Booking Through Changhua County: Michael Le Houllier Making News While Making A Difference

Today the Liberty Times ran a great story on Taichung's own Michael Le Houllier; an expat with a stake in his community.

Le Houllier made the news for his active participation in the bicycle book exchange-- a program established by the Changhua County government to promote fitness and literacy in a lead up to the National Games this October.

The program involves over 100 participating police stations, libraries and churches within Changhua County. Any participant may pick up a "book passport" at the police station on Zhong-zheng Rd. in Changhua City, free for the donation of three books.

According to Le Houllier, he filled his passport in only four rides, capping it off with an ambitious 251km pull down the Highway 19 and returning on the coastal Highway 17. In four rides he covered over 400km.

Le Houllier says,

" I met a lot of interesting people -- police officers, local grocery owners, and even a couple of middle school kids who helped me find a station in Lugang that was on a very confusing lane. I loved it."

The program will continue for another 2 and a half weeks.

I think this is also a prime example of foreigners taking an active role in their Taiwanese communities.

Update: Here is a link to the English Translation.

Anti-nuclear Fixed Gear Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine!!!!

A few blips from the wire:

Fixed Gear Taiwan has a little post about the Japanese man who transformed his fixed gear bicycle into a human-powered ice shaver for making Sno-cones.

"You put ice cubes in and get a sno-cone out... yum yum fun is all about!"

Mom, dad... if you're reading this I just need to tell you again that you really missed a big chance to purchase my affections by not getting me that Snoopy Sno-cone Machine. Huh!

But on a more serious note, the Anti-nuclear message of this shaved ice reminds be of a Taiwanese song my the now defunct Labor Exchange Band. I have had this song rattling around my playlist since Taiwan's first nuclear debate in 2000, when the incoming Chen administration sought to halt construction of the 4th nuclear power plant on Taiwan's northern coast. Several anti-nuclear protests were conducted and led by the forward thinking Taiwanese democracy hero, Lin Yi-hsiung. The issue prompted a row with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). After a meeting on the issue the KMT leader deemed the meeting "insincere" and continued to use the issue as a pretext to cease any form of cooperation with the Chen administration leading to entrenched legislative gridlock and apathy from the KMT controlled Legislative Yuan. Chen capitulated and the plant is sadly still under construction. Most people say it was rather that all the kickbacks had already been paid, so the plant had to be built.

Nuclear Free Homeland: Labor Exchange Band

我們腳踏著豪邁 我們來自那高山

We are stepping forward with bravery. We come from the mountains.

來自海洋和平原 我們如河般蜿蜒

We are from the ocean and plains. Our lives gather together and go on like a river.

我們腳踏著勤勉 要為子孫和祖先
奠下永續的生態 非核的家園

We are stepping forward with diligence. We are going to set up an environment with sustainability—a land with no nuclear power.

腳踏著豪邁 非核的家園
腳踏著豪邁 非核的台灣

We are stepping forward with bravery, stepping forward with bravery to a non-nuclear Taiwan.

我們豪邁的足跡 就是歷史的分際
我們怒吼的歌聲 就是進步的呼聲

Our brave steps are the dividing line of history. Our ranting and singing is a declaration to progress.

我們邁向的社會 將無萬年的核廢
我們腳踏的土地 生命自然的演替

This society is going toward a land without nuclear power for thousands of years.

The land we are stepping on is a place where lives will be able to move on naturally.

腳踏著豪邁 非核的家園
腳踏著豪邁 非核的台灣

Stepping forward with bravery to a non-nuclear Taiwan. Stepping forward with bravery to a non-nuclear Taiwan.

I have always been touched by these lyrics, but to bring this thread full circle I have to admit that I occasionally like to change the words 腳踏著 (stepping) to 腳踏車 (bicycle). :)

Also:

• No sooner had a major Taiwanese sponsor entered the professional peloton than the dream was over. Last Thursday it was announced that HTC-Highroad, the Taiwanese backed powerhouse with a stable of top talent, TdF green jersey winner Mark Cavendish, was to fold at the end of the season due to HTC pulling its support. This is sad for a number of reasons as some form of Highroad team had been in the mix for a few years now. Furthermore, it is sad that a country at the center of the production side of cycling would lose its largest sponsor. Lastly, I really had never thought about HTC until I made the connection with the HTC-Highroad team. The advertising deal was obviously a winner.

• If anyone wants to bike Highway 86 and get back to me on it, the Liberty Times put out this report on it for cycling.
• Mosaic has plenty of pictures from their Houli ride.

Lastly

• Congratulations to everyone who tried to kill themselves on the infamous 136 Time Trial. SUNe has pics and times.

Some Days You Get It Wrong: Rainy Day Hill Climbing

Route 95 to Chung Ho Village

All week I had been watching the progress of a nasty looking typhoon out in the Pacific and wondered what it would mean for my weekend riding. I had missed my mid-week rides due to circumstances beyond my control and I really had to get out on the bike.

Based on experience, I figured Saturday would be the better day with the rains coming after the typhoon had passed Taiwan with the majority of the wet stuff falling on Taipei. The Central Weather Bureau and TV news meteorologists tend to have a Taipei-centric view of the weather, so it is easy to disregard their predictions. I also figured that if it did rain, the rain would fall in the afternoon... after 1:00pm. This seems to be the summer pattern.

So with this in mind I planned an ambitious day of climbing that I could accomplish before noon and be safely on my way back to Taichung if and when the rains hit. It sounded like a great plan and I set my sights on the Hui Sun Forest (惠蓀林場).

Hoping Township

My legs were feeling really good and I made short work of the Route 129 to Hsin She. I thought I would stop at the 7-11 along the Route 93 for breakfast and to stock up on extras for a foray into the mountains.

I spent a little time chatting up some riders from Warehouse 185 and another group of guys who were doing the 136 to 129 loop. They all took off to beat the rain, but quickly returned as no sooner had they left then some fat, juicy raindrops filled the air. It was time for another coffee.

After half and hour it looked like the clouds were rained out and so I made my climb over to the Highway 21. Along the way I passed Glenn from Primavera Cycles hacking his way up the switchbacks out of Chung Hsing Village.

Highway 21

It looked like the weather might hold and I was optimistic, but the wet roads made descents slow. Furthermore, it appears Taiwan offers a big bike license in exchange for a deposit of brain cells. Note to Big Bike Riders: It is probably not a good idea to pass me on a blind corner on wet roads at high speeds. You might not see that blue truck. Dumb!

I didn't really need anything, but I thought I would stop at the Family Mart at the bottom of the descent off Baimao Shan. It would be the last stop before going into the mountains. Then, after a few minutes, the skies opened up again. I waited in the store with a bunch of families from Miaoli who did not think I looked like an American because I am too short. I had to point out that Americans can look like anybody... like the Children of the KMT Central Standing Committee and possibly Ma Ying-jiu. I figured as a bunch of moneyed guys from Miaoli, they would not be amused. The rain stopped and I made full speed for the Route 136.

Sunshine on 99 Peaks

I thought I might stop at the Hi Life at the base for a few moments and assess the weather before heading up the hill. Again, it started raining. As I walked around the store I noticed a group of boys on kid bikes had arrived to buy candy. As they came in, one of them noticed me and exclaimed, "Foreigner!"

I went into my well rehearsed pantomime of confusion in which I crane my neck in every direction as if to get a better look, "Where?!"

I convinced him I was not a "Foreigner" and he seemed satisfied with my answer, enough to tell one of the other boys I was not a foreigner when he asked. Then, as fellow cyclists, we then got down to business of talking bikes.

The boys enthusiastically waved me off as the rain stopped and I seized the opportunity to make time up the Route 136.

Gimme Shelter

For most of the ascent spots of sunshine managed to slip through the clouds to create a steamy warmth on the blacktop. I was feeling great and ate up the 8% grades. I was able to reserve my 27 tooth cog for the ramps and that one bastard of a spot 3/4 of the way up by the little farm. I stopped a couple times to take pictures, but they were not strategic photos, just nice pictures with the sunshine casting odd highlights on the 99 peaks in the distance against a dark curtain of rain. I thought I might make it over the 136 without getting rained on and pushed past the last little shelter before the peak.

If you've ridden a road enough times you become familiar with the points along the way to take shelter in a rain squall... and I had just passed the last one before the exposed stretch along the highest point and the treacherous descent to Toubienkeng.

I had been playing a game of Cat and Mouse all day with the weather and this mouse got caught at the worst possible moment.

Rain on 136

The rains started as a light mist, but soon turned into thick drops that instantly soaked into my socks. I couldn't think of any suitable place to sit out the rain except for the possibility of a temple gate up ahead with the possibility of a roof.

Sure enough, it was just wide enough to stand under and wait out the rain. I paced around taking pictures and wondering how long I would have to wait. I also considered the wet descent down the other side.

I watched one ant save another from a raindrop

After 30 minutes the rain held off long enough to get a start on the descent. I just modulated the brakes, kept the speed down, and avoided any of the paint on the road for a slow yet uneventful descent.

As I rolled into Toubienkeng the rains started again forcing me to take shelter under the aluminum covering of a roadside temple.

The rain didn't last more than 20 minutes and soon I was again making good time back to Taichung City... where the roads were dry and the sun was happily poking through the clouds.

Some days you just get it wrong.

Distance: 100km

Climbing: 5151ft.

Weather: Wet

Praying For Good Weather?

Excellent Links and A Fitting Tribute To One Of Taiwan's Great Cyclists

Dwight J. writes a fitting tribute to one of Taiwan's great cyclists and one of my best friends... Michael Turton.

What makes Michael one on Taiwan's great cyclists is not that he puts up particularly great numbers, wins races, or accomplishes inhuman feats on a bike. He is not a lithe rail of athletic prowess. On the contrary.... He has grey in his beard, a bit of roundness in the middle, an old foot injury and sunglasses that are clip ons. In many ways he seems like an ordinary guy.

Michael also embodies the passion for cycling that so many of us share. On each ride he brings the heart and enthusiasm that is missing from so many people's lives and his attitude is infectious. Riding with Michael is always a good time. Moreover, Michael takes the time in his week to run intervals up the hill behind his house and strives to become better. He pushes himself to ride and to discover all the life that is happening simultaneously in the cultural fabric of this shared space we call "Taiwan"... and then takes the time to analyze it on his own blog.

Few people actually find the courage to do what Michael has done-- to try something new and difficult. I know for a fact that he has inspired others to pick up a bike in search of the same type of passion. I can only hope they found even a sliver of it.

This July I was happy to share a few stages of the Tour de France with Michael as we chatted online turing the webcast. I couldn't help smiling as he became engrossed in the rolling battles and the slow games at play. He was hopelessly hooked.

I look forward to many more opportunities to ride with Michael and I would encourage any of my readers out there to hunt him down on his blog to ask for a ride. I am sure he'd oblige as he can rarely pass up the chance to throw a leg over a top tube.

----------------------------------------------------

Taiwan Links:

• Taiwanese granny takes bike tour with youth in tow.

• Cycling Satin Cesena looks at the alloy cocktails of 7000 series aluminum tubing.

• The Merida Tour of Changhua (Huan Hua Sai) will be held 9/25/2011. This is a good entry level race for competition or for just a challenge. The course is mostly flat with a short hill climb and a distance of around 100k. You can find details here.

• The Daily Bubble Tea climbs 1150m of hills between Taichung and Nantou.

• Taiwan born cyclist dies on the streets of Seattle in a hit and run.

• I would also like to wish Dom A. good luck. Dom will be riding around Taiwan for the next two weeks for a little adventure. I can't wait for the ride report.

Other Links:

• Going Dutch: Taiwan claims to want to copy the European model, but can we create this type of culture.

• The bicycle is a mind control device. Or at least that's what I tell my wife when I want to spend money. But now scientists are working on the mind controlled bike.

• Team Radioshack's Chris Horner suffered a blood clot following his crash at the Tour de France. See his incoherent babbling here. I cann't believe team doctors put him on a bike... and even more so, I can't believe he finished the stage.

• Titanium and Carbon heart valve gets Contador hater a steel Waterford.

The Outspoken Cyclist interviews Rob Vandermark of Seven Cycles. Rob was also at the fore of Titanium bike frames in the early days of the technology. Nice podcast!

Sanlinxi Century 台中--杉林溪--台中: Climbing A Mountain Of Tourists

Making A Statement At The Slurpee Machine

I was feeling brave all week and decided to talk myself into doing a Century Ride--my first in 5 months. A Century Ride (160km/100mi) in and of itself is no easy feat, but I decided to celebrate my return to distance riding by adding a bit of climbing to the challenge just for sport.

I decided to make an attempt at Sanlinxi (杉林溪), the tea and tourism area up in the mountains over Nantou County.

Mingjian

I started the ride along the Highway 3 into Mingjian and then took the Highway 16 toward Shuili. The morning was bright and crystal clear. It looked to be a promising day for weather and blog-worthy pictures. I tried to get out early and get a jump on the broiling heat that was sure to come once the sun had a chance to put its magnifying glass on our little neck of the world.

Mountains

A light haze hung around the skirts of the mountains, but there were no signs of the rain clouds that had been predicted all week.

Jilu Bridge

I crossed the river at the Jilu Bridge, a shortcut to Lugu I had never tried and as I crossed I could just make out some of the lower reaches of Lugu up on the ridge just below Fenghuang Mountain.

I was making really good time and kept telling myself to pull back as the fun stuff was still up ahead on the mountain. Everything to the Route 131 was just a prelude to the ride I had planned--the commute to a hill climb.

The Route 131 is really the best route up the hill for a cyclist. It is much easier than the introductory ramps of Route 151, which can take the piss out of you before you even start the ascent.

Just as I started up the initial climbs on Route 131, I had to stop to pull a staple out of my rear tire. The process took way too long as I fiddled with the terrible Lyzene CO2 kit that never really works and had to fall back on my mini-pump. I guess I am a belt and suspenders kind of guy, but I am always glad I am.

After changing the tube and filling my rear tire to an acceptable, but not ideal pressure, I started working back up to where the Route 131 meets Route 151. I intended to stop at one of the numerous convenience stores along the way and use their pump... as the area is marked by the local government as a recommended cycling route. I was out of luck. None of the stores had a pump, so I pressed on wondering exactly how much pressure I was riding on.

Going To Hsitou

No sooner had I started up the Route 151, when I ran smack into 15km of temporary parking lot.

The line of tourists idling in their cars started at Lugu and snaked all the way up the mountain to carnival the village of Hsitou, where thick clouds of tourists drive high up the mountain to cling to anything edible and escape life in the crowded cities.

Lugu Resort

The nice thing about the line of cars was having carloads of college girls cheer me as I passed.

Food At Hsitou

Beware of Elf

Genius!

After refilling my water bottles at the Family Mart I hunted down the Giant bike rental station at the Hsitou shopping oasis.

The Giant sign was prominently displayed and I was sure I could fill my rear tire to spec and maybe pick up a spare tube if I was lucky.

I was directed over to the bike area, where two helpful employees produced a hand pump and proceeded to let the remaining air out of my tire. The sound of gushing air only seemed to excite them as "the pumper" frantically tried to jack his hand harder until he turned purple from exertion and nearly fainted.

I produced my Schrader Valve adaptor, but they were having trouble getting it to work. I explained I was hoping to get the air pressure up to about 115psi, but was told it was "impossible" to pump a tire that full and "bike tires can only be inflated to 40psi". I threw caution to the wind and probably cost someone face, but I waved them off, thanked them and pumped with my little mini-pump again.

At that moment one of the bike guys asked if I wanted him to fill up the front tire while already moving in that direction. I emphatically declined with a loud string of "Buyao, buyao, buyao!!!!"

Now, to be fair, I think these guys just worked for the hotel at the Giant sponsored rental station... but once you put your name on it... you own it.

Soon I was back on my way with an unknown volume of air in my rear tire.

Turn Markers

The turn off the Sanlinxi, or "Sunlink Sea" as the local tourism board calls it, was actually below where I took my pit stop and once I hit that road the beauty of the mountains was mine for the taking.

The road up to Sanlinxi consists of 12 turns, each marked by a different zodiac animal.

Forest

The climb is really quite spectacular as the jungle and bamboo gives way to cedar forests.

Ascent

As I looped up toward the 5300ft. top the temperatures dipped into the high teens or the sixties in Fahrenheit. This is a dramatic drop from the sizzling plains. I figured this might happen, but I figured the exercise would keep me warm and the descent would be quick. Still, something for anyone considering a mountain ride in Taiwan at any time of the year.

Withdrawal at the Fog Bank?

As I neared my goal I could see the valley filling with mist and a bank of fog was moving in fast. I feared it might rain and pushed forward trying to beat the weather. The scenic landscapes were gone. The sharp-ridged mountains had disappeared. The only thing I could see were the ghostly shadows of tall trees amid swirls of mist.

Six kilometers from the top a light sprinkle started to fall and I stopped momentarily to assess my predicament. Was this the beginning of a rain storm or the light droplets from a fog bank?

I was so close to my destination I decided to concentrate on getting to my goal before turning back. Visibility was down to just a few yards and I turned off the music to listen for cars. It is in those moments as a cyclist when you are slowly climbing on the side of a quiet mountain that you really feel tiny and alone.

I trudged up the last of the way and beat a quick retreat. To my surprise, the mist cleared and the clouds went away as I cruised off the mountain. I was soon sweltering in the heat once more. I took the Route 151 all the way down to Zhushan and hooked onto the Highway 3 once more.

I put the crop to my ass and hammered to Nantou, where I found a pump revealing that I had been riding on a rear tire filled to a mere 40psi. No wonder my ass was hurting.

What a lovely ride.

Distance: 165km/103mi,

Altitude Gain: 6247ft.

5652 calories burned.

Looking For Lugu

Caotun Loop and Randomness

Bugs!

Why cyclists shave

What a good day on the bike. I got back to bike commuting today. My Salsa is really a Lincoln Continental.

I then did my Caotun Loop after having to skip so many days with bad weather. Things are starting to feel good. The new wheels are feeling great and I am really feeling the difference. This isn't just the "I bought something new and want to feel the difference: difference, but how everything works together. Mmmmmm!

I probably ate enough bugs to make Bear Grylls puke, but I could probably use the protein. Ahhhh... the joys of summer night rides in Taiwan.

Cadels Before Schlecks: My Worst Pun To Date and Links

• Taiwanese racer poised to become the first Asian cyclist to win the International Cycling Classic. Feng Chun-kai maintained an insurmountable lead in the 43 year-old Pro-Am series after a week of victories and high placed finishes. Feng's dominance really highlights the still untapped potential for a country like Taiwan to cultivate athletic talent that can compete at the international level. The interest in cycling remains high as recreational riders are becoming more sophisticated and interested in the sport of cycling.

• A pair of cancer survivors tackle Taiwan by bike to raise funds and awareness for cancer research. Cycling has become a favorite activity for people dedicated to combating cancer, in part for Lance Armstrong's close association with cancer research and also for the fact that cycling can be an easy and accessible activity for lots of people.

• The Liberty Times reports on Bike Angels, a Taiwanese Lutheran group that will be riding around Taiwan to raise funds for a new orphanage in XiLuo and other projects. You can follow them on Facebook.

• Terry's got some great pics from Saturday's Giant Cup event. Terry placed a respectable 3rd.

World Links:

• A North American look at 10 Great Places for City Cycling.

• Making Cycling More Inclusive: De-gendering the bicycle.

• When art and bicycles collide.

• Los Angeles carries a Big Stick for cyclists. Defending the defenseless.

• Revolutionary inventions for cycling?

• So you think you could be pro. How do you compare?

• Man cuts himself in two through cycling.

Tour de France: An End To 21 Days of Schlecks and Violence

I have to admit I was skeptical. After a couple boring years of the Tour de France and more thrilling Giro contests, I was ready to concede to another yawn fest with predetermined plot lines and preordained royalty. Then the Giro came and it bored me to death. Could Alberto Contador gobble up competition any faster? How many times could he concede the finish line to gift favors? In fact, it may have been his undoing.

The same rabble of favorites were destined to shine at this year's Tour. Contador, the Schleck boys, Ivan Basso, Cadel Evans, Sammy Sanchez, Thor, Cavendish, Ferrar.

Then the opening day of crashes put several of the favorites behind. More crashes depleted the peloton of some of its heavyweights. Team Radioshack was decimated with Chris Horner babbling incoherently after finishing with an obvious concussion in Stage 7. This really opened up the field to see demonstrations of grit, like Johnny Hoogerland's repeated aggression even after tangling his boys in a barbed wire fence and requiring 30 stitches.

Another hero of the race was Tommy Voeckler, the Frenchman from Team Eurocar who fought valiantly to attain and then retain his yellow jersey. It was that heart of a competitor that really came through on Stage 18 as he crossed the finish suffering immeasurably from exhaustion after chasing Andy Schleck's breakaway to hold a mere 15 seconds on Schleck in a futile effort that would see him lose his top spot the following day, which was owned by Alberto Contador. Although Contador's legs gave out on Stage 18, the former (at that time reigning champion) put the remainder of his energy into a Stage 19 stand that possibly out paced the Schlecks and may have given Cadel Evans an edge.

I was hooked early and hooked long. I followed through the middle stages as the leaders sized up the competition and cautiously maintained a pace at the front.

It was truly a grand tour.

TdF Links:

• Cadel me gently. Aussie wins Malliot Jaune in 20th stage ITT heroics. How did he do it?

• WSJ examines why the TdF captivated so many after becoming a bit of a bore in recent years.

• Andy Schleck's Stage 18 Pinache.

• Alberto Contador's fighting spirit wins fans and respect.

• Breaking the Color Barrier. 108 years later, first black man competes in worlds top bicycle race.

• So you think you should be sponsored... How do you stack up against the pros? Maybe that 32kph average over 50k inspires you to think about making a career of cycling. See what the big dogs averaged.