 Taiwan bike trip |
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| Has anyone done a bike tour around Taiwan? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
anatol anatol Post Count: 2 Msg: #1 61 weeks ago, October 14th 2008 | Hi there! I have come across this clip: <snip>and it inspired me to ask this question. :) Has anyone got experience in cycycling around Taiwan? the counntry looks absolutely great in the video so I am just curious how to organize it. I would extremely grateful for ANY tips! Thanks in advance!! :) | [Edited: 13:39 - Mell - Removed URL] caveman Paul Post Count: 2 Msg: #2 48 weeks ago, January 18th 2009 | Hi Anatol, | I did a cycling trip in Taiwan, from Taipei through Keelung and along the ocean past Taitung, then over the mountain and down to Kenting. I rented a bike from a shop in Taipei, and prebooked all my hotels, because for that trip I wanted to stay in nice hotels. I did this trip in winter (Feb) and had great weather the whole way. One could do this without prebooking hotels, allowing one flexibility, but you will pay more for the nice hotels, and may find them fully booked, especially on popular weekends or the summer. One can also camp or stay in churches, as others have suggested in this and other forums. There are also a growing number of B&Bs that are in the hotel price range but give you a better local feeling. One can use the great railway system to move your bike back to the start of the trip; it requires a day or 2 of shipping time. Speaking Mandarin (or Taiwanese) is a great asset. However, Taiwan people are tolerant of non-Mandarin speakers and are usually generous and helpful. Let me know if you have any specific questions. yodude barry jones Post Count: 1 Msg: #3 47 weeks ago, January 20th 2009 | Caveman - looks like you have done what me and my GF are planning for next month... | Can you expand on your itinerary just a bit? Where did you rent your bike (I was going to use a Giant place : <snip>. Did you take bike paniers - or can you rent good ones form the bike hire shop? Any places that were unmissable? Any great hotels? How long did you take? How long in Kenting? [Edited: 15:38 - Mell - Removed URL] caveman Paul Post Count: 2 Msg: #4 47 weeks ago, January 20th 2009 | Anatol, We left Taipei and headed north to Keelung, then took coast all the way past Taitung, then took 9 over mountain to Fangliao, then put bikes on train back to Taipei while we took bus to Kenting. | Renting bikes was a challenge 4 years, ago, maybe easier now. The owner of Alan's bike shop kindly set us up with 2 well adjusted cross-style bikes that worked perfectly. We are tall. The bikes were fitted with rear racks, which mated with panniers we brought from U.S. (Jandd). Might be able to buy panniers in Taipei, but we wanted to do test packing before we left U.S. We spent 2 days in Taipei to adjust tiime, then stopped in Keelung, Suao, Hualien (2 days), ChangBin, Chr-Ben (Taitung), then 2 days in Kenting. Very comfortable hotels in Hualien (Parkview), and Kenting (Chateau, expensive but outstanding). The stories about nasty conditins between Suao and Huallen are true. The tunnels are very dangerous and you at least must wear reflectors to be seen and flashlights to see through the diesel haze. A note about the entire route. Huge gravel trucks ply the entire length of the route. They are noisy, fast, and surprisingly nimble. Don't be surprised to see them everywhere. They are courteous, I chatted with one driver at a rest stop, friendly. They will avoid you, but respect their need to move their goods. The road from Hualien to Taitung is a cyclist dream, smooth, wide shoulders, ocean, mountains and sky! Have great time, let me know if you have other Qs. fluorite fluorite Lin Post Count: 3 Msg: #5 47 weeks ago, January 22nd 2009 | Hi Yodude, | you can cycling the essential road section only, Hualian to Taitung, (or Taitung to Hualian), allow you renting bike at Hualian, (or Taitung), and no necessary to move your bike back to the start of the trip, you are allow renting bike at Hualian (or Taitung), recycle bike at Taitung (or Hualian), the trip take 3 days (or more days) from Hualian to Taitung, (or Taitung to Hualian), Number of Users: 4 | Number of Posts: 5 | |||||||||||||
