Day 1: Taipei to Hsinchu City

On Spokes: a solo cycling journey through Taiwan

Finally! I begin my tour! I was hoping to start on Saturday, but it was torrentially raining in Taipei AND the valve core in my bike tire tube was ripped AND my brake calipers became misaligned in transit. I had stayed at a hostel in the Wanhua district my first night, but the next morning when I asked for another night they had tripled the price! I wasn’t going to pay the equivalent of $90 for a dorm, especially when I paid under $30 just the night before. Their justification was that the price goes up on the weekend but I also think they were taking advantage of the fact that it was brutally raining. And I mean it was brutal. For this desert girl, rain like that stresses me out! Not a fan. Anywho, I found a kind host through couchsurfing to accept my emergency request. Her home is in the Zongshan district, which turned out to be super convenient as it was right down the block from the bike shop and from the start point of my route. There were other couchsurfers staying with her so I was even more grateful that she was willing to put me up during the storm.

I was really hoping the rain would let up in the morning, and it did. Just a little drizzle. So I grabbed a little breakfast from a local joint called Rixin - was pretty busy so I figured that was a good sign. My first authentic Taiwanese meal = dan bing and warm soy milk. Dan bing, otherwise thought of as scallion pancake, is typically served with jiangyou gao, a semi-sweet soy sauce mixed with rice flour that is soooo yum!

After breakfast I set off on Route 1, planning to take some alternate routes to enjoy more scenery and stay off the roads where possible. The first day had me following the river from Taipei for nearly 40 of the 60 miles to Hsinchu City. First impression: Taiwan invests in their parks and maintains beautiful trails that can be used by cyclists and pedestrians! The river trails were lovely and a perfect start to my trip, especially since it was a bit chilly and drizzly. I even passed one park where there was what I assume to be a croquet tournament.

I gained about 1,800 feet (549 metres), and lost 1,750 (533) - I really started slowly ascending around mile 22, with the bigger climbs coming in around mile 36. It was a good warm up to start. There are going to be days with much more elevation gain and tougher ascents ahead! Something cool I ran across was a foot race. I saw a man running up the hill with a bib on his running pack. I couldn’t help but smile and feel joy for a fellow runner. He was going for it!

Temple in Sankeng Village

My favorite part of the day was when I came into Sankeng Village. I turned onto a small brick and tiled walkway right in front of a quaint temple. I dismounted my bicycle and walked through the village. There were children buying waffles and candy from the local stands. I also saw more of the runners racing through the village - fei chang hao! I hadn’t had lunch yet and was pretty hungry, so I bought a vegetarian xiao long bao, a type of raised bun steamed in a bamboo basket, traditionally filled with pork but mine had noodles and veggies. It was delicious and actually filling. After satisfying my tummy and my taste buds I made it back to the road, and hopped back into my saddle for the remaining 20-25 miles. I passed a few rice paddies and more temples, finally making it to the main road. This taught me something else about Taiwan - people know how to drive, and the road is shared with everyone. As is the case in most Asian countries, motorbikes are just as commonly used as cars. Most streets in Taiwan have a designated lane for motorbikes and bicycles (usually shared though there are some streets where each get their own lane). Motorists expect there to be bicycles and pedestrians, and they all respect and make room for each other. Despite the close proximity to street traffic and the often narrow roads when passing through townships, I feel much safer cycling the streets in Taiwan than I do back home in the U.S. There is a lot of respect, acceptance, and awareness on the roads here.

Veggie filled xia long bao - delish!

It felt like an achievement to finally arrive in Hsinchu City. 6 hours on my bike and I was ready to find a place to relax for the night. I was smack in the middle of the city, which was quite bustling and full of restaurants and shopping. The closest and cheapest place was called Peach Hotel. I had to wait about an hour before I could check in, so I rode my bike to the Giant bicycle shop down the street to put more air in the tubes, as the last shop didn’t air them up enough after replacing the front tube and I didn’t want to use up the battery in my Woo Wind pump unnecessarily. As I was making my way back down the village I spotted a long line protruding into the street. It seemed to be coming from a little walk-up called A Little Happiness. It’s a popular bake shop that makes wheel cakes. I figured since there was quite a line it must be good, so I decided to stop and join the queue. I held up my phone to the menu. A woman asked me if I could speak Chinese and I explained to her I was using Google translate. She asked me where I was from and she told me she is from Taiwan but now lives in New York. She very kindly offered to read the menu for me, and I settled on one chocolate to eat after dinner, and one bean paste to save for my ride tomorrow. They were delicious!

Wheel cakes are a delectable Taiwan treat!

I’ve been able to pick up a few Chinese phrases. I’ve found that the majority of locals I have encountered, including those working at food shops and hostels, either do not speak English or don’t feel comfortable speaking it. I do tend to avoid chain establishments, though, and having spent 3 months in Indonesia and traveled through South America where few people speak English, I find it kind of fun to try to communicate with locals, and it’s a great way to learn some phrases in their native tongue and get the proper pronunciation.

That’s it for Day 1 - join me for Day 2 tomorrow

A little iron art in Sankeng Village