Why Taiwan?

Jan’s bought me a new T-shirt.

Why would I consider Taiwan as a cycling destination?

1. It’s relatively close
2. See it before the Chinese People’s Liberation Army arrive
3. Cycling friendly
4. Great food
5. Numerous hostels and budget hotels
6. Scenic
7. Good infrastructure allowing short daily rides between locations

What about the bike?  Because cycling is so popular there are numerous companies renting bikes and bike repair shops.  The centre of Taiwan has a mountainous spine with peaks exceeding 3000 metres.  An e-bike is probably a good option for someone my age.  I could take my own bike.  Many airlines accept bikes as part of a passengers luggage allowance.  On further research I’ve discovered they won’t take the bike’s lithium battery.  I’d need to either ship the battery in advance by sea or buy/rent a battery in Taiwan.  Can that be done?

When to go?  Taiwan can be hot and humid in the summer.  Rainfall needs to be considered along with the typhoon season.  The best month is December when it’s cool with little rainfall.

Where to go?  Stay away from the west coast of the island.  This is very industrial and heavily populated.  The east coast is less populated and scenic.

What to avoid?  Cycling isn’t allowed on major motorways. 

Mapping.  I’ve been using the following map sources

• Google Earth
• Google Maps
• Open Street Map
• www.bikemap.net   

Most of the planning has been done using Open Street Map.  Unfortunately (for me) it shows place names in Chinese characters so I’ve used Google Maps and Google Earth to cross reference locations.  The first step was to draw a route.

 

The current plan would be to arrive in Taipei and cycle a clockwise route down the east coast returning on the western side of the central spine away from the heavily populated areas.

The next step was to calculate the daily distance.  I set a daily goal of 30km.  This was then refined by using BikeMap to produce an elevation map of each section.  Too many hills or too steep and I’d reduce the distance for that day.  Conversely, extend the distance if it was flat or downhill.

Having identified the daily distance look for a nearby town where accommodation might be found.  Open Street Map was good for this and I then used Google (and Google Translate) to identify suitable accommodation and cost.  When all that was completed I used Open Street Map to identify all the public toilets along the route.  Yes….. The plumbing isn’t as reliable as it once was.

The route is approximately 1000km, with some steep sections towards the end where I must cross over the mountainous spine. 

How to navigate?  I’ve been downloading routes from Google Maps, Open Street Map and BikeMap before converting the data into gpx format where necessary.  All this data is then uploaded to OSMAND, my Android sat nav app.  A finalise duplicate copy of this data will be uploaded to Google Drive.  That way if my phone fails or is stolen, I can purchase a replacement phone in Taiwan and download the data on to it.

Fallback position.  Taiwan has an excellent train network and many of the service allow bikes.  If I get behind on my schedule or the body/brain gives up, I can skip a few days cycling by catching a train.

How long will it take?   I estimate a month, allowing for several rest days at particularly scenic locations.

Communications.  SIM cards can be purchased at the airport on arrival and mobile data isn’t expensive.  Many younger Taiwanese speak English.  I will also use Google Translate where necessary.

What will it cost?  That’s the part I haven’t completed!

Meanwhile the body needs to repair itself and allow me to get bike fit.