A Friendly Climb?

MIGHTY IMPRESSIVE!

Here is a little video from Team 136, which is associated with Terry Lin's group from Cafe Terry, which I profiled couple weeks back.

Every month or so they run a climbing Time Trial on Taichung's famed Local Road # 136. Any rider who can make it to the top in under 40min. earns the right to wear a special jersey to signify the accomplishment. The event is open to all. Just stop by Cafe Terry for details.

I believe the record time is something like... 36min.

Climbing Out Of A Rut: Foothills of Central Taiwan From the 88 to the 136

Japanese Colonial Era Kendo Dojo

I think my recent troubles have been well documented and I don't need to rehash the particulars, but what I really needed this weekend was something that could force me to push my body back into shape. Sunday made a great opportunity to abuse my legs.

My Wife's Jr. High Classmate Campaigns

I was originally slated to meet Michael for one of several plans we devised throughout the week. I often find myself devising new schemes for rides yet-to-be. The weekend weather was amazing. It was just too ideal for riding.

Michael Climbs Through Orange Groves

I arrived at Michaels bright and early and we took off onto Fengyuan and up the Taichung Local 88. The 88 is a fantastic little climb that makes for a great entry point onto the Hsin She plateau; a large spread of farms and agriculture just outside of Taichung. The Hsin She plateau is also a 1900ft. climb. Most of the ranges between 6% -10% grades, so it is not impossible. The views are also well worth the effort as they offer a full panorama of the city below. Unfortunately, the haze prevented me from taking any pictures that were worth a damn.

Look Out Below

Michael seemed to be having a particularly rough time with the grade and expressed a few doubts in regard to his performance. I have seen him ride and I cold tell he was not riding like he usually does, and so he turned back. I was really looking forward to riding with him, but he was showing definite signs of over training when the body refuses to exert too much energy in order to concentrate on recovery.

It happens to us all. One of the most important things an athlete can do is to listen to the body. Proper training consists of exercise, diet, and recovery. When we deny ourselves any one of those... we simply can't perform up to our abilities. A smart athlete will see the signs of overtraining and stop. Unfortunately, athletes are also competitive and driven people who are always seeking improvement, so many people overtrain.

Egret Hanging Out

After Michael left I had to mentally shift gears. I had been mentally preparing myself for ony type of ride, and now I would be doing another. It was not easy to make the transition or to know which direction to go.

I finished my climb at a pretty fast pace and looked for some barometer as to where I was mentally and physically to gain some clue as to what I should try. A 15 min. coffee stop at the 7-11 in Hsin She allowed me to sort through the mitigating factors, such as time, ability, goals and estimated return time. I decided to go over the fence. Seeing as I had climbed up the 88 to Hsin She... I thought a day of climbing would do a body good, so I set my sights on the Highway 21 to Guoxing, and I committed myself to returning to Taichung on the famed 136.

Photo-Op By The Cafe At The Top Of The Highway 21

I made really good time up to the base of the Highway 21, but made sure to keep my heart rate down. I kept pushing up the 21 at about 16kph with the thought in the back of my mind that the 136 still lay ahead.

Banana Farms

My descents were not as quick or crisp as I would like. The sight of a van heading up my lane as I rounded a corner just made me gun shy.

99 Peaks From The 136

After a morning of climbing... I thought I should add some more climbing and so I headed up the 136 back to Taichung.

Most of the 136 is really not that bad. It ranges between 6%-10% grades, but there is one section about 3/4 the way up that is just a long stretch of 17% gradient... the kind that saps the legs of energy and dishes out the punishment.

It seems most riders try to get their rides finished in the morning, so I had the road to myself. I think I could just describe the feeling as one of noisy quiet. There's a lot going on besides the sound of my turning crank, but it all fades into the white noise of random thoughts.

View From 136

I used the descent to cool off my legs and recover for my return home. I was surprised to find my legs in good shape and, despite being tires, I managed to roll through Taichung at a good clip.

Kendo Dojo

On the way back I noticed the old Kendo dojo has finally been unveiled. The building is in Taichung City, on Lin Sen Rd. across from the old dormitories by DaTong Elementary School.

Character "Wu" or "Martial"

Many years ago I noticed this building when it was in a serious state of disrepair. I would bring guests by to take a look at a hidden piece of Taiwanese history. I went as far as interviewing some of the locals from the neighborhood who, at the time, were mainly Hakka speaking spouses of old KMT-era government workers.

The building served as a Kendo dojo during much of the Japanese colonial period; mainly for Japanese government employees, but later it served the nearby schools. During the 1930's Japan introduced a policy, which, among other purposes, served to prepare Taiwanese boys for war. Kendo and the martial arts was used to teach young boys the "martial spirit" the Japanese hoped to cultivate in the empire's youth.

This building is an amazing example.

I finally returned home at 2:00pm with 5581ft of climbing in 110km. A much better 110km than my awful race. Redeemed? I don'k know. A good ride... YES!

Hill Climb Equation:136+100+21+133+14+136=Pain

This morning I decided I was going to do some climbing and find the fabled passage between Hsin She and the 136. I got a late start and the thick morning haze just held the heat and humidity to the ground. It was the least comfortable type of heat.

I took off through Taichung to the Route 136, Taichung's fabled hill climb. Just after the Bat Cave I took my detour and headed up into the mountains of Taiping. I remembered some of the roads that cut through the county from my earliest days riding a scooter in Taichung and I thought the road up Jiu Tong Shan 酒通山 might lead to the other side near Hsin She. I climbed up in that humidity and was not liking it at all. Finally, I found my road and was off on a smaller, more interesting road down the other side.

The road to 中和 is not very well kept and I was reminded again why I got a CX frame. Even with 25c tires I just cruised over the ruts, cracks, bumps and mud.

The climb was higher than I thought and offered up some fantastic views of the valleys below.

I finally emptied out in 中和 right behind the elementary school. If you decide to take that road, it is the right.

I decided to keep climbing as it was still early, so I headed out toward the Highway 21 to Guo Xing. The climb was steady and I felt like I had been neglecting my climbing skills as of late, so I did it at a steady and not a hard pace. If only I could magically keep the Big Bike Club on their side of the road.

I was having the most sublime descent off the mountain, just totally in the zone and keeping my speed up. I was tracking well into the corners and having done that route enough times I know exactly where the palm husks are always laying in the road (every time). And then... and then... I crept up on a slow moving car. I hate that. I was eventually able to pass the car and then I encountered a tour bus. I could only breathe the fumes for so long before I found an opportunity to accelerate around him. I felt kind of smug with the feeling that the driver must have been surprised to have been passed by a bicycle. I kept my distance from the bus as he shadowed me into Guo Xing township. He would creep up on the hills and I would lose him on the flats. The bus kept me hammering at some good speeds all the way out before I pulled over to check out some fruit. Not long after I stopped, the bust pulled up and stopped too. I expected to get some crap about passing busses or frightening the driver, but instead, the driver opened the door and had his assistant give me a coffee. I thanked them and they were on their way.

I followed the 133 to the 14 and although tired, I kept a good pace out on the Puli Basin. My mind wandered to the ride ahead on the 14. I have done it dozens of times and it is a long, flat, windy ride with a few cars. It isn't bad, but I am sick of it. I am especially sick of the two little hills near Caotun. I just hate them for their ability to sneak up on you and they are annoying and not fun. So, to avoid the hills, I turned onto the dreaded 136 and somehow found the energy to put a good climb together for 3/4 of the ascent. As I neared the top a great roll of thunder ripped me from my zone and a light rain started to fall. I took refuge under a makeshift carport and waited 20min. for the rain to abate. I was more worried about the descent on wet roads.

Eventually, I made it out onto the road again and slid off the mountain back to Taichung without incident. No great distances today, but I claimed three rough peaks in a single ride.

I just wish I didn't climb like a sprinter.

Bike route 663775 - powered by Bikemap

Taichung County #129 to #136

The Wilds of Taiping:

Crack Kills!

This route is one of my favorite short routes around Taichung. It includes a whole variety of road types. There are sustained climbs, soaring flats, tight descents into deep valleys, ridge-top cruises and urban work. Best of all it is just outside the city. Within a short period of time you can suddenly be among hilly farms and flowing streams. Best of all, the whole ride can be done in a couple/three hours depending upon your fitness.

Tight Farm Roads

From Taichung City's Bei tun area take Dong Shan Rd. all the way out to Da Keng and follow the Local Highway 129 all the way up the "death spiral" to Hsin She. The climb up to Hsin She can be rough. Not only is it a 250 meter (820ft.) climb for a warm up, but sometimes traffic can be unforgiving. Holiday makers and large trucks both love this road up to Hsin She. The best thing is to just stay close to the shoulder and ride predictably. The most annoying part is when you are in a good gear hammering up the hill and some jerk waits, waits, waits at a side street... and then pulls out in front of you.

In The Valley

From the top of Hsin She you can go right and it takes you directly to the road down to Taiping (see map). I prefer going through Hsin She, which was once part of the satellite villages of the Anli Pazih (Pazeh) group of plains indigenes. From Hsin She proper you can take a right and gain speed on the flat, straight road that passes Hakka style farms and a helicopter base. When you get to a little crossroads in a mushroom growing town... stay right.

I just don't like this climb

The road snakes through some pretty farms and up a sustained grade that, while not steep, can be a real pain in the ass. I can't explain it. As you crest the hill you will see a steep valley below.

The descent plummets down a set of switchbacks. Manage your speed through the descent as there is one particular stretch of concrete that feels like it was laid by monkeys. It will rattle your eyeballs out. Once this patch is over the road narrows and I always get the feeling like a "Battle Star Galactica Colonial Viper launching". It's just great!

Michael T. Tames the Hill on The Red Bomber

You finally empty out into a wide, empty road. You can get some speed through here to get past the eco-tourism disaster of a sprawling "hostel".

Japanese Era Agriculture Station

Eventually, you will get to a fork in the road. Take the high road. It is is a good climb with some steep section, but it leads to a ridge top that is just a rewarding ride to take a little fast.

Choose Up!

The Wrong Road

If you choose to go straight there is another hill climb out to Taiyuan Rd. The main road leads to a dead end, as I discovered.

In Deep Doo Doo

I thought maybe I could shoulder the bike to the other side. I ended up knee deep in mud with visions of making the evening news as another "stupid foreigner" story.

End Of The Road

You finally keep taking rights until you plop down onto the Local Highway 136 that goes to either the Taichung or Puli sides of the mountain.

Route map

This route is great if you are stretched for time or if you are a beginning cyclist looking for a way to improve your skills outside the city. The road had been cleaned up a bit since I took these pictures, so it is a bit smoother for road tires.