Erlin (二林) in 100 miles: Changhua County Riding

HSR Bridge

I took off today for a long ride and I hoped to make it count. I am trying to build my muscular endurance up from where it was earlier in the year. The past six months has been about building up and then falling back, mostly due to issues beyond my control. Now, again, I am building back up to where I want to be as a cyclist and I haven't even touched the cardio part yet.

Today was about putting a standard century together to see if the base was still there. It was. Mostly.

I also wanted to get out and conduct a little ethnology that I hope to use on a future post, so stay tuned.

Soldiering On

Despite the sunshine there was quite a bit of wind today, so the windbreaker came in handy. I made my way along the Highway 1 to Changhua and spun my legs up nice and warm.

Even amid Changhua's industrial wasteland... there is still room to bike

I decided to turn onto the Route 139甲 to the Ding Fanpo community in Ho Mei township. I crossed a river near a small dam and then followed some wonderfully smooth roads along the irrigation canals until I eventually ran into the Route 142 that took me into Lukang.

Fast Roads

I wanted to avoid Lukang, so I turned onto the Route 135 until eventually hopping over to the Highway 17 before hooking over to the Route 143 that made a fast and pretty straight shot directly to Er Lin.

Strange Fruit: There is a traditional belief in some parts of Taiwan that dead cats should be hung from trees and dead dogs thrown in the river.

Piled High on the Route 143

Er Lin is known as the Sicily of Taiwanese gangsterism. According to Ko-lin Chin in his book, Heijin: Organized Crime, Business and Politics in Taiwan:

Many Changhua brothers (gangsters) come from a town called Erlin (population 130,000)in an area that produces grapes, bamboo shoots and peanuts. There is also a fishing industry and a seafood industry. According to a police officer who works there:

In Erlin there are six big brothers and four of them are elected representatives. There are two kinds of big brothers here, the well connected and the national assemblyman. Both are involved in operating gambling places, some of them are involved in gravel plants, KTV, and betel nut stalls. About four years ago when the economy was extremely good, these big brothers made plenty of money from operating gambling activities, but not anymore.

It is very hard to survive here. people live in poor conditions and their lives aren't worth much. Young people thing that, under these harsh conditions, it's better to just make the best of it, if they get killed so what. People here are very tough, and if a brother commits a serious crime, he is admired for it. (p.94)

Changhua Prison

It is in the light of this town as a center for organized crime and possibly the most corrupt town in all of Taiwan, that I was struck by the irony of riding past the Changhua Correctional Facility in Erlin Township.

Friendly Bike Trail

From Erlin I found the Route 169 to Xiang Tian, which was my intended destination. I was pleased to find a long, paved bike and pedestrian path. Although I normally don't thing bikes and people mix very well on paths, the low population density made this one pretty harmless.

Hooray for Erlin

Rare tombs at home... and I know why.

I arrived in the area I was investigating and made some notes before pedaling around the area. Eventually, I was on the Route 152 and at the big temple on the Highway 19, I headed back to Xiang Tian and Erlin on the Route 170 (which is also the 169).

Of course! The Fragrant Field

After a bite to eat in Erlin I took the Route 150 out of Erlin to the Highway 19 again and just made tracks for home.

This time it took me just under six and a half hours to do about one hundred and four miles. Not too bad for my first Century in a long while.

Utility Bike

Hill Tour of Nantou County:183km and 2268m of climbing

Taichung From On High

After an uncharacteristic week of cold and rain, the weather looked promising for a long weekend ride. I really felt like I needed get a punishing single day ride under my belt if I was truly going to climb back into form... and climb I did.

The plan was for a solo-ride over five or six good hills between Taichung and Nantou counties. I really preferred to solo this ride as there was a high possibility of failure and I didn't want to drag someone down with me. Only I could answer the age old question: When a cyclist fails in the forest, does he make a sound?

Friendly Riders

I started by climbing out of Taichung City up the notorious 129 from Dakeng. The death-spiral takes you up to a plateau overlooking Taichung and Fengyuan cities. The weather was cold, but relatively clear and sunny. I had a bit of a sore throat and post nasal drip that just made the first hour a pain. I decided to carry the Camelbak on this trip to reduce water stops and to have a little extra space to stuff food and clothing.

My plan had been all about pacing and thinking about the ride in parts rather than as a whole.

I easily spun up the 129 and practiced carving into deep corners on my way out to the Highway 21 between Taichung and Nantou counties. I have always been a bit of a puss with corners, but a little practice had gone a long way in giving me the confidence to attack them with a little more grit.

View From the Top of Highway 21

By the time I hit the Highway 21, I knew I had been taking things relatively easy and had done it much better in the past. I tried to convince myself it was a controlled speed, but I also feared it was all I had. I felt better as I passed a small group of riders who were climbing the 21 with fury. I hung back and chatted them up and then finished my ascent. I ticked another peak of the day's menu and was still feeling good. The mountains looked like a multi-layered, translucent stage backdrop, with each set of mountains floating behind the rest to give the illusion of depth.

View Toward Mountains

The descent down the Highway 21 is always a thrill. I didn't push too hard and continued my work on corners. I tried to pick a line and stick to it.

As I was coming out of the village of Guoxing, I was just cresting a steep, little hill before the junction with the Highway 14, and I noticed a couple uniformed men with reflective stripes on their jackets and a few people milling around on the side of the road.

I immediately assumed a temple procession would be coming by as there were placards of faux garlands posted up around the adjacent school. I stayed alert for the train of tour busses packed with pilgrims or for the palanquin parade to weave down the street.

It is truly amazing how life can pass so quickly and we can hardly remember most of it. At the same time there are some images that may pass in just a second and we can recall every stirring detail.

As I approached the uniformed men, they looked listless and ill. There was frantic commotion in the betel nut field below the road as a half-dozen people were bent over the flames of a blue-smokey fire as they frantically flipped spirit money into the heap of burning paper..

I passed at 30kph, but I could clearly see the shape of a body lying under a pristine white sheet about 5 meters away, amid a hundred thin trunks of betel nut trees.

The sheet covered most of the body except for the a pair of booted feet and two ashen yellow hands, palms upturned with fingers half-curled. The image reminded me of the old Frankenstine movies with the monster under the sheet waiting for the reanimating jolt of electricity.

He may have been hit by a car or had a heart attack in his field. Maybe he fell into the fields in a drunken stupor and the cold night air got too him. I will probably never know.

Just as that man's life had so quickly passed... as did I.

Valley

Despite the unexpected dead body at the side of the road, I continued along my route on the Highway 21. There is a short climb that offers the most magnificent views of a tight river valley that seems to sit at the bottom of a punchbowl. I always enjoy riding through this valley, but I can do without the climb out to another plateau above Puli. I was feeling a little tight in the legs by this point and the road that bombs into Puli is worth any climb. I made it to tick the third peak off my itinerary.

Sprouts

The plateau overlooking Puli is a bounty of agricultural beauty. The red soil and symmetry of the crops is a sight to behold. After a good climb the flats were just what the legs asked for.

Plateau Above Puli

All too soon I came screaming down the mountain to Puli, where I restocked and had a quick coffee.

Sun Moon Lake

From Puli the Highway 21 starts a long, steady ascent toward Sun Moon Lake. That stretch of road sucks. Cyclists are pushed off to the sides of the road, which are littered with rocks, sand and glass.

Just as I was getting to the point where the great 131 splits off to Shuili, I felt my back end getting soft.

Argh! A flat. A piece of Taiwan Beer bottle was lodged in my tire. Luckily I was right in front of a 7-11 and quickly set out to change tubes. In a matter of seconds I was another tourist attraction. About 6 or 7 people had gathered to watch me change an inner tube, each offering their own commentary. Come one, come all... watch the white man fix a flat. it is Sun Moon Lake after all. It and everything was put on this Earth for YOU!

That 7-11 didn't have a pump, so I had to use my CO2, which I don't trust very much. I had one misfire and the other worked. I think this incident turned the tide a little as it threw off my rhythm and cost me some valuable time.

Posing

Sun Moon Lake is a Tourism Mecca in Taiwan. This is not in doubt as the caravans of tour busses make an endless loop around this Japanese era reservoir, that was once a much smaller lake.

Chiang Tower

In the distance I could see the tower that popular mythology claims was constructed by Chiang kai-sheck in honor of his mother. In reality, it had less to do with the love for a mother than a rabid hatred Chiang harbored for the Japanese. The tower occupies the space that once housed Sun Moon Lake's shinto shrine.

Just What We Need... More Cable Cars

I took the East side of the lake, as it has fewer attractions and trinket shops. There was more climbing around the lake than I had anticipated. It seemed it would be a loop of gentle rollers, which were beginning to feel like mountains on my legs.

Just Pave It

Above The Lake

Finally, after battling traffic and rubberneckers for half the lake, I made my way to the Tsao/Ngan village, which actually resembles the flavor of a Native American casino. Years ago I had lunch with the "head family" of the village which was a position the KMT government invented to gain some greater influence over the area. The "chief" and "princess" talked to me for some time about their influence over the tribe. The "princess" still recalled her glory days of dancing for Chiang Kai-sheck. Not all the Tsao think so fondly of the former dictator or their local patrons.

Nantou 63

From the Tsao village the 投63 climbs up above the lake and the quiet, treelined road is a welcome respite from Disneyland below. Now, between the 131 and the 63, there is absolutely no reason to take the Highway 14 to Sun Moon lake.

Xinyi Township

Coming down the 63 is a simple thrill. There is nobody there. It is just you and some hulking mountain peaks.

An Odd House

I followed the 63 all the way down to the Highway 16 in Xinyi Township. There were a few minor climbs. I made my way out to Shuili and not much further beyond that my energy started to wane. It seemed I was pedaling squares all the way back home.

Choushui River

The cramping hit at Mingjian and it was all I could do to push forward. My original plan had called for me finishing over the 136 if I had had the time, but I was glad I didn't attempt it. It would have been a disaster. I need a few more of these long, punishing rides before I can do all six peaks on a loop through Taichung and Nantou counties. I have ridden better and plan to get back to that point.

Chasing Skirt

Final Score:

Distance: 114mi/183km

Elevation: 7438 ft. 2268m

Time: 8hr 22min.

Calories Burned: 6443

Guide Of The Century: How To Prepare For A Century Ride

Due to work and other commitments, I often have to save up my serious riding for weekends and that often means as much time on the bike as possible. The result has been dozens of century rides under my belt as I seek new and different places to visit or different ways to test my body. Putting down 100 miles in a day has become a pretty common feat, though the mystique of the "Century Ride" remains. There is something rewarding about seeing the odometer flip to the triple digits, and now I am training (weather permitting) to double that in a day's ride.

With all the long rides I post, a number of people have contacted me about my preparations for completing a century ride. Although I am not as meticulous asI was when I first tried 100 miles (note: This is not kilometers) there are still some practical and sensible things a rider should do to prepare.

1. Be physically prepared: Ride longer distances leading up to your century and try to emulate the conditions (hills, flats, estimated wind direction...). If you know the route and you now the landmarks then you know where you are in relation to your goal. It helps rein in a defeatist imagination that seems to want to imagine you are further back. You don't need to long distances to get into shape. Shorter, high intensity rides, can increase your overall fitness so the long miles won't seem so long. Two weeks before your first century, you should complete a longer ride, maybe 50-75 miles. Cut back on the riding the week prior. When you ride, pace yourself. Do the first 50 miles at an easier pace and see how you feel for the other half. A slow 15mph pace can easily get you to your destination in 8 hours with the occasional pit-stop.

2. Make sure your equipment is in good working order. The last thing you need are mechanical problems on a long ride. This goes with shoes and clothing. Can you imagine finding out your chamois rubs or you get hot spots in your shoes at 50 miles? Once you start to think about any article of discomfort, you will think about it all day. Be sure your bike is fit well and is comfortable with properly inflated tires. Every imperfection is magnified the longer you sit on a bike. Overinflated tired might not be noticed on shorter rides, but an beat you up on the long rides. One century ride I got a flat and filled with CO2. I usually inflate to 100psi, but I bet I was around 130 and it just beat the crap out of me. A helmet that doesn't fit can give you neck and back aches down the road as well.

3. Food and nutrition management is vital. Start eating and drinking for your century a week before. You want to make sure you have plenty of glycogen stored in your muscles. Start really packing in the fruits, veggies and carbs mid week. If your body is ready it helps ease the mind. Cut the caffeine and the booze. These will only dehydrate you. Start taking in the carbs to fill your glycogen stores for maximum exertion.

4. Eat during your century. Maybe one thing every hour if you are not conditioned for regular centuries. Eat before you are hungry. Granola bars, raisins, a ham sandwich... whatever works for you. Try not to eat candy unless you are 20 miles from the finish.

5. Drink during your century. Drink before you are thirsty. If it is hot, you may want to add one sport drink for every two bottles of water.

6. Start stretching more the week before your century.

7. Read for pleasure. It gives you something to think about on the ride if you go solo.

8. Don't worry too much. You put down a few miles and take them one at a time. Next thing you know you have put together a string of 'em and they make 100.

台中--鹿谷--台中 (160km) Taichung--Lugu--Taichung

Old Ladies Gather to Pick Tea

Today can only be described as a day of mixed cycling, but it was none the less rewarding. I have been doing quite a few long rides going back about a month. Part of this is to get ready to go to Seattle next week and not embarrass myself when I try riding there. Another part might have a little bit to do with the Tour de France. I guess over the past few weeks I have matched three of the completed stages. In recent weeks I have done a mountain century, a trip over Wuling, 201km to Chiayi, 220km to Toufen... and today, on my last Taiwanese weekend for a while, I completed a 160km/100mi ride out to Lugu in Nantou County.

Attie and Justin

I was actually quite conflicted as the weekend approached and had a few other potential riding plans, so I needed to see which one would suit my goals and fitness. I had a couple of invites, but chose to go with Attie's ride as I got home way too late Friday night for a 5:30am departure. The plan was to ride out to Nantou and beyond. I had been thinking about a solo attack on Lugu for some time and I was sure it could be done in a day, so I planned to join the ride down and then keep going.

A Good Group To Help Break The Wind

Our group consisted of some skilled and accomplished athletes (so I really don't know why I was in the group) who had all cut their riding chops in some demanding disciplines. I am just glad it was a more gentle pace. Our group consisted of: Attie, the veteran triathlete, Nico, the aspiring and energetic (young) triathlete, the fabulous Ms. Sally W. of the Taiwan National Triathlon Team, Justin, a recovering triathlete of about my age, and Rob, an industry man and former pro cyclist with several Giros and a TdF under his belt. Then there was me.

Scorched Earth Policy

We made steady time down toward Nantou along the Highway 3, dodging trucks and manhole covers the entire way. The stretch of Highway 3 from Taichung to Nantou is really a festering wound in an otherwise gorgeous road. It was nice to ride in a group like that and I was happy to be pushed down to Shuili in good time without settling into that min-mornign malaise that can set in.

Tracks

It seemed we were in Shuili in no time, so I bid the group farewell and carried on alone. I turned right onto the 131 out of Shuili and kept a lazy pace for a kilometer or two to get used to riding alone again. For cycling, the 131 is the best road for getting up to Lugu as it is an alternate route and not used by the throngs of tourists and their diesel-trap busses that rip up and down the mountain to ferry visitors to places where they can see "natural things" that used to be here in abundance. The "eco-tourism" seems to operate like this: Destroy the natural things that are in abundance and then charge an arm and a leg to take people to see what is left as it becomes "special".

Tea Pickers

The Nantou Local 131 passes some really pretty areas. Little tea farms dot the hillsides where they grow some of the world's greatest Oolongs.

Lugu

I tried to keep an even pace all the way up and I was actually enjoying the climbs as I could use a different set of muscles from what I had been using in the flats. I just felt energetic and the legs were springy.

Looking Toward Nantou

I decided to take the long way around the valley as my odometer was beginning to hit that another century ride might be possible if I could work it right. I kept climbing and dodging busses as some ominous looking rain clouds hung on the hilltops. After getting caught in the rain a couple days ago, I was a bit wary of the rain. The clouds didn't look so big and bad, so I continued enjoying the ride.

A Confusing Ribbon of Beautiful Road

The Nantou Local Road #55 is a beautifully paved road; the best election-year pork spending can buy. It just ripples and flows down the back side of the mountain to Zhushan. There are all kinds of surprises and turns that carve out a descent like a downhill slalom.

Oasis

I plopped down in Zhushan and immediately started hitting the same steady speed I came down on. I was feeling great, even after 110km. The gradual downhill out of the mountains gave me a good clip to continue through Nantou and into Caotun. I soon realized I would be a little short if I went straight back up the Highway 3, so I crossed the bridge into Fenyuan and headed home from the Changhua side on the Highway 14. As I started rolling along the last few blocks home, the odometer flipped to the century mark, and just barely. I arrived back at my front door at 12:38pm, which meant I had logged a century and still had a full day ahead of me. I was happy to have both a group ride and a solo century in one day and i still felt like I could have done a lot more.

Thanks Attie, I am glad I could make it!

Made in Taiwan

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(201km) Long Bike Rides and Getting Caught Out In The Rain

Rainclouds over the ChoShui

On Sunday I did everything in my power to set myself up for failure, or at least a bad ride. All I knew for the week is that I wanted to do a long ride and make up for a week of rain. I wasn't sure what the weather would be like and just didn't think about riding. Without a plan I could not make the physical or mental preparations that can make or break a day of endurance riding. That means that I did not spend the week eating correctly. I did not spend the night before hydrating properly. I did not prep my body with stretching on the non-riding days. I did not mentally trace my route and imagine when and where to expend my energy. I did not plot my course on a map and look for "outs". I did not even have any fruit at home for breakfast. I didn't even know where I was going until I woke up. This is absolutely the wrong way to go about things. Seriously.

Taichung's Ugliest Piece of Public Art (Look at the anatomical proportions. I guess with a flying man-cow-horse you can make up any proportions you want. WTF?!)

I woke up late as I had fallen asleep on the couch while watching World Cup and never set my alarm. This would seal my decision to head down the Highway 3, which is a hillier route to southern Taiwan. I wasn't sure how far I would go, but I figured I would head back when I felt about "half-way". The humid air was already boiling by early morning and I knew it would be one of the hottest days of the year. The sun is about a week away from its closest point to the earth (July 6) and the temp would soon be up into the high 30's.

A Friendly Group of Cyclists

Being the first really sunny day in a while there were several cycling groups already out and on the roads by the time I took off. Some were huge packs (convoys) and others were just a four or five riders out for the morning. At one point as I was zoning out into my music I heard a loud "woof", and turned to find a big Taiwanese roadie on too small a bike greeting me for a couple pulls. With all that energy I was afraid he'd push me past my comfort zone on a long ride. I try not to get into "chase the rabbit" games on long rides as the energy is always needed at the end. Luckily he was all about enthusiasm and not performance, so he made a great riding partner for a few clicks.

The Sweetest Place in Gukeng

The temperatures soared by mid morning and with the humidity I knew I had to pay extra attention to my hydration situation and my nutrition intake. I stopped near Gukeng, by the Honey Museum, for some water and sport drink.

On these really hot days it is important to drink enough and not too much. I was trying to drink water to Fin Sport Drink at a 2:1 ratio. Periodically, I stopped for water and bought an extra bottle to dump over my head to bring my temperature down and to wash the salts off my face. I've come back from some rides looking like a salted ham. The Fin is the least sugary electrolyte drink and it is the easiest to drink on a long, hot ride. I also rode with my leg muscles over my lungs to keep my HR down. The heat can be really dangerous and I have had some rides where I came home and collapsed with headaches and fatigue from the heat. Hot riding can be done well, but it has to be done right.

The Yunlin 228 Memorial

Near Gukeng I also stopped to take a look at the Yunlin 228 Memorial. Local 228 memorials have sprung up in nearly each county as the result of the indigenization phenomenon that started with the end of martial law in 1988. I will blog more on this a little later.

Pineapple Fields and Hills

I headed along the mountains into Chiayi County. It is pineapple season and the sweet smell of pineapples was enough to overpower the smell of pig shit. I kept an eye on the white, billowy clouds that hung on the mountains and hoped the gorgeous weather would hold, but maybe a special order of opportune cloud cover would have been an ideal treat.

Whah... Cow!

I was getting excited as I was moving along the foothills and the local communities are often distinct and colorful. You never know what surprises lie up ahead.

Groovie Ghoulies

I passed through Mei shan and through a small procession of pilgrims to the local temple. They even had a dangi spirit medium preparing to flay himself near the front of the temple.

Renyi Reservoir: Originally established by the Dutch and expanded by subsequent colonists.

I decided I would head back before noon at Huan-a Rd. I had been passing through the area of Saaora speaking people also once known as Tevoran. The Tevoran area was used by several groups of Siraya speaking plains indigenes as an area to seek refuge during headhunting season. Tevoran was also used by many of the Maddou villagers in 1636, when the Dutch embarked on their campaign of retribution. The custom of withdrawal in times of impending threat may have led to the popular, and inaccurate trope that the plains indigenes retreated into the mountains and became the highland Aborigines.

Chiayi 228 Memorial

I finally made it to the 159甲 to Chiayi City. At the base of the hill there is another 228 memorial. Chiayi actually built the first 228 memorial in Taiwan near the train station as it marks the final battle of the failed rebellion. The newer memorial uses a "totem pole" depicting a greater trope of Taiwanese oppression at the hands of outside powers.

Chiayi (Proof:火雞肉飯 lower left)

As I rolled into Chiayi City, I felt a single raindrop hit my face. I looked up and saw a large, dark cloud rolling in from the southwest. At that I calculated I would have enough fuel in the tank to get home at speed and busted for Taichung. The race was on. I was keeping my speed at about 35-40kph. and made quick work of the counties. I was so concerned that a front would move in from the southwest that I didn't notice the mountains I had just come out of were veiled in advancing rainclouds.

I pushed myself to sustain my effort. Despite rainclouds on all sides I was riding in a trough of sunlight. The heat was simply intense and riding through the thick, humid air was just a labor.

As I closed in on Changhua, I noticed a massive, black raincloud sitting right over Taichung, held in place by Bagua Shan and Dadu Shan. By this point I stopped at a 7-11 to buy a plastic bag for my electronics. I was pretty much resigned to getting soaked.

I soldiered on into the face of the storm and the rain just wouldn't start. I thought I might be able to make it home without getting wet. I was sorely wrong. Just 8km from my front door the clouds opened up. It was as if someone pushed the "rain" button and it just poured. My ipod promptly died and I just kept going. I figured with the bibs on it would be like an old time swimming suit. All I needed was a handlebar mustache and a penny-farthing. The coolness of the rain actually gave me a boost of energy.

My bike performed flawlessly in the rain. The disc brakes worked as if dry and that gave me the confidence to continue at a slower, but safe 33kph. I figured I would pedal my ass off to get home and then I could relax with a hot pizza, rather than sit around some place dry for an unknown period of time. That was all fine until the electricity started and I was seeing spots from a flash of lightning over my head.

I thought about what to do if my bike gets hit by lightning besides die. Anyone know? I figure with such small tires, being exposed and with metal clips in the shoes, the prognosis can't be good. I hid for 15-20 min. then I decided to brave the storm once again. I though if I could ride close to tall things I would be ok. I pedaled the remainder of the way home with even a couple guys on scooters cheering me on for riding in the conditions. A little adventure for what I had assumed would be a so-so ride.

Storm Over Changhua

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