London Blogging: ibikelondon Looks At Taiwan Cycling

In the lead-up to Taiwan's annual International Bike Festival, a group of bloggers were invited to Taiwan for a guided tour of our local bicycle culture. As a PR move this can be a risky and expensive overture in expanding the world's awareness of Taiwan. Once the blogger has been feted and fed around Taiwan, and no doubt presented with as pretty a picture as a local guide can paint, he is then left to write a piece to best convey his experiences to a target audience.

I have read a number of these pieces and, they often either follow a set of talking points and the limited experiences of the writer's brief, and manicured stay... or they don't manifest themselves into much more than a few tagged snapshots sandwiched between action shots from the ongoing cyclocross season.

Therefore, I am really pleased to use this space on my blog to highlight one of the first and few writers who has done an excellent and thoughtful job in presenting his trip in a balanced and nuanced fashion.

Mark Ames, on his ibikelondon blog, presents his experience visiting Taiwan in a number of well written articles paired with some wonderful photography. It is really worth a look. The pictures are spectacular.

Check out this blog and please be sure to comment.

Posts:

Tips For Visiting Taiwan

Where Does Your Bicycle Come From

Taipei's Best Ride

The Bicycle Kingdom

Bike Trails

Here is a taste:

The Bicycle Kingdom label makes sense; some of the world’s biggest bicycle manufacturing companies call Taiwan home.  At some stage in your cycling life it’s almost guaranteed you’ve sat astride a frame bearing the “Made in Taiwan” stamp.  But the accusation that the people of Taiwan make bicycles but never ride them clearly smarts; throughout my travels across the island I met people – from top industry executives to children learning to ride – with an infectious passion for cycling. 

The country’s capital, Taipei, is a tangle of towers, rivers and elevated highways.  Double – and sometimes triple – deck expressways have helped to induce massive car ownership rates in recent years, creating congestion and air pollution problems to rival any other major Asian city. But down at street level I still found drivers to be courteous and patient if you’re used to riding with more aggressive Western urban traffic, though getting along with Taipei’s many millions of motor scooter users is a unique challenge in itself.  

I Doped... kinda' : My Foolish Encounter With Prescription PEDs

  The Face of a Doper (read the pain on that face)

With all the doping admissions following on the coattails of the Armstrong Affair, it seems a doping admission is the next step to padding your cycling resume as a badge of disgrace. The rock and the hard place has started to become something of a guilt deflecting fortress for some of the bigger names of the Pro Tour.

If I want to feel totally pro, I guess it is time to come clean on my own misadventures with coincidental doping.

I am one of the millions of asthma sufferers around the world, and it was only through my move to Taiwan that I actually discovered that I had asthma. I am an American, and in the United States we have become so accustomed to avoiding the doctor due to the lack of insurance coverage and astoundingly high co-payments, so I really never wanted to risk maxing out a credit card with a common"cold".

I had always assumed my seasonal allergies led to a seasonal cold... that would drag on for weeks. The kind of deep cough that rewards you with little sticky gobs of progress to keep you finding new and creative ways to cough at the right angles and intervals to hit new, un-coughed locations in the lungs. I have become a bit of a coughing virtuoso in this regard.

This was a lot of my childhood. I was a fit, athletic kid. A natural athlete. I was just routinely sidelined with allergies. Growing up in Washington State and being allergic to molds and pollens, I really never stood a chance. Washington state is the wettest, drippiest, slimiest, most overgrown cesspool of allergens you can imagine. I even went as far as regular allergy shots, which are like methadone for allergy suffers. You go in and they load you up with allergens to the point your body builds up a tolerance and you can then live a normal life unaffected. After two years I had to stop as I would be 18 and kicked off my dad's state healthcare program.

After moving to Taiwan and getting over my irrational American fears of the doctor, I was finally diagnosed with asthma after a brief trip to the USA when the cool, damp air triggered my asthma to go out of control. Sometimes it is allergies. Sometimes high humidity or cool air. My immune system goes into overdrive to quixotically fight off imaginary threats.

A visit to the doctor in Taiwan is far different than in the USA. It is cheap, for starters. They also tend to prescribe enough medication to make Dr. Gonzo blush.

With the Taiwan National Health Insurance program, doctors often prescribe the every possible pill plus three that could be used to treat the condition.

The doctor prescribed several asthma medications: Xanthium, Procaterol, Prednisalone, an emergency inhaler, a maintenance inhaler and a few other drugs.

The Emergency Inhaler: opens up the bronchi to restore full oxygen capacity.

(Xanthium) Theophylline: has a similar profile to caffeine and was first discovered during research on tea leaves. It is an intropic drug that helps the smooth muscles like the heart and lungs work more efficiently.

Procaterol: prevents bronchial spasms. 

Pednisalone: is a steroid. It is not an anabolic steroid like the type A-Rod used to hit home runs, but rather, it is a glucocorticosteroid for anti-inflamitory uses. I later learned that these drugs are banned by the World Antidoping Agency for its ability to benefit endurance athletes at maximum effort. 

Of course I was taking this, what Elvis Presley referred to as an, "attack", of pills to bring my asthma under control after a week of deteriorating into puffing on an inhaler every hour to catch a breath. Still, in the back of my mind, I could see the potential for a little boost in my performance in the coming 2010 Tour of Changhua. I was taking the medicine on doctor's orders and my intention was not to perform better.... But if I did perform better due to my asthma medication.... I was curious for the sake of curiosity and decided to continue my prescribed regimen of pills through the event. 

On the up side, I had an attack of pills that could potentially help my heart and lungs perform more efficiently while reducing muscle fatigue and an energy boost like an eight shot espresso. 

Then there were the potential side effects:

insomnia, nausea, muscle cramps. fluid retention, dizziness, increased heart rate, more insomnia. 

For me it was, in the back of my mind, an experiment. I asked the doctor about riding and she told me not to overdo it. 

Let's face it... doping with prescription medication is to PEDs as the meth house is to designer drugs.  

Race Day:

On race day I was still feeling a bit rattled after a week of insomnia. I was a Scooby Doo zombie at work. Now I was going to hit the road and pedal my ass off. 

The opening was a typical mass start race opening in which the faster guys hope to overtake the field and have a clear shot to the hill climb without having to pick through a field of pukers or getting gored on some mountain biker's bullhorn bars. 

I felt amazing. I was buzzing from the pills. I am taking them again now after a relapse last week, and the feeling is a lightness and jitteriness; an electric tremor throughout the body. I feel like Alex P. Keaton the the special two-part episode of Family Ties where he experiments with speed. 

The opening hill climb was a breeze. I was passing everyone. I hit the top and kept a good pace near the front. I was cruising along in a small group with just a handful of fast riders along the top of Bagua Shan. I was feeling great. 

Then... the first cramp started. An ache in my right calf. I tried to shake it off, but finally I had to get off the bike. I stopped in for some water bananas at the first feed station. Then I hopped back on the bike and hoped the bananas and water would take care of the cramps. I was still feeling good as I plunged down from Songboling into Tian Zhong. Then, my super powers started to fade. As we raced along the flats the cramps returned. My left quad. I tried to unclip, but then my left hamstring clenched tight with an agonizing pinch. As I pulled off to the side of the road, my left quad cramped. I nearly fell over unable to stand. I coasted long enough for the cramping to stop and after a few minutes limped toward the finish line at 20kph. 

I was completely sapped of any strength. I felt as though I had never been on a bike. It was an embarrassing feeling to be passed by all those flat-bar mountain bikers and their tiny cranks. 

The punctuating moment of this entire misadventure with asthma medication as a doping agent when I was forced to stop at a convenience store for a couple bottles of sport drink. I could feel more cramps coming on and took to dismount.

As I swept my leg over the top tube, my muscles balked in the most agonizing muscle cramp I have ever experienced. I was locked with my leg at a 90 degree angle over my top tube. I was completely locked up; frozen in the most unnatural pose like a dog taking a piss on his bike. I was stuck for almost a minute and only regained a full standing position at considerable and lasting pain. 

In over four hours and forty minutes I limped over the finish line. I was feeling exhausted and wracked with tremors-- exhausted and spent. 

The whole idea was stupid. 

Of course, it was under doctor's orders, but in the back of my mind I wondered... and I learned the harsh lessons of potential prescription performance enhancing drugs. 

I kinda' doped, but I didn't win anything-- I guess no harm, no foul.

Now, as I sit here writing this with two sleepless nights for the week after taking the same attack of meds.... I have to wonder what the hell was I thinking. 

Cyclist Dies of Hypothermia in Taiping Shan Race

Taiwanese media sources are reporting that a cyclist, Zhu Zi-fu, went hypothermic and died on the side of the road during the Taiping Shan race as part of the Taiwan International Bike Festival.

According to Zhu's fellow riders, the 44yo. athlete had failed to register in time for the race and simply matriculated in to the group of 1291 other riders at the beginning of the mass-start race.

As temperatures plunged amid a steady stream of freezing rain, Zhu fell from his bike and never regained consciousness.

Initial reports held that the long haired and bearded cyclist had been a "foreigner". Those reports are incorrect.

This is the second case of another mass-start race going awry and resulting in another death. Last month's Tour of Changhua also saw a fatality as fatigued riders lost control of their bikes on a narrow hill climb.

Since Zhu failed to register for the event, his family is ineligible to receive any of the NT$2million in insurance offered by the organizers.

Another sad end to what should have been a great day on a bike.

The Tarnish of Traffic

 These are the high holy days of Taiwanese cycling with Taichung Bike Week, Maxxis KOM Wuling Ride, The International Bike Festival and the Tour of Formosa, an annual cycling event for hearing impaired competitive cyclists.

Taiwan's Tourism Bureau has stepped in to cover much of the sponsorship and to craft a unified narrative of Taiwan as a cycling paradise.

Last week's Tour of Formosa bore witness to an event that highlights why cycling in Taiwan will never be wholly embraced internationally as anything other than a production and logistics center-- Taiwan's notoriously dangerous traffic culture.

During one leg of the Tour of Formosa on one of the most dangerous stretches of highway in the country, the notorious Suhua Highway, a tour bus loaded with Chinese tourists tried to intimidate and overtake the group of cyclists.

According to the report published by TVBS, the driver became angry that he had been caught behind the peloton and angrily laid on his horn. When nobody reacted, he swerved across the double yellow lines into the oncoming lane and tried to push past the riders and their support and safety vehicles.

When the driver was eventually stopped by the police, he just unleashed an stream of abuse at the officers and the issue was resolved.

Even when an event like this happens in a high profile event such as the Tour of Taiwan, it seems oddly routine and almost tame by the standard most regular riders in Taiwan are accustomed to. Taiwan's dangerously aggressive driving culture and the lack of political will to do much about it will continue to leave visitors with little but faint praise for Taiwan as an Asian cycling leader.

Visitors to Taiwan almost unanimously list the nation's driving culture as the overriding negative caveat for any trip.

The Tourism bureau only wants to hear about the mountains, but the traffic in the cities are the blight that cast the long shadows over any marketing plan. It seems that if the government spent as much time and money making the cities safe to ride as they do in keeping cyclists safely out of the cities, some real progress might be made on the issue.

Delusions of Grandeur: Mayor Jason Hu Lauds Taichung's Bike Lanes

Taichung Mayor, Jason Hu, opened the Taichung leg of the Tour of Formosa with a speech in which he declared the city's bike lanes to be among the nation's best. Oddly omitted from the speech at the last minute were references to unicorns, flying livestock, staged moon landings, Obama's birth certificate and the notion that the Cleveland Browns and Chicago Cubs always have next year.

Press Release (Translation):

"On the 4^th, the cyclists came to Taichung City Fulfillment Amphitheatre to start their next challenge. Jason Hu gave awards to the top three cyclists from the last stage. He spoke through the translator for the cyclits, stating  that Taichung has the best bike lanes. The scenery is gorgeous, including lakes and hill climbs. He welcomes the cyclists to experience the beauty of Taiwan." 

Here are some examples of the "best bike lanes".

The Brick-Zag (Nantun)


The Parking Strip (Daya)


The Sidewalk (Chingshui)


The Bricks To Nowhere (Shalu)


Narrow To Nowhere (Taichung Port)


Hou-Feng hype (Fengyuan/Houli)


The Scooter Lane (Dakeng)


Largesse (Daya)

Nov. 24-25 Alishan Ride: Last Call

I am issuing a last call for riders interested in joining our Alishan Ride scheduled for the weekend of November 24-25. 

Everyone leaving from Taichung City should meet at the McDonalds on the Highway 3 near the Taichung Youth High School (You do not necessarily have to eat there) at 7:00am. Breakfast can be anywhere. We hope to be on the road by 8:00am. 

We will be staying in 來吉 because the patronage networks ferrying Chinese tourists around Taiwan had booked Caoling through December. 

It is not such a bad thing and the food is rumored to be better and there have been beer sightings in the area. 

I have already made reservations for 13 riders, so please let me know ASAP if you are interested.

Andrew
ackymouse@gmail.com

Sunny Story Bike: Your French Connection

Sunny Story Bike:
Manager: Lu Sheng-yin
Address: No. 350 Shang Yang Rd. 
Fengyuan District, Taichung City, 420
Tel: 0933-464028
Email: Sunny16816@kimo.com




As an early birthday present, I went out last week and picked up a new set of bibs. As a man with a taste for long rides and too few opportunities to indulge in the finer things in life, I decided I needed a new pair of Assos bibs. Assos is the Swiss made gold standard of bib shorts and my last set fit me perfectly. For the price you pay they'd better be good.... and they are.

My problem was finding a vendor.

Assos felt their Taiwanese vendors were not moving stock fast enough and decided to consolidate to fewer vendors.

Rather than spend a day hunting for the few suppliers who still carry the brand, I went straight to the official Assos distributor; the most unassuming major bike shop in central Taiwan-- Sunny Bike.



Sunny bike doesn't look like much on the outside, but their connections with the powerful Shen Yang company, one of Taiwan's largest owners of bicycle distribution rights, little Sunny Bike is a major source for just about anything you want.



Apart from being one of only two official Assos dealers in central Taiwan, Sunny Bike is also the regional distributor for the French brands Time and Look Bicycles.

Look is one of the few carbon fiber bicycles that I really wouldn't mind having. The legendary 585 was an amazingly balanced bike. Look provides house designs for their crank arms, stems, forks and their signature pedals. The Look 695SR Mondrian pictured above is the SR version to be Super Stiff compared to the standard model. They were offering discounts as high as 45% off for the Look. So tempting.

Sunny Story is the regional distributor of Lightweight Wheels as well. 



They also had a supply of Colnagos, Ridley, Stevens and others.



The all alloy Colnago Prima pictured above is a size 46 and is perfect for a lot of women who are looking to get into road cycling. The Shimano 105 grouppo makes for a nice, easy, reliable shift on a double chainring.

As a 2010 NOS bike, Sunny was offering up for a negotiable NT35,000. A steal for what you get.



Sunny also has connections with Rikulau, Taiwan's custom titanium and steel bike maker. The bike on display was a gorgeous Reynolds 953 steel frame with Tung Blossom design.

For a lot of Taichung residents Sunny Bike may seem a bit out of the way. But if you can make the trip it is surely worth it.

The owners understand some English, but do not speak it well.

... and if you ask nicely they may even show you their Dorcus.