Riding and Racing in May

My last three rides have been just beautiful. On Sunday, Leon and Reedus and I headed out through Tamshui and up the 101. While Tamshui was as crowded as ever, the 101 was beautiful, quiet and cool. We finished the ride off with a coffee on the steps of Starbucks and a caffeine rush on the ride back into Tienmu.

Yesterday afternoon, I went for a spin on my own up the Temple Switchbacks. If you haven't done this ride before, you don't know what you're missing! The loop is a 20 km, 1 hour spin from Tienmu. While the Switchbacks themselves can get a bit steep in places, you shouldn't have much trouble if you take them slowly. I didn't see a single car on the way up or down.

This morning, Reedus and I spun our way up to the Saddle. As we climbed, the air cooled, and by the top, we were enshrouded entirely in mist- a beautiful way to start the day.



If you'd like to check out these rides (and others), download the Google Earth file using the link at right. Right click (or CTRL-click for Mac users) and save the file to your desktop. If you have Google Earth installed (free download at earth.google.com), you can just double click the file to open it and view the landmarks and ride paths on the satellite maps of northern Taiwan. Don't be intimidated by all the markers; you can turn them on and off by clicking the check boxes under Places at the right. If you select a ride path under Places, you can click the Play button at the bottom to go on a virtual spin through the mountains. It's a great way to see how all the rides connect and to figure out finally just where a ride like the Temple Switchbacks is located!



Remember that the annual Helen's climb is coming up on Sunday May 28th. The ride will leave TAS at 8 am (after a late Prom night for some) and climb up to Helen's coffee stand. Elevation, map and more details are in the blog post of April 13th. We had 50+ riders of all abilities the last time I was out on this ride. It's a great chance to say goodbye to those leaving Taipei at the end of the school year and to meet new riders for the summer months if you're sticking around.


There is also a 57 km road race out by Fulong and Shuangsi. Race information is available here and race map and elevation details are available here. If you'd like to do this race, registration closes May 5th. It is the 4th stage in the Taiwan Cycling Club Championships, but don't be intimidated- cyclists of all riding abilities participate in races in Taiwan.



Hope to see you out on the road!

Bill