The first thing people ask about our cycle tour of Taiwan is: Why Taiwan?
Well, it’s easy – Taiwan is a small country with diverse natural landscapes, great food, lovely people and is extremely bike-friendly. It’s so bike-friendly that cars slow down and hand food and drinks out the window, people shout encouragement from their scooters as they whizz past and the local police stations double as cycling rest stops complete with bike pumps, tools, toilets and a microwave to heat up your pot noodles.
We flew to the capital, Taipei in early January – the middle of winter in Taiwan, but perfect for cycling. Temperatures for the month ranged from about 10 at the coldest in the north and up to about 30 in the south. In the mountains it would have been much colder, but we didn’t venture to the peaks.
It is easy to rent bikes there, but we are way too fussy for that so custom built our own.
We got a couple of cheap steel 29″ers and got them repainted. I went for a super gloss metallic copper, and Chris a classic green with a slight baby sparkle. The Copper Kettle and the Lawnmower were born.
The build was finished choosing strong, robust parts from the Marleen work catalogue. Safe to say the staff account took a big hit (sorry Graham), but the end result was solid. We had some awesome help from our local bike community with Oli Brooke White from Roadworks facing and reaming all the mounts, forks and threads, Stu and the team from Get Lost Cycling letting me raid their component stores to get the drivetrain bits we needed, and Burkes lending me the occasional tool and help with some modifications.
The bikes are fully rigid, running 29″ DT wheels with 700 x 45 Maxxis Refuses, and a 2 x 11 drivetrain. This was no brevet – we were riding fully laden, so the entire gear range was used and appreciated.
We carried a 2-person tent, sleeping gear, cooker and usually enough food for each day including a lot of snacks. Our bike weight was 13kg and gear/bags/water were an additional 12kg each.
Day 1: Taipei – The Beginning of an Adventure
We arrived in Taipei and navigated the metro to the city, which was a breeze. We had about a 10-minute walk with our Evoc bike bags from Taipei Central train station to our hostel (Beimen WOW Poshtel – very bike friendly).
Excited but tired from the long flight, we squeezed into our compact room, built up the bikes and loaded the bags for the journey ahead. The hostel kindly stored our luggage and bike bags until we returned at the end of the month.
Day 2: Taipei to Jiufen – 49km, 553m elevation in 4h 22m
After negotiating what was to be the only mechanical of the trip – a bent derailleur from the flight over, and after one of the best pancake breakfasts of the trip, we started to leave Taipei behind. From glimmering cityscapes and markets in side streets to serene cycle paths beside the river, each moment offered a new perspective on Taipei City. At times it felt like we weren’t making any ground at all, and google maps got a serious workout, but we finally got on the road to Jiufen and found our rhythm.
Our hostel in the old city of Jiufen, was carefully selected as it was at street level so we didn’t have to heave our loaded bikes up the 1000-year-old steep, narrow steps that Jiufen is famous for. Our first taste of local cuisine at the night markets in the ancient streets that night left us craving more, with vegan noodle soup and unique local shaved ice peanut coriander pancake creations.
Day 3: Jiufen to Toucheng – 58km, 401m elevation in 4h 21m
We woke to heavy rain but it wasn’t cold so we hit the road. We rode up the hill out of Jiufen urged on by people astounded we would be riding in such weather – we had the first of many yelled encouragements of Jiayou!! This loosely translates to mean any of the following: “You can do it!”, “Don’t give up!” or “Stay Strong”.
We passed the majestic and aptly named Golden Falls, ancient ruins shrouded in mist and had a hectic Tour de France-esque winding descent down to the coast. Riding along the coastline, we were greeted by stunning cliffs and sweeping vistas, making the rainy ride worth the effort. A detour inland along a heritage trail led us to the 2km long Caoling cycling tunnel complete with lights and music. This popped out onto the main coastal road towards our accommodation in Toucheng.
Day 4: Toucheng to Dong-ao and train to Chongde/Ye-Zhai campground. 48km, 476m elevation in 3h 27m
We had stayed in a boutique hotel, which to our surprise included a buffet breakfast. Not expecting much we went and had a look and were surprised by the extensive range of food on offer. As it was still raining, we ate and drank coffee – finally leaving mid morning after four breakfasts.
Navigating the next town we were pleasantly surprised by the first of many encounters with locals including food and drink ‘hand-ups’ out car windows as we were riding along. As two females cycling around the country, we were often met with awe, very quickly followed by offers of food. We must have looked very hungry!
We had a beautiful ride up and over into Dong-ao. A long sweeping descent led us to the tiny train station, where we had just enough time to get into dry clothes before the train to Chongde arrived.
The train ride avoided a dangerous section of busy road which included narrow tunnels with no shoulder or cycle lane. Once we arrived in Chongde we had a flat ride though villages and seaside jungle roads to find our campsite as the last of the daylight was fading.
Day 5 Xincheng rest day
After a good sleep only interrupted by the resident roosters, we had a nice, relaxed spin around the seaside town of Xincheng and time to do some laundry.
We had planned to eat dinner at a local vegetarian cafe but discovered it was closed, so after a few enquiries it seemed our meal was to be supplied by the local 7 Eleven.
In Taiwan 7 Elevens and Family Marts (the rival chain) are everywhere. They have a large selection of pre-packaged food, hot items like roasted kumara, hotdogs, tubs of cooked eggs and braised tofu and meats. They also have industrial nuking machines that can cook anything in seconds.
We opted for some fried rice and dumplings, washed down with a can of Tokyo Lager. Delicious!
Day 6: Taroko Gorge – 67km, 1004m elevation in 6h 30m
We opted to do Taroko Gorge as a day trip. With the sun shining, our bikes feeling lighter and our spirits high, we powered up into the majestic gorge.
Every twist and turn revealed breath-taking vistas, from towering marble cliffs to crystal-clear blue waters. Along the way, we encountered monkeys, amazing tunnels carved into the rock, beautiful walks to waterfalls and shrines, and local delicacies, including banana leaf parcels filled with purple rice and chickpeas.
Some of the roads were centuries old, built by the Japanese army. Many led to historic indigenous villages or shrines.
After climbing 1000 metres we had seen the best of the gorge so we turned around, and in the last light of the day descended back down at warp speed. We flew into the village at the bottom, stopping quickly at a food stall to get some dinner to take back to camp. We made camp on dark and were starving.
A neighbouring couple, in typical Taiwanese kindness, gave us a wok full of noodles and vegetables to eat. She had just finished eating and wanted to share kai with us. Later on, we were also supplied with fresh guava – “eat eat!” we were instructed, and we did. It was delicious!
Day 7: Chongde to Shoufeng – 42km, 190m elevation in 2h 42m
In the morning the kindness continued. We were delivered fried eggs with ‘bacon’ (“no meaty!” the handwritten note said), ‘chicken’ nuggets, fruit, muffins, noodles and tea. We finally set off with very full tummies, our friendly neighbours waving us goodbye enthusiastically.
We opted for the shorter route to Shoufeng, making it an easier day after climbing all day yesterday. We got to Hualien city in time for what seemed like our seventh breakfast (pancakes again!) and more coffee, then continued onto Shoufeng. Egg fried rice and an early night!
Day 8: Shoufeng to Ruisui – 57km, 601m elevation in 3h 57m
After one of the best breakfasts so far – fried leek pie and eggs with chilli sauce – we set off on undulating mountain backroads. We were treated to stunning scenery and quiet roads. This was to be our most beautiful and scenic day on the bike. A warm welcome, lovely guest house and a vegetarian feast awaited us in Ruisui, fuelling us for the next day.
Day 9: Ruisui to Chishang- 49km, 367m elevation in 2h 44m
As we rode down the Eastern Rift Valley we rolled through bustling towns and beautiful landscapes, from terraced rice paddies to bamboo forests.
We had a cute stop at a farm exhibition where monuments and giant animals the size of small houses had been crafted from straw. We stayed in another boutique hotel, with a short walk to local eateries. The highlight was the local tofu skin factory where we had apple strudel where the tofu skin was used in place of pastry. Sounds weird but was delicious!
Day 10: Chishang to Taitung 65km, 559m elevation in 4h 18m
Leaving Chishang we took advantage of a stonking tailwind, flying along at double our usual speed to 35kph on the the narrow roads above the terraced rice paddies and canals.
We eventually veered away from the rift valley and rode up into the mountains along quiet backroads, through indigenous villages with trees of monkeys and creaking bamboo forests. We had an extremely windy and winding descent into Taitung, the biggest town since Hualien back up the coast.
Day 11: Taitung rest day
After another round of laundry and two breakfasts we decided to have a massage. It was amazing!
We then carried on our food hunt trying sesame and peanut pancake muffins from a street vendor, then later a vegan food outlet where you could select your food to be braised or fried. There seemed to be endless options and a complicated arrangement of coloured baskets to put things in. No one spoke English, so we navigated the order with frantic hand gestures, speaking at each other in different languages and roaring with laughter. It was hilarious, and we ended up with some of the best food of the trip, but to this day we have no idea what it was or how we got it.
Day 12: Taitung to Daren 65km, 429m elevation in 3h 27m
We left Taitung with a massive tailwind, which we took advantage of and powered all the way to Daren on a high. We found our hostel, and discovered it was Japanese style bedding directly on the floor. I was dubious I would sleep well, only to awake the next morning having had the best sleep so far on our journey.
Day 13 Daren to Manzhou 61km, 884m elevation in 4h 37m
After another egg pancake start (I love Taiwan!), and we were off to Manzhou over the quieter mountain roads. As we climbed, we looked down on the main highway below. It was an engineering feat, at times 30 storeys in the air above the forest canopy. After three steep hills, we descended to the coast, and headed towards the southern tip of Taiwan. It reminded us of Wellington – winding coastal roads with WWII embattlements and military remnants along the way.
We made it to Manzhou and our campground late in the afternoon. It had recently been hammered by a cyclone and was in rebuild mode, but regardless a great place to pitch the tent for a night. We were the only ones there apart from the lovely owners and their very friendly dogs.
Day 14 Manzhou to Hengchun 32km, 390m elevation in 2h 33m
We left the campsite in the sun and rode around the tip of the island, stopping to visit the southernmost point of Taiwan. We headed north through the seaside resort towns, now on the west coast. I had tired legs and hadn’t eaten enough the day before so by early afternoon I cracked. We rolled into Hengchun and found a place to stay. I was exhausted. In hindsight a bit of under-fuelling was enough for the wheels to completely fall off. A big learning moment for me.
Day 15 Rest day in Hengchun
I was still very tired the next morning, so we negotiated to stay another night and spent the day walking around the city and eating great food.
Chinese New Year was looming, so firecrackers were constantly going off and people were burning bundles of fake money in flaming street-side braziers. From ancient forts to bustling markets it was a friendly and fun town. We walked along the walled part of the old city, visiting the four gates and watching people go about their lives.
Day 16: Hengchun to Fangliao – 49km, 333m elevation in 2h 57m
Leaving beautiful Hengchun and heading to Fangliao, it was like we were riding into a wall of smog. We were now truly on the west coast and industry and factories were taking the place of villages and plantations. We battled strong crosswinds and pressed on, encountering scooter gangs and bustling markets along the way.
Arriving in the small township, we booked into a cyclist lodge. Opting for a delicious $2.50 noodle soup from a local shop, we ended up still feeling hungry so we bought snacks and beer from the 7 Eleven. The host also gave us some wax apples which were amazing, we had seen them in the markets before but not tried them. Refreshing and light.
Day 17: Fangliao to Kaohsiung – 61.5km, 260m elevation in 4h 26m
Our journey between Fangliao and Kaohsiung was a study in contrasts.
Fangliao has a huge aquaculture industry. It was strange to see houses, shrines and temples squeezed in between the extensive networks of heron lined canals, irrigation and concreted aquafarm-scapes.
Kaohsiung is a modern city with wide busy streets, glinting skyscrapers and heavy traffic. Our hotel let us leave the bikes in the reception area so we ventured out, first checking out some boutique bike-clothing shops, then eating our body weight in dinner at a vegetarian buffet.
Day 18: Kaohsiung to Tainan – 52km, 291m elevation in 3h 42m
On the way out of Kaohsiung we visited lakes, pagodas, and markets. The constant stopping and starting took a toll on our legs, but a refuel of kumara and potatoes from our friends at the Family Mart kept us going.
We encountered a museum on our way into Tainan that had modelled itself on the Capitol Building in Washington DC and included a bridge that was the spitting image of the famous Charles Bridge from Prague so we rode around the grounds watching Instagram influencers getting their shots.
It was our last full day on the bikes, so tinged with a bit of sadness we rolled into the old city of Tainan and enjoyed a comforting dinner of mushroom and egg veggie noodles.
After a day exploring Tainan we took a local train to Taipei (you can’t take unbagged bikes on the bullet train) and spent a couple of days there before flying home. We will be back Taiwan! Final stats below!
