Google Earth Ride Landmarks

If you use Google Earth, here is the most up to date (March 19, 2006) .kmz file of the local riding landmarks. To use it, right click and save it to your desktop, and open it with Google Earth. You can then drag the file from Temporary Places to My Places in Google Earth to have it always accessible.

If you have additional landmarks that you'd like to add (or changes to any of the current landmarks), just email me the Google Earth location, and I'll update it and repost the file.

If you have photographs/descriptions that you'd like added at any locations, email these as well.

Once someone gets a GPS receiver, we'll post route maps, too...

Bill

Some Race Photos

The race rolls along the coast.

Another group.

Leon, Peter & Steve break away.

Steve & Peter push it.

Wheelsucker, Steve & Bill

Race Results

Despite the wet and rainy conditions this morning, close to a thousand cyclists participated in the 2006 Taiwan Cycling Club National Championships. Riders were of all abilities, racing in road and mountain bike categories.

Steve and I raced in the 30-40 year old race with 257 preregistered riders and some additional race day registrants. We had planned to try to break at two points on the coast, and our first attempt succeeded! A third rider caught us but wouldn't do any work, as he was covering the break for one of his teammates. As we cloased in on Jinshan, Steve and I opened gaps between us and the wheelsucker. Eventually, Steve managed to break free, and I sat on the other rider's wheel. Steve ended up taking first overall! I came in third, second to Steve in the 35+ category.

Dave, Leon, Steve, and Peter raced in the 40-50 year old race with 171 preregistered riders and some extras. They also planned to break at the same spots. Although the first break was caught, Leon, Steve and Peter managed to break for good at the second spot. Leon flew up the hill to take first overall, while Steve and Peter finished third and fourth! Dave had a great race; he caught hundreds of riders over the course of the race and was never caught himself.

Results:
Overall
Age group

Perhaps Bill or Craig or some of the others there can write in with other race stories. All in all, it was a great morning!

-Bill


Bill, Leon & Steve prepare in the wet for the race.


Dave unloads from the van.


Bill and Steve on a breakaway.


Steve on the podium, Bill at home with his girls!


Leon, Steve and Peter atop the podium.

Weekend Races & Trade Show

Hello cyclists-

Just a reminder that the Taipei Bicycle Trade Show concludes this
Saturday. I still have free tickets if anyone would like to head down
to the World Trade Center to check it out. The Tour De Taiwan also
concludes Saturday morning with a criterium (circuit race) around
Taipei City Hall at 10 am. If you're looking for something to do
Saturday morning, it should be a fun event to watch.

"The Taiwan Cycling Club National Championships 2006," aka That Coast
Race will be held Sunday morning. Registration is at 7:30 Sunday
morning, and the racing commences at 9:00. There are a number of
local riders racing; the total number of participants is up to 675.
The race starts at Green Bay in Wanli, goes along the coast to Sanjr
and turns back to Jinshan and up to a mountain finish 5 km up the
hill. It should also be a fun race to watch if you're out that way.

Bill

Taipei Bike Show & Riding with Bill Bryson

The Taipei Bike Show is this Wednesday-Saturday (www.TaipeiTradeShows.com.tw/cycle). It's usually fun to check out, but children under 10 are not allowed in. I have some extra tickets (thanks, Aaron!) and I know Leon does as well (thanks, Sean!). If you need tickets, let me know, and I can probably get some for you.

The North Coast race is this Sunday. It looks like 659 racers are pre-registered. Information (in Chinese) is available at www.cyclist.org.tw. We have a number of racers- Bill, Bill, Bill, Steve, Steve, Leon, Peter and David and perhaps more. Should be fun!

Bill Bryson writes with some information about the Tour of East Taiwan which will be held April 19th & 20th from Hualien to Taidong and back:


On the Tour of East Taiwan, the challenge ride is actually longer than the race course, and is 175k on both days. It runs from the Astra Hotel in Hualien to the Naruwan Hotel in Taidung, and then back again on Sunday. While it follows basically the same roads as the race course, it ends in a different place on both days (the race ends on Sunday at Carp Lake rather than the hotel). So, if anyone thinks that 300k is not long enough to merit the drive or flight to Hwalien, they can enter the 350k challenge ride, which also has some pretty fast riders in it.


Bill also writes about his regular weekday morning rides:

BTW, a group regularly meet for rides on any non-rainy Tuesday or Thursday at 0500 in front of the school. Pace varies but the route is generally either Incinerator (Smokestack - 42k of mostly level riding)) or Wimpy Hills (ride to Starbucks through Peitou - 25-30k of climbing and descents). Would be happy to have you post this on the site. We usually have 2-8 riders show up, depending on where everyone is in their training schedule.


Bill has sent along a note and a photo essay of a typical early February ride in the mountains:

On Saturday, we had planned to ride up Helen's, down to Wan Li and then let Kaight lead us up 101 from Bai Shia Wan. We were also supposed to meet a group of Chinese riders from Howard's Bike Shop on the way up to Helen's. We got up to the Helen's saddle and the weather was about as bad as it ever gets there - rain, wind, fog, and very cold temperatures). We were heading down when we ran into Howard and his group. Marcus, Kaight and Ron (being the sensible ones), headed down the hill to a well-deserved latte at Starbucks in Tien Mou, while Bill F. and I continued with Howard and his riders to Wan Li. Resting (and warming) at the 7-11 in Wan Li, we decided to return to Tien Mou through Tam Shui instead of going to 101. Last rally stop was the 7-11 on the hill above Tam Shui, where we once again, after some very fast-paced (but dry) paceline riding, enjoyed some nice hot Mr. Brown's.

Photo essay provided by Victor Shar:

At the first 7-11, we only thought about eat…eat…eat…



And of course drink…drink…drink…



More drinking and eating.



Yes, eating and drinking is much more fun than biking.



Bill was well protected from the cold and rain from head to toe. I bought two heat packs to put under my clothes because I was so cold after coming down from Yang-Ming Shan.



Here's the route map in English:



And in Chinese:




Keep spinning,

Bill

Saturday ride

Steve, Leon, Dave, Steve and I will be meeting at TAS at 11:00 on
Saturday. We'll be ascending Helen's, descending down to Wanli,
ascending the race course hill and the climbing back to Helen's. The
pace will probably be rather quick. Please feel free to join us if
you'd like a push.

Bill O'B

YCC Riding Notes: Spring Racing, Internet Resources and More

Hello cyclists-

The weather is warming and the mountains are drying- time to ride! If
racing is your thing, you should really consider the March 12th North
Coast race. It's about 45 km of flat riding along the coast, followed
by a 5 km climb. It might be tricky to stay with the fastest riders,
but there are usually a variety of ability races at Taiwan races. Pre-
registration is 500 NT to Sean Huang by tomorrow, February 25th. Race
day registration is available. Let me know if you'd like more
information.

There's also the two day Tour of East Taiwan coming up April 15th and
16th. The first day is a 130 km ride from Hualien to Taidong and the
next day is a 160 km return ride. In the past, there has also been a
non-race challenge ride over the same course at the same time. See
Sean if you're interested in doing this.

I'd also like to organize an end of school year ride from TAS to Helen's in May. I believe our record for riders is around 46; it
would be great to beat that this year. Although the ride to Helen's
is not easy, past experience shows that if you've got a bike, a bit
of courage, and you don't mind possibly walking a stretch or two, you
can make it to the top. More info on this ride to come.

I've found a few internet resources that may be of interest to Taipei riders. First of all, if you haven't checked out Google Earth (earth.google.com) for Taiwan, do it! Now that there is a Macintosh
version, I've been zooming in and circling around all of the local
peaks. I was thinking of putting together a few image maps of some of
the local rides- let me know if you think that would be helpful...

I've also found some weather sites.

The Central Weather Bureau (http://www.cwb.gov.tw/V4e/index.htm) is
always good for current conditions.

I usually complement this with the National Weather Service's 24 hour summary (http://weather.noaa.gov/weather/current/RCSS.html).

And the coolest- weather cams! Check out http://twcam.www.gov.tw:80/
webcam/english/scenery/main.jsp?who= and select Taipei City and
either Yangmingshan or National Palace Museum. The images are in real
time and the temperatures are fairly accurate. The Yangmingshan
camera is at the final corner on the way to the Saddle (just above
the Switchbacks).

Were you interested in Jesper's report of a 22% gradient and 1000's
of meters of climbing? If so, an altimeter might be the gadget for
you, and you're in luck- Claus has an extra one. He writes:

I recently ordered a VDO MC 1.0+ computer (identical to Jesper's) with altimeter online at Wisecyclebuys.com. They send me the old model MC 1.0!
When notified, they immediately shipped new model with lots of apologies. Came back next day and asked whether I could sell the old model locally at good rate instead of the hassle of shipping it back to them...

Long story short - I have a brand new in box VDO computer for sale @79 USD/2.600 NT - new model retails at 139.90 USD. The two models are showcased at http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=3786

I'd take it myself but new model already shipped when they send me price - and I was ready to pay 140 USD anyway...

If you're interested, you can contact Claus via the comments on this page, and I'm sure he'd be happy to send you his email address.

And finally... Peter Langslow is back in Taipei this weekend, and so
Steve, Steve, Leon and I will ride with him at 10:45 from the TAS
Main Gate on Saturday. We'll ride out through Tamshui, along the
coast to Jinshan, and then up the March 12th race course hill, coming
out at Helen's Pagoda. It should be about 3.5 hours riding time. The
pace should be quick, but all are welcome.

See you in the hills!

Bill

Sunday 6:30am-from-TAS Ride

heading out to the March, 12^th course – few of us on road bikes going at a comfortable pace/no hurry – ride up the back of Helen’s before coming down past the Palace and home.

dave

Hazards of Roof Bike Rack in Taipei

I will keep this brief. Imagine you had just taken your bike in to Sean’s shop for a tune up, strapped it back on the roof and took off, daydreaming about the next climb. It’s a beautiful February day on Taiwan, and the furry, blustering grass of Chi Xing Shan (Chi Hsin Shan) is in full view, nothing but green and blue as you look to the skies around Taipei. Well, as I thought to myself, it looks like a great day for Bailaka (101). I turn the corner through an alley, all the sudden; BOOM I hear a sound that makes my stomach drop. I look in my rear view mirror; all I see is broken glass. I then look in my side view mirror, all I see is my bike dangling from a power line. The good news is, the weather held, my back window is repaired and me and my bike had a nice ride up Bailaka yesterday evening just in time for a splendid sunset over the Taiwan Strait. Sorry, no picture, the driver behind me was in a hurry, so he got out and pulled my bike off the power line. Any one interested in an on the roof bike rack???

 

Jack Whiteford

Bike Stolen: Front of Yangmingshan Starbucks

Hello riders-

A woman had her bike stolen from the front of the Yangmingshan
Starbucks this morning. A group of three stopped for a coffee after
their ride and left their bikes parked outside. When they came out,
one was stolen.

Be very careful if you leave your bike parked anywhere- bikes have
also been stolen from the front of Sean's shop in recent years.

Bill O'Brien

Race Date Change Yet Again & Saturday Rides

Argh! The race dates have changed yet again! According to
www.cyclist.org.tw, the March race has moved from March 4th back to
Sunday, March 12th. This race is a great one for racers of all
speeds- it's only 60 km, and it's in our back yard! Let me know if
you'd like more info...

The Hualien-Taidong race has moved from April 1-2 to April 29-30.
This is a big race, but there is also a challenge category which is
more of a ride than a race.

Leon, Steve and I are riding at noon from TAS on Saturday. I expect
the pace to be "tempo" and the time to be 3.5-4 hours.

Steve R. and Dave are riding at 6 am. If you are interested in that
ride, it would be a good idea to contact Steve directly (I can email
his contact info).

See you out there!

Bill O'B

North Coast Race Date Change: March 4th

Just back from Sean's shop with new information on the North Coast
race. It will be held Saturday, March 4th, not Sunday, March 12th. It
will be about 60 km, with all but the final four km rolling. The
finish is half way to Helen's from the back side.

A Couple Photos

Bill Bryson's photography: Tuesday's riders at the top of Helen's and
101 sticking out of the mist the other morning...

Regular Saturday Morning Ride

Susan Wu has written with information on a regular Saturday morning
ride:

We meet Saturday morning at 7:00am in front of Tien-Mou McDonalds.
We mountain bike for 4 hours most of the time.
We ride 27 gear bikes.

All are welcome- check out photos from past rides at http://
www.cmlab.csie.ntu.edu.tw/~yujie/.

The two photos are from the top of Da Tuen Shan- an impressive climb!

Saturday Triple Crown Ride

Steve, Leon and I are meeting at TAS at 6 am for a Triple Crown Ride.
Pace should be brisk- back to Tien Mu by around 9:30 or 10.
Hopefully, Jesper, Eric, Dave, Steve and perhaps others will join- come!

Bill O'Brien

Thursday Ride

We've decided to wait a little longer before attempting another epic
like Tuesday's ride. At this point, we may try again on Saturday to
head out near Joufen in the "New Territories."

I'm meeting Steve and Dave at TAS at 6:30 for a spin out somewhere.
At this point, I'm leaning towards Spider's Hill out past Nei Hu
which would get us back to TAS by 8:30ish. Dave says he's recovering
from an illness, and I know Steve's recovering from a whupping up
that last hill Tuesday, so I expect the pace to be quite mellow.
Please join us.

Bill

Ride Report: Rolling Into "The New Territories"...

A nice size group met this morning at 6 am in front of TAS. Julie and Charlene headed out for a flat spin past Pali. The three Bills, Marcus, Kaight, Jesper, Leon and Steve spun out towards Helen's, meeting Joe at Psycho Squirrel Bridge, descending out of the fog from what must have been a very early ride.

The group climbed through the fog, arriving to clear skies and dry roads up at the Pagoda. After numerous photo taking attempts, the pair of Bills and Marcus descended back to Tien Mu, while the others continued on to meet Lucas at his mountain estate below Helen's. A ride along unmarked mountain roads and past numerous questionable dogs dropped the group down at the highway separating what Lucas calls the Dutch Territories (in the hills around Helen's) from the New Territories (out through Shrfen and Pingxi). 

At this point, Kaight decided to climb back to Helen's and head home, while the rest of the group took on the 10 km ascent- the second of six climbs on Lucas's route. The fog hid the view, but all agreed that it was still a great climb.

On the other side of the mountain, the group ran into Shane and Dave at a local snack shop. They joined up for the third climb, a wicked little lane leading up into the tea plantations. Jesper's altimeter hit 18% on one stretch.

From there, the group headed down into the tea hills. Leon's rear wheel spun out on one of the corners, sending him sliding into the gutter. He added a little skin to the moss and wet leaves on the corner, but he was back on his bike as quick as a Tour rider. The next climb was up through the tea plantations. The fog lifted, and the view was spectacular. The group paused at a beautiful temple two thirds of the way up the climb, where Leon rinsed off his wounds as the locals watched.

Lucas brought the group to an historic railway station for lunch. Claiming that he wasn't interested in the usual lunch spots chosen by the group on long rides ("beside a sewer hole eating 7-11 noodles"), Lucas ordered scrumptious beef noodle soup for all, while Leon and Jesper and Bill found the cheapest lattes in Northern Taiwan.

The penultimate climb was the steepest- Jesper measured a grade of 20% along the way. Towards the top, Lucas advised that the group spread out to allow for traversing the narrow road...

The descent was by far the steepest of the day. In fact, Bill's rims got so hot that his rim tape buckled and his rear wheel flatted. Fortunately, the flat occurred just near a picnic area. Unfortunately, the Taiwanese karaoke music from the nearby group was not the most relaxing. Despite the noise, Lucas's verbal heckling, and a broken tube valve, Bill managed to fashion a Macguyver-esque repair job out of some tape from the back of Jesper's seat and a second spare tube (which lasted until the Tien Mu Warner Village- he finished his climb home on his rim...).

The final climb to Helen's was uneventful but rather quick. The final totals from the ride were 140 km of ups and downs, 3047 metres of climbing (thanks, Jesper!), 6 hours 40 minutes ride time, and a 2:40 pm return to Tien Mu. All of Lucas's climbs were beautiful, and hardly a car was seen on any of the six.

Tomorrow is a rest day for me. There may be another ride out into the New Territories on Thursday, depending on the weather. Look for a posting tomorrow afternoon/evening.

Bill O'Brien

YCC Riding Notes: Posting & CNY Riding

Happy New Year, cyclists!

I've seen many different groups of riders out in the Yangmingshan hills this past year- early morning weekday groups, long coast ride groups, female only groups, mountain bike groups, fast groups, not-so-fast groups. If you're looking for other cyclists to ride with, don't forget to check out the cycling blog (http://taipeiycc.blogspot.com). Anyone can post to this blog by sending an email to yangmingshan.taipeiycc@blogger.com. If you'd like help finding a group that rides at your pace, feel free to drop me a note, as I may be able to put you in touch with a group directly.

If you're feeling fit and you're up for a long ride this week, Lucas has offered to take a group out to explore "The New Territories" beyond Helen's. We're meeting at TAS at 6 am Tuesday. Lucas says the ride will be around 6 hours round trip from the coffee trucks- that would get us back around 2 pm. It should be beautiful riding- lots of hills and untraveled roads. While the ride will be long, the pace should be reasonable. The CNY holiday is the perfect time for a nice long ride like this. If all goes well, we will head out there again Thursday morning.

I'm riding fairly regularly Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings and Saturdays and Sundays at different times. My usual compatriots are Steve, Steve, Leon, Dave and Eric. Nic has been getting out with a women's group some in the afternoons and on the weekends. Let me know if you'd like to join either of us. I'll try to be more regular about posting my rides to the blog.

If you're interested in giving a local race a try, the next one is Sunday, March 12th. It should start out near Jinshan, travel 40 to 50 km along the coast flats and then head up into the hills for 10 or 15 km. Details to follow...

If you're traveling to Europe this summer, be sure to check out this link from Jesper and Craig:

http://ciclismo.sitiasp.it/motore.aspx?sid=cd66c884bff949c0afe7dcdc8888ccbd&lingua=eng&da=az

It lists details on climbs around Europe. Jesper's favorite:

http://www.salite.ch/scanuppia.htm

Hope to see you out in the hills!

Bill O'Brien

Weekend Riding...

The blasters will be pushing it up to the Saddle, down to Jinshan, over and up the 101. Meet Saturday morning at TAS at 6:30, back to Tienmu around 10ish...

Sunday's ride will be more mellow- probably out towards Wanli and up the March 12th race course hill. Not sure of the exact time- email me if you're interested. Probably 6:30 or 7.

Bill O'B

P.S. Craig John sent the following tentative triathlon/road racing calendar for the spring:

Cycle 6-11/3 Tour de Taiwan (changed from October)

 

Cycle 3/12 The North Coast Race.

 

Triathlon 3/18 The Hwalien triathlon.

 

Cycle 4/1~4/2 The Tour of East Taiwan.

 

Triathlon 4/8 Half ironman kenting.

 

Triathlon 4/23 Stronman  triathlon Japan.

 

Triathlon 5/6 Uni-President cup Tainan triathlon. (this is a date that the national triathlon body has mentioned as being at sun moon lake?? Will check it out)

 

Cycle 7/29~7/30 Giant cup

Baseline 101 Timetrial on Saturday

Interested in setting a base time for your cycling goals this year?
If so, we'll be meeting at TAS at 6:30 Saturday to ride out to the
101 hill. The climb lasts 30-40 minutes; you can set a time now to
work on improving over the course of the year. I know this first time
will be my slowest... Should be back to Tien Mu by 9ish.

I'm also planning on a longer ride Sunday morning, leaving around 7
am, back by 10:30ish. If you're interested, send me an email.

Bill O'Brien

P.S. Triple Crown point champion was the illustrious "Skinny Boy"
Seymour. Congrats! Rematch soon...

P.P.S. Next local race is March 13th (North Coast- 70 km or so). Mark
your calendars. Complete cycling and triathlon calendar to be posted
shortly.

Christmas Triple Crown Challenge

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

See you there!

Bill O'B

Saturday ride time change

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

Saturday ride time change

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

Riding on the Weekend

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

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

Bill O'B

More Weekend Riding - 12/3

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

 

Bill Bryson

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Weekend Riding 12/3 & 4

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

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

Bill

Saturday 11/26 & Sunday 11/27

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

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

Thanksgiving riding

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

Hope to see you out!

Bill

6:30 am Saturday, 11/19

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

Hope to see you out!

Bill O'B

Sunday's Race Results

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

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

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

See you out in the hills!

Short hill climb race Sunday, 11/13

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

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

Hope to see you there!

Bill

2 pm Saturday, 11/5

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

Undecided for Sunday. Any plans?

Bill O'B

any rides weekdays

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

mark

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

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8 am Sunday, 10/30

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

Come along!

Bill O'B

6:30 am Saturday 10/29

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

 

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

Le Tour de Hualien & Weekend Riding

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

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

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

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


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

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

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



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

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

Hope to see you out there!

Bill O'B

Friday afternoon and Saturday morning

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

Bill

Races and race training

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

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

Bill O'B

Riding 10-10 weekend

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

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

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

I imagine Saturday will be a recovery ride.

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

Bill O'B

Saturday Oct 8th Ride

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

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

See you there.

Thanks,

Simon Moore

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

Saturday, Oct. 8

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

 

Riding week of October 3rd

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

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

Bill

Saturday morning ride

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

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

Anyone up for a push is welcome!

Bill

China's B-Day Ride

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

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

PS - Don't forget the cake!

Saturday, Sept. 24th at TAS

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

dave

Sattelites ride - Tuesday morning

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

 

Jesper

 

 

 

Mtn. Bike Ride Sunday Sept. 18 - Experienced Level

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

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

YCC Riding Notes: Post rides to the blog!

Hello cyclists!

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

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

Have fun out there!

Bill

Weekend Riding

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

Bill O'B

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

Saturday 9/10/05

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

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

Hello cyclists-

Message from Craig Johns:

Jinshan Duathlon.

 

Distances are 5km run / 40km cycle/ 5km run

24th September 8am start (7am check-in)

Howard Resort Green Bay

 

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

 

Name

Date of Birth

ARC #

Cell Phone Number

Email Address

 

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

 

Craig Johns

TAS Aquatics

johnsc@tas.edu.tw

Saturday update and Sunday ride

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

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

Keep spinning!

Bill O'B

Sunday bike (9/02/05)

Hi,

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

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

See you soon!

Best,
Susan

Sat. 6:30 ride

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

Post-Typhoon Road Conditions

Hi Everyone:

 

FYI, for all riders - I did the 101 (Bailaka) ride this morning, and I came back to Tien Mou from Starbucks and down Cherry Hill.  While road conditions in Tien Mou, Peitou and Tam Shui were all OK (apart from a blown-down construction fence in Tam Shui which was hanging out into the road), road conditions on the mountain were pretty variable and, at times, treacherous.

 

In particular, as you are climbing up from 101 you should be wary of a number of mudslides and rockslides on the way up.  Some of the rocks are pretty big (no boulders, though), and there are fields of them in some places.  The mud slide is particularly treacherous, as it consists of red clay mud, and occurs on a curve on which you would ordinarily be inclined to accelerate (and which does not allow motorists to see you coming wide around the turn).  The downhill from the Ta Tuan Mountain parking lot also had a few slick areas from rain runoff and rocks of varying size that had come down from the mountain.

 

The road to Starbucks suffered its usual landslides during the typhoon and there is a downed street lamp near the bus area.  Most of the debris had already been cleaned up when I got there this morning, but there is also a partially downed tree which is suspended over the road like a bridge.  It looked fairly stable for now, but you may want to exercise some caution when approaching it.

 

I am sure that most of the slides and vegetation blow-downs will be cleared in the next couple of days.  Those of you who plan to ride this weekend, though, may want to exercise some additional caution, particularly on your downhills.

 

Also - anyone who may have been thinking about a ride on the Kwantu-Tam Shui bike path should reconsider, as sections of the path generall remain flooded for up to a week after any typhoon.

 

Ride safe,

 

 

Bill Bryson

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

Hello cyclists (86 of you)!

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

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

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

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

Hope to see you out in the hills!

Bill

Ride Tuesday, Aug. 30th 5 am

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

-Bill O'B

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

Hello cyclists!

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

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

The Blog: taipeiycc.blogspot.com

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

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

Weekend Rides:

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

I am contemplating a 90-100k, 4-5 hour ride on Saturday.  Two possible

routes, but both end with a climb from Wan Li to the Helen's saddle (with

coffee at Helen's, if time permits - I have to be home before 1115), and

then the ride down to Tien Mou.  Route 1 (around 100k) is to ride through

Tam Shui and then take the coast road to Wan Li.  Route 2 (93-94k) is to

take the 101 (Bailaka) ride to the Saddle, then down to Chin Shan and over

to Wan Li.  Route 1 takes less time, but has only one downhill and much of

the coast road riding is likely to be into a moderate headwind.  Will

decide the route that morning.

On Sunday, I will be riding the Linkou Loop, which is a ride out to the

Linkou Power Plant on the coast road, and then a left turn onto 106, climb

up to Linkou and then come back down to the Coast Road on 120.  This ride

is 84k, with a moderate climb up 106. 

 

He welcomes company, but points out:

I don't mind company, though these are not novice rides.  Pace will be

moderate, and rest/rally stops will mainly be dedicated to re-filling water

bottles and (on Saturday's ride) munching energy bars.  Since Saturday and

Sunday are expected to be sunny and hot, that probably means up to three

stops on Saturday (depending upon the route taken) and one or two stops on

Sunday.  Sunglasses are a must, as a substantial amount of time will be

spent riding into the rising sun (particularly Sunday).

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

Look for other weekend rides posted to the blog.

Other Notes:

Aaron Gray writes:

PowerBar products are now available.

The PowerBar Beverage System, Energy gels and Protein replacement bars are in stock at the pool office.

Below is the price list per box.

Please check out information on the PowerBar range and suggested use here

Performance Bars        Vanilla, Cookies & Cream, Choc Peanut & Cream, Banana, Raspberry Cream       $920/Box of 12 (to be ordered approx 2 wks)

PowerGel                    Vanilla, Lemon-Lime, Tropical Fruit, Raspberry Cream                                                $1425/Box of 24

ProteinPlus                   Fudge Brownie, Peanut Butter                                                                                     $1120/Box of 12

Endurance                   Limon Lime (Pouch & Canister)                                                                                   $770 12xPouches, $1240/ Can

Recovery                     Orange (Pouch & Canister)                                                                                         $770 12xPouches, $1240/ Can

Kathy Cutler writes:

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

Brenda Huff writes:

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

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

See you out in the hills!

Bill

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

5 am Ride Thursday, Aug. 25th

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

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

-Bill O'B

Ride on Wednesday

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

 

Bill Bryson

---

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5:00 a.m. Thursday Ride for Women

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

 

Beginners:  ride out to Tamshui

Intermediate:  ride up to Horse Stables

 

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

 

Laura

 

 

5 am Ride Tuesday, Aug. 23rd

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

-Bill O'B

Cycling Paths

All:

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

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

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

The best sections of bike path are:

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

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

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

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

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

Enjoy,

Bill B.

6 am Ride Sunday, Aug. 21st

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

-Bill

Welcome!

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

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

Hope to see you in the hills!

-Bill

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