When my old tires started showing signs of serious wear, it was time for a change. However, I learned a valuable lesson in going for the cheaper option.
I have a thing for Continental tires.
Back in my teens it was their MTB tires. The round profile was a nice break from the ultra-knobbly tires and made cornering on dirt a firm dirt a pleasure.
And when it was time to get on the road, Continental 26 inch slicks were where we all turned.
Continental Sport Contact
But times, they changed.
The bike shop that was closest to me in Taipei were unable to source Continental tires easily.
The owner recommended that I just get the Maxxis Xenith that they had in stock.
Very warily I took ownership of a set of tires from a manufacturer of tires I’d never used before.
Maxxis Xenith 26 x 1.5 Slicks
The tires, they took a beating, have done over 10,000km to date and are still doing well for themselves after many hours on the road.
However, as time goes on, they are starting to show their age.
I was slightly concerned by the many little holes and nicks that had developed on the tires.
Well-Used Kenda Xenith
Although I tend to ride stuff until it breaks, my venturing into the world of long rides made me a little more conscious of my gear.
So I got a pair of Kenda Kwest from the local bike shop, because that is what they had, and the price was good.
The rubber is a good deal thicker and they are semi-slicks and looked okay. The price was also decent.
So I took the plunge.
And things were peachy… for a while… until.
BLOOOOOOOOOOP!
Bulging… huh?
One section of the rear tire just got huge and looked like it was going to burst. But didn’t burst. I actually rode it for a few more days and it remained the same size. It was like I was riding with a rock attached to my wheel… bump… bump… bump.
“Well, damn. Must have been something I rode over that caused this.”
So I let out all the air, removed the nasty tire and got to inspecting the situation.
Nothing.
Refitted tire with different tube. Who knows, maybe one of the sections of the tube with 5 patches was causing some funkiness. But alas, the same thing happened again.
So the old Maxxis (I never throw anything away) got a place on the rear wheel. No problems.
I continued happily riding for at least another thousand kilometers until one day…
BWOOOOOOP!
Another ballooning, this time in the front wheel.
So I made like Sherlock and went hunting for the source of this vexation.
And after some digging I found the culprit.
Damaged Casing
This was the enemy.
It was the tire itself that was to blame and all along I was trying in vane to defend it like a misbehaving family member. I honestly thought it was something to do with the tubes.
Evilness!
What prompted me to take a closer look at this part of the tire, and helped me actually come to the conclusion that this was the issue was a closer look at the outer casing from the outside.
Running my fingers around the whole tire pressing the outer layer, this section felt too soft and pliable.
That Should Not Cave Inwards
Voila!
This soft section is what let this portion of the tire start ballooning.
Checking my other Kenda tire revealed the same issue.
I am now riding on my worn down Maxxis Xeniths again. And they are great.
I’ll wait until they are truly unusable this time.
BOOOOO to Kenda
Why does this all bother me so?
Because there is not much reason for a tire to be changed until it wears out. Yes, premature damage happens. But if you’re not doing stuff like this, then it shouldn’t.
On the Friday evening I was given the go ahead for a ride on the weekend. I’ve had it in mind to head to the mountains, and that’s where I wanted to go.
Typically I stick to the known roads in my neighborhood, those roads that I know where the busy parts are, how to avoid the icky parts, and which roads are better.
But there is an adventure in going to somewhere new.
Also, the mountains are only a 50km ride away, so it’s not too much of a stretch to ride there for the scenery.
Route Planning
Near the Top
My first and biggest concern for this trip was the traffic. I am very wary of busy routes.
The main road up to Alishan is the No. 18. This road is pretty well-maintained. However, it is the main route to the Alishan resort, which is a very popular destination for tourists. Tourists are fine, but the tour busses they use are too big for these little roads.
It’s actually a wonder to me that they don’t limit the size of vehicles allowed on this very scenic road. There is very little reason that full-sized tour busses are needed. Limiting the mountain roads to 20-people, or smaller, busses would make the whole route so much more pleasant. The tour bus concern applies to Sun Moon Lake as well.
Anyways, I was looking for alternatives for at least part of the route.
I stumbled upon Andrew Kerslake’s and Michael Turton’s reports about a ride they had taken from the Taichung side and then back down to Chiayi.
Most notably was an alternate route that would avoid a pretty large chunk of the No. 18. It looked good and so the plan was set. Up the 159甲, then hook up with the No.18 later on. This would shave 46km of tourist bus busyness off the trip.
Departure
I had no idea quite how long the trip would take, so I started early.
Left the door at 2:00AM. Paced myself through the well-lit roads of the flatlands towards the small-big city of Chiayi, which is nestled at the foot of the central mountain range.
Settled into an easy 25km/h to Chiayi where I stopped for a rice lunch box at a 7-11. Not yum, but intended to fill the gap. I also stocked up on 4 rice triangles for the long section ahead which I expected to be short on food stops.
The Hills Begin
Top of the First Hill
On heading out of Chiayi I jumped straight onto the 159甲 and was greeted by what was to be a day absolutely chock full of climbing.
The road took a sudden turn upwards, not too drastic, but it maintained like that for quite a while.
I bumped into one other rider who was going just a short bit of the climb to a big temple.
I pushed on and hit the summit of the first hill sometime later.
The 159甲 did surprise me a little, as it had a lot more ups and downs than I expected. If you want a more consistent, continuous climb then the main road would be the best bet I think. The upside was that there were no other cars on the road, I think there were only 5 cars before I hit the no. 18 later in the morning.
It also started to become clear that I was going to be short on food. With nowhere to buy anything, my rice triangles were going to have to fuel me for a lot longer than I had anticipated.
Snack Stop
I stopped to fuel up on some of the food I’d brought and also had a look at how much water I had left. It was not looking good.
Thankfully, somewhere along the road I bumped into a store that just had a whole bunch of stuff, including water. I filled up my bottles, polished off a good load of water and headed on.
The Main Haul
Vivid Green Mountains in the Morning Sun
It really is an understatement to say that the mountains are beautiful. They are stunning.
I joined the No. 18 to the constant buzz of big busses passing by. To their credit, almost every single one moved over to give me room as they passed. Although at this point I have to say that I have an instinctive habit of riding a bit out into the road and then pressing closer to the shoulder as the sound of the bus gets very close behind me.
Going Up
There is so much beauty that gets missed when taking cars or busses. At almost any point where I felt tired I would simple move over to the side and lose myself in the wonder of these awesome mountains.
Moving at between 10km/h to 20km/h it’s pretty hard to miss anything on the route.
This little waterfall (waterflow) was just one small example that would go almost unnoticed by anyone other than someone on foot or on a bicycle.
Waterfall
From here on, it was just continuous uphill, me against the mountain.
It was a long, consistent grind to the top.
Another gem spotted on the way was this old bus stop sign, but no buses stopping there now.
Old Bus Stop
Alishan
Finally I reached the Alishan area.
I was getting quite hungry, so just wanted to get to a convenience store and fill up.
As it turns out, I would have to pay NT$200 to get into the damned place, just to go to the convenience store. I was pissed off. I’d spent 9 hours (or so) getting to this point, to be told I’d have to fork out more for a bloody entrance fee than I was intending to spend at the store.
I turned around and headed towards the peak…
…best decision ever!
After this point there were NO MORE BUSES.
What is wrong with the world?
This part after Alishan has old forests with trees that are hundreds of years old. There’s cool, crisp air. A thin mist sits atop of everything.
Alishan is a tourist trap, perfect for consumers, pay a few bucks, see an old train, spend, spend, spend. Argh.
I can’t understand the appeal for shopping up there. In South Africa there are trees everywhere. And natural (non-betelnut) trees are completely lacking in Taiwan, except for places like this.
Simple, natural beauty. Rant.
The Peak
Yu-Shan National Park
Well, maybe not the real peak, but as high as I got when my time ran out.
I wish I’d had more time to stay on this part of the route. Unfortunately, once I got to the sign above at midday, it was time to head home.
I stopped to take in the scenery, breath in a bit of the fresh, crisp air and ponder on whether I should wear a jacket for the ride down.
The jacket stayed wrapped in my bag and I got to experience a few shivers that were countered by keeping my legs turning over to keep my speed up.
Tall Trees
Now I was hungry and quite tired, but it was now downhill.
Homeward Bound
159甲
The downhill was fast and fun.
I have to say that being passed quickly by buses is more pleasant than riding with them at the same speed. The main road is sufficiently bad that hitting one of the many ruts at 50km/h+ is quite a thump. It was quick though. Seeing buses passing each other over double-solid lines around blind corners is a reminder of just how shit these drivers really can be. Keep your distance.
There was a passing thought to follow the main road all the way back to Chiayi, but following an unfamiliar, and unplanned, route on the way back didn’t seem sensible so I went back the way I’d come. A few more climbs, but still very little traffic and pleasant.
Had a 20 minute nap at the side of the road at one point along this road, then pressed on to Chiayi.
I stopped in at McDees for a huge injection of junk food before 50km of flatland cruising to get home.
Home
I got home at 19:00 or so and munched down some great food at my inlaws.
The end of a day to remember.
Being in the old trees at the top of the mountain was so peaceful and relaxing. It literally kept me invigorated or the entire week. Only after being up there do I realize how much I need to get outside and into the mountains.
Anyways I reached my goal of 2400m, I was aiming for 2500m but this was just fine for my liking.
Next time, I’ll leave earlier in the morning so I can get to the top earlier in the day, giving a little more time for exploring. I wonder what the road that stretches to Sun Moon Lake is like, that could be awesome.
On Double Tenth Day I rode up to Taichung to join a group of local riders for a ride up to Sun Moon Lake and back again.
Early Start
The kids were booked in for mommy’s care for the day so I was ready to get an early start.
Google Maps estimated my trip to around 130km for the ride from my house to the meeting spot in Wufeng. I estimated that I could average 25km/h for that whole stretch.
Just to be on the safe side I intended to start at 1:00, but that didn’t work out and I left at 2:00 on the dot after going to 7-11 to pick up food for the trip. This turned out to be only just enough time, and most of the riders were already there waiting as I pulled up at 7:20.
Eating on the Road
Part of the early morning was to test my ability to eat while on the bike. My aim was to stay on the bike for the entire trip to Taichung and eat the goodies I had bought to keep me nourished along the way.
As this was just a test I had, a few days earlier, set up a plastic bucket for holding food at the front of the bike. I took a plastic container, cut the front section to a slightly more aerodynamic (non-square) shape and zip-tied it to the underside of my aerobars.
The result is a very ugly contraption for carrying stuff. It works extremely well though.
I filled it with 4 seaweed wrapped rice triangles and a sandwich from 7-11. That was enough for one on the hour, every hour. Note that I’m also playing with the quantity of food I need to ingest while riding too.
Two issues came up during the ride.
Firstly, I hadn’t put any padding in the basket. This was okay as the things I was putting in were soft. If anything harder needs to be placed in there it makes a knocking sound the whole time. This happened with a roll of Frutips later in the ride.
Secondly, and more seriously, I didn’t have a cover.
I knew that the roads I was riding were in good condition, but it doesn’t take a big bump for things to fall out a shallow basket. I placed my arm warmers in the basket, and placed my rice triangles inside those to try and keep things together. They fell out twice. I’ll make a cover for the next time. Although it doesn’t look slick, there’s something quite satisfying solving a problem for only NTD45.
The Ride There
Was uneventful. Took some new roads, was pleasantly surprised, and might be tempted to take them again in the future.
I thought it was a little strange how good the roads were. It’s actually a bit misleading to look at the category of road to decide what it’s surface will be like. The roads of this category on the way to Alishan were quite messed up, but the coastal road of a slightly higher category is not better kept and in many places worse.
Arrival
The View From The Back
Outside the 7-11 there was a small crowd of people waiting to get started.
They had gotten there early, some at 6:50, so had already been waiting half an hour when I got there. I had to eat so I scoffed down a quick meal before setting off.
The ride set off quickly, with some of the riders heading off before I was quite finished eating. Just after the first bridge, as I caught up, the majority of the pack set off on a slightly different route to what had been arranged before.
But Mike, who was eating when I set off and said he’d catch up was not with us yet. So we waited by the turnoff. He didn’t see us and went off on the original route, so Domenic and I chased him down and headed to the spot where we’d meet the others.
I quickly figured out that Mike would be my riding companion for this ride. As the others set off to conquer each climb, we’d tag along and play catch-up. I was quite grateful for the company, as I prefer to stick with at least one other person for conversation on social rides. Mike is also quite new to cycling and I know from when I started riding years ago, I always appreciated someone sticking with me while I was at the back.
Lots of Climbing
Mike, The Other Half Of Our Two-Man Team
The route along the 14 was a gentle climb, and then a lot of the group decided to just follow that road up to the lake. But seven of us took to the smaller roads for the very pleasant and steep back roads to the top of the hill.
The route was No. 14 -> right onto 147 -> left onto 131 -> right onto No. 21 -> eastward around lake until ItaThao village -> 63 over the hills -> No. 16 westward.
The hills were all a challenge, but the really great payoff was the final decent down the 63.
Roads in great shape, perfect corners for speed, mirrors on every bend (to check for oncoming traffic), with a final straight section taking the speed up into the 60s. Nice.
Bicycle Repair Man
Look! It’s Bicycle Repairman
As Mike and I started the long, lonely stretch along the No. 16 back towards Taichung we spotted a rider pushing his bike.
As is my custom I pulled over to check on his situation.
He told me his tire had burst and he was pushing until he could call for a ride. He told me his tire was completely busted.
I accepted his answer and went on for a bit, but hesitated, so I stopped and asked him for more details. He showed me his wheel and as it turns out, he just had a nail in his tire.
He had all the necessary tools with him, so I just grabbed his stuff and started doing my thing.
Off with the back wheel, tube out, tire check, new tube in, pump up the tire. Done. Couldn’t have been more than 5 minutes.
He expressed lots of concern that his tire had been destroyed and wasn’t usable. I told him he could have a glimpse at my rear tire if he wants to see just how much abuse a tire can take. My rear slick has a large flat spot in the middle and multiple holes. The tubes with clusters of patches have their own story to tell too.
I’d forgotten just how much I’ve really learnt about how to fix my own bike. I consider taking tires off without tire levers to be quite a simple affair, whilst many people gawk in amazement at the feat. Fixing a puncture takes me 10 minutes using a patch, that also accounts for re-tightening the cones with my hands before putting the wheel back in.
Heading Home
Great Big Valleys
Shortly after the tire repair, Mike and I parted ways. He was heading back towards where we started the ride on the day. But I thought I’d just head straight home, seeing as I had over 5 hours of riding ahead of me.
The ride home was much like the ride out, a little busier, and I still needed to consult Google Maps on my phone to avoid wrong turns. Mostly through the small towns, where the roads would take unexpected turns.
At Dounan I hunted down a McDonalds and filled myself with a huge number of oily calories for rest of the ride. After this, saddle pain started to set in and 34 hours without sleep started to take its toll.
At around 20:30 I rolled up at my inlaws place, scoffed down everything on the table, then headed home for a quick shower and then bed. A 6:30 morning was waiting the next day.
Lessons Learnt
Don’t eat too much rice.
As much as rice does well for my stomach compared to noodles, I need to get calories without the bulk. I was too full from all the rice, but still needed more calories.
I’m wary of “energy” foods because of their high sugar contents. I need to investigate this more, but here are some ideas for next time.
Sandwiches with peanut butter and honey (both high in calories, less bread, more spread)
Some sports drink (I only had water this time round, but this is also simple sugar)
Other 7-11 foods (main source of sustenance on rides, I had some chips last time)
Adjust handlebars
Stem needs to be shorter. Aerobar position is too far forward. Without a shorter frame, a shorter stem is the only choice. My neck gets too sore in the current position. Especially for any ride that’s going to last longer than 10 hours.
Riding Glasses
When on the aerobars I’m looking over the tops of my lenses. In the day it’s not essential that I have clear vision. I can ride without my glasses just fine. But at night I need the glasses so I have to rise my head to look through the lenses, this is too tough on the neck. Contact lenses perhaps?
For now I need to make these changes and get focused on my round-the-island trip.
—–
Tired and happy,
Peter
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