Dakeng: Taichung's Closest Climbs

I have been off the bike for a six weeks and I am really feeling it. After having my leg realigned I was feeling well enough for another attempt at a ride. I needed something close. I needed something easy. I needed something interesting.

My buddy Chris finally had some time as well. He is new to cycling and has really only ridden through the clouds of scooters and cars in the flats of Taichung City with a couple of other excursions.

We decided to hit the foothills in Dakeng above Taichung to make the most of our time and conditioning.

We met in the city and were soon on the "bike path" out toward the golf course on Taiyuan Rd.

There were a few other cyclists out. It is still technically a work day, so not the same volume as on a weekend.

We stopped at the 7-11 on Buzi Rd. to wait for Michael Turton to join us.

Just as we started climbing toward the golf course, we took a left up the Dakeng Alley toward the CKS Campground.

The ride lazily twists around farms and creeks up to the top of the hill.

Chris got his first taste of climbing by burning all his matches on a couple of the steeper sections.

Michael easily spun his way up in preparation for is exciting cycling expedition to Sabah later this month.

I felt pretty good and my knee was pretty well behaved. I tested out my strength and comfort on the bike. The weather was also excellent.

At the top of the hill, I ran into a woman who looked to be in her late 60's getting ready to tackle the steepest section of the road up to the campground. I love seeing seniors still ripping it up.

Chris was happy to celebrate his first "summit". When I first met Chris, he was 6okg heavier and nowhere near being able to climb stairs... let alone a hill. Just awesome!

We chatted for a while at the top before bombing back down to the city.

What a wonderful excursion to get back into the swing of things.

An Encouraging Sign: My Ride Through The Hills of Dakeng

Encouraging Sign

I have been taking things easy and doing some interesting stretches which seem to be working, and so I decided to test my knee in the hills of Dekeng above Taichung city. I figured I could easily coast home if things went poorly. As of today, all signs are pointing toward a solid recovery.

Refreshing

I took things easy and got a late start with an easy warm-up out to the 85C on Dong Shan Rd. near Dakeng. The weather was already oppressively hot and humid, so and iced coffee made things a wee bit better. I also had a chance to stretch my hip. What you can't see in the picture above is my leg tucked up behind me against a railing.

Climbing

I followed the road up the Buzi River toward the CKS Campground and hiking trail No. 4. I casually retraced my first excursion out of Taichung City many years ago, when I discovered mountains and hills had been hiding behind a veil of mist and fog.

Making It Up The Hill

When I ordered the parts for this new bike I had been feeling confident and self assured. I had been doing some great climbing with a standard 39/53 tooth crank with a 12-27 cog. I decided I would harden up and abandon my old compact crank. I was missing it today. After 3 1/2 moths of limited riding my strength and endurance is suffering. I could keep above 20mph in the flats and 10mph climbing, but I was getting tired. I also was not going to try and push or really stand on the pedals. I already put myself out an extra month by trying to climb too much too soon.

I made my way up the hill and stopped to stretch the hip BEFORE it turned into knee pain.

Action Shot

My New Friend

Warning?

I was surprised to be able to push up over the hill and it was over sooner than I remembered. I was feeling pretty accomplished.

Dakeng Scenic Area

Map

Feeling On Top Of The World

Resting

Go Anywhere. Do Anything

The Fun Part

I took a few minutes to rest and then "Ka-thunk!" I shifted to the big ring for a fast descent along a twisting, narrow road.

When I Smile

I was flying along at about 35-40mph. One thing I really love about this bike is that it descends like a guided missile. You pick a line and stick with it. On the old bike I was always over-shooting my turns. This bike slices through them like a scalpel. So much fun.

Friendly Rider

I slalomed down to Taiyuan Rd. and then headed up to the Warehouse 185 for a coffee. The knee was feeling great. I headed out for a family function in Daya and then stayed in the big ring for a fast, but tiring, stretch back home. I pushed my knee and it felt healthy. Today was huge for me in getting back into form.

Distance: 42 miles

Max Speed: 40mph

Average Speed: Never Mind

Knee: Pain Free

New Feature in Dakeng

Cruising The Gaomei Wetlands

Shouldering Over Obstacles

This weekend I had the pleasure to ride with a very fit and capable rider from Calgary, Canada. Chris, who is a regular reader here at TiC, will be out in Caotun for three weeks and is looking to fill many of those days riding. He is a compact and fit athlete with a power to weight ratio that is ideal for climbing the hills of central Taiwan.

Sadly, I am still miles from getting back into the type of form that would allow me to show him around the better climbs in the area, so this Sunday's ride was just about getting on the bike and introducing Chris to another one of central Taiwan's more infamous features-- the traffic.

Dom Relaxes

We put a small group together with Michael from The View From Taiwan, Dominic from Hold These Green Balloons, Chris L, and myself, for an easy ride to the Gaomei Wetlands and along the coastal mudflats between Gaomei and Da-jia.

Michael and Chris

The weather had been a gauzine haze all morning with the threat of rain. After a few short kilometers the scenery would disappear behind a veil of mist. Not an ideal day for photos, but marvelous for a few hours on the bike.

I was nervous about my injury and even more disappointed when I started feeling a familiar tightness under my knee. My plan was to stop if the knee pain flared up.

Fortunately, I was able to keep the sensation to a discernible discomfort for the entire ride as it would threaten to end my ride and then mysteriously subside. Not good, but not too bad.

Looking for Fish

Our first stop would be the fishing port in Taichung Harbor, where there are dozens of booths set up selling the same seafood dishes. Each stall was staffed by ladies with either poor eyesight or simply bad taste as they kept calling out for our patronage by peppering us in a staccato greeting, "Shuai Ge! Shuai Ge! Lai!" meaning, "Handsome dude, handsome dude, come over!"

Chris and his Kestrel

It was nice to get a little food before taking off along a nearby bike trail, one of the few that isn't too bad, just narrow.

Bike Trail

We made our way to the Gaomei Wetlands, a natural preserve in the mudflats that is adorned with ornamental wind turbines (I have never seen them actually producing electricity).

Gaomei

It is common for visitors to roll up their pants and wade out onto the flats to chase mudskippers and collect clams.

Mudskippers?

We took a nearby path along the water and eventually wrapped our way back to the Highway 1 to Da-jia.

Resting

Cutting Through Rice Fields

Just over the bridge before Da-jia, there is a road that will lead back to Houli and Taichung. If you ever choose to explore this route, be sure to give yourself lots of time. It is a labyrinth of farm roads and dead ends.

Chris Soaks In The Scenery

Luckily, Michael is an expert in this part of Taichung, and he helped us successfully navigate our way through to Houli.

Onward!

Working Up A Storm

Leisure Cycling

Michael tells Chris about his plans to join the Rebellion against the evil Galactic Empire.

From the traffic blitz in Fengyuan we all decided to go to the 185 Warehouse near DaKeng for some food, refreshments and a few bicycle tweaks and maintenance.

Yummy!

I had a great chicken and cheese sandwich with a coffee while James from 185 helped Chris work on his rear wheel.

It was an excellent ride.

Moreover, the last hour of the ride my leg felt perfect. I feel out of shape and slow, but I was not in pain. Things are looking up.

It was also great to meet up with Chris for some riding. He loves Taiwan traffic.

If anyone in central Taiwan would like to ride mid-week, Chris is looking for company. Contact me if you are interested.

A Quick Fix