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Ride Report – Roasting Rando 200K in Chiayi

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-VVKvmmRkWCc/Ua7l7JCPquI/AAAAAAAALdY/K4dwWZ4VmWE/s144-c-o/IMAG1742.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChiayiTaiwanRandonneur200K#5885894567220194018″ caption=”The Sun Rising Over the Central Mountains on my Commute to the Start” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1742.jpg” ]

June the 2nd marked my first ever randonneur. It was nothing like I expected.

My ongoing excuse to myself had been how complicated the online form for entering the race had been. But I put my ridiculousness aside and went ahead and slowly filled out the form and emailed to confirm missing details and anything I wasn’t sure about. So all was well and a few days before the race I received confirmation of the starting time and a GPS map of the route.

[pe2-image src=”//lh4.ggpht.com/-0CxgksTcyk4/Ua7m2f0wHxI/AAAAAAAALfg/xpDDjnYfpxc/s144-c-o/IMAG1759.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChiayiTaiwanRandonneur200K#5885895586949898002″ caption=”Zengwen Dam” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1759.jpg” ]

The night before the race was just like many of my long rides – sleepless. I fiddled with my bike for much of Saturday afternoon with Christopher as my sidekick. As he wrapped electrical tape around various parts he declared, “a new bike.” After kids were in bed I went to do some Google mapping to check out all the details of the ride.

Much of the route is on roads I have ridden before. Although the start was not nearby, a lot of the route was on my regular mountain roads. This, I suspect, gave me some false confidence in my abilities.

The strangest part of the preparation was getting everything ready. Typically I ride with tools for repairs and other essentials. This ride forced me to expand that list dramatically.

front helmet light
rear helmet light
front bike light
rear helmet light
helmet
relective vest
bell (it’s the law)

and most tragically… no tribars.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-HFhiaopg_lI/Ua7mISzv6XI/AAAAAAAALd4/f21aj30DN7s/s144-c-o/IMAG1746.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChiayiTaiwanRandonneur200K#5885894793182046578″ caption=”Matthew waving past my helmet-mounted light” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1746.jpg” ]

My lightest lights went on my helmet. I found a light that had been given to me a week or so before. The rear lights I have plenty of. The bell I borrowed from Christopher’s bike. I got a stern warning the next day that I had not returned it to him. Quite a load in the end.

So at 2:30 I lay down for an hour’s rest. An hour later I was out the door and on my long commute to the start.

One of the things that I always have to account for is distance and the time it takes to do things by bike. I’m pretty set on the bike-only lifestyle, but there are definitely limits. In this case it meant a 47km ride to the start line. It is a long, flat ride which I did in a very slow 2 hours and 20 minutes. A warm up for the day.

However, the one thing that the commute alerted to me to was that I wasn’t feeling great. I wasn’t sick or anything, but I certainly wasn’t feeling peppy. I kept double-checking my speedometer to make sure I wasn’t riding too fast, but I was maintaining an even slow pace.

I arrived at the venue right on time along with some of the early birds.

[pe2-image src=”//lh5.ggpht.com/-KB3y3UpH9Qs/Ua7l9heQK8I/AAAAAAAALdg/-nBlhm_3k9Q/s144-c-o/IMAG1743.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChiayiTaiwanRandonneur200K#5885894608139856834″ caption=”The Start” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1743.jpg” ]

The 200k rides attract quite a number of riders. The distance makes it a good introduction to the world of long-distance riding. They also separate the first-timers from the veterans by giving all the first-timers white numbers. There were a lot of white numbers that day.

After giving a hardy “good morning” to a few folks two other foreign chaps showed up. Small world, but as it turns out I had already met Mark Roche on Facebook and he had brought along his friend Matthew for his first 200k. We got to chatting and sort of settled on sticking together for the ride. They had both come up from Kaohsiung and stayed in town for the night.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-0oPNFmgFChE/Ua7mCtl-ruI/AAAAAAAALdo/iPxEGO3i1bY/s144-c-o/IMAG1744.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChiayiTaiwanRandonneur200K#5885894697292836578″ caption=”New Friends: Mark and Matthew” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1744.jpg” ]

The ride set off along the flats, with everyone sticking in a big group. One thing about the group is that they are not as tight as road races. The distance involved means that the longer term strategy is important. People tended to keep a bit of distance between their wheels. This doesn’t help the pace much so I tried to keep close and then move into any gaps that formed, while still keeping within my comfort zone.

In a comment to Mark I quipped that I’ll try to suck as much wind as possible, to which he replied, “I usually stick behind the biggest guy I can find. Today, that’s you.” And to tell the truth he was completely right. Looking at pictures after the event I am almost upright on my bike. Setting up my bike for extensive aerobar use has the bars set high. Perfect for when on the aerobars, but I couldn’t use those one the day.

[pe2-image src=”//lh4.ggpht.com/-YBMgn_NETEc/Ua7mF–GMoI/AAAAAAAALdw/H6fQ4TUu4CE/s144-c-o/IMAG1745.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChiayiTaiwanRandonneur200K#5885894753497002626″ caption=”Flatland Cruising” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1745.jpg” ]

An hour or so on the flats and we were heading towards the hills. The first compulsary 7-11 stop was a traffic jam or riders buying something and getting their cards stamped. We took a short break then pressed on.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-dBfOPvG70C4/Ua7mM9Dt9AI/AAAAAAAALeI/Y1tzQ2oG8K4/s144-c-o/IMAG1748.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChiayiTaiwanRandonneur200K#5885894873242792962″ caption=”The First 7-11 Checkpoint – Long Queues” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1748.jpg” ]

These were some steep hills into Guanziling. This area, famous for it’s hot springs, rises up above the plains, a precursor to the massive central mountain range. The hills went by soon enough and I was grateful for my MTB gearing that still allowed me to pedal smoothly up the hill, although very slowly. I can’t really remember if I hit granny gear, affectionately called “hero gear” by one roadie I’ve met, but I got a chance to pop some easy wheelies on the way up.

The climbing continued for quite a while and suddenly I noticed that it wasn’t as hot as I had expected. I spoke too soon and realized that it was only 9:00 and the temperatures would only soar from there.

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-Wr2lHQlMnBc/Ua7mQnclWgI/AAAAAAAALeY/VEaekCbBQRw/s144-c-o/IMAG1750.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChiayiTaiwanRandonneur200K#5885894936160983554″ caption=”Tailing Two Other Riders” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1750.jpg” ]

Once up onto the hilly roads the traffic calmed and the great views began.

This area is a stretch of hills that are a prelude to the main mountain range further East. It’s pretty quiet all the time. I’ve been out there to explore before.

We hit the 175 coffee road which I had been on before and quickly proceeded to a non-compulsary stop point. What a pleasure. There was water and xian-cao drink for us. Very refreshing. But we moved on quick.

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-tfiM-ORcIEE/Ua7mVnapwNI/AAAAAAAALeo/1jsMgo9eJOs/s144-c-o/IMAG1752.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChiayiTaiwanRandonneur200K#5885895022052229330″ caption=”Matt and Mark coming into the rest area (one of the only times I was ahead of them)” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1752.jpg” ]

A bit more climbing and we were speeding down toward the mango town of Yujing. This town is know for it’s mangoes which are now in season. We didn’t have time for them and pressed through a long, flat section towards the 7-11. On all the flats I just stuck to someone else’s tail. I was not feeling good and I felt like I was holding the others back. So with all my might I tried to hold their tails.

[pe2-image src=”//lh5.ggpht.com/-_QaB24fl1IM/Ua7mZdjZADI/AAAAAAAALe4/bLTmR4zUpew/s144-c-o/IMAG1754.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChiayiTaiwanRandonneur200K#5885895088124002354″ caption=”Cruising Downhill” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1754.jpg” ]

We retraced our route into town and then headed north along the number 3.

The number 3 is a provincial road that runs north to south in the lower hills of Taiwan’s mountains. Not all of it is beautiful but the section from here is breathtaking. Mark told me that a really beautiful route is to take the road up Alishan then turn onto the number 3 and head down. I have to try that sometime.

Most of the traffic died out, aside from the boys on their scooters racing through the hills. Although the scooters are noisy, I do prefer them to the big bikes. Little would-be-racers on 125s are okay. Take that same pathetic skill and plop them on a 1000cc monster and you have a recipe for disaster.

These hills would take their toll with heat. As the sun peaked in the sky, so the forests that lined the road dropped their suffocating humidity on the road. I was sweating profusely and getting drained by the heat.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-Wti7wJZ3Rb0/Ua7mbp-eJ_I/AAAAAAAALfA/DtSqIhixFuw/s144-c-o/IMAG1755.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChiayiTaiwanRandonneur200K#5885895125818550258″ caption=”Construction Crews Doing the Smart Thing… Resting” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1755.jpg” ]

By midday it was peeking at 37 degrees Celcius according to one guy’s Garmin. Yikes.

Speed slowed. Breaks at the tops of hills became more common. The compulsary stop at the 7-11 turn around point turned into a half hour break. I was really surprised when Matt told us we needed to get going as the cutoff was only an hour away.

What?

I had estimated that finishing this ride would be a piece of cake. It was turning into a challenge I had not expected. DNFing was not something I had even considered and I was feeling the pressure to move on. The break also marked a huge earthquake. As Matt and I were sitting outside we felt a small shake followed by a big shake that lasted for a few seconds. Later it was confirmed that there were casualties closer to the epicenter and roads had been covered. There was a flurry of cellphone activity after the shake as everyone phoned their relations to tell them everything was fine.

On we went. We knew that we were retracing our tracks and that we had to climb everything we had just come down. Overall it was more down, but still lots of climbing.

The heat was relentless and the spur of energy after the stop quickly dissipated as the heat pressed down on us once again.

From this point on I was just holding on. I knew I could finish and I just had to stick with it. Thankfully my two wonderful companions were sympathetic and waited for me to catch up every once in a while.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-HWR0Tv93Jic/Ua7m0HbgL8I/AAAAAAAALfY/FC0iCJa0WnY/s144-c-o/IMAG1758.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChiayiTaiwanRandonneur200K#5885895546041806786″ caption=”Getting to the Zengwen Resevoir” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1758.jpg” ]

A quick pass by Zengwen dam was followed by the last big climb of the day. I had thought the climb was worse, but I just put my head down and pushed on through to the other side. Although I wasn’t feeling super I also wasn’t close to cramping which is a good thing. Cramping was set as my upper barrier. Just don’t hit that point.

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-TL-mE_2pG7c/Ua7m4QdiZ8I/AAAAAAAALfo/89snxWjBRqY/s144-c-o/IMAG1760.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChiayiTaiwanRandonneur200K#5885895617185736642″ caption=”Final View of the Hills” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1760.jpg” ]

Spin, spin, spin to the top and we were on our way. From here only some rolling hills escorted us back to the flatlands and the 30km flat section to the finish. We reached the bottom and then tucked in.

I was having hard time keeping up. Mark would start to pull ahead when we were in a group and I would slowly fall behind. So it was Matthew and I until Mark held back a bit.

We made the final 7-11 stop and set out on the last section with three other guys. They led us through the last part into Chiayi and right to the finish. We finished up at a famous chicken rice restaurant, with a complimentary dish that was included in our entry fee.

I was completely exhausted and decided that trying to commute the 50km back home was a terrible idea. I asked around and finally found someone with space to give me a lift back to near my home.

Mark posted some pics of me.

[pe2-image src=”//lh5.ggpht.com/-XE9FNBZ1mrU/UbmAo7sQ6OI/AAAAAAAALh4/-DP6sGwinVg/s144-c-o/tropic-of-cancer-chiayi-randonneur-200k-5.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChiayiTaiwanRandonneur200K#5888879428470106338″ caption=”Wheelie – I’m really out of practice” type=”image” alt=”tropic-of-cancer-chiayi-randonneur-200k-5.jpg” ]

Looking back at the ride, I’m trying to figure how to handle things better next time. This ride was way too difficult, far more than I expected, and far more than it should have been.

Next time…

Less clothing. I pretty much go without a shirt on daytime rides nowadays. Perhaps just the compulsory safety vest next time. Anything more is just too hot. The helmet doesn’t help either, how to make it cooler?

Lighten the bike. Take off the heavy-duty fenders, carry more water instead. Get more water bottle holders, two is not enough in summer.

Get fit. As I’ve been focusing on my general fitness and body strength I’ve been neglecting my riding. Perhaps I need to throw a little more riding back in there. I need a weekly training schedule, but not too hectic.

Overall…

This was an awesome experience. Good riding with other folks. Good riding in a race/ride format I have been interested in for a few years now.

And a big shout out to Matthew and Matt, you guys rock for sticking together (and staying back with me). Thanks! See you at the 300k.

Ride Report – Zilong Elementary School Graduation Trip

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-5x2AvMv3qBM/UXDLQ3XOxWI/AAAAAAAAK-A/WDnoW8WvX-I/s144-c-o/IMAG1485.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ZilongElementarySchoolRideToKenting#5868413805063488866″ caption=”” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1485.jpg” ]

Zilong Elementary School have had their graduation ride on the cards for a few months.

Their original plan was to ride all the way from their school to Kenting in the south. That would be a total of 185km. Quite a feat, even or the most enthusiastic of casual riders.

I think their was an immense amount of tension between the teacher who was so extremely keen to do the ride, and the other parties involved.

Parents in Taiwan are extremely worried about their kids safety. Understandable, but the school bends to the will of the slightest worry, which ends up with everyone doing the absolute safest things they can. No wonder that people are astounded by athletes here.

Anyways, after all that deliberation they finally settled on just riding the stretch of road from Fangliao to Kenting. In my honest opinion I think it was a very good choice. The last section has much wider roads, beautiful scenery and is beyond Kaohsiung and it’s ridiculous traffic.

So they rode their bikes from their school to Shanhua train station, then headed to Kaohsiung. They stayed in Kaohsiung for the night, then took the train to Fangliao the next morning.

That’s where I joined them.

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-UdCzJxUlXN8/UXDKRjLHKwI/AAAAAAAAK7A/9uIWW1FZ0bA/s144-c-o/IMAG1461.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ZilongElementarySchoolRideToKenting#5868412717312191234″ caption=”” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1461.jpg” ]

At 3:30 in the morning I set out along my usual route down south. Out to the coastal road, then hugged the coast all the way down. The alternative offered by Google Maps was to take the no. 1 through Tainan City and skirt Kaohsiung city on the east. But that would have been a new route and I chose the predictable route over Google Maps’s recommended walking route which is about 10km shorter.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-7muX0exANDM/UXDKVbBF-jI/AAAAAAAAK7Q/iCLelLrFFuM/s144-c-o/IMAG1463.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ZilongElementarySchoolRideToKenting#5868412783842163250″ caption=”” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1463.jpg” ]

Going through Kaohsiung was quiet enough as I got there sometime before 6:00 I think. For the first time ever, I’ve had a working GPS plus map to guide me through the city, which meant much less losing my way.

I got to see the big stadium that was used for the Olympics (something like that) and the old gate in the traffic circle you see above.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-Abk7VuVBn-0/UXDKXTEJeDI/AAAAAAAAK7Y/E0VbilrXZfU/s144-c-o/IMAG1464.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ZilongElementarySchoolRideToKenting#5868412816067229746″ caption=”” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1464.jpg” ]

But by the time I got to the airport I was in the thick of morning traffic. Damn, I hate scooters.

Living in the countryside has made me realize how much I disliked riding in traffic. Although as a part of my day-to-day commuting I became accustomed to it, I now realize that it was not enjoyment, but just knowing that’s just how it is. Now with no traffic jams and short commutes I am spoiled. But it’s better this way.

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-0hMgMYJsmNk/UXDKaYoIqgI/AAAAAAAAK7g/ZEOxk3f5fCg/s144-c-o/IMAG1465.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ZilongElementarySchoolRideToKenting#5868412869099956738″ caption=”” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1465.jpg” ]

Fortunately there is a very long stretch of dedicated bike lane which gave me at least some reprieve for a while. The roads started to quiet up and I continued at a settled pace. I got to Fangliao at 9:15 where the support team were already waiting for our young heroes to arrive.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-IifD-V9sYvM/UXDKfGZenlI/AAAAAAAAK7w/60OQzo_G-bk/s144-c-o/IMAG1467.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ZilongElementarySchoolRideToKenting#5868412950105988690″ caption=”” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1467.jpg” ]

True to their reputation, the train arrived on time, and within a few minutes the kids were bailing out of the cargo gate at the rear of the station.

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Everyone took another 15 minutes to get all their things together. Getting water, putting on arm warmers, applying sunscreen. I was a little shocked to see how many kids were wearing long pants. It was a HOT day. I was wearing sleeveless with the front zipper half open. With face masks, sunglasses, arm-warmers to protect from the sun, some of them were actually feeling faint from the heat.

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-LEbZv3YZxZY/UXDKrfNQgrI/AAAAAAAAK8Q/rQzdCzmo5YM/s144-c-o/IMAG1471.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ZilongElementarySchoolRideToKenting#5868413162924049074″ caption=”” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1471.jpg” ]

At 10:00 we headed off on our ride. The kids were very excited and super eager to make progress. They all had their race faces on, as well as their immense amount of protective gear to protect them from the sun. I was in short sleeved everything, while they had long pants, arm protectors, bandit masks and sunglasses.

From Fangliao station there is a short stretch of one-lane road, but quickly opens onto a double-lane with a large shoulder for motorbikes and bicycles.

[pe2-image src=”//lh4.ggpht.com/-YKEBVRol3GE/UXDLAFUHNcI/AAAAAAAAK9Q/1_gImIMz8cc/s144-c-o/IMAG1479.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ZilongElementarySchoolRideToKenting#5868413516750730690″ caption=”” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1479.jpg” ]

One of the parents in a follow vehicle commented on how she felt moved when she saw the kids riding in a long, single-file line. The feeling I got was that this is how kids should experience the world, with guidance, but doing it all in their own power. The look on their faces and their excitement when they saw things at sea gave a glimpse on just how much this meant for them.

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-jXvXJen4Mf4/UXDLTwvObSI/AAAAAAAAK-I/AHGrRl3m_Y4/s144-c-o/IMAG1486.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ZilongElementarySchoolRideToKenting#5868413854824688930″ caption=”” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1486.jpg” ]

We made solid time and didn’t let the breaks sretch too long. In the afternoon, we made an unscheduled break in Checheng and ate some kind of local green bean soup. We continued shortly after and made a great stop at Nanwan.

[pe2-image src=”//lh5.ggpht.com/-oLBE__4xLOw/UXDLunf6fOI/AAAAAAAAK_Y/PUBMbOK63cE/s144-c-o/IMAG1496.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ZilongElementarySchoolRideToKenting#5868414316201016546″ caption=”” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1496.jpg” ]

That second to last stop to put our feet in the sea really signalled that they had made it. Although their final destination was in Kenting, a short stretch away, it was the culmination of the day. Showers, followed by dinner together were to be the end of our day together. The kids went off to enjoy the Kenting night life and I left shortly afterward, at around 7 o’clock for my ride home.

From here on I simply pitted myself against the road.

By this stage I was totally exhausted (as is the case at the halfway mark in every long ride). I had managed a half hour nap at the hostel (I passed out within 30 seconds of putting my head down), but was still very tired. I trudged all the way home. The whole way was quiet. Getting to Kaohsiung I was almost falling asleep on the bike, a fairly unpleasant experience, which I usually circumvent by napping at the side of the road. However, as I really needed my full sleep when I got home, I attempted to push my sleep so that I could get a more full sleep at the end.

It started to rain just as I passed the airport and I took shelter under the entrance to one of the underground stations. I was only there for half an hour, but as I usually do (typical patterns) I weighed up the situation and wondered if sleeping in the park and taking an early train would do better. However, after half an hour the rain abated, and didn’t return.

I headed off on the usual track.

But I took a shortcut. Instead of taking the coastal road through Tainan, I went straight through the city on the No.1. There were no red lights at 4:00 in the morning, which made the flow easy, but with my eyes vigilant for the ever-present numbskulls in their cars giving a little “beep, beep” as they rush through intersections.

It was about five o’clock when I rolled in the door. The neighbors were already up, I stuffed my face with a whole lot of food, showered, then went to sleep until one, in time to eat and go to class.

[pe2-image src=”//lh5.ggpht.com/-CmCsOl-h2nA/UXDLY4aZiOI/AAAAAAAAK-Y/LzFcqjydpN4/s144-c-o/IMAG1488.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ZilongElementarySchoolRideToKenting#5868413942784166114″ caption=”” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1488.jpg” ]

I was amazed at how great this trip was for the kids. Seeing non-cyclists pushing as hard as they can is really inspirational. Seasoned cyclist tackling ever-greater feats is great, but this lot were just pushing themselves in something completely new.

Well done to the whole lot. You all made a fantastic effort.

Cycling Challenge – Around Taiwan in 48 hours

Going around the island is a pretty popular choice for a full weeks cycling trip in Taiwan.

Whole families, young folks, old folks, you name it, many have tried.

I’d say an average trip goes for 10 days or so.

So how about completing the whole thing in just 48 hours?

Route Planning

In terms of ease, taking the outermost roads the whole way around the island is the most sensible.

These roads are the flattest and the straightest. Roads that head off into the hills involve longer distances and more climbing.

The trip needs to start on the outermost roads. When the timing is tight, it’s necessary to cut out any excess travel to and from the coastal road. Timing of the route must start on the actual route and exclude time from home to the route. My house is really close to the route so only 15 minutes to the starting point.

Here’s the distances I worked out for a counterclockwise trip:

Start in Jiali – 0km
Jiali to Oulanbi – 195km
Oulanbi to Suao – 411km
Suao to Guandu bridge – 179km
Guandu bridge to Jiali – 310km
GRAND TOTAL – 1095km

So I’ll use 1100km as the reference point. Google Maps is fairly accurate with distances, so that’s it.

Average Speed

So, you get 48 hours to complete 1100km.

1100km divided by 48 hours = 23km/h (rounded up) average

My last ride to Taipei and back was 667km, completed in 33 hours (including breaks), which works out to about…

20km/h…

Too slow to circumnavigate the island in 48 hours.

But, 3 hours were spent off the bike eating, taking photos, etc. So 667km in 30 hours gives…

23km/h…

But that’s doing without any breaks from the bike and doesn’t include hills.

So what can I do to get my speed up?

Increasing Average Speed

So without any time for excessive training, how do I get my speed up without me actually being fitter and stronger?

There will be more hills in a full circumnavigation, and those will work against me. Fortunately, the hills are not mountains, so the speeds going down will not be hindered by tight bends and excessive braking.

Here are the tactics for increasing my average speed.

Eat on the bike & take food on the bike
Plan fuelling stops
Monitor average speed more closely
Avoid big cities and traffic lights
Use a navigation system

Now let’s look at them in more detail.

Eat On The Bike

Eating on the bike is okay, just have to eat finger food. The seaweed covered rice triangles from 7-11 are cool for that. They are filling, and rice is safe on the stomach and high in carbs.

Need a container for the front of the bike to hold the food. A randonneur style handlebar bag is necessary so I can get to the food without stopping to get something out of the panniers. Also, the saved time from not stopping far outweighs having the extra weight on the bike.

Planned Fueling Stops

Typically I just stop when I need food. But that’s pretty random, and sometimes it will mean waiting too long after I need a refill of either food or water. There are plenty of convenience stores, but I’ll need to actually plan ahead where I want to fill up, avoiding looking and searching. The more certainty to the plan, the less wasted time there will be.

Monitor Average Speed

I believe I can keep the average speed up without any extra “effort”. This will simply take focus, especially away from any pain building up. With a controlled speed I won’t “hit the wall” but I need to monitor my food and drink intake carefully too.

The 667km ride I was able to pull off a similar average speed in the last 4 hours as I had in the first 4 hours, I simply had to dig deep and ignore the pains, mostly sitting pains, that were bothering me so much.

Avoid Traffic and Traffic Lights

Big cities make riding slow. Traffic lights and traffic all work against average speeds. Fast riding speed that comes from fitness helps, but good route planning and reduced stops are essential for making higher speeds pay off well.

Navigation System (Don’t Get Lost)

Using a navigation system is just about not getting lost (wasted time). I’ll need to investigate this more, and I’d have to sort out how to power any such devices for such a long period of time. Most electronics will last up to 12 hours, doing what they’re supposed to do. That’s not long enough.

A dynamo hub, with a usb charger looks like the best option, but is pretty costly for such a simple device. However, they are light and efficient, and will not run out of power at the speeds I’ll be going.

The Plan

I want to do this before the year is out. That gives me three months.

Get essential equipment like seat and handlebar bag sorted out. Navigation system is not essential, just a luxury.

Then there’s probably one other long ride, of perhaps 800km to make sure my equipment is all okay.

Now I just need to get these done.

Any ideas, suggestions, route tips or otherwise? Leave a comment below.