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

Moon Cycles: Mid-Autumn Festival Ride (55mi./89km.)

Joyce and Michael Pose

Today was a national holiday, where the boundary between religion and the state is blurred in the name of ideology. But that is a discussion for a different post. The Mid-Autumn festival, or "Moon Festival" gave us all a chance to break up the week with a little saddle time. My wife, Joyce, and I were joined by Michael T. for 89 wonderful kilometers around Taichung and Changhua counties.

Michael Knows What I Want

The horrendous weather we have been having finally gave us a break for the better and we enjoyed a glorious morning of sunshine with a cooling breeze. My wife has been hurting to try out her new bike on some longer rides, but time and weather just hasn't allowed that to happen. She has only made it out a handful of times and each ride no more than 40km.

She really wanted to get out and take a tour of old Lukang, the former central Taiwanese port that sent deer pelts out and immigrants in during the 17th and 18th centuries when there were still herds of deer numbering in the thousands. Lukang was formerly an indigenous village and had once been promoted as a potential capital of Taiwan prefecture, but a pushy elite and a silty port quickly derailed those plans. Lukang currently enjoys the status of hosting a large number of buddhist and Taoist temples, giving the whole area an air of religious authenticity.

Temple Surfing In Lukang

Lukang was awfully quiet for a holiday, but that simply meant there were more locals to observe. What was so wonderful about today was that many of the locals still use the bicycle as a form of transportation to ferry goods or pick up groceries. The stigma of utility cycling (and class) that many affluent Taiwanese hope to avoid, was on full display in central Lukang.

Pedaling His Wares

We then zagged around the busy streets to the Lukang Folk Art Museum, which was formerly the center of political and family life for the Ku family, an established family of local elite who cooperated very well with every colonial power to establish itself on Taiwan since the Qing. The Ku family worked very closely with the Japanese and KMT governments to ensure their status as gentry remained unchanged. Needless to say the Ku family remains one of Taiwan's wealthiest family enterprises.

Ku Family Home

Upon leaving Lukang we took the old familiar roads that wend along the flats by the ocean. There was plenty of time for posing and messing around on the bikes. My wife was spinning a mean pace for a beginner and Michael and I wondered if she would have the steam to keep going for the rest of the ride.

Michael Puts The Heat On

We passed several groups of Taiwanese oyster farmers diving for their quarry in several of the oyster farms that line the coast. Michael showed his recent title, King of the Century, was well deserved as his energy level remained high throughout the morning heat. 1200km in a month will do that to a man.

A Pail Of Oysters

The noontime heat started to bear down on us pretty hard and it was about time for lunch. We just took it easy and had a bit of lunch in Long Jing.

Break Like The Wind

Strategy Meeting

Away!

Get Down!

Speedy

Somewhere (and I am not telling where) along the Highway 17 on the coast, we stopped at a bike store to take a look. Parked outside were two identical Primavera Cessena bicycles, designed and produced by a small company out of Taichung, run by the fabulous Ms. Sabinna Den.

My wife got a first-hand look at the comraderie of cycling; a bond of recognition that can only be described as something akin to the Freemasons.

We chatted with the bike owners for a while and then the owners of the shop invited us in for water and a chat over their cycling photos. We were all surprised when the owners expressed their dismay that we were all on road bikes because, "they are so uncomfortable". Neither of them had actually ever ridden a road bike and Michael offered his up for a tester. It is really amazing that shop owners like that could have such misinformed ideas about bikes. They seemed to believe flatbars are inherently more comfortable. Anyway... they were really nice people... just misinformed and inexperienced in road cycling. We still enjoyed them and their hospitality very much.

Cycling Alloy Cesena

We made the turn back toward Dadu Shan toward home. Joyce was very good at concealing the hard work of a day in the saddle and bravely pushed onward. Nobody could have ever guessed she is still a novice.

Fields in Changhua

If I Had A Boat

We finally made our return in the afternoon after logging over a half-century.

Michael is always a lot of fun to ride with and I am grateful for his time today. He really made things easier for Joyce as she takes her first steps into greater adventures of riding.

I can not fully express my happiness in seeing my wife enjoy herself on a bike. I haven't really told her how much joy I feel when I take a peek over my shoulder and see her seriously working away on the crank. Her drive and determination is nothing but heroic and I am truly awed by her early effort in cycling. We now have one more language in which we can communicate. Shhhhh! Right now she is exhausted and asleep on the couch... and I totally understand what she is going through. She's got a lot of heart to do what she did today and I am glad I have a piece of it. She is my cycling hero.

My Hero

Riding Wine Country

Changhua's latest step in transforming Taiwan into a tourism Mecca has been kicked off in the hopes of enticing tourists to ride Changhua's wine country by bike. Ummm... interesting.

Police Sponsor Tour of Changhua County

The Changhua Police Brieau (No... not the toadies for organized crime that run from shootings at gambling dens...) are sponsoring a county-wide bicycle event in which participants are issued a cycling passport and collect stamps at 99 police stations in Changhua County. link

"Police officers are taking part in the event to help promote awareness of fraud, drug abuse prevention and teenager protection, with 77 police stations included in the itinerary.

...

Cho said he hopes the event will help improve family relations and strengthen ties between the community and the police."

I am always impressed by the narrow focus bicycle events seem to represent in Taiwan. This is still a great activity and I hope they get lots of people to participate. It shows initiative and creativity. I think a lot of Taiwanese cyclists would be up for something like this.

I would like to reiterate that if the police really wanted to help cyclists, they could stop and ticket every jerk-off they see driving like an asshole.

225km (140mile) Warm-up Ride: Taichung->Nantou-Chiayi and back!

Last week I turned in a good 90 mile ride and I knew I had to increase the length to get into shape for my upcoming 260km ride to Kaohsiung. Last week I had a pretty bad flat and it did quite a bit of damage to the sidewall of my rear tire. I have been riding a set of Continental GP4000 tires for two and a half years and I love them. Still, with 7000 miles on them they are getting a bit worn. With tires, as they start to wear down they flatten out and feel hard and fast. The speed isn't so bad, but the level of comfort plummets and the level of confidence in the tire plummets as well. I went out Saturday to find a replacement set and couldn't find any in all of Taichung. Many places carry the tires, but were sold out. The Contis are a well made tire with good road feel, speed and enough tack to grip the road on hard turns. They have been very reliable as well. It took me over two years to get my first flat. My Saturday odyssey took me to ten or more shops and what surprised me most were the 'alternatives" some of the shops tried to offer. It told me a lot about the differences between shops in Taichung. I am sorry, but a "Road King" or a Bridgestone is not a suitable replacement for a Conti GP. In my opinion, tires are not one of the components you can compromise on. The right tire plays such an important role in handling, comfort, performance and safety. Tires can last for a couple years, so I am not about to waste money on something I will regret for two years. I also learned how uninformed many shops are on tire width. Most shops carry 23c tires because that's what the pros have. There is no difference in speed between the 23c and 25c tires. If anyone tries to tell you as much then they don't know tires. A 25c offers more comfort without a drop in performance. A lot of pros use 23c because they are slightly lighter. In Sunday's Paris-Roubaix they were using 25-28c tires. Grrrr! I have some nice 25c on order, but I had to endure several hours in the saddle on old, hard tires with structural weakness.

Ride Map

April is quickly becoming a heavy riding month for me as I prepare for my trip to Kaohsiung 高雄 at the end of the month. As I dial in my fitness, nutrition and cadence, I have put together a few rides that could be considered "long" by any measure. Seeing as this was Paris-Roubaix weekend, I thought I should push things a little closer to my goal of 260km, the official distance of the Queen of the Classics.

Lots of Riders Out

My ultimate goal was to reach the central city of Chiayi 嘉義 and return, so I naturally headed toward the inland town of Nantou 南頭. This would be my longest single-day ride to date and so I started slow with a nice warm up along the Highway 3, which is the major corridor to the interior of central Taiwan. The goddess Mazu was having her birthday celebration this weekend and the pilgrims were out in force. The roads were full of tour busses and gangsters galore, which made for some dicy riding. The weather was warm and not as windy as Saturday.

Pilgrims on Parade

The route through Zhushan 竹山 and Linnei 林內 on the Highway 3 is a fantastic ride on a bike if you like cruising at a good clip. There are more scenic routes, but when you are trying to log distance the idea of getting lost on an unknown backroad is not part of the plan. My speed through Linnei to Douliu 斗六 was in the mid-twenties and I kept along with a caravan of gangster-pilgrims from Changhua. At first a guy was going to have some "fun" and throw a firecracker at me... until I sternly shook my head and glared. I pulled up along side and, in my best Taiwanese, made small talk. From that moment on they were rooting for me. A black Nissan Cefiro (usually the biggest danger on the road) pulled up and the red-mouthed dudes in the car shouted with approval as I kept pulling away from their caravan. Today was full of friendly and encouraging people.

The Cobbles of Douliu

I ran into several groups of cyclists on the road and we all commiserated together over our good bikes with underpowered engines. I really enjoy the instant rapport you feel with every other cyclist on the road. There is a sense of respect and understanding. Rarely do you run into a guy with something to prove.

Stone Ox River

Outside Douliu, I connected to the Highway 1 South. I hate the Highway 1, but at least it goes somewhere. My speed was inconsistent at this point and I was facing a bit of wind. I was only 55 miles into my ride and I was starting to worry.

Rails of Chiayi

The ride to Chiayi is faster than I had anticipated and I was there well before noon. The sun was really beginning to bake and I was aware that I needed to take more liquids.

Performing Arts Center

As I got closer to Chiayi I was pleased to see the Chiayi Performing Arts Center. The architecture resembles the classical temples and houses of Qing era Taiwan. This is in stark contrast to the ornate, faux-traditional, Northern Han style the Kuomintang erected during the 1960's and 1970's to reflect a glorious China that existed in the imaginations of the Mainlander elite, but was foreign to Taiwan. Compare this building to the Palace Museum, Democracy/Dictator Memorial Hall, and other Nationalist monuments in Taipei.

Ah! The 168

I got lost in Chiayi city because I felt I had to get within the city limits to truly claim to have gone to Chiayi. On a long ride there is nothing worse than getting lost. Each kilometer going nowhere could be better put into going home. Each kilometer and minute wasted is one more that will have to be made up with that much less gas in the tank. Needless to say I was a bit aggravated. I finally backtracked to the Highway 1 again (I didn't want to backtrack anything) and then I turned off onto the Chiayi Local 168 to Hsin Gang 新港. The 168 is a marvelously straight road with plenty of biking space... and a very heavy headwind from the ocean. My speed plummeted and I didn't want to waste energy fighting with it. At one point I was passed by another cyclist and started to doubt myself. I had to conclude he was on his 5th kilometer of a 10km route. I eventually met up with him and we chatted about our routes. Sure enough... he was on a 10km route. Whew!

Monk Bisiness

At about Bei Gang 北港 I found the gearing I have been looking for all my life and was spinning at around 20-21 mph for most of the final 70 miles. I actually felt better on the latter half of the ride than at the beginning. I was really pleased with this stage of my ride. I think I will try to keep this speed and cadence all the way to Kaohsiung. The road was filled with Mazu well-wishers, but not too bad. The heat was really beating down after 1:00pm. I stopped at a 7-11 to get more water and noticed my forehead was caked in salt. I looked like a margarita glass. I had clouds of white salt all over my jersey as well. I decided to take in some sport drink as well to get the salts back and better retain water.

Plowing Through

I reached the Yunlin Local 154 and made the choice to go back through Hsi Liu 西螺. It is a prettier ride and I was sure of making my 200km goal for the day. I just kept the speed up but I have to admit, I was not entirely comfortable. My tires are just worn down and hard, so I really can't wait to change them out. I feel pretty good. My legs aren't as tired as they should be and I have no more big rides planned until April 24th. Now I will just keep rested and stretched with some small conditioning rides throughout the week.

I know there are a few people out there who I have promised to ride with, but I really need to get this big ride taken care of and then I will be free as I don't have any big project on deck. I look forward to riding with you all again when this is over. Until then I will be focused on making April 24th a success.

Final Score 140 miles (and no that is not the real time of arrival. I arrived about 5:00pm)

Tour of Changhua County: 144km of Wind

My Route

I thought I would use my Sunday to train a little bit for my ride at the end of the month. I was hoping to pull in another century ride today, but I fell 10 miles short. No biggie. I just wanted to be sure of my initial route to the Highway 17 and to get a feel for my optimal sustained speed for my trip down. For these long haul days it takes a bit of planning to estimate how long I can maintain a certain speed to calculate into my overall trip. I was curious about the winds coming off the ocean as well. My last century ride I was feeling a little off. I think it was due to my dinner the night before. I usually like to load up on something bad that I can burn the next day. That night I didn't stick to my guns and was goaded into a stinky tofu dinner. Good food, but not what I needed. This time I did it right. I filled my glycogen stores beginning mid-week and my dinner was fish, beans, bread and veggies with a couple apples for dessert. Fuel to burn!

Pilgrims in Lukang

I took off from Taichung through Changhua City and made good time into Lukang, where they were having all kinds of commotion. I was hoping to take a few pictures for a couple upcoming essays I hope to post later, but it was just too busy, so I connected to Highway 17 and headed due South.

Roadside Produce

The road was wide and smooth with a bit of a breeze coming off the ocean, but it wasn't too bad. I had been keeping my speed up in the low 20's (21-24mph/33-38kph). I felt comfortable and strong as I passed the occasional old man on a scooter.

Tiger Trap

Just as everything seemed to be rolling smooth, I was snared by a tiger trap. Not one, but two long staples were embedded in my tire. I am kind of getting sick of this. It seems like every long ride I have been on in the past month has included someone getting a piece of metal lodged in in their tire. I don't know if there are than many random staples roaming the highways, or if some asshole is having a little fun in stopping cyclists.

Ninja Weapons?

I took out my repair kit and went to work on my tire. I quit carrying my mini-pump in exchange for emergency CO2 cartridges. I felt they would fit better in the seat bag. The tube was changed in minutes, but when I went to fill the tire with CO2, the cartridge contained only enough CO2 to seal the bead. I gingerly made it to the 7-11 that was 400 meters ahead and went looking for a pump. Many, but not all 7-11s in Taiwan carry bicycle pumps and this one did not. I would have to carry on and keep looking. Just before I hit the road again, a couple who were cycling out from Nantou, came by and I borrowed their mini-pump. It wasn't very good, but i had enough air to keep going with the possibility of finding a better pump.

Shooting The Bridge

I continued along with a badly deflated rear tire, hoping I wouldn't hit a rut or bump that would make me pinch flat. I had one more tube and no more air. Despite my soft tire, I was able to crank back up to 20mph.

Cho Shui River

I rolled on toward Mailiao (麥寮) and crossed the Chou Shui River. The Cho Shui has gained the political symbolism as the border between North and South. The power of the Kuomintang party-state had great difficulty making inroads into the areas south of the Cho Shui, where the KMT culturalization efforts were generally rejected by the locals.

Fellow Cyclist

The wind really started picking up on the Cho Shui and the whole landscape had long been enveloped in marine haze and fog. There was a hint of drizzle and it seemed it could actually rain. When I took off it looked like the sun was burning through the clouds... by late morning not a chance. I wished I had brought a wind breaker.

Rolling on the 17

I rolled into Mailiao and almost spaced my turn onto the Yunlin Local 154 as I was busy looking for a bike shop.

John Cougar Melon Farm

Mailiao Public Transportation?

I hadn't been on the 154 too long when I was hit by a heavy wind. I realized this wan not going to be an easy ride. As I rolled through one of those "Green Tunnels" Taiwanese like so much, the wind was ripping down the tunnel of trees.

"Green Tunnel!!!"

I headed North on the Highway 19 against a rough head wind and crossed the Zi Chiang Bridge (自強大橋). By this point the wind and rear tire was beginning to take their toll. I progressed across that bridge at 12mph and it made my legs burn to push forward. It is in these moments the mind fills with doubt. "Am I out of condition? Did I burn myself out? Did I bonk?"

Riding Against The Wind

Just over the bridge I found a 7-11 and stopped to get a little more water and food. Maybe even take a break with the hope that my legs would come back with a little rest from the wind. There, in the corner, I saw a floor pump. Saved! As I connected the Presta valve to my rear tire the needle jumped to a taut 30psi. Yes... I had just ridden 30 miles on a rear tire that had only been inflated to 30psi. I filled back up to 100psi and was off.

Rolling On A River

The rolling was much better, but the wind was still beating me pretty hard. The good thing about drop bars is that I could change to a narrow grip to keep my elbows in and my body as scrunched up as possible without the unwieldy feeling of a flat bar. This seemed to work well and my speed rose to 20-21mph despite the wind.

Most Of My Trip Looked Like This

The road back was a rough ride but as I neared Changhua city the winds subsided and the weather became a little brighter. I was soon hammering away in the mid-20's again. I discovered with relief that I hadn't bonked and I wasn't out of shape. I logged a slower time than I had hoped, 17.5mph average with the wind, traffic and stops. My total riding time was 5-hours three minutes.

High Five!