Ride Reports | RandoTips

Ride Report – Christopher’s First 100km

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-P2Q3aZb7iZk/UX93zvNFM7I/AAAAAAAALC4/eWjGQtsI8i4/s144-c-o/IMAG1586.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChristopherSFirst100kmRide#5872544169842783154″ caption=”Mr. Navigator” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1586.jpg” ]

Taking the kids riding is a thrill.

I really love riding, and being able to get my youngsters to join me on a ride is a real treat. For myself, I get to go a ride, and for us together, we get to have some real personal time, because when we’re on the bike, it’s just us.

One of the limitations of riding with kids is the distances they are able to cover.

On one hand, you can do short trips that are within their range. For a young rider who has only just learned to ride, this is very limited. Before they learn to ride, trips on the kids bike seat are usually the best choice.

My daughter has outgrown the kid seat that goes on the rear rack. The length of her legs means that there is precious little distance between my heels and her. We end up bashing into each other the whole time.

The kid seat over the top tube is okay, but inhibits leg movement, making it unsuitable for long distance.

However, my daughter was away, and my son is still young (small) enough that he can go on the back and I still have room for my legs to go round and round without bashing him.

A friend of mine had showed me a culture village right near the Chiayi high-speed rail station, approximately 50km from my door. I figured 5 hours or less on the bike in total, and knowing how cooperative and happy my son is on my bike, decided to push our limits a bit and make the rather long trip north together.

The plotted route would be the most direct route I could find, retracing some of the route I’ve used to get to Taichung before. Quiet enough, but with enough life and people that places to eat and rest are not an issue, and at any time we could bail to somewhere safe and call for a pickup home if needed.

So after a long night contemplating we set off at around ten in the morning for our long haul.

From the word go, Christopher was Mr. Talkative. The journey started with requests for “The Pirate Song” and he insisted that I sing it with him. Well, singing whole-heartedly and keeping a pace don’t go that well together, so every line of the song included a long heave so I could get my breath for the next one. My son thought this highly unprofessional and muttered that I was singing it wrong. Nevertheless, I think my general enthusiasm, combined with his, eventually turned attention away from my lack of singing skill and allowed us to just enjoy singing.

The road was as I expected and the progress we were making was pretty decent. I was confident that we could make it to our destination with time to spare and get back before evening. As usual we had headed off a little later than I had planned, so I did have it in mind to turn back early or change our destination if the going was tough for either of us.

A little over an hour into our ride, we stopped at our first 7-11 where he grabbed some yucky bread, while I got my bag of dried mangoes to fuel me for the next small bit.

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-VKilMt32N5w/UX938ZnJfRI/AAAAAAAALDA/UgZ6l074NsA/s144-c-o/IMAG1587.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChristopherSFirst100kmRide#5872544318665358610″ caption=”Sunflowers” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1587.jpg” ]

Enjoying everything we saw and being able to take in all the details of our trip was something which I tend to miss on my own rides. I enjoy the riding to the point that I become immersed in the actual riding, rather than enjoying the details of the surroundings. We passed by a field of sunflowers and just had a look-see.

[pe2-image src=”//lh5.ggpht.com/-pWhBA5jebio/UX93-z6Or7I/AAAAAAAALDI/T-zquHtLj6Y/s144-c-o/IMAG1588.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChristopherSFirst100kmRide#5872544360084451250″ caption=”Cows” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1588.jpg” ]

Later on, we saw cows.

Pushing on we made decent time, passing through small towns and riding on relatively quiet roads after passing the main road to Xinying.

The riding is pleasant, the sun was out and we were passing by large rice fields. The site of large areas of green are nice to see.

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-PnGv3Wi7G_I/UX94EwVDPXI/AAAAAAAALDY/y0fWrfN5vrc/s144-c-o/IMAG1590.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChristopherSFirst100kmRide#5872544462202420594″ caption=”Chiayi Purple Route and Rice Fields” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1590.jpg” ]

After two hours and a bit on the bike we reached the high-speed rail station. We were ahead of time and pretty close to our destination.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-y48CbjXG7bk/UX94H3a4Z5I/AAAAAAAALDg/y-3ptagpGIY/s144-c-o/IMAG1591.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChristopherSFirst100kmRide#5872544515645532050″ caption=”Farmer Figures near Chiayi High-Speed Rail Station” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1591.jpg” ]

The train station was a tempting destination. We could have enjoyed air-conditioning, starbucks and other treats, but I thought staying in the fresh outdoors was cool, so we moved on with only around 3km to go to our halfway mark.

Although my friend’s description of the place we were going was positive, I’m never too sure about how busy places get around here. Popular places are overrun by people on the weekends, so I was putting it up to chance whether we would run into hordes of people.

But on our way we passed by this train track.

We both hopped off to take a look around and explore a little bit. Just checking out the old train and walking around are simple, yet fun.

The dead rat turned out to be extremely interesting for Christopher. We saw it, walked around, and then he insisted on returning to the dead creature.

“Why is it dead?” was one question he had. “What are the flies and ants doing on it?” was another. I explained that they were basically eating it. In all his innocence when I told Christopher we should go he told me that he wanted to stay in order to see the flies and ants finish off the rat. I explained that would take a little longer than he was expecting, so we looked on for just a few more minutes.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-IoBA6UvPXoc/UX94mI97Q6I/AAAAAAAALEA/vosygBH5s7s/s144-c-o/IMAG1595.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChristopherSFirst100kmRide#5872545035751998370″ caption=”Small Train (excuse the finger in the pic)” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1595.jpg” ]

Then, the sound of a train. There in the distance, a small train was approaching and we move aside a little and waited for the train to pass by. It had come from the place we were going and was doing a short trip before heading straight back to where it had come from.

After getting our fill of dead rats and small trains, we moved on to our destination.

[pe2-image src=”//lh5.ggpht.com/-06lG6bG2l7I/UX94pOEBJ2I/AAAAAAAALEI/huLbJ609Hp8/s144-c-o/IMAG1596.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChristopherSFirst100kmRide#5872545088659335010″ caption=”Taiwan Sugar Culture Center” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1596.jpg” ]

The center has a few places to eat and features the train station that serves the train that we saw on our way in. There is a big parking lot and then the major thing I noticed, lots of bikes for hire.

Seeing as we were on our own steed, there was no need for a rental. But I did have a look-see at the bikes that were on offer for hire. Lot’s of 3-wheeled options, some more traditional bikes and the 4-wheeled upright ones for families. However, as I noticed later on when heading onto the bike paths to the north, nothing but a normal (2-wheeled) bike would be able to get past the barriers at the entrance to the trails. You could hire a bigger bike for riding elsewhere I guess.

But the first thing was to find the trails.

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-PnGv3Wi7G_I/UX94EwVDPXI/AAAAAAAALDY/y0fWrfN5vrc/s144-c-o/IMAG1590.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChristopherSFirst100kmRide#5872544462202420594″ caption=”Purple Biking Route” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1590.jpg” ]

The purple signs (and green ones that I don’t usually see) are dotted about in Chiayi, marking the longest trails that cover a fairly huge portion of the county. Apparently the full length of the trails would be over 200km, all on the flatlands, joining together many of the smaller places to see. The trail is often just a normal road with a sign on a signpost, but at some points they are dedicated bicycle trails, which after cruising around on Taiwan’s roads, are awesome.

Finding the start of the purple route from the culture center was not completely obvious, but we headed off in the direction I suspected we needed to go.

We climbed onto a long pedestrian/bicycle bridge that crosses the river.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-iY65iFlSkm8/UX94q7HE_yI/AAAAAAAALEQ/I4EHMnQ_qKA/s144-c-o/IMAG1597.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChristopherSFirst100kmRide#5872545117931634466″ caption=”Christopher on the Pedestrian Bridge” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1597.jpg” ]

Christopher accepted the offer to move about on his own two feet, but was quickly deterred by the construction of the bridge that lets you see below. He climbed back on the bike for the protection of daddy.

Over the bridge, then down the other side and onto a 2km stretch of dedicated bike path (besides a local or two on scooters).

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-JtoAPB-incU/UX94wRkVZGI/AAAAAAAALEY/ZbelQfJZI5c/s144-c-o/IMAG1598.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChristopherSFirst100kmRide#5872545209859269730″ caption=”Exclusive Pedestrian/Cyclist Trail” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1598.jpg” ]

Time was ticking by, and my turnaround time was approaching. Christopher stopped to play in a small playground right next to the trail.

I was getting slightly agitated as I wanted to see more of the trail and what it has to offer. But, alas, after a small break at a 7-11 for some sustenance I made the decision to turn around and go back the way we had come.

The alternative would have been to continue along the trail and see if we could track it all the way back to the coast. That would have been 30km extra on our journey, and it always takes much longer than expected when we’re searching for the trail or when we lose our way. Next time I’ll have to explore.

Homeward bound, just covering the distance we needed to, singing and chatting all along the way.

Sitting on the back seat has to be a bit challenging for kids. Both Christina and Christopher tend to doze off after a while. I prefer not to continue riding when this happens and unless we’re close to home, we’ll stop for a break. The usual giveaway is that their feet will start to drop off the footrests, so my heals knock their feet. A gentle “knock, knock” to tell me they’re napping.

This time was no exception and when Christopher fell asleep I found this nice big tree and he had a nap for about 30 minutes while I just chilled.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-zHwRa5KwIwE/UX943fOaFRI/AAAAAAAALEo/3B-QC6HWbJc/s144-c-o/FB_IMG_13665291473679911.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChristopherSFirst100kmRide#5872545333784483090″ caption=”Christopher Dozing in His Seat Under a Tree” type=”image” alt=”FB_IMG_13665291473679911.jpg” ]

As we again settled into plodding along, “lo and behold,” a trail appeared.

I saw it, passed by, and after 50 meters decided that I absolutely could not pass up this small attempt at trail exploration for the day.

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-CRfy9eLpBFM/UX948VM95cI/AAAAAAAALE4/vp4MOpSkO1U/s144-c-o/IMAG1601.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChristopherSFirst100kmRide#5872545416993433026″ caption=”” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1601.jpg” ]

What I was treated to was a well-paved trail with a few cyclists and walkers. Although the stretch wasn’t particularly long, it was still very pleasant.

My greatest complaint is that I haven’t been able to find GPS on all the routes. With the ubiquitous use of GPS devices in vehicles and by athletes it seems rather remiss to make people rely on maps drawn by artists and not just get someone to trace the route so that people can enjoy these sometimes disjoint routes and still be sure they get where they’re going.

After a final stop at a 7-11 we hopped back on the bike for the final hour or so.

The whole day was a raging success. Christopher had a blast, he was in high spirits both on the ride and after we had arrived home. I enjoyed myself because I got to get time with my son and share that time with him doing something I absolutely love doing. Can’t wait until we get out for a big ride together again.

[pe2-image src=”//lh4.ggpht.com/-3Mo-ziGmIdQ/UX94-JKoxwI/AAAAAAAALFA/UdQ1TrRlXc4/s144-c-o/IMAG1604.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChristopherSFirst100kmRide#5872545448122173186″ caption=”Mr Happy Camper” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1604.jpg” ]

So from Mr Happy Camper and myself. Over and out.

Zengwen Dam and Dongshan Exploring

[pe2-image src=”//lh4.ggpht.com/-AlpOe7Y5hsE/UUZeZ_1WnOI/AAAAAAAAKhY/hLmsDIJFLaY/s144-c-o/IMAG1423.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ZengwenDamRide#5856472166166863074″ caption=”Zengwen Dam” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1423.jpg” ]

On Sunday the family were out, so I jumped at the chance to explore some of the big hills that I’ve come to enjoy recently.

The hills have provided a great balance to the coastal cruising that is typical of my usual weekday rides. Dongshan hills are around 25km from my house, which makes them a little far for most weekday rides.

Anywho, it was time to time to get out so I jumped on my bike at around 11:30 to start the cruising. The sun was out, it was hot and an absolutely glorious day for a ride.

At 5km in, I got a puncture.

The power of focus is great. It’s something I lack in any task which I do not enjoy or feel motivated, and when I’m on my bike, I feel both. With the hills in my mind, I whipped off the wheel as a matter of process, inspected the tube, found the leakage was under and old patch, and decided that using my other tube with a puncture would be better.

Out came the old tube. I fixed it’s puncture and put the wheel back in.

I guess around 10 minutes including glue drying time.

And off again.

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-WZIGwAHgoYo/UUZfD8ocO_I/AAAAAAAAKjg/5iVXGhgz74Y/s144-c-o/IMAG1441.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ZengwenDamRide#5856472886861904882″ caption=”View from a hill” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1441.jpg” ]

The intense heat while changing my tube should have alerted me to the oppressive humidity of the day as I was sweating profusely when I got back on the bike. Nevertheless, I was off again, back on the aerobars and cruising towards the hills.

Just after passing through the most populated section of the route I stopped to remove my cycling shirt so that I could bask in the big sun while riding. Then back on the aerobars and more cruising.

Sporting a naked top half I decided to do a slightly longer route around Liujia so as not to cause any accidents while scooter riders plough into each other while they’re fixated on my shiny, white exterior.

Then onto the hills.

On considering this route for the weekend, one of my biggest concerns is the hordes of heavy motorbike riders that like these hills.

I could go on and on about the complete lack of basic road skills here in Taiwan. I could also ramble about how scooter riders are the most inept fools on the road, second only to bicycle commuters, except that they sport speeds at least 3x that of the daily cyclist here. Now take that complete ineptitude, add some body armor, a bike with an engine 5x that of a scooter and the price of a sedan, and you have death on wheels. These guys think they are so bloody cool, but in reality, they’re idiots just like they are on their scooters the rest of the week. Their stupidity is simply multiplied. Random lane changing, constant swerving across lanes, specifically passing on blind corners, most notably in the places where I saw tons of “Dangerous Section of Road” signs.

Admittedly these guys are not all assholes, and apologies to those who take road safety seriously, but there are a huge number who are morons. So much for the beauty, peace and quiet of the countryside. Sigh.

Time to find alternate roads.

Anywho, I followed the 174 all the way out, passed on by the 175 coffee road and on to the turnoff to the dam.

From here, traffic would be light.

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-Ms8Ng9BrWus/UUZebkUZQaI/AAAAAAAAKhg/eX8oTh_JyDs/s144-c-o/IMAG1424.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ZengwenDamRide#5856472193140605346″ caption=”Slipway” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1424.jpg” ]

To my surprise there was an entrance charge for heading into the dam area. I decided it was worth it, and put the fee down to my lack of experience in this part of the world. No wonder there was no Google Street View footage of this area. I was heading towards other roads that would head straight over the hills and my exploring would allow me a cost free route next time around.

The runup to the dam is nice enough. It’s a really wide road, that looks like it was made specifically for lots of tourists and busses. Thankfully there were no busses on the day. There’s a fancy looking visitor center which I whizzed straight past. I would rather just stay on my bike.

Even when out exploring I tend to pass by most fixtures that attract lots of people. This does mean that I miss out on some things. Somehow I believe it’s the better choice, but in reality it’s just a choice. Duh.

The beauty of the ride is in the exploration. Finding new places, doing new things, going where no man (well, at least I) has gone before. Visitor centers are created for tourists, not explorers. I would rather spend a whole hour just sitting up on the hill looking out on the glorious beauty of the natural world than in a visitor center. I’d rather be sweating out in the sun, than sitting on my ass watching a TV presentation. In my own reckoning, the true beauty lies not in what some other person can create for me to see, but in what is already there.

I digress.

The road leads all the way up to the dam wall, but along the climb I noticed a big, red sign welcoming people to a temple in the hills. The leadup was a very steep, concrete paved road. I took mental note, passed on by and headed to the top of the dam wall.

[pe2-image src=”//lh4.ggpht.com/-PHIAzoq1Hlo/UUZektRvN7I/AAAAAAAAKiI/kNiQZd_qERo/s144-c-o/IMAG1429.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ZengwenDamRide#5856472350164203442″ caption=”You will not pass!” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1429.jpg” ]

The obligatory picture taking got done quickly, but I was a little disappointed to find no entry signs on the way to the route I was hoping to take up the hill. I’ll happily pass by the no entry signs when no-one is around, but I’m not such a rebel when others are looking on. Just me, but there you go.

I enquired with the security guys as to how I could get over the hill and they told me that the road by the red sign I had seen was the way to go.

[pe2-image src=”//lh4.ggpht.com/-1jEPHW1zHXI/UUZeeJSlfTI/AAAAAAAAKho/3vcUpMEHays/s144-c-o/IMAG1425.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ZengwenDamRide#5856472237424868658″ caption=”Behind the wall” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1425.jpg” ]

Instead of heading straight there I continued on over the wall and followed the route that overlooks the dam and leads to the no. 3. This section of road was pleasant enough, climbing a bit until I did hit the no. 3, then checked my maps and headed back to the dam wall. And the climb from hell.

[pe2-image src=”//lh4.ggpht.com/-3hWwNl-OQ7Y/UUZetsujqeI/AAAAAAAAKig/wg7f9qmFhew/s144-c-o/IMAG1432.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ZengwenDamRide#5856472504635468258″ caption=”The alternate route” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1432.jpg” ]

I was hoping for a hard climb, and boy, did this one ever impress. I’m always surprised at just how steep Taiwanese can build their roads.

As I started on the upward journey, I went straight into granny gear. That’s a 22×25 in case you’re wondering. I wouldn’t change down until very much further up the hill.

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-9uNw5rR1u0w/UUZe0TZ2MuI/AAAAAAAAKiw/-cTEIhOnIeA/s144-c-o/IMAG1435.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ZengwenDamRide#5856472618096800482″ caption=”Mini Dam” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1435.jpg” ]

The first steep bit landed me next to a small dam, which on any other day would likely have served as a picnic spot. Being my silly self, I hadn’t packed any food so I just stopped for pics and then hit the wheelie inducing climb again. There were constant sounds of animals running away as I headed up the road. Monkeys in the trees, while squirrel-looking things scurried away as the new visitor approached.

But it was here that I started to suffer.

[pe2-image src=”//lh4.ggpht.com/-TBxPKq2kj_c/UUZe24ymD3I/AAAAAAAAKi4/_dmhH0Lvjf8/s144-c-o/IMAG1436.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ZengwenDamRide#5856472662492450674″ caption=”Steep! Taiwan style.” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1436.jpg” ]

My last meal was the previous evening at around 18:00, and I hadn’t (as usual) had breakfast in the morning. This is nothing special, except that this ride was straining me more than I had expected and the humidity was intense. Although the humidity is pretty high a lot of the time, it is amplified when is the hills between thick clusters of trees and bushes.

My shirt was drenched, despite being completely open at the front (I had put it on after getting plenty of sunshine).

I was taking the hill in segments, I’d push myself to ride to the next switchback, then stop for a moment and continue. The sweat was pouring down my head and I was running out of water.

Energy reserves: zero.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-3h6tEXUgQc4/UUZe9Xwbj0I/AAAAAAAAKjI/5w_xLiOHqBI/s144-c-o/IMAG1438.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ZengwenDamRide#5856472773884088130″ caption=”My bike taking a rest” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1438.jpg” ]

At one point I sat down at the side to completely cool down and enjoy the slight breeze that was blowing through the hills. It didn’t help get my energy back, but did relieve me from the heat. The views are breathtaking. The hills of Taiwan are lush and green and a sight to see for sure. Always are.

After getting myself back in shape I headed on up through the final sections.

One scooter passed by and listening as it weaved it’s way up the hill and the varying screeching from it’s diminutive engine gave me hope that I was nearing the peak. And it was so. The road flattened out, I got into the middle chainring and pressed on.

Finally I spotted the trailheads at the top and recognized where I was.

I had to eat. NOW.

I checked my maps and plotted my course for the nearest 7-11. I love 7-11 not because of the gourmet food, but the cookie-cutter consistency of their stores. No matter which one you pick, it’s always the same goop, good goop, yucky goop, but always the same.

After plummeting down a few hundred vertical meters I was greeted by what will likely become my new alternative road in these hills.

[pe2-image src=”//lh5.ggpht.com/-8kJp5S7qWPc/UUZfKPn2XfI/AAAAAAAAKjw/J6ntM4CygUM/s144-c-o/IMAG1443.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ZengwenDamRide#5856472995038911986″ caption=”Houses on the hill” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1443.jpg” ]

Nicely paved, few cars or scooters and a consistent grade. But that’s for next time.

I pressed on, hoping for the absolute minimum of hills as I was feeling pretty faint. Just keeping the intensity down to what was necessary. It was a flattish cruise and after a brief “Where the hell is the 7-11?” moment I saw it around the corner, with it’s familiar green glow beckoning me to go and stuff myself.

My guess is that I got 3000 Calories of food in that single session. A great excuse to pig out. Three chocolates, a curry and rice, dried mangoes, baked potatoes, Fruitips, a slice of pizza, a small milk and some other bits and bobs. Yum!

The final leg of my trip had to be made quickly. I had used up a lot of time with rest stops and contemplating routing details and the previous big hill that had slowed progress drastically.

Final hill was soaked up fairly quickly, it’s short and quick.

Then the 30km flat stretch.

5km of tucked in cruising done and I was starting to experience a new sensation that I have not really experienced before.

Cramping.

Not like I haven’t felt my legs start to tense up, but never anything so serious that a mild stretch wouldn’t sort out. I stopped to stretch, hoping that would solve it. Usually a short stretch is all I need and it gets the yuckiness out of my legs.

But nope.

A kilometer later and they were back with a vengeance. I tried to flick my leg back to stretch my quads while on the bike, but then my hamstrings started, I tried the other side and the same thing happened. I stopped and both legs almost seized up while swinging my legs over the bike in the most awkward way I could to avoid the muscles tensing up. This was a much more thorough stretching session and helped me to get another half hour before needing to stretch out again.

I then managed to get all the way home without further incident, just watching how much I exerted to avoid the obvious consequences.

And at around 19:00 I was home. Ready for a good shower and ready to continue stuffing my face, which I did like a trooper. I won’t give you the nitty-gritty, but I will tell you that it involved ice-cream and cones.

Another good day. Done.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-x-inFVV6FFs/UUZegNI0ydI/AAAAAAAAKh4/cohEn1Sry2c/s144-c-o/IMAG1427.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ZengwenDamRide#5856472272817408466″ caption=”A good ride” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1427.jpg” ]

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.