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.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Monday, December 31, 2007
Moore Family's Tri Party - Huge Hit
Car, Kaight, Joe, Julie
Chris, Bill
Victor, Curt, Jody, Dave
Lucas, LeonWell, 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.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
YMS Challenge - Beautiful Weather
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
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!
Monday, November 26, 2007
Yang Ming Shan Challenge
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!
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
"Howard's" Ride and Bike Shop
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.
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.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Customized Maps - for Taiwan CYCLISTS only!
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
dave - wittry@apcomputerscience.com
Rides In/Around Taipei and TienMu
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
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"
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
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
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
A Li Shan Race - 71km UP!
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.
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Taiwan Mountain Biking - September 21-23 - Taiwan East Coast
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
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
Thursday, September 06, 2007
New Taipei Cycling Regulations
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.
article
Thanks for the article, Brenda H.
Sunday, September 02, 2007
Riding for Mon 3rd - Sat 8th
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
6am from TAS on Sat. - heading out for a long ride, a few climbs - where? tbd by those attending
see you there - dave
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Wu Ling - 3275m climb
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.
http://www.cool-cycling.com/2007tpp/n2007tpp.doc
Harry Wilson and Andrew Collins are entering - see them for transportation/accomodation ideas.
Monday, August 27, 2007
A Li Shan Race - Sept. 15
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.
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
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/
http://www.apcomputerscience.com/biking/AnnualFirstRide/
Monday, August 06, 2007
Annual First Ride
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
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Weekend Riding
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!
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!
Thursday, May 31, 2007
1000 km Cycling Tour
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
The link is here:
http://www.cyclist.org.tw/en_home-03.asp
Send it around to your friends!
Bill
Friday, May 25, 2007
Saturday Riding
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
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
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