Warning: Sima Xian Shan Road Closed

This past weekend I was toying with the idea of a Sima Xian Shan ride to toughen my legs up a bit now that I can climb again. I saw Michael Turton's wonderful set of pictures and (a) wondered why I hadn't joined them, and (b) why I hadn't taken a beautiful day to hit one of my favorite climbs. 

Today I received word from Steen, a regular reader, that the road on the back side of the mountain has been cut off by a nasty avalanche. 

Unfortunately, Steen had to find out the hard way by slugging his way up the quad-bursting ramps on the southern side of the hill, only to charge headlong down the other side into a debris field that would not let up. 

In cases like this there is no real great option to salvage a ride. 

Steen had to get a lift home. 

You just never can tell what some of these roads are going to be like week to week and month to month. 

So, for anyone thinking about this route, look at the alternate at the top of the mountain (left and across the ridge not down). It looks like it may be some time before they clear the mess.  

Many thanks to Steen for getting the word out. 


 mm

Team Lampre-Merida-- Press Release

"Now its official."-- Michael Jackson (Thriller, 1984)

MERIDA enters the UCI World Tour

Merida Europe GmbH is pleased to announce its commitment to the UCI WorldTour as per January 1st 2013. With the UCI ProTeam Lampre a both likeable and successfully established team has agreed to be supplied with MERIDA’s high-end equipment for the next three seasons and to compete under the official name “Team Lampre-MERIDA”. With the MULTIVAN MERIDA BIKING TEAM, Taiwan’s second-largest bicycle manufacturer has been supporting one of the world’s most successful mountain bike racing teams since 2004; entering the UCI WorldTour thus was a long-awaited and logical next step in order to get the best showcase possible for the brand’s premium road products as well.

As per 2013, the new Team Lampre-MERIDA will be competing on state-of-the-art equipment: The SCULTURA SL is setting benchmarks in terms of stiffness, agility and vertical compliance, thus making sure that the Team Lampre-MERIDA can participate not only at the big races such as the Giro d’Italia, the Vuelta a Espana and the Tour de France with legitimate aspirations. On top of that, early in 2013 a time trial bike that has been developed from scratch to meet the demands of time trialling with the world’s elite is going to be presented. More team bikes tailor-made to suit the needs for cobble-stone classics such as Paris-Roubaix or particularly aerodynamic models for long escapes and building a lead-out train for a sprinter are going to be presented throughout the next year.

MERIDA is the private brand of Merida Industry Co., Ltd, Taiwan’s second-largest bicycle manufacturer. The company had been founded in 1972 by Ike D.H. Tseng in Yuanlin, Taiwan. After the founder’s death in January 2012, his son Michael Tseng took over. At its three production facilities in Yuanlin, Shenzen and Shandong (the latter two based in the People’s Republic of China), about 3500 employees produce about 2.5 million bicycles per year that are being distributed in 70 countries around the world. MERIDA’s world-wide workforce sums up to about 52.000 people. Ever since 2004, MERIDA has been participating in international competitions with great success with the “MULTIVAN MERIDA BIKING TEAM”, a team that has Olympic and World champions in its line-up with riders such as Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesja, Ralph Näf and José Hermida.

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A Bicycle Homecoming and Other Links

The Taiwanese couple that set out 30 months ago for a well sponsored cycling trip around the world is set to return. It is still to be seen if a couple that bikes together stays together, but it has obviously been quite a trip.

Lin Xiao-kai and his girlfriend Yan Yi-hui told Taipei City-based Central News Agency Sept. 17 in Los Angeles that the journey has been a bittersweet but once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

“This faded cycling jersey is a proof of what we have been through over the past 900 days,” Lin said. “We have taken more than 400,000 pictures and 1,000 video clips to keep track of every place visited.” 

According to Lin, he has kept a blog of the couple’s trip and is planning to publish a book on their odyssey at some point in the future.

Apparently, this is the longest cycling adventure undertaken by a Taiwanese team.

Also:

Giant toots its own horn for forging close ties with the government. This past week the really, super big bike maker hosted John Kuan, head of the Examination Yuan in an effort to promote Giant and to make it look as if the government might be concerned about reforming the civil service.

Taipei, Sept. 18 (CNA) Examination Yuan President John Kuan visited bicycle maker Giant Manufacturing Co.'s production plant in Taichung, central Taiwan Tuesday with the goal of learning from the company's recruitment and training experience. 

Kuan said that in addition to the company's recruitment process and training mechanism, Giant's corporate philosophy and global competitiveness also have a lot to teach the country's civil service 

Of course, a long time observer might note that the civil service has been a valuable tool for the ruling KMT to maintain its power base within the middle class, while using the civil service's access to state benefits as a lever for maintaining loyalty to the KMT/ROC and its ideology.

Ma Ying-jiu actually had to work hard during the last campaign to woo back some disaffected stalwarts in the civil service after finally instituting the final phase of a series of tax reforms that finally covered every branch of the civil service requiring every citizen to pay income tax.

I doubt Ma, who is reported to be disliked by many in his own party, is in any hurry to take the reins off  such a reliable voting bloc.

Moreover, the idea that government should be run like a business is one of the most idiotic concepts to gain popularity over the past 20 years. Sometimes a government needs to simply serve the people and not the bottom line.

And

A Japanese delegation was recently hosted by Giant to discuss mutual dreams of bicycle tourism.

Wheel Giant's Bike Market Update reports:

On the first day of the visit, the Hiroshima and Ehime governments organized a
joint tourism presentation showcasing Japan's Inland Sea. Many media and travel agency representatives were on hand to learn about the rich tourism possibilities of Hiroshima and Ehime. Giant President King Liu and CEO Tony Lo also shared their personal cycling experiences riding the Shimanami Kaido and the Inland Sea. 

On the second morning, the official delegation visited Giant's global headquarters in Dajia, Taichung. Giant officials led their Japanese visitors on a planned a factory tour, and exchanged opinions about bicycle culture. Cycling activities were arranged for the afternoon of the second day and the morning of the third. Routes included the Hou Feng railway path, Dong-fong green corridor, and the Sun Moon Lake bike path. 

After their two-day cycling tour, Hiroshima governor Yuzaki and Ehime governor
Nakamura noted that Taiwan bike lanes showcase Taiwan's exceptionally beautiful landscape, especially the world-renowned Sun Moon Lake path

*Groan* 

Clash of the Taiwan Titans: Merida Sitting Pretty in Pink With Lampre

According to several sources, including Bike Europe, Merida Bikes, the bike maker more famous for being the OEM behind several other top brands, is poised to reveal a sponsorship agreement between Merida and Team Lampre.

The news on the Merida sponsorship is denied nor confirmed by Merida spokesman Peter Koperdraad, general manager of Merida Benelux. “We will issue an official press release on 21 September. Until then we will deny everything”, said Peter Koperdraad. “Merida is talking with several teams and perhaps arrangements have been made. However we will not give any comment on this issue until existing contracts with current sponsors are terminated.”

If this is the pairing that will be announced this Friday, it would see Taiwan's largest bike makers go head to head in Pro Tour competition. Giant, the industry's largest bike maker, has been a major sponsor of Team Rabobank since 2009. Lampre will be switching from Willier bike frames to the Merida Scultura.

Team Lampre is still reeling from serious doping accusations directed at several current and former riders in the Mantova investigation. Perhaps a little positive attention can boost morale for next year.

Way of Biking: Bicycle Lifestyle Lectures and Photo Exhibition

This weekend the Splendor Hotel will kick off a bicycle exhibition series in the lead up to Taichung Bike Week coming this November. 

The Way of Biking exhibition will feature bicycle and bike-photo exhibitions, as well as guest lecturers who will be discussing various aspects of the cycling community in Taiwan. 

Sat. 9/15 (14:00-15:00) B1 Open Space -- Terry Lin from Caffe Terry will give a lecture on the current state of our cycling community.  

Events: 

9/14--11/11, 3F Exhibition Hall-- Dorcus Bikes will have a bicycle exhibit.

9/14--11/11, 3F Gallery-- Caffe TERRY will sponsor a photo exhibition.

9/14--11/11, 4F Exhibition Hall-- ibike will host a design exhibit. 

Show your support for the cycling community and take a look. It should be better than spending the weekend circling the malls. 

Taiwan Clipped In to Pedaling Influence: How Taiwan's Government Is Writing Its Own Cycling Narrative Through Paid Media

 

 Not too long ago I began raising questions regarding the placement of Taiwan's Sun Moon Lake on a list of world's best cycling paths assembled by CNN. The whole report seemed as if the writer had never been to Taiwan and knew nothing of the history of Sun Moon Lake or its environs.

I wrote Here   :

I would welcome the author to please provide some "ancient Chinese" literature and/or artwork regarding the lake and its surrounding scenery. Qing literati were quite clear in casting the mountain areas as mysterious, savage, degraded places that were filled with evil, ugly, degraded people and things. 

I would suggest the author leave poetics at the door and stick with the facts.

And then as the article made its way through the digestive tract of the Taiwanese media I commented again Here  :

My questions are:

• How can the Tourism Bureau possibly have amassed enough definitive data to draw the conclusion that there had been an increase in cycling traffic due to the CNN article... especially in a few short weeks?

• Which methods are they using to collect data?

• How is the Tourism Bureau defining "foreigner"? I would assume they mean caucasians, but they may be including other foreign visitors.

My feeling on the matter is that the Tourism Bureau is paying for press and they are determined to show results of their marketing efforts.
I have emailed CNNGo for clarification and I have yet to receive a reply. I have also emailed the Taiwan Tourism Bureau for clarification.

...and later:

Taiwan Today had a recent article detailing the Merida cycling event at Sun Moon Lake. I made the observation that this event seemed suspiciously linked to a CNN-GO article and the Taiwan Tourism Bureau's desire to promote it. The Taiwan Today article actually and suspiciously mirrors and even quotes the CNN article's most erroneous statements, which I devoured in an earlier postHERE   .
The TT Article begins to look more like an attempt by Tourism Bureau underlings to toady up to their superiors.

Sun Moon Lake, a natural alpine lake located in central Taiwan’s Nantou County, is surrounded by high forest mountains with stunning landscapes. The lake—named because its eastern part is round like the sun and its western part is narrow and long like a crescent moon—has been voted year after year by local and foreign visitors, including those from mainland China, as one of Taiwan’s must-see tourist spots.

Statistics from the Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area Administration show that the number of visitors skyrocketed from 2.6 million in 2009 to 6.3 million in 2010, after the launch of a cable car service Dec. 28, 2009. The service became an instant hit as it offers a bird’s-eye view of the lake’s beauty in a relaxing 1.87-kilometer ride between the lake and the nearby Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village.

In 2011, the number of visitors declined slightly to 5.3 million. But the administrative office is confident that its efforts over the past few years in building a round-the-lake bikeway will soon spark another tourism boom, as hundreds and thousands of bicycle enthusiasts from around the world come flocking to the lake to indulge their passion for bicycling and soak in the beautiful local scenery.

I was then sent a link to a wonderful article that delves into the seedy relationships CNN has forged with governments around the world to promote tourism... if the price is right. Yes, CNN is using its status as a news source to pitch ad copy for foreign governments on its website. These fanciful turns of phrase are not being parsed by some dreamy-eyed Orientalist looking to squeeze fantasies of the exotic from slabs of concrete, but rather, they were cobbled together in the boardrooms and corridors of a propaganda office. In Taiwan's case, the Government Information Office (GIO).

Although the particulars may vary, the story may well be the same for Taiwan's encounter with CNN.

CNNi's pursuit of and reliance on revenue from Middle East regimes increased significantly after the 2008 financial crisis, which caused the network to suffer significant losses in corporate sponsorships. It thus pursued all-new, journalistically dubious ways to earn revenue from governments around the world. Bahrain has been one of the most aggressive government exploiters of the opportunities presented by CNNi. 

These arrangements extend far beyond standard sponsorship agreements for advertising of the type most major media outlets feature. CNNi produces those programs in an arrangement it describes as "in association with" the government of a country, and offers regimes the ability to pay for specific programs about their country. These programs are then featured as part of CNNi's so-called "Eye on" series ("Eye on Georgia", "Eye on the Phillipines", "Eye on Poland"), or "Marketplace Middle East", all of which is designed to tout the positive economic, social and political features of that country. 

The disclosure for such arrangements is often barely visible. This year, for instance, CNNi produced an "Eye on Lebanon" series, which that nation's tourist minister boasted was intended "to market Lebanon as a tourism destination". He said "his ministry was planning a large promotional campaign dubbed 'Eye on Lebanon' to feature on CNN network."
Yet one strains to find the faded, small disclosure print on this "Eye on Lebanon" page, even if one is specifically searching for it. To the average viewer unaware of these government sponsorships, it appears to be standard "reporting" from the network.

Seeing as this was a government promotion it is no wonder it quickly entered Taiwan's media feed through Taiwan's CNA, the official government news agency.

What is even more unsettling is how the CNN/GIO report on Sun Moon Lake echoes of some of the similar copy propagated during Taiwan's period of Martial Law during the Cold War (1949-1988).

During the era when Taiwan was governed as a single-party authoritarian state, much of the information available to the world regarding Taiwan was crafted by propaganda men with the goal of transforming Taiwan, in the international collective imagination, from Japanese Formosa to an inseparable Province of China that was the bastion of Free China and Chinese culture. Publications such as the Free China Journal and Sinorama published countless essays that were carefully constructed to provide foreign readers with the "appropriate" terms and narratives chosen by the Chinese Nationalist (KMT) government. Terms such as "mainland" and "Free China" were used in rapid succession to become the accepted terms where there had once been lack. If Taiwan was not viewed as Chinese after WWII, the Chinese Nationalist government hoped to write the union into existence. This extensive effort was semi-successful abroad, but failed to resonate where it mattered-- in Taiwan.

This effort by Taiwan's government is especially interesting in how they have started to re-write the story back to a China-centered narrative. This is not simply about cycling or tourism, but it is also about culture.

The activist role of government in Taiwanese culture is brought to the fore in this revealing interview from the Huffington Post with Taiwan's Minister of Culture.

The need for a Culture Ministry is already a warning sign. Culture is like shit... it happens. Culture is not crafted or dictated. It can be shaped by the state, but in essence it is simply something shared.

In looking at her comments it seems she is attempting to localize Taiwan in a Greater China. I would love to rip it apart line by line, but maybe it can be fodder for someone at another blog.

I guess in the type of relationship forged between CNN and the GIO, neither party rolls over and asks the question, "Was it good for you?"

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Sunday On Route 130

On Sunday I slipped into the stinkiest pair of unwashed bibs that I had forgotten to wash after Wednesday's night ride. I stunk. The more the heat from my body warmed up the lycra, the more rank I became. It was awful. 

I was also hoping to try out a new cleat position to eliminate knee soreness that has held me back for so long. 

The goal was to test my speed and endurance over 140km with a climb over the Miaoli Route 130; a hill that serves as a pretty good mark of climbing health. 

I reluctantly slipped onto the streets of Taichung and headed for the hills half expecting an early rain squall to send me home. The weather was blustery, but not precipitation. 



I felt I had more power in the new position. My hips were a bit tired, but I hoped to work that out with this ride. 



Before long, I was hacking it up over the hill to Jhuolan for my morning coffee before starting the real climb. The hill on the Highway 3 between Dongshih and Jhuolan is not hard... just an annoyance. I big-ringed it all the way up to my own relief and landed with a bunch of other cyclists who were also looking to add some fuel to the reserves. 









The climbing was stiff, and I proceeded with caution. No knee trouble at all. This was the best I had felt in a long time. 



I passed the Hamburger Helpers (Ginger) that dot the Route 130 and made the Mile High Cafe with decent effort. I could do better, but not on this day. 



There was hardly any weekend traffic to speak of, so the ride out of the hills was sublime. I cranked out the kilometers over smooth, deserted country lanes and kept up a good clip home. 

Nothing too special, but this little ride has given me a huge boost in confidence to start puching myself back into climbing shape.  

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