randonneuring | RandoTips

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 – 365km Taichung and Sun Moon Lake

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

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

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

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

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.