Tag: randonneuring

2013 Tropic of Cancer Randonneurs 400k

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-3hK7s4P3fos/UsT85xpLM9I/AAAAAAAARQ4/MePQpNJl5-8/s144-c-o/IMAG2150.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169876054160338″ caption=”Water Tower” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2150.jpg” ]

October 5th and 6th, 2013 were the 2013 Tropic of Cancer Randonneurs 400k. This ride was one of the most devastating I’ve ever done, it was fun, tiring and had an unexpected ending.

The day started with the typical commute to the start line. I headed off at around 4 in the morning to get the start line with plenty of time to take a quick rest, sign in and consume some food.

The water tower pictured above just caught my eye. I don’t see too many of these, so there you go. You’re welcome.

[pe2-image src=”//lh5.ggpht.com/-RPROjUn0-L8/UsT8534xdmI/AAAAAAAARQ4/JHGHXU4eSYM/s144-c-o/IMAG2151.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169877730195042″ caption=”Sunrise” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2151.jpg” ]

The sunrise was typically wonderful, rising over the hills to the east. I look forward to this every time I head to the start of these rides. The sun over the hills, the lush green fields, and I’ll conveniently forget the stench emitting from some of the nearby factories. Glorious for the eyes, though.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-8nv8_pAZH8Y/UsT85xJbsoI/AAAAAAAARQ0/5emBjFwIb54/s144-c-o/IMAG2154.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169875921023618″ caption=”Morning nap” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2154.jpg” ]

I got to the start with plenty of time. So I lay down and went to sleep for a while, remembering to turn on my alarm so that I wouldn’t just miss the start.

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-fCve6S4ztq0/UsT852j6o2I/AAAAAAAARQ4/NSAnMJEKIkk/s144-c-o/IMAG2156.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169877374280546″ caption=”Registration table” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2156.jpg” ]

The organizers were all ready and I went to grab my numbers and other little bits before the start. Much the same as the 200k and 300k I did, but with slightly fewer entrants. Not too surprising really.

One fellow I had hoped to get a chat with was Jake Pollock who people were talking about as the foreigner with the fixie coming in before the final checkpoint had even opened. Well, we got to chat for a little bit, but as soon as the road went upward he left me in the dust. Really, hats off for doing it on a fixie, albeit a very nice fixie, and for going it at a pretty fast clip.

Worth mentioning is that Mark Roche wasn’t at this one, so I knew I’d have to find someone else to latch onto for some motivation later in the ride.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-3wEFND68cVs/UsT855B_6gI/AAAAAAAARQ0/CpFFsF-kxFk/s144-c-o/IMAG2158.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169878037326338″ caption=”First checkpoint” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2158.jpg” ]

I made quick work of the first checkin. I did the checkin and then pushed on. I had taken a bunch of stuff to eat with me, so gobbled down some on the road after leaving the checkpoint.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-6jPNvrEqfjk/UsT85-sDdGI/AAAAAAAARQ4/hMnKTnPjr7k/s144-c-o/IMAG2159.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169879555896418″ caption=”Bridge” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2159.jpg” ]

Cruising along, this bridge is one I usually avoid. There is a small, tree-lined road that provides a much nicer view and is slightly flatter and shorter. However, as I found when riding to Hehuan Mountain, there are no lights at night, so I’ll be relegated to this big road for night rides in the future.

[pe2-image src=”//lh4.ggpht.com/-IuW3Pkt7H_s/UsT85z2gWFI/AAAAAAAARQ4/d5xhwL3Wl40/s144-c-o/IMAG2161.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169876646942802″ caption=”Train track” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2161.jpg” ]

The main road goes over the train track, the alternative goes under it.

[pe2-image src=”//lh5.ggpht.com/-Ewgq0Vgz7zo/UsT853slEhI/AAAAAAAARQ4/WVd-iWU56mg/s144-c-o/IMAG2163.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169877679051282″ caption=”Which way?” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2163.jpg” ]

I had managed to stick with some fellow riders and was hoping that they would lead me in the right direction. However, they were as clueless as I was. We waited for some time for other riders to come. Some did come, told us to go straight, and that turned out to be the wrong way and we took and alternative sideroad to join back to the main road a little while later.

[pe2-image src=”//lh5.ggpht.com/-qhpjCWNjZzg/UsT85zo1ZeI/AAAAAAAARQ0/q3GGMHoJYjU/s144-c-o/IMAG2164.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169876589602274″ caption=”Some guys” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2164.jpg” ]

These guys got to pull me along for a while. We didn’t get to much chatting, but they did help me to keep up the pace for a bit.

Aside: I really dislike the pace of most of the riders I follow. Perhaps there is something to be said for the culture of cycling that I grew up with. For me, consistent pace is of utmost important. I find so often that the folks I ride with accelerate really quickly, but inevitably get caught at the next traffic light. I see this as completely inefficient. Gathering speed is really taxing and takes far more energy than maintaining speed. I’d much rather gather speed slowly, then keep up a good rhythm. Racing to a red light just seems silly to me. Slow down, cruise to the light and try to catch it as it turns green for the minimum of effort.

[pe2-image src=”//lh4.ggpht.com/-xBGwVniQUVQ/UsT85_4gMmI/AAAAAAAARQ4/_aID9oy0LX8/s144-c-o/IMAG2165.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169879876547170″ caption=”Old house” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2165.jpg” ]

This house looks awesome. Abandoned, but must have been great while in use.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-Sq1exsvt8gU/UsT85wYvmHI/AAAAAAAARQ4/0R78BjkGRrY/s144-c-o/IMAG2166.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169875716806770″ caption=”Yay! Downhill” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2166.jpg” ]

The reprieve after the first big climb. Not too many pictures after this.

After the downhill I started to realize just how much I was struggling. I didn’t feel at all right and was wondering what it was.

I can pinpoint two things.

First was not riding my bike. Duh! Between the last big ride and this one I had hardly done any riding. I’m not the most regular at the best of times, but I had slipped out of shape without realizing it. It should have been obvious, but only when I thought back did I realize how little I’d done.

Secondly was single-leg pistol squats. An exercise I had added back into my training routine on the Thursday. Bad move. My hamstrings were sore, I thought they might loosen up over the ride, they did, but not enough. It was a lingering tiredness that raised its ugly head every time I put unnecessary pressure on the pedals, just spinning was fine at first, but even that got tiring later on.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-ty8xXorKL8M/UsT85wh_8_I/AAAAAAAARQ4/7IHNLSzydWQ/s144-c-o/IMAG2168.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169875755627506″ caption=”Panorama from bridge” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2168.jpg” ]

A little way before the turning point was this beautiful view of a valley. I always love these, even if the river is all destroyed. Cliffs pouring down into the valley are awesome.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-RZ0IgeUwifk/UsT85zBj0JI/AAAAAAAARQ4/Z3Qk7YNaJHc/s144-c-o/IMAG2169.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169876424872082″ caption=”Steep cliffs” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2169.jpg” ]

From the other side the cliff looked like this.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-3b61ZA81flc/UsT854InqEI/AAAAAAAARQ4/rCkMTx8hogI/s144-c-o/IMAG2170.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169877796661314″ caption=”Turn around point” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2170.jpg” ]

The turnaround point was not too much later and it turned out to be a much longer stop than I had hoped. I was very tired and had consumed a lot more food than I thought I’d need. That meant I was struggling, both because I could eat too much and because I was going slow enough to easily eat more.

I chatted with Noles, the organizer, for a bit and finally headed on.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-qr8vDbohUwY/UsT85zlnQpI/AAAAAAAARQ4/W7ovLR55qjk/s144-c-o/IMAG2171.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169876576092818″ caption=”The hills by the turnaround point” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2171.jpg” ]

[pe2-image src=”//lh5.ggpht.com/-5zuiTotv-ZQ/UsT858aF4NI/AAAAAAAARQ4/XgwvWXO1vP4/s144-c-o/IMAG2172.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169878943686866″ caption=”Sluice” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2172.jpg” ]

The next time I felt like taking a picture was at the sluice. I was hurting and not liking my chances of completion.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-sZRg0RcQEBc/UsT85yD_6SI/AAAAAAAARQ4/tbdz2fiXGOA/s144-c-o/IMAG2174.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169876166666530″ caption=”New friend” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2174.jpg” ]

At some point after I met this dude. He had a pace I could follow and we chatted for some time. We also helped to find the way as we were heading into the evening.

I was fading fast and becoming quite unmotivated.

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-q9VyIVu9gYQ/UsT85wECBvI/AAAAAAAARQ4/Rs_s71hh-Ek/s144-c-o/IMAG2175.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169875629934322″ caption=”Stuff by the road” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2175.jpg” ]

I even managed to start taking random photos of nothing.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-n2KgPQlQJXk/UsT85xQT3xI/AAAAAAAARQ4/nwiGjKkgoNY/s144-c-o/IMAG2177.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169875949870866″ caption=”My handlebars” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2177.jpg” ]

I kept going over in my mind if I could make it to the finish. I hardly ever give up on a ride, but this time we passed within 25km of the house. I had very little left in me and decided to leave this battle for another day.

A quick call to the organizer to tell him I’d dropped out and then a slow ride back to my house.

If I’m going to continue to do these rides and continue to do the longer ones I’m going to have to ride more. I’ve put much less time into training these days, and it shows. Although I don’t have time for long training rides I think I’m going to have to at least incorporate some interval training into my exercise schedule. At least that way I’ll keep my cycling muscles in some sort of shape, rather than turning into jelly.

Finally, it needs to be said that this ride was great. I’ll need to give it a bash another time though.

2013 Tropic of Cancer Randonneurs 300k

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-7LY0gMP7Rvw/Ug8G5Azu0mI/AAAAAAAALwE/_u3NQhFJ-OY/s144-c-o/IMAG1882.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChiayiRandonneurs300k#5912952412300038754″ caption=”Banner at the starting area” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1882.jpg” ]

The Tropic of Cancer Randonneurs 300k was held on July 27, 2013 (stretching a tad into the 28th). The start was at the Tropic of Cancer park near Chiayi and took a large loop up to Sun Moon Lake, then back past Chiayi down as far as Guantian, heading west for a bit, then back north to Chiayi.

The weather was as expected, being plenty hot, although not quite as bad as the scorching 200k a month earlier. I had been off the bike for almost the whole month between the two events, but still had some crazy idea that I was fit enough to finish this thing.

[pe2-image src=”//lh5.ggpht.com/-SeL4cFxE7Is/Ug8FH-sC3_I/AAAAAAAALvM/W2kbWVdLNk4/s144-c-o/IMAG1870.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChiayiRandonneurs300k#5912950470405709810″ caption=”Early morning commute” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1870.jpg” ]

As per usual, I headed to the start of the event in the early morning, adding 50km of commuting to the start of a long event. I may have said it before, but this behavior is not the best, and took a heavy toll in the next race I’d do.

But, the morning ride is always pleasant, with no people, cars or anything for that matter, the perfect time for a ride. Also, although still repressive, the heat is tolerable because the sun is not out.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-Z86Q9BCe_3o/Ug8FN7HQx4I/AAAAAAAALvs/0rriD-veyiU/s144-c-o/IMAG1879.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChiayiRandonneurs300k#5912950572525340546″ caption=”Tropic of Cancer Marker” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1879.jpg” ]

I arrived at the starting place, then put my head down for some time to get a bit or rest before the start. I was quite early and slowly but surely the people started to roll in after around 6 o’clock.

[pe2-image src=”//lh4.ggpht.com/-5x4U6bPtKCU/Ug8HBnT29YI/AAAAAAAALwk/XElsRDbt7DI/s144-c-o/IMAG1886.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChiayiRandonneurs300k#5912952560074290562″ caption=”Mark keeping up his very consistent pace” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1886.jpg” ]

I can’t remember if we had checked beforehand, but I knew Mark Roche would be here for this ride. He had pretty much dragged me through the entire ride at the 200k and I was ever so grateful that he had come this time and I was ready to let his rock-solid pacing guide me through to the end.

I’m quite erratic with pacing and tend to get in consistent bursts of many minutes, followed by some rest minutes. When pacing in a group with Mark he shows me what I’ve missed about riding with serious, seasoned cyclists.

When competing in races in South Africa (I haven’t done any here), as long as you stuck in the first few groups you were guaranteed to have a fast, fairly easy go to the finish. My first races in high school were marked by me being on my lonesome, which is SO much harder than in a group. Although I have to fight to stay on the back of some groups, the respite comes when you hit the flats again and the rest of the group eases off.

Mark is really solid and although he doesn’t show it, I bet he’s thinking, “I’m doing all the pulling here.” Sorry, mate.

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/–5DuQOUt5Tw/Ug8G7NDeVcI/AAAAAAAALwM/iKgaXXCNdh8/s144-c-o/IMAG1883.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChiayiRandonneurs300k#5912952449947030978″ caption=”Mark’s friend” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1883.jpg” ]

Also along for the ride this time was a friend of Marks from Kaohsiung (name slipped my mind). He looked strong on his 20″ wheeled folding bike. Hats off to him.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-4oZnNZl0e50/Ug8HF1QAsEI/AAAAAAAALw0/zCVlohPfotE/s144-c-o/IMAG1888.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChiayiRandonneurs300k#5912952632535724098″ caption=”Big climb, lots of cars” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1888.jpg” ]

I had planned to do fewer and shorter stops this time around as during the last ride the long stops had contributed to finishing very close to the cut off time. I went into the first stop, got my card stamped and then proceeded to have a bit while riding, saving a few minutes and passing Mark and co in the process.

The stop was followed shortly by a big climb. It’s quite steep and there are many cars. I just follow the route and most of the time I just watch where the person in front goes. The road heads up quite sharply, but once we hit the summit, it turns off onto a much quieter road. I believe this is where I got my first puncture, I patched it up then pushed on.

[pe2-image src=”//lh4.ggpht.com/-vhB-LLddnJk/Ug8HNKNUgwI/AAAAAAAALxM/WGMcZrzVQbw/s144-c-o/IMAG1891.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChiayiRandonneurs300k#5912952758420669186″ caption=”Respite from the traffic” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1891.jpg” ]

The road then plummets back down into the valley, but sticks to the small roads.

[pe2-image src=”//lh4.ggpht.com/-8fYg2uKnNpM/Ug8HPBXkV4I/AAAAAAAALxU/_kiiqJAsTHo/s144-c-o/IMAG1892.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChiayiRandonneurs300k#5912952790407468930″ caption=”Fancy bridge in the middle of nowhere” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1892.jpg” ]

This bridge seems quite out of place because there is really nothing around there as far as I can tell. Taking a picture while careering downhill is not recommended. I stayed on the bike, however.

[pe2-image src=”//lh5.ggpht.com/-ZgfHBX7I9Ac/Ug8HUGdhROI/AAAAAAAALxk/c0ohFKdcEK0/s144-c-o/IMAG1894.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChiayiRandonneurs300k#5912952877673956578″ caption=”Quaint country road” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1894.jpg” ]

Once the descent is over you’re rewarded with bamboo trees hanging over the small road. The light shines through the bamboo which gives the contrast of light and dark, with the warmth of the sun and the coolness of shade all mixed together. This stretch goes on for a few kilometers taking us to the start of the climb to Sun Moon Lake.

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-2egCZuvysn4/Ug8Haf4xAcI/AAAAAAAALx0/EZ9UEv-5aD0/s144-c-o/IMAG1896.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChiayiRandonneurs300k#5912952987578335682″ caption=”Slugging up to Sun Moon Lake” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1896.jpg” ]

The big climb is then upon us. Out in the open and completely exposed to the sun I trudged my way up the 21. It’s a long climb, but with a very even grade, so I just slip into a nice gear and spin it all the way up.

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-DL9jp3mEjyc/Ug8Hd7xfktI/AAAAAAAALyE/Dp-6jfepI5k/s144-c-o/IMAG1898.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChiayiRandonneurs300k#5912953046603633362″ caption=”The view downwards” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1898.jpg” ]

As I climb upwards the view becomes better and better.

[pe2-image src=”//lh5.ggpht.com/-YP5B1cYJfds/Ug8HgV78ugI/AAAAAAAALyM/vwg2EEkZK_g/s144-c-o/IMAG1899.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChiayiRandonneurs300k#5912953087986547202″ caption=”Rest stop” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1899.jpg” ]

There was a rest stop with food and drinks towards the top of the climb. What a reprieve. I glugged down what they had and then set off quickly. I still wanted to keep my rests short and stay on the bike. It was hard to avoid not stopping at this point. Although an optional stop, it was great thinking on their part to provide drinks at a point where lots of people would have been quite thirsty.

[pe2-image src=”//lh4.ggpht.com/-HHLKmmOXu1A/Ug8HjyvxS0I/AAAAAAAALyc/ToPCOkelLfI/s144-c-o/IMAG1902.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChiayiRandonneurs300k#5912953147259702082″ caption=”Sun Moon Lake bicycle path” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1902.jpg” ]

The rest of the ride to the top was easier after taking a short break and it was time to start cruising. I managed to snap a few pics while still riding, the one above was a section of the bicycle path which goes around part of the lake.

[pe2-image src=”//lh4.ggpht.com/-UWTIjIsA3t4/Ug8HrUh_noI/AAAAAAAALy8/HZzEMj7nkN0/s144-c-o/IMAG1907.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChiayiRandonneurs300k#5912953276587810434″ caption=”Heading down from Sun Moon Lake” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1907.jpg” ]

The ride down the other side was quick and easy.

Once back on the plains, it was just a case of keeping up the pace. I managed to keep myself going, but I was on my own, which meant a few delays at some points where I wasn’t sure of where to go next.

Fortunately as I do more of these events I’m getting used to the routes they take. The routes don’t take the smallest, most beautiful roads, but stick to the larger roads. These offer more convenience stores where folks can get things to eat and drink and also give a certain amount of safety by being in populated areas where there’s more chance there will be someone to assist.

Something cultural (or so it seems) is how locals don’t seem to mind heavy traffic when cycling. Often people choose the more crowded roads to small, off the beaten track roads. I purposefully avoid the main roads most of the time, whereas when I do go on more trafficked routes there are so many cyclists. Perhaps it’s just me, but even on a serious training ride, I’m riding to get away from it all, not to compete with cars and buses.

So I continued to push on. And then it happened…

[pe2-image src=”//lh4.ggpht.com/-5sU3QeLLtiw/Ug8HtNr8sCI/AAAAAAAALzE/vkn0U9kDBCk/s144-c-o/IMAG1908.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChiayiRandonneurs300k#5912953309110251554″ caption=”Downpour” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1908.jpg” ]

My nemesis.

Put me under 40 degree heat and I’ll suffer and smile. The heat beating down on my back drains me but makes me feel alive. Winds suck my energy but fill my mind with hope as I hit the turnaround point and know that the headwind will now be a tailwind.

But the rain. Hmm.

Wet shorts, dry chain, wet shoes, dirty water in my nose and other places.

[pe2-image src=”//lh4.ggpht.com/-IE4GgRij88k/Ug8HvXS_13I/AAAAAAAALzM/qfJqk2HOZAA/s144-c-o/IMAG1909.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/ChiayiRandonneurs300k#5912953346049693554″ caption=”My bike (like me) doesn’t like getting wet” type=”image” alt=”IMAG1909.jpg” ]

I simply stopped. I took refuge outside the nearest 7-11 and waited. I figured it would stop soon enough.

It didn’t.

Eventually David Pinter came along and he managed to get me going again. It was still pouring, but sharing the pain made it easier. We took a wrong turn at some point, after which it stopped raining. David realized we were going the wrong way and we turned around. He dragged me to the next rest point where I got…

A second puncture!

Sat outside the 7-11, fixed it up, and Mark came along. I knew I needed to stick with them, so when they were done, we left together.

From here on out there are no pictures because I was dead. I held onto their wheels as much as I could and took breaks with them and chatted and had fun. About 30km from the finish I got…

A third puncture!

But I knew where I was and partly pumped up my tire, headed to the next 7-11 a few km away and pumped up my wheel there.

Unfortunately my mates had gone on without me (sob, sob), so I slogged through the last section along the quiet roads to the finish. I employed a 300 pedal stokes on, 50 pedals strokes break technique until the very end.

I made it on time, got my card stamped, said hi to the guys, who then set off on the 100km journey back to Kaohsiung. Hardman points to them both.

I sat down then went to at the table. A while later, maybe 30 minutes, I woke up and headed home. The 2 and a half hour journey home took me 4 hours and when I got home I showered and went straight to bed.

The ride had, of course, been a blast but I was wondering how I could handle a 400k if this ride had been so hard.

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.