October 20-21: Another Expedition on the Northern Cross Island Highway

Michael is organizing another of his great Northern Cross Island rides. These rides are becoming legendary as Michael is becoming known as Mr. Northern Cross. 

I will be unable to attend. But if you have time this weekend, you should really take the opportunity for a fun two days on the bike. 

This is by no means a hardcore race. Rather, it is an accessible ramble into the mountains that most regular riders can enjoy.

Details:

October 20th-21st. Northern Cross-Island Highway ride. Leaving Yongning Metro 7-11 around 8 to ride up the 7A to the 7. Overnight in Lower Baling. Day 2 leave around 7, arrive in I-lan midafternoon. Taipei people should be home for dinner.

I Am Wet For Taiwan's Northern Cross Island Highway

Despite the revised forecast for rain showers, this weekend saw another successful completion of the Northern Cross Island Highway Ride sponsored by The View From Taiwan and Michael Turton (His post on the trip here). 

A couple times every year, Michael will organize a crossing of Taiwan's Central Mountain Range via the magnificent Highway 7. I have had to pass every time... until now. I can finally understand why this route is such a favorite. 





We started our trip in Tucheng, at the Yongning station. The group consisted of Michael, Jeff, Dom and Myself. Along the way we were joined by Patrick, a loyal TiC reader who was eager to test out his new bike that is made for just about every type of riding Taiwan has to offer. One of the great things about Michael's Northern Cross Island Highway (NCIH) rides is the mix of people. You never know who will show up as it is an open invitation for just about anyone, and we were pleased to have Patrick join the fun. 

The heat and humidity had passed bearable long before we started climbing out of Sanxia. The best anyone could do was to deep moving in the vain hope of generating some airflow over the body. To make matters worse, I had left my water bottles at home and had to stuff a couple plastic bottles of H2O on my backpack. If I wanted a drink I would have to stop. 



The scenery is lush and in about every shade of green. The hillsides below Little Wulai are now covered in plumes of bamboo.




We fought through weekend traffic out to the less visited areas. 



We stopped in Little Wulai for a bite to eat before making the transition from the foothills to mountains. 









The road soon narrowed and we slithered our way along every contour of each hidden river valley. 



In mountaineering, new routes or technical innovations are often named after the first to claim them. Although the NCIH is not new, it might very well be named the Turton Route. Michael has taken so many groups over that stretch of road he has become a fixture among the locals. 

His connections were excellent in securing icy mango slushees for each rider at a particular rest stop. 



We all pushed higher and higher. The imminent rain had held off all day. I was hoping we could all make it to Bailing dry. My hopes were dashed when large splatters of rain started coating the steaming tarmac. 

 
It was about at that point I turned things up a notch and hammered ahead toward Bailing. 




By the time our soggy group had all managed to drain the puddles from our shoes, it was exactly beer o'clock. 

The place we were staying at billed itself as a "Bicycle Hostel". The only indication aside from the sign that this place catered to cyclists, was the space on the first floor that was made available to rest our bikes. 



Later that evening we managed to find a nice meal with some fresh rice to fuel the climbs of the second day. 


The entire neighborhood was awakened by an earthquaked measuring 6.5 on the Richter Scale, located about 70km off of Iilan. Seeing as the mountain hadn't buried us under 40 meters of clay, I went on trying to catch my beauty sleep. 



Bright and early the next morning we were back on the bikes. 

I hadn't been riding in about 4 or 5 weeks and I was feeling it in my tender bits. It takes a little time to get used to the saddle again. 



Just up the road I turned around the catch a glimpse of Bailing before we stopped for "breakfast" on the bridge below La La Shan resort. 




The weather was clear and it looked promising for a good day of riding. 




The road pitches upward for about 10km and it really saps the life out of you because it never feels very steep. 



I was suffering a little dehydration as well from a dose of Benadryl I had taken the night before. 


For a lot of this section Dom and I rode as the "escapees". 



By the time we arrived at Mingchih, we were again met by the NTU eMBA group. They keeps claiming to have ridden the entire way, they also claimed to have taken off later than we did, but at no point did they ever pass us. Several support vehicles loaded with bikes lurking nearby seemed to hint at their cycling strategy. 




After a refill on fluids, we were again darting through the coolness of the shady cedars. 




I had been expecting more of a climb, but before I knew it we were skimming along the rocky cliffsides high above the Iilan plain. 




The scene called for the Guns of Navarone theme. 


After some heroics in passing some stragglers from the eMBA group we hit the foggy descent. 



I don't remember much about the descent other than that I was focused in "the zone". With sloppy conditions and a road full of unsure cyclists, I pushed clear of the hazards and rode at a comfortable fast pace toward the bottom. 

I felt plenty of tack in the tires, so I kept the speed up to stay ahead of the BMW that had been following me earlier, but failed to pass me when I gave him the chance. It was just an incredible descent until a roadblock where a landslide made it impossible for two cars to pass. 



Just as I reached the bottom of the mountain, a heavy rain began to fall. We took shelter under the nearest tree, but it was of little use. 


Eventually we all made it to a restaurant where we hoped to wait out the rain. The rain never really let up and we were soon at the mercy of the elements. I decided to Time Trial it back to Iilan and was surprised when the rain let up after about 10 minutes. It drizzled a little while later, but nothing serious. I realized I had only been rained on for about a half-hour during the entire trip. It was enough to get soaked, but not too bad. 




In Iilan Dom and I had coffee and waited for the rest of the bunch. Soon everyone was going their separate ways home. 

It was an excellent trip. The weather was there to add character. 




This is definitely worth doing again... and again. 

Ride Reports and Other Links

A couple recent ride reports to post.

Last weekend I did Puli to Wuling. Nathan from Bicycle Sidewalk provides a report from his attack on the other side of the mountain from Hualien to the Taichung side. Personally, I find his route more rewarding in every way.

and

Michael Turton from The View from Taiwan provides a wonderful report on his recent ride to the Liu Family House in Changhua along the Route 137. This is a wonderfully accessible and interesting ride into Taiwan's history from a time the Liu Family House sat near the very edge of the Qing imperial frontier.

Information:

For anyone planning a Round-Island ride or for those people interested in riding Taiwan's East Coast, there is a Facebook page that provides regular traffic reports for the infamous SuHua Highway. The SuHua Highway is notoriously dangerous for automobiles and cyclists alike.

You can look for details HERE (Chinese).

Other News:

• When I was in the first grade, all the kids in the neighborhood converged on the school to participate in the "Bicycle Rodeo", where children would learn about bike safety and then follow a course similar to Taiwan's scooter driving test to gain the right to bike to school. I loved biking to school. Sadly, in this era of "helicopter parents" and coddling overcompensation for children whose parents are too busy to raise them, children have increasingly lost the right to bike to school. In Taiwan we have a safety problem as well. I have actually been run off the road twice by parents rushing their children to school. Now, parents are being encouraged to send their children to school on bikes once more... in America.

• Awesome INFOGRAPHIC on cycling injuries.

• According to a new report, the prospects for increased use of cycling for recreation and transportation looks rosy. Another great INFOGRAPHIC.

• Competitive Cyclist has been purchased by Backcountry. I normally wouldn't care, but a few months back Competitive Cyclist acquired Merlin Metalworks, the storied titanium frame maker that was languishing under the American Bicycle Group, which also owns LITESPEED. Both these titanium brands seem to have been mistreated by ABG and have lost a ton of their cachet. I have been hoping Merlin could be revived... and I hope Backcountry will have the same dedication the the brand rather than holding it a simply a commodity to increase the company's value.

• Welsh Cycling President encourages cyclists to "get aggressive" on the roadways. I am sorry Mr. Owens, but there is one thing I have learned about drivers... and that is that they are unpredictably crazy. They are bigger and more powerful than a cyclist, and may also be carrying a weapon in the car. No thank you.

• Americans are assholes to cyclists. Persons unknown have attempted to sabotage the USA Pro Cycling Challenge by scattering dangerous materials along sections of the route.

The View From The Northern Cross Island Highway

Michael Turton posts on his latest Northern Cross Island Expedition. An excellent ride report with stunning photos. Give it a look HERE. I know for a fact that a couple of the riders who joined him were just getting started on bicycles only one year ago.

• A big congrats to Sean Smith, from Taichung's own Team Caffe Terry, won the Elite classification in the Alishan Challenge. Smith climbed 7541ft over the course of 47 miles in 2:45:29. Smith averaged 17.1 mph on his climb and walked away with a USD$22,500 purse. Not bad for a day's work.

• A new study shows Taiwanese women prefer walking to cycling. Whereas Taiwanese men are far more interested in showing off their gadgets. The New York Times reports this is not just a Taiwanese phenomenon.

The Tour de France will start the third stage in a couple of hours and I am actually pleasantly surprised by how the first two stages have unfolded. Stage 1 started out as a full stage as opposed to the routine opening Time Trial and it was marred by several incidents and a couple of decisive crashes that put Tour favorite Alberto Contador way back in 82nd place, while his main rivals made ground near the top. The first stage was won by Philippe Gilbert, who has just had a phenomenal 2011. Gilbert won the Tour of Belgium, Ster ZLM Toer, Liege-Baston-Leige, Amstel Gold , and La Fleche Wallonne among others.

The Stage 2 Team Time Trial was won by Team Garmin-Cervelo with Contador's Saxo Bank finishing in 8th behind his challengers in Team Leppard, Radioshack and BMC. Team HTC-Highroad, partially sponsored by Taiwan's HTC electronics juggernaut is also in good position to make an impact. What does all this mean? Not much as a lot can happen, but it does put pressure on the reigning champ, especially if the competition is in fine form and can avoid crashes or mechanicals.

The Great Northern Cross Island Tour: Join Us May 22-23

*CANCELLED!* Sorry folks! Due to weather concerns and other issues, we will have to postpone this event.

I have been conspicuously absent this weekend and sadly I couldn't do any riding. I was judging speeches (yuck!) and attending my sister-in-law's wedding... therefore I earned myself a full weekend of cycling this coming week.

May 22-23 we are planning a great social ride over the Northern Cross Island Highway. This is a fantastic trip for cyclists of all levels and abilities. For these social rides it is not about suffering or competition, but rather about spending time with good people. It is often like sharing a conversation over a beer with friends, but instead of a beer it is over a bike. I am really looking forward to seeing and riding with some great people and I am looking forward to meeting some new ones. I hope to see you all there. There is room for everyone.

* Here is a report Michael T. has posted from a previous trip. Northern Cross

Michael T. has passed along a little info on the trip for anyone interested:

1. Map of the route here.

2. Schedule
Day 1 we start at the Yongning Metro station at 7. On Saturdays certain metro stops accept bikes, please check on Friday where you can put yours on in Taipei. We'll end up in Baling at around 3, approximately 70 kilometers from Yongning. The pace will be leisurely, with stops for lunch and afternoon coffee and slushies. Plenty of time for photos, conversation, or just plain gawking. The ride consists of climbing to 400 m, dropping 200 m, then a long climb of 400 m to Baling at 600m. Dinner and sleeping at the Youth Hostel there, which has washers and dryers and room inside for the bikes. If not there, the hostel across the street.

Day 2 starts in Baling at 7 or so, depending. There is NO breakfast on this day, so breakfast must be purchased the night before in Baling. Ditto for water. If we leave much earlier, like at 5:30, we can make the $300 buffet breakfast at Mingchih Forest Park. Frankly I don't see the need. We should arrive in I-lan around/a little after lunch, plenty of small eateries there. Those of you returning to Taipei for work on monday can take train or bus from I-lan town. A small group of us will push on to Jiaoxi where we will spa, eat ice, and graze our way through the eateries of that tourist town, sleeping over to ride on Monday.

Day 3 (Optional) on Monday we take a leisurely ride up the flat, truck-choked but lovely northeast coast back to Keelung or Taipei. You more sturdy types can take the mountain roads like 9 back to Taipei.

LOGISTICS:
Non-Taipei people: I will be staying in Taipei on Friday night so I can pick up your bikes if you ship them there to me, or perhaps carry them up to Taipei in my van on Wednesday. Contact me (or through Drew from Taiwan in Cycles) privately about that.

REMINDERS:
Weather up in the mountains this time of year is as changeable as an incumbent facing electoral anger. Be sure to bring a light waterproof jacket/gear and front and rear lights in case we find ourselves riding in the dark. Long riding pants and long-sleeve riding shirts might also be a good idea. Light energy snacks are also good as there is not much food on Day 2 until we reach the outskirts of I-lan.

Michael

PS: M O'C, let people know in your organization if you like. Would
love to have you and/or compatriots along.