Cycle Taiwan

Despite being the beating heart of the island, Taipei offers broad streets, sinuous riverside trails, and mountains escapes. Taipei's Youbike public bicycle system is excellent and well-serviced, but the 3-speed transmissions are ill-suited for trips outside the city's flat core. Luckily, the popular cycling destinations are flanked by inexpensive rental shops for those who need it. Public transport in Taipei is rivaled only by Japan, with an ever-growing metro system that can carry you to the farthest corners.

Taipei City's travel.taipei site is the best jumping-off point for any adventures in the city. The Taipei City Cycling Map(EN) is an excellent resource to start with.

Less touristy and with an underdeveloped public transit network, Taichung is the city of long-term expats and families. However, the city still boasts some excellent cycling. The highlight of the city is the Hou-Feng bike path, passing over a broad river and under a mountain by way of an old rail line and train tunnel. The Taichung City Travel and Tourism Bureau offers an overview of all the official routes in the city.

Tainan is a city rich in history. Inhabited by aboriginal peoples for 30,000 years, in the 16th century the city became a hub for Chinese and Japanese traders and fisherman. The Dutch East India Company established a colony in the city in the 1600's, only to be ousted by Ming-dynasty loyalist Koxinga in 1661. After 200 years under the Qing empire, the entire island fell into Jpanese hands, only returning to (Nationalist) Chinese rule after World War II. Each successive wave has remade aspects of the city in it's image, resulting in the "Phoenix City" of modern-day Tainan.

The history and architechture of the old city is beautiful and engaging, while the shorline and farmland surrounding the city offers a peaceful respite. The Tainan T-bike website attempts to offer English-language service, but has technical issues. Instead, take a train and make your own adventure through the historic city. The core of the old city is quite flat and compact, and easy to enjoy by bicycle.

Kaohsiung is the southern anchor of the island. Representing a laid-back alternative to the captial, the city is nestled between warm beaches and towering mountains. Once an industrial wasteland, Kaohsiung has been reborn in recent decades, with wide cycling paths throughout the city and stellar public transport second only to Taipei. The miles of beach-side cycling path along Cijin Island are of particular beauty, threading through palm trees and sand next to the glistening sea. Nearby Pier 2 Art Center is an opportunity to shop and take in the growing art scene in the city. The Kaohsiung City Government website is unfortunately Chinese-only, and will require Google Translate for most to peruse.

The east coast is more rugged and natural, too abused by frequent typhoons for large urban development, and historically inconvenient to access. Full of natural beauty, the mountains and plains offer breathtaking cycling in more ways than one. The route between Hualien and Taitung is very popular, with the Giant shops in each city partnering to offer one-way touring bike rentals to enjoy the coast line.

For the sadists, Hualien's awe-inspiring Taroko Gorge is home to the annual King of the Mountain Challenge. A 65-mile long ride, climbing 2 miles from sea-level to the top of Taiwan's towering central mountain range, this route is not for the faint of spirit. For those with a need for speed (or bad knees), the route can be done in reverse with nearly zero pedalling, but bring brake pads and beware the tunnels and sheer cliffs!