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

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

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

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...

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

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...

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

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?

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!

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

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

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

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

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

9/2 Sat. 6:15 TAS ride

Flat ride out to 101 along the coast - turn around and come back. Hope you can join us.
dave
wittry@hotmail.com

Congratulations, Leon!

Dave, Leon, Zoe, Kaylin and I travelled down to Ilan early (4 am) Sunday morning for the 23 km Taipingshan Mountain race. While not a long race, the fact that the road is one continuous climb made for a challenging ride. There were 432 starters in the road bike category and almost the same in the mountain bike category.

Dave rode on my number on account of the pins still in my hand and used it for a training ride. He still finished about half way through the group.

Leon started the ride at a comfortable pace, expecting the hill to be quite steep. It turned out to be a reasonable and steady grade, so he gradually increased his pace, reeling in rider after rider. In the last 100 meters, he sprinted past a rider in his division and ended up taking 2nd in the M40 category and 30th overall. Nice job!

Zoe and Kaylin and I rode in the pace car with Sean and yelled quite a few jyaios. It was a great day. Big thanks to Dave for driving, refreshments, and enthusiasm.

Results are posted here:

Category
Overall

-Bill

Don't Forget- Saturday Morning Rides!

From Brenda:

The 7:00 am bike path/adventure rides will continue each Saturday morning until further notice. Come join us if you can.

Saturday Ride With Brenda Report

Brenda emailed me a report of last Saturday's ride:

Saturday saw six riders (Karen P., Karen J., Ralph, Jean, Craig, and Brenda) set off on the bike path to Tanshui. Riding nonchalantly along, enjoying each other's company (with Ralph playing tour guide supreme) our olfactory senses were assaulted by the aroma of hundreds of freshly bagged dead fish near Guandu. Karen J. told us the reason for the stench was because of a deliberate dumping of chemicals in the already semi-polluted waters of the river. Holding our breath and pinching our noses we continued on to Tanshui, where we boarded the ferry and enjoyed a slightly choppy ride across the river. Once across the river we rode to the end of one pier and ogled Tanshui Lover's Bridge in the distance. Then we rode around the archaeological museum before heading back to get fresh lemon juice and a hot donut. After enjoying our goodies we headed back toward the Guandu Bridge (aka the red bridge) and back into Tienmu. A good time was had by all, and it was nice to have two new teachers with us.

Sounds like a great ride- and new cyclists are welcome every Saturday!

-Broken Hand Bill

Amazing Bike Video

Duffy just sent me this video:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8867862777896510907

Bill

Caution: Slippery Roads!

I suppose I should have learned from Simon's slide out on the way down Helen's last week or Steve's tumble descending from the Saddle in June, but I didn't expect to fall going UP the hill!

I was heading from Four Corners to Starbucks/7-11 on the ridge road yesterday when my rear wheel slid out going around the first sharp right hand bend. The fall wouldn't have been bad, but my left hand got caught under my body. Twelve hours at Veteran's Hospital later, I'm now sporting a nice cast and a broken hand that supposedly will keep me off the bike for the next three months.

So, be careful out there, the roads seem to be particularly slick!

Needless to say, I won't make it on my planned weekend rides. I'll be out as soon as I can...

Bill

Weekend Riding & Rides For the Week

What a great first week of riding back in Taiwan! Before a quick recap, here's an email that I received on Friday from Brenda Huff:

If you have a hankering to discover the many Taipei bike paths, please consider joining us for Saturday morning bike rides. We meet at TAS each Saturday (weather permitting) at 7:00 and decide where to go. The pace is fairly gentle, but we do sometimes split into different groups for more energetic rides.

There are several of us who have extra bikes if you have not visited Sean’s Giant bike shop yet.

If you have any questions, feel free to fire off an email.

Looking forward to seeing new faces on Saturday.

Brenda Huff


I haven't heard any report yet from Brenda's ride, but I bet they had a great spin as usual...

I was pleased to see two new faces- Tracy and Curt- at Saturday's 1 pm ride. They joined Leon, Rock, Dave and myself on a spin along the coast and up 101 from the back. The heat made for one of the toughest rides I've done in a long while, but we all made it to the summit.

I met up with Bill Bryson Friday evening and he told me that he, Kaight, Bill and some others were planning a 5 hour ride Saturday departing at 5 am. I haven't heard any ride reports yet...

Wally, Mick, Ron, Simon, Rock, Leon, Curt and I headed up to Helen's this morning. The heat wasn't quite as bad at 6:30. Helen's seems to be upgrading- new espresso machine, cemented bike racks and a website! It was nice to have a 50-50 split between TASers and non-TASers. There were also literally hundreds of other riders out in the hills- we easily outnumber the cars. We've decided to try to make the ride a regular occurence for the next few weeks. Any rider is welcome- I know Wally would like some company on the mountain bike (although I hear he may be leaning towards getting a new road bike!) and Mick would like some support in his anti-lycra campaign...

My Rides This Week

Tuesday: Depart TAS at 5:15 am for the Satellites ride. I know Ron and Chris will be there and I plan to twist Duffy's arm to get him and his whistle along.

Wednesday: Some morning ride (leaving 5-5:30ish). I think Bill Bryson may be heading out. Anyone got anything planned?

Thursday: Departing Tien Mu around 4 pm for an assault on Da Tuen Shan with Leon.

Saturday: Same ride as this Saturday but departing TAS at 6 am. We should be back between 9 and 10, depending on the number of stops.

Sunday: Same ride as this Sunday, departing TAS at the same time (6:30 am). Helen's has great hot and cold coffees as well as a tasty iced peach drink for those avoiding caffeine. It would be great to get some more cyclists out next Sunday...

Any changes to the above planned rides will be via a comment added to this posting.


Please feel free to post your own rides/ride reports/cycling musings to this blog. Just send an email to yangmingshan.taipeiycc@blogger.com with the message title in the subject line and your message in the body of the email.

See you out in the hills!

Bill

Weekend Riding

Leon, Dave, Rock and I are meeting at TAS at 1 pm on Saturday to spin out to Tamshui, ride along the coast to Sanjr and then Leon and I plan to give it a push up the 101 from there. The ride should be about 3 hours or so. We will all be on road bikes

I'm heading out at 6:30 am on Sunday from TAS for a mellow spin up Helen's. The ride should be about two hours.

As always, anyone who would like to come is welcome. If I make any changes to these plans, I'll post a comment to this message.

Hope to see you out there!

Bill

Tuesday Morning's Ride

Tuesday morning's ride saw a smaller crowd than last year, but the eight of us who came out for the spin up to the Satellites had a great time.

Hope to see others out on the next group ride!

Bill

Interesting Ride Saturday Aug 5!

We (Bill, Leon and Simon) pushed off from TAS at 6:00 (turns out Bill and Leon were still on US time, thus the early start); met Dave at National Palace Museum, then headed up Helens to meet Lucas. Beautiful day, quite clear, but already getting hot. Lucas took us down his hill, then a tiny right turn on a steep one lane road down - remind me to be nice to Lucas so he doesn't abandon us in his Dutch Territories! Then we climbed back up - great views of valleys and mountains. We stopped to regroup where this met the road from Helens to Neihu, and couldn't resist a picture of the dog sign! Dave headed home, we went down to the bottom of Lucas Hill, then up. Very hot and tough climb - I always forget this has about six turns that look like the end!





I headed down Helen's before the rest of the team to get home. So I was just making a relaxed descent, thinking what a great day of biking, and as I came around a bend near the bottom, the back wheel started sliding out. I tried to save it, but no go - fell on my right side and slid for a while. There were a number of mountain bikers around who thought it was interesting! Good News #1 - the bike is fine. Good News #2 - I have nothing broken, but some road rash along my right side. After I realized I was OK, I checked the road - there was the leftovers of what looked like apples that had been crushed by cars, left fermenting in the heat/humidity and had created a great location for a slip and slide! The kids would love it, but not as good for road bike tires.

So I rode home, cleaned up and explained to the family that "no, biking is really not dangerous"! Hope no one else found this particular patch of fun.

See you on the roads soon, I'll be out this week.

Thanks,

Simon Moore

August 7th Email

If you'd like to be added to the YCC mailing list, please send an email to obrien at williams dot alumni dot edu. Following is the latest email:



Hello cyclists-

Looking for a kick-start to the 2006-07 school year? I know that the early morning Satellites ride did it for me last year (see photo below), and so I'd be up for it again. If you're interested in coming along, I'll be meeting at the Taipei American School main gate Tuesday morning, departing at 5:15 am. The ride takes about an hour and fifteen minutes on a road bike, slightly longer on a mountain bike or if you haven't been riding in the hills for a while... I promise I'll wait for anyone who wants to come along!

A reminder that the cycling blog is available at http://taipeiycc.blogspot.com. If you'd like to make a post (offering a ride, seeking a ride, got some news, something to sell, etc.), just send the post in the body of an email and the title in the subject to yangmingshan.taipeiycc@blogger.com.

If you're looking for a new route, you may want to check out some of the rides in the attached Google Earth file (also available from the blog). If you have placemarks or routes to add, send them to me in an email and I'll update the file...

I'm getting out for an easy spin 5:30 Wednesday and a climb up Da Tuen Shan 5:15 Thursday. I'm planning on a longer climbing ride Saturday at 6 and then something a bit mellower Sunday (Helen's?). I'll be going out on my road bike. If you're interested in joining me on any rides, just send me an email. I'll try to post more details on the weekend rides later in the week.

Hope to see you out in the hills!

Bill

P.S. I know that some of you have left Taiwan and may not be interested in receiving any YCC riding notes. If so, just drop me a note and I'll remove you from the email list.

Tai Ping Mountain Climb

For all of you who are planning to race up Tai Ping Mountain on August 27, the following information may be helpful. The most recent time I climbed this road was on August 1.

It took 2.5 hours of driving from my house to the beginning of the climb. The new tunnel (highway 5) saves a lot of time but after leaving the highway in Ilan County, you will still have a fairly long way to go.

Tai Ping Mountain seems to be in the wettest part of Taiwan. On all previous rides it was pouring rain except on August 1. When I started the climb (at 09:30) it was steaming hot and sunny but even so, around 1500 meter MSL it was foggy and near the top (around 2000 meter MSL) there was drizzle and a very strong wind. In a matter of fact, I have never seen the top of the mountain in the clear except sometimes very early in morning. Descending from that altitude when wet from either rain or sweat will be very chilly and you should bring appropriate clothing.

The road conditions have greatly improved. The race was originally planned for June but was cancelled and delayed until August 27 due to the poor road conditions. You will see new asphalt on many sections. There are right now only 2 sections left that are unpaved (each about 150 meters) but work crews are hard at work to fix them.

The distance is clearly marked with kilometer signs every 500 meters. The first 5 KM are relatively mild. There is no need to stand up and you can use your 39/23~21. The first couple hairpin turns start around the 5 KM mark and the 2 sections of unpaved road are also in this area. From 5 KM to 10 KM it seems that the gradient becomes a little steeper but it is still no problem. Around the 9 KM mark you can look up and, on a clear day, see the road winding up the mountain giving you a good idea about what is ahead. Starting from 11-12 KM, it is becoming harder and you will probably find yourself standing up on a few sections, specially when coming through the hairpin turns. The hardest part is from 15 to 22 KM. You reach the summit at 22 KM. This is the highest point of the climb but probably not the finish line. The official "Tai Ping Mountain" signs are at 24.2 KM where there is also a parking lot, toilets and a guard station. The last 2 KM of road are mostly flat and even slightly down. For all practical purposes, the race is probably decided at the 22 KM mark. Don't expect to be able to pass a lot of riders in the last 2 KM.

In general it is a beatiful climb without any extreme gradients. The only difference with the northern roads around Taipei is the length. It is probably twice as long as the longest climb we do in this area. Also, eventhough the gradient varies, it is never flat and it never goes down. There is no opportunity to rest your legs and recover. Settling into a sustainable pace is key!

Enjoy.
Lucas

Greetings from Denmark

A quick hello from Denmark and a please excuse me if I didn't get to
reply all my mails before leaving Taipei. Our last weeks in Taipei
were hectic.

Unfortunately, I did not get to go to watch "Le Tour" in France this
year, but I am benefitting from the great all stage TV coverage we get
here. What a race it has turned out to be!!!! Michael Rasmussen was
fantastic yesterday and today Floyd Landis was absolutely outstanding.
The absence of Lance Armstrong / a clear "patron" of he peleton is
obvious and leaves everything very unpredictable and open. Can't wait
to see how it all turns out but my money is on Floyd.

Today, the race took the riders across the famous Category 1 climb
"Col de la Colombiere" which I rode twice last summer (once with Craig
Johns) and it might interest you all to learn that the climb is quite
comparable to the 101 ride both in lenght and gradient.

On a last note I have become a member of a local cycling club. We go
out 3 times a week in groups of 15-30 riders at the time. 60-100K
rides depending on he group with average speeds of around 28 kph for
the slow group and 34-38 kph for the fastest group. Great group of
people but no mountains :-(

Take care!

Jesper (Vibe-Hansen)

August Riding

I will be flying back into Taipei Friday, August 4th. If you're interested in meeting up for a ride Saturday or Sunday, leave a comment and let me know...

Bill O'Brien

Howdy all;

 

If you are back in Taipei, The Green Bar shows the Tour de France each night - they have a satellite system.  Big mountain stages on Tues, Wed and Thur!

 

Thanks,

 

Simon Moore

Saturday's Race Results

Word has trickled back to Maine that Team Columbus has once again performed well. At the KHS 101 Hill Climb, Steve Reed finished 3rd in the M40 category, 12th overall. Peter Langslow finished several minutes back. Kaight Forgie took 3rd in the Women's category. Tom took overall honors.

Results are available here:

Overall
Age category

I managed to track down a couple of photos.

Kate muscles up the mountain

Steve "Maximus" Reed dancing on his pedals

The Captain soars up 101

I'm looking forward to getting back into those hills!

-Bill

August 6th - 17th Cycling Tour of Taiwan

The Taiwan Cycling Federation is organizing a twelve-day 1000 km cycling tour of the island for a nominal expense. The tour travels the entire island, averaging about 100 km/day.

The cost for students aged 18-30 is US$100 and transportation to Taiwan. All hotels and meals are sponsored by the Taiwan Cycling Federation. Non-students can still ride, but they will need to contribute US$30 per day for hotel and meals.

Full details and registration form are available at http://www.cyclist.org.tw/word/060806tw.doc. Registration closes July 10th.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact me.

Bill O’Brien

Beijing Charity Ride in October

Peter forwarded me the flyer below for a charity ride around Beijing in October to raise funds for Regain, a charity which supports people paralysed in sporting accidents. It was forwarded to him by a friend; feel free to pass it along to others.



Click the picture to see a large version of the flyer.

Bill

Weekend: Riding & Racing

As the rain poured down Sunday morning, I wished I could snuggle into bed- a ride was the last thing on my mind. As I headed down the hill in the drizzle, I had no idea what to expect. Needless to say, I was surprised to find a group of cyclists waiting at the front gate and amazed as this group grew to 18 riders, including three young passengers.

We rolled away from TAS and the rain stopped. For the next two hours, not a drop fell from the sky. Cyclists took the hill at varying paces; I was surprised how quickly everyone made it up. I was particularly impressed with the Earley Clan, complete with running commentary from the boys on the hook-a-bikes...

Helen's Coffee wasn't open due to the questionable weather, but a small group continued back to the Starbucks at the Palace Museum. We all agreed that we will have to arrange another ascent in August.

A small selection of the riders after coffee.

Saturday was a great day of racing out at Fulong. The 55 km course snaked along the coast at a controlled pace before ascending 10 km to the mountain above Jyoufen. After a quick drop back to the valley, the ride meandered back to Fulong before finishing on a wicked 2.5 km clim to the finish.

The pack of 409 cyclists was dominated by Team Columbus riders. Craig Johns, fresh off his recent triathlon victories, proved why he is the dominant rider on the tri circuit by finishing a very impressive 7th place, just behind the Elite Category riders. He took out first in the M25 division. Luke took 2nd in M20, just behind Craig. Leon blasted up the hill to finish 17th and 2nd in M40. Maximus Reedus finished just behind Leon in 3rd in M40 and Peter rounded out the top 6 in M40. Henry had one of his best races, finishing 5th in M30. Eric, Yamada, and Barry also placed in their divisions. In her first race, Kate earned the 3rd spot on the podium. All in all, the Team Columbus results were strong enough to earn 2nd in the team competition- impressive!

Speedy Reedy

The Captain Ascends

Full results are available here:

Overall
Age group

If you take a look at the times from the race, you will see that you don't need to be super fast to compete. Consider coming out to a race in the fall...

I depart for my summer holidays on Thursday, so I probably won't be publishing much to the blog until then. Please remember, though, that anyone is welcome to post using email.

See you in the fall!

Bill

Helen's Ride Sunday Rain or Shine

Don't forget- the Annual Helen's Climb is this Sunday, May 28th. Meet in front of the Taipei American School at 8 am- mountain bike, road bike, touring bike, whatever! Ride will go rain or shine.

Hope to see you there!

Giro d'Italia - Live feeds and TV

For those of you out their interested in following the Giro d'Italia -
LIVE, here are a few links I think you would like.

First of all my preferred link comes courtesey of the premier Italian
sports newspaper: La Gazetta dello Sport (articles in English).
Through this link you will also have access to live video feeds!!

http://www.gazzetta.it/Speciali/Giroditalia/2006/en/

Another favourite of mine is through the internet homepage of the
Eurosport TV channel. Close to the end of each stage their will be a
live Audio feed, with Sean Kelly as one of the commentators. The link
is found here:

www.eurosport.com

Good luck!
Jesper

Posting to the blog

Hello all.

As some of you may have noticed, we've received a few spam posts to the blog. I've changed the email address for making posts. If you'd like to post directly to the blog, the new address is yangmingshan.taipei at blogger dot com. Any cycling related posts are welcome.

Hope to see you out at the May 28th Helen's ride. 8 am, Taipei American School- all welcome!

Bill

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

Saturday Race Report

Despite the heavy rain last night and early this morning, Leon, Bill and Reedus met down at Sean's shop at 6:45 this morning to meet up with the Henry and the Columbus boys for the trip out to Taoyuan. White Dog was initially surprised that Seymour was a no-show, but then he mumbled something about "fair-weather rider" and the boys were off...

There were around 100 racers for the spin down the coast. The main group stayed together until the climb up to the Linkou Plateau. The steep grade in places was reminiscent of Spider Hill or the Horse Stable Road. Leon and Steve managed to keep the lead mountain goats within reach and regrouped on the treacherous descent. Bill and Henry formed a small chase group behind.

Leon and Luke (Tom's grandson) pushed the pace for the lead group of six, but the finish came quicker than either Leon or Steve expected. They were beat out in the sprint by a young rider on a trick bike, but Luke managed 3rd overall, Leon 4th and Reedus 6th.

Overall placings for the day included 1st for Luke in the M20, 1st for Henry in M30, 3rd for Bill in M35, 1st for Leon in M40 and 2nd for Steve in M40. Not a bad showing for the Team Columbus boys!

We were fortunate to meet up with a couple riders from Ilan, Mark (3rd in M40) and Caine (6th in M25).


The M40 Boys...

Several riders asked about Seymour, but the general consensus was that the quick climber would have had a rough day in the saddle given the need for power along the coastal flats and it is probably just as well that he stayed in bed. Undoubtedly, his family relished the rare site of Seymour off his bike on a Saturday morning.

Next race: May 27th out near Fulong...

-Bill

Saturday Race

There will be a 48 km road race this Saturday starting in Taoyuan,
out near CKS Airport at 9 am. The race follows the coast road, turns
into the hills for a brief loop, and then finishes back along the
coast road. This should be a rather small race- let me know if you'd
like more details.

Bill O'Brien

P.S. Stage 4 of the Taiwan Cycling Club Championships will be held on
the 27th of May out near Fulong. Mark your calendar- more details to
come...

2006 Tour of East Taiwan Results

The Tour of East Taiwan was held this weekend, with the Hualien to Taidong leg on Saturday and the return leg on Sunday. Steve Seymour won his age category and Leon took second- impressive results!

Saturday's results:
Overall
Age group

Sunday's results:
Overall
Age group

General Category results.
Overall


Maximus and Greg were also tearing it up. I believe Bill and Bill were riding the challenge race as well.

Any stories or photos, boys?

Bill

YCC Annual Helen's Climb

Hello cyclists.

Recognize anyone in this photo?



This is the crew of 50 or so who ascended Helen's in May 2002. I'm hoping we can get a large group together to do it again this May.


Mark your calendars:

Sunday, May 28th at 8:00 am in front of TAS.

Helen's is a great climb- once you get out past the National Palace Museum, there are very few cars and lots of beautiful scenery. Helen's mobile coffee van has great lattes, peach smoothies, waffles and more. You will be well rewarded at the top!

There are quite a few cyclists on this email list; it would be great to have a crowd for the ride this year. All ability levels are welcome for this climb- mountain bikers, touring cyclists, roadies- anyone on two wheels.

Here's the map of the route:



If you download the Google Earth file at right, you can select the Helen's route and play it to give a feel for the ride if you've never done it before. Here's an elevation map of the climb:




Please let me know if you have any questions. This weekend would be a great time to go for a spin up part or all of the climb. It certainly makes it easier if you get out for a few rides before the 28th, but don't let that keep you from coming if you don't!

Hope to see you next month...

Take care,

Bill

Friday Ride

Is anyone available for a spin sometime tomorrow?

Bill

Saturday Triple Crown Ride

Leon, Steve and I are meeting at TAS to tackle the Triple Crown (Helen's, Wanli, Sanjr, 101, Tien Mu). It will be a rather long ride, but we'd welcome any other roadies who would like to come... Meet at TAS at 1 pm.

Bill

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