cold + wet + 76 kilometers + 2,200 meters climbing + 5 hours = NeverStop

by Michael Cannon on January 17, 2010 in Biking

Rolling race start It all started last October or so when a friend asked, “hey you want to enter a race around Yangming mountain.” Sure, I replied.

Looking back, I must’ve been smoking the ganga weed that day.

I didn’t know that I’d be ever so thankful for new winter biking clothes because of the cold, rain and ever present in your face wind.

1st rest stop Or, how I would mentally vaporize bikers who couldn’t decide whether they’re going to go fast or slow or where to ride in the traffic lane when climbing or descending.

Or, how I would yell at the the driver of an $ 80,000 dollar, road blocking Porsche Cayenne to move their arse so I could go faster down the Jinshan-金山 side of Yangjin Highway-陽金公路.

Or, how my frozen fingers and knees would cause me to ride wide into mud, almost hit concrete barriers and come very close to flying off the side of the hill when I couldn’t control my braking on a slick hairpin turn in coming down Fonggueizuei-風貴嘴.

Or, how cold, dripping wet and bombed out I would feel coming up the last few hundred vertical meters to the finish line at Lengshueikeng-冷水坑. That road had more turns into hills than any I’ve ever ridden before.

It. Was. Demoralizing.

Have we started yet?Of course, we can’t forget the 20-something kid that literally drove into me while turning right. Boy did I have a few choice words for him after keeping myself upright, coming to a stop, turning around and glaring at him while yelling. I even have a keepsake of the cars silver paint on my left shoe.

Proof: I rode the NeverStop YangJin P Highway Challenge in under 5 hoursStill, despite the suck, this was a fun, mentally and physically challenging ride made just under my 5 hour goal for 76 kilometers and 2,200 meters of climbing with my friends… a bit behind me.

So, would I ride this route again? Yes, on a dry weekday morning.

Race Results

Bike Route

Ride Photos

Proof: I rode the NeverStop YangJin P Highway Challenge in under 5 hours Being fed and warm makes me a much happier guy Even my bike is tired after 95 kilometers of up and downs I've got 14 more kilometers up to go? Ugh… Riders starting to drop at bottom of Lengshueikeng-冷水坑 2nd rest stop 1st rest stop Riding through Tianmu-天母 Have we started yet? Rolling race start NeverStop YangJin P Highway Challenge - January 17, 2010 - 11 Ready to start Snack packing Datou rests a little longer at the 3rd stop Ready to go riding 天祥寶塔 - NeverStop YangJin P Highway Challenge - January 17, 2010 - C - 2 This is tough - cold & wet & constant up - NeverStop YangJin P Highway Challenge - January 17, 2010 - C - 3 Very happy to finish - NeverStop YangJin P Highway Challenge - January 17, 2010 - C - 5

NeverStop Websites

Update January 20

  • Added two photos
  • Add race results

Update January 22

  • Added three photos

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Tweets that mention cold + wet + 76 kilometers + 2,200 meters climbing + 5 hours = NeverStop : Peimic.com -- Topsy.com
January 17, 2010 at 10:39 PM

{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Todd January 18, 2010 at 9:08 AM

Looks like a great route!

Reply

2 Michael January 18, 2010 at 3:33 PM
Twitter ID: @comprock

Mr. Wang, 王先生, posted photos at http://cid-6520a4c89bce7430.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/2010-01-17%20%E9%99%BD%E6%98%8E%E5%B1%B1P%E5%AD%97%E9%81%93. You might have to login with Windows Live though to view them.

Mr. Wang is wearing the blue helmet, riding partner Datou is in yellow.

Thank you for sharing these Mr. Wang. Great job finishing the challenge.

Reply

3 Michael January 18, 2010 at 4:24 PM
Twitter ID: @comprock

More photos and results of the NeverStop Yangjin Challenge

* http://picasaweb.google.com.tw/j705203/10117NeverStopP
* http://www.mobile01.com/topicdetail.php?f=367&t=1387430 (some repeats)
* http://www.mobile01.com/topicdetail.php?f=367&t=1388628
* http://www.mobile01.com/topicdetail.php?f=391&t=1266786&p=21
* http://blog.sina.com.tw/noya2288/article.php?pbgid=35504&entryid=591147
* My brain was frozen by the 3rd rest stop and I missed these gals pictured in the fourth post. http://www.mobile01.com/topicdetail.php?f=367&t=1387516&p=2

Race Results
* http://spreadsheets.google.com/lv?key=tliPECoRqm6Hlqw8caM6j1g&f=true&gid=0
** change row count in the top right corner
* I was 349th out of 1,955 riders
* I came in 77th out of 428 for the “C” 35~39(1973~1969) age group
* So I was in the top 18% of all riders and bye age group. Cool!

Reply

4 Jack Chen January 19, 2010 at 1:50 AM
Twitter ID: @jack650

Nice! I didn’t realize there’re races like this in Taiwan. I am hoping the next time I’m back there to do something similar, albeit on a rental bike.

Re: “silver paint”, does that mean the road is not closed to motorists on a race like this? That’s just nuts.

Reply

5 Michael January 19, 2010 at 9:01 AM
Twitter ID: @comprock

Jack,

Check out the NeverStop website for a list of the challenge rides throughout the year in Taiwan.

Next, these races are on the open road in general. Some traffic guides, volunteer taxi drivers, direct you in hopefully the correct direction. Sometimes the spectators will tell you the correct way when the traffic guide is waving you ahead blindly.

Besides the traffic guides, scooter and motorcycle cops travel up and down the route trying to keep folks orderly.

Regarding the car turning into me, it’s not uncommon here in Taiwan and in fact NeverStop has a 4-5 lines on their home page of what’s needed to submit your medical costs for reimbursement. Furthermore, I normally know to ride on the left side of the right traffic lane to keep myself visible. However, with a bit of oncoming traffic, I moved over to overcome the car that turned into me. More than likely, I surprised the driver by being there suddenly.

As long as I stay upright and can ride on, I’m content to move on.

Anyways, it was a day of experiences that I can look back upon with a smile, knowing I did it, survived without any scars and did better than 80% of the other riders.

Michael

Reply

6 Michael January 19, 2010 at 10:20 AM
Twitter ID: @comprock

More photos

* http://photo.xuite.net/lin9343
* http://www.wretch.cc/blog/ruby0502007/12777470
* This guy kept riding after crashing when going down hill on a tight hairpin near 北28 and still put in a 4:30 finish before going to the hospital for a broken collarbone – http://kevinworker.blogspot.com/2010/01/117-neverstop-p.html
* More cute girls – http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/jimmy63723/article?mid=10026
* http://www.bike.club.tw/?func=album&act=display&aid=1040&page=
* http://nicheyquan.blogspot.com/2010/01/neverstop-p2010-0117.html
* http://misgary.pixnet.net/blog/post/26314158
* http://blog.yam.com/daw731/article/26462227

The final rider, 張開昭, crossed the finish line after starting 10 hours and 15 minutes before. Congratulations on sticking it out and completing the NeverStop Challenge.

Reply

7 Michael January 20, 2010 at 1:05 PM
Twitter ID: @comprock
8 Michael January 22, 2010 at 9:28 AM
Twitter ID: @comprock

Datou found these for me. Thank you!

Michael’s picture:
* http://www.flickr.com/photos/fei0518/4283502455/in/set-72157623233087630/
–> at the finish point where you received the certification

* http://f23.yahoofs.com/myper/j8VhkZ2dCkJOid4ld0B2/blog/F23_20100118125917152.jpg?TTAwjWLBeor8rh9Y
* http://f23.yahoofs.com/myper/j8VhkZ2dCkJOid4ld0B2/blog/F23_20100118125913168.jpg?TTAwjWLBvdAVw49E
–> at 天祥寶塔 (a Buddha temple, just about 1km before the second food station)

* http://www.flickr.com/photos/45443559@N06/4287988950/in/set-72157623227883618/
* http://www.flickr.com/photos/45443559@N06/4287247953/in/set-72157623227883618/
–> these photos must be taken at the finish line because you look exhausted, haha!

Reply

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