I rode another 150 kilometers or so Wednesday to Taipingshan-太平山 in Yilan-宜蘭 with 20 locals. The day started out quite early at 4 AM for a 5:30 AM Banciao train station start, followed by a 2 and a half hour local train ride to Luodong-羅東.
After Luodong-羅東 and down the road, it seemed we stopped every 10 kilometers for a smoke, drink and potty break. Riding with locals is definitely a different pace than riding with expats. Still, the locals have friends that drive up water, watermelon slices and fried Yilan onion cakes with eggs. As such, you can’t complain too loudly. 
Once we made it to Taipingshan’s ID-required control gate to pay our 150 NT there was a mad dash of riders going up the hill.
Riding up Taipingshan is for a mad dashers, it’s a long slog and readily within a few kilometers, I had passed most. You’re going from 380 meters to 2,020 meters over 23 kilometers of constant, never dropping ridge climbs. Once at the high point, you then drop 160 meters over the final 1.2 kilometers into Taipingshan Service Station.
At the end, only 3 of us made it to the top, out of 20 riders. Even to me, this climb up was tough. Personally, I felt that I wasn’t recovered fully from Sunday’s century with not enough proper food, recovery riding and sleep.
Based upon how I felt, I gave myself a target of when to turn around not knowing if it was the end or not. Thankfully, within a half-kilometer of my calling it quits, the first man up, Mark C., was coming down and said it’s only another k or two.
Mark’s encouragement gave me the energy to finish climbing the 2,000 meters, enjoy a much needed pit stop and then fly back down to Luodong-羅東 train station in 90 minutes or riding.
Weather wise, from Luodong to Taipingshan base, it was cloudy, slightly windy but warm. Once past 1,000 meters elevation, the fog started rolling in more and occasional rain feel. Past 1,500 meters, cold spots developed and your body was covered with mist droplets.
Thank you Mark C. for inviting me along. Thank you Tomy and gang for letting me share in the days ride.
Biking Taiwan: Climbing Taipingshan-太平山 Photos
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Group photos
http://picasaweb.google.com/tommiichen/2010609
Looks like a fun ride (150km’s in one day?!)
Richard, 150 km isn’t that bad in a day. It’s only 5-8 hours on the saddle. The mountain centuries are the tough ones. If you’re in the flats, you just let your mind go numb as you pedal straight.
Besides, here in Taiwan, there’s plenty to see and experience as you’re riding along, so the distances pass along quickly.
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