and 750m (Buffalo Meadows)). The ride begins at the bottom of Yangmingshan in Shih Lin, and ends up near Buffalo Meadows. There will be three rest stops, each at the top of a climb. The time limit is 7 hours.

More information (in Chinese) and the application form is available at this website.

Club Jerseys

The ball is getting rolling again for Yangmingshan Cycling Club jerseys. The Challenge organizers have asked that riders where club kit if possible. I'm not sure if we can get an order together in time, but below is a design we were playing with a few years ago. We were thinking of using characters for Yangmingshan Cycling Club and maybe slipping the characters for Jyaiyo on there somewhere. There has also been talk of putting on the sillouette of the Yangmingshan mountain range..

Other color schemes are available here. If you have any design talent or contacts, let me know if you'd like to help out with this project.

November 12th Hill Climb

Yes, it is the Terry Fox Run day, but the race up Elspeth's Hill is a great one. Registration is only 100 NT at Sean's shop, and the 4 km will be over in a flash (well, under 20 minutes, anyway). Rumor has it that Big Dave and Brent may show in the mountain bike category, and Leon, Duffy, and I are pre-registered for the road bike category.

It's a terrific first competition if you've never done a bike race- low key and fun...

Weekend Rides

I'm hoping the weather will cooperate for some good morning rides this weekend. Leon and I are meeting tomorrow morning at TAS at 6 am. We're picking up Peter on the way to the Satellites, and then we're doing the first two thirds of the December Challenge ride. I aim to be home by 9:30- it's the International Food Fair at TAS!

I'm meeting at 7 am on Sunday for the weekly Helen's Coffee ride. I'll pick up Peter and the Flying Dutchman on the way. Anyone is welcome to join. Back to Tien Mu by 9:30ish.

See you out in the hills!

Bill

Duathalon Results

2006-10-25T20:27:00.000+08:00

This past Saturday, Craig drove Rock and I out to Shuangxi for a 5 km run - 40 km cycle - 5 km run duathalon. The run went out into the rolling farmland behind the local school, while the cycle was fairly flat, following the river. Over 300 competitors were pre-registered.

Rock starts in the middle of the pack but quickly powers to the front.

Craig leads Shane into the corner.

The local elite runners pushed the pace early on, but Craig powered back on the ride. He and Shane eventually teamed up to put time on the rest of the field. Unfortunately for Craig, he and Shane finished the bike leg together which meant that he would have to settle for 2nd overall. Not a bad result for a training race!

Rock had been pretending that he was out of shape, but his very strong 25th place finish, 5th in the M35 category proved that he is well on his way back into form.

Tom also finished well in the M20 competition, taking 3rd for Team Columbus. I was very happy to finish without walking and to pick up a few points in the M30 category.

Results:

Overall
Age Category

Craig tops the M20 podium.

Rock competes against race winner Shane in M35.

The prize giveaways at the end of the race (we picked up a coffee mug, a headband and a 10-speed chain!) and the great feed (noodles, chicken curry on rice, fried sweet potato and more!) made for a terrific event. Even as a non-runner, I would highly recommend participating next year.

Bill

Rides for the Week

2006-10-22T18:16:00.000+08:00

What a beautiful weekend! Perfect riding. I'll post a report of the duathalon as soon as I have a photo or two.

I'm planning on joining Bill's 5 am TAS ride Wednesday and Friday morning. I'm hoping for a mellow ride Tuesday morning (maybe 5:15ish) and maybe a bit more of a push Thursday morning. Let me know if you're interested in joining me.

I'll be heading out with Peter and Lucas and Leon on Saturday morning or afternoon. This morning's Helen's ride with Wally, Mick, Kaight, Curt and Chris was so enjoyable that I think I'll do it again next Sunday- TAS at 7 am with a coffee on the mountain.

Hope to see you out there!

Bill

Gorgeous Riding and A Few Targets...

2006-10-20T05:30:00.000+08:00

October riding in the Taipei mountains- it doesn't get much better than this... I've been enjoying the early morning Bryson rides (5 am at TAS on Wednesdays and Fridays). It's hard not to ride every day- I have to force myself to take a rest day!

Rock and I are joining Craig and Melissa out in Shuangxi tomorrow morning for a 5-40-5 km duathalon. I registered under the mistaken impression that Rock could do the running legs and I could ride. As I haven't run since 1999, this should be an interesting event...

If my legs aren't toast, I'd like to do Helen's Sunday morning. 7 am at TAS followed by a coffee at the top? Curt, Chris, Dave and I had a very nice time up there last weekend.

I can't imagine that anyone is having trouble finding the motivation to ride with the weather as perfect as this, but there are some events coming up in November that you may want to consider:

Saturday, November 11th:

There is a 50 km road race somewhere in Taipei County. I don't know much about it, but I will post more information when I find out.

Sunday, November 12th:

Elspeth's Hill Climb. This 4 km gradual climb is a perfect first race. I believe Leon, Dave, and Reedus all cut their racing teeth here. The course is on the Google Earth file linked at right- it's just past the National Palace Museum. There are road bike and mountain bike races and age categories. It is a very relaxed event. Registration is 100 NT- money goes to Sean at the bike shop. Race day registration is usually allowed but costs a bit more.

Saturday, November 18th:

Ali Shan Race.

This is the final event in the club championship series. Registration is 500 NT and closes October 25th. An application is available at http://www.cyclist.org.tw.

Leon and I will be heading down Friday evening. We're in the process of looking for a hotel- if you know a good one, let us know!

Saturday, November 25th:

120 km Yangmingshan Challenge. Start at base of Satellites. Climb to Buffalo Meadows. Descend to Jinshan. Ride over to last March's North Coast Race finish and climb to Helen's. Descend to Satellites. Climb to Buffalo Meadows. Collapse.

I'm not quite sure how this event will run. It's not a race, but I've been told that all riders get a card that they punch along the way to keep track of their times.

I turn 35 on Friday- should be a great ride.

I'll post more information as I get it.

Have a great weekend out there in the hills!

Bill

Lenses for APEX glasses

2006-10-13T20:53:00.000+08:00

In the off chance that someone has APEX glasses and would like a case with 3 extra new lenses(3 standard colors), they're yours.
dave
wittry@hotmail.com

Weekend Riding & Last Weekend's Rides...

2006-10-13T18:19:00.000+08:00

I'm meeting Leon, Rock and Chris tomorrow at 1:30 pm at TAS. Leon and I are planning on riding to Jinshan and then climbing up from there. Rock and Chris are planning on turning off at the 101.

I'd like to do Helen's Sunday morning. I'll meet at TAS at 7 am unless something changes between now and then (in which case I'll post a comment here).

Last weekend was a blast:

Saturday's spin up the 101 with Ron and Curt was great. Leon, Craig and Simon pushed the pace for the first bit before they continued on to Jinshan. The ride was a good warm-up for the Sunday epic into the New Territories with Craig, Curt and Lucas.

Craig was kind enough to meet at 6:15 on Sunday to drive us out to pick up Lucas. We drove over the mountain and parked on the other side of the city. Our first climb was the same one Leon and Steve and I took with Lucas last spring. At our food stop, a woman asked if we were missionaries. Lucas swears that's never happened to him in his life. Never.

We took a new climb up a beautiful and traffic-less road where Lucas took advantage of local knowledge to smoke us to the top. We dipped down into the valley and made our way over to last spring's epic climb up through the tea terraces. We finished with the climb back up the first mountain. Although the mileage wasn't that high, four big climbs made for a tired Sunday evening.

Leon and I blasted out along the coast Tuesday afternoon in Reedus fashion. We arrived in Wanli in 1:54, meeting Lucas and Tony at precisely 3 pm. The climb up to Helen's was beautiful and peaceful although tiring.

Looking forward to even more riding in those hills!

Bill

10-10 Riding Plans

2006-10-06T16:48:00.000+08:00

Ok... My weekend has officially begun!

I believe Bill B. headed out for his 100k ride this morning. I'm not sure of his plans for the weekend- maybe he could add a comment to this note?

As far as I know, Brenda's regular ride is going off tomorrow at 7 am. Here are a couple of photos from recent rides:

I've also seen that Simon and Craig are departing TAS at 7 am Saturday for a coastal push. I think I may join them for the start and then do the 101 climb.

I'm meeting Craig and Curt at TAS at 6:15 am Sunday morning to drive over to meet Lucas for some riding in the New Territories. It should be an epic day- let me know if you'd like to come along with us.

I will ride for a couple hours on Monday and Tuesday- I am open to morning or afternoon rides- let me know if you'd like to plan something. I will add a comment to this post when I decide on something definite.

And, finally, if you'd like to join Alex as he finishes his 5 day, 1000 km charity ride, you can give him a call on his cell (see his comment on the last post for the number). He will be heading into Taipei from Taichung to be at Carnegie's by 5 pm.

Hope to see you out!

Bill

Riding on 10-10 Weekend?

2006-10-03T21:59:00.000+08:00

TAS teachers have Monday and Tuesday off (but not Friday). I've been discussing weekend rides with Leon and Lucas. We're thinking of a longer ride in the New Territories on Sunday. I don't have plans for Monday and Tuesday yet. I know Craig is planning long rides each day.

Got ideas for some rides? Post them in a comment to this message and I'll post some finalized riding routes by Friday.

Bill

Gorgeous Riding Weather!

2006-09-27T08:46:00.000+08:00

Maybe I'm just over-excited now that the pins in my hand have been pulled and I'm riding again, but my last two rides in the hills have been wonderful!

Leon and I met up with Lucas yesterday afternoon for a push up to Helen's. The hills were clear, cool, and car-free. I woke up early this morning to meet up with the Bryson crew. Five of us looped the loop at a nice and refreshing pace.

I'm planning on meeting Bill B. for his Friday morning ride- TAS at 5 am. I'm also planning on going out Sunday afternoon for a Helen's climb. My tentative departure time is 3 pm- if you're interested in coming along, leave a comment to this post.

Hope to see you out there!

Bill O'B

Weekly Riding

2006-09-23T15:41:00.000+08:00

There are riders who leave from TAS every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday
at 0500, weather permitting (we don't like to start a ride in the rain).
The Wednesday/Friday rides take a long route to Kwantu, and then back to
Peitou and up to Starbucks, then back to Tien Mou from Four Corners.
Total distance is around 30k and takes less than an hour and a half (how
much less depends on you, of course!).

Saturday ride heads up 101, but turns towards the Coast Road instead of
climbing through Yangmingshan Park. We generally go out to Chin Shan
(sometimes as far as Wan Li, time permitting), and then return along the
Coast Road through Tam Shui to Tien Mou, with the obligatory stop at
Starbucks. Total distance is a little bit more than 100k, and total ride
time (not including rally stops, water stops and coffee stop at Starbucks)
can take anywhere from 3.75 hours to 4.5 hours, depending on how the group
is feeling that day.

Ride safe.

Bill Bryson

Sat Sept 15 ride

2006-09-15T13:55:00.000+08:00

Sat Sept 15 - planning 101 ride. Leave from TAS at 6:45. Unless the weather is really bad.

Thanks,

Simon Moore

Mobile Phone (886) 921-939-974
mooresr@airproducts.com

2006-09-08T17:35:00.000+08:00

Saturday 9/9 - Heading out for a ride up Helens down to Wanli around to Jinshan up to Saddle then down to Teinmu.
Will leave TAS at 6:45, and will meet a friend at 7:00 at the Starbucks just before the National Palace Museum.
Long, Slow Ride!
Let me know if you are interested.
Thanks,
Simon Moore
Mobile Phone (886) 921-939-974
mooresr@airproducts.com

Cork Trick

2006-09-03T16:20:00.000+08:00

Hi Folks!

Came across this highly useful hint to keep your bicycle from falling
over if you lean it up against a post: Take a plastic wine cork and
cut it into a wedge shape. Grip your brake lever and insert the
wedge into the gap above the lever. It will lock your wheel and keep
your bike in place. The trick is to drink as many bottles of wine as
possible until you come across a plastic cork.

have fun!

Duffy