Guan Dao Shan: Death Climb In-Sanyi-ty!

This time of year is a great time to teach the legs how to climb. With the northern monsoon pushing a steady wind from the north, the hills offer some respite in putting out a strong effort and actually accomplishing something. 

I had been eyeing a road for some time, but I never really had a great opportunity to follow it. I had been down the lower section several times, and each descent I always thought I wouldn't want to try climbing up that very hill. I wouldn't want to try it... until I actually did try it: The Fuxing Agricultural Road. 



The ride out of Taichung was a bit of a sleepwalker, with a group of cyclists rolling out for some mass event or another. 



I hoped to take a bit of a shortcut through the Houfeng Bike Trail, but it was blocked off by a marathon (the current sport dejure of Taiwan). I had to take a couple farm roads back to the Highway 3. 



Eventually I was back up on the Miaoli Route 52-2 along the southern end of the Liyutan Reservoir. This was where the ride really started. 

At the section beneath the dam where the 52-2, Miaoli 49 and 52-3 meet, I launched up the 52-3. Launch it the appropriate word as the road is a single lane of vertical abuse. It is one of those roads where you clip in and then hang about a mile out over the handlebars to keep the front wheel down. 

I bit and spit my way to the top and then, surprisingly, kept going. I did have to dismount once to let a car pass, but I was feeling great. 



The road dishes out a few more bumps before settling down high above a shady wetland that completely transforms the mood into something resembling tranquility. 



After another long, straight climb, I took a breather to orient myself on the GPS as I was heading into new territory. 



I was giddy and the road took an unmerciful leap along a carved out hillside. The whole space seemed ridiculous for a bike ride. I revelled in the obvious absurdity of the image I must have cast to passing farmers as I stomped and shifted my way between the occasional stair step in the paving. 



The higher I hot the more ridiculous the ramps became. I must have hit a dozen or more comically nasty sections. They never lasted too long, but the sense I was getting was that I would eventually be biking up a quarter pipe. 



I hooked into a corner and passed a derelict cemetery eerily blanketed in a soupy grey fog. The fog cleared for just a moment to reveal the reservoir below. 



I was in absolute heaven. Then the landscape shifted on me as rapidly as the click of a Viewmaster. A sloppy string of pavement slid along the side of a persimmon orchard. I couldn't figure out how they lifted so much flat road up the mountain. 



I was again enveloped by the chill of a wet fog that covered me until I was spit out in the middle of a parking area next to a haunted commode at the base of a hiking trail. 



I took the right hand turn and blazed along the dirty concrete path. Suddenly, a large eagle swooped out of the trees above the road just in front of me and swept the road with its talons. It did this two more times before flying off to Salisbury Hill or some other locale. 



I was having more fun on the bike than I had had in a very long time. There was adventure, wonder, absurdity, mystery and silence. 



I finally nailed a steady beat back to Taichung. But not before stopping to take a picture from the warm sunlight of the mountain I had just taken a bite out of. 

A highly recommended road for the local rider looking for something that will surprise. There are several more roads back there that I will be looking into in the near future. 

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Sunday on the Route 130 in Miaoli

Joe and Michael Near Summit

Although I was feeling tired from my Saturday ride, I thought it would be a good idea to really make the legs work this weekend and take a casual yet demanding ride up the Route 130 in Miaoli.

I was happy to meet up with Michael Turton and Joe Lee for a day of cruising the roads between Taichung and the Sanyi area of southern Miaoli County. I have been meaning to ride with Joe for a good long while as he is such a great athlete. Unfortunately, he has been working through sports related injuries as vexing as mine. It was good to have him along.

This is a route I have done numerous times, but I never get tired of it. I also wanted to do more climbing.

Cycling For All Ages

We coasted out to Juolan at Taichung's northernmost edge and then flew along the Highway 3 to the Route 130 turn off not far past the Liyu Reservoir.

That is not the race director's car

The climb opens with a steep set of curves and then mellows... only just a little. My legs felt better than they had in weeks. Joe, Michael ad myself pushed our way up through the orchards and jungle.

Joe at the posing place

The views from the road were just spectacularly clear.

Red Plum Slushee

We stopped at the Mile High Cafe for a little refreshment and a chat with the charming wait staff.

View

All too soon it was time to continue the climb.

Michael puts the hammer down

The clouds on the horizon spelled trouble, so we made quick work of the rest of the hill and flew down the other side... a sensation that could only be described as "grounded flight."

Joe gets another view

Me

As we neared the Longtan Broken Bridge, it was clear the rain would soon be upon us. And just as I had predicted, the rains hit at about 2:00pm. It wasn't too bad and came in waves.

We fought our way back against wind and rain into Fengyuan and Taichung. By the time I reached the Taichung city limits, the heavens opened up in a torrent that would have made my shower-head jealous. I was completely soaked, so I soldiered on home in the fiercest downpour I have ridded through in a good long while.

Just before arriving at my front gate, the clouds opened to let beams of white sunlight through and call off the showers. Ahhhh... Taiwanese summers!

Ominous Warnings

Taichung Ups and Downs

I found a little more time than usual yesterday, so I decided to look for a better hill training route.

I am still trying to build back up to a place where I can charge up the hills and have plenty of gas left for some speed on the flats and a sprint home. I would also like to do a few more hill century rides like these. Here, Here.

I figured I would have enough time to do an evening of climbing and get home in time for dinner.

I left along Wu Chuan West Rd. and through the Industrial Park. This makes a nice little climb through the back gate of the Tunghai Market and over to Taichung Harbor Rd. This is a better climb with less traffic than simply charging up Taichung Harbor Rd.

I then prudently bombed down the Highway 12 into Shalu. I had to slow down a little and remember how the roads worked. I wanted to go directly into Ching Shui and not back up the Highway 10.

The Highway 12 splits at the Highway 10 junction and, with some traffic heroics, you can make another easy descent into Ching Shui. At the southern end of Ching Shui, at the back of the town, you can go up on the Highway 10乙. This is a fun little ascent with a 5% grade. It has some switchbacks and some straight climbs. The Highway 10乙 goes past the Taichung Airport and links to the regular Highway 10, which goes directly into Daya.

I turned off to Highway 10 to go up to the Taichung Municipal Park. This is an excellent little climb with some flat sections on the top to spin the lactic acid out of the legs. The road ends at the highest reaches of Hsitun (Xitun) Rd. with a fantastic descent off the top if you can get it free of traffic. Hsitun/Xitun is narrow and packed with vehicles. Lots of fun, but dangerous.

I would normally turn on Wenxin Road, but I needed to stop by Mosaic and make one tiny adjustment. I left the Garmin on... whoops! Then I went home on Huiwen Rd.

It was a really nice way to shake up the legs a bit and get back into sustained climbing. i highly recommend this route for anyone in Taichung who is looking for a short, hilly training loop.