Monday , March 10 , 2014 Using Taichung as a Biking Base : Routes and commentaryOne of the reasons I ' ve come to enjoy living in Taichung is the great weather and the magnificent biking opportunities . An hour will put you in the mountains , with fantastic views and experiences . So here is a guide to some of my favorite routes and roads accessible from Taichung , almost everything here can be done as a day trip from Taichung . For other perspectives and other routes , see the awesome Drew Kerslake at Taiwan in Cycles . Note that none of the routes here include routes in Ta - ken , the ones that are popular with foreigners and locals . There are exceptions , but a good rule of the thumb is that any road that is popular with locals is inferior and should be avoided . The local riders -- and many foreign riders -- spend their days crashing up the 136 ( the testosterone on that road is so thick that nearby chicken farmers swear their birds are 15 % heavier than birds raised elsewhere ) , or on the small roads of Ta - ken , or up the not particularly interesting road past Zhongzheng Park in Fengyuan . Of course much of this is for training , but being old and fat and having time on my hands , I prefer rides that offer good experiences . And you can train on beautiful hills as well as boring ones . .. Long post , click on READ MORE and fetch some coffee while it loads . Might want to load up Google Maps too . +++++ Getting up to HsinsheMany of my longer rides to the hills east of Taichung begin with a climb up to the Hsinshe plateau , one approach to getting to roads like the 8 and the 21 . It rises sharply out of the city , reaching well over 600 meters . Thus , the climbs up to the top of the ridge above the plateau are often good workouts in themselves . Most of the roads I discuss below are on Google Streetview . The 129 ( unmarked ) : trafficked , hot , unrelenting , the 129 spiraling up from Taichung sucks in every way . However , it is a quick and direct way to reach the top of the plateau . I only take it when I want to get somewhere . This road is like chickenpox , something everyone must go through . It is a dangerous road , especially on the descent and on weekends when it is crowded with daytrippers driving up to Hsinshe ( who all cram onto that road creating enormous traffic jams , while all other roads up to Hsinshe are empty ) , and you ' ll sometimes see bike brake parts on it as you pass by . on the north side , from the Dongshih side , it ' s an easy climb , a straight ramp with good views near the top . I often take the north side climb and combine it with some small routes through the plateau , of which there are many . The 100 ( green ) : This little gem of a road has a couple of nice coffee stops , and makes either a good workout climb or a wonderful little descent . Taichung 88 / Shuijing Road ( red ) : this road makes a great workout , with steep inclines in the center , then flattening for a kilometer along the ridge with great views before the final climb to the summit . Plenty of life from bugs to monkeys , and nary a car , very enjoyable . I often do this when I don ' t have time for a long ride . This road can be reached from Nanyang Road in Fengyuan ( map link ) . Local riders are common on the lower sections of this road . Nankeng Lane ( purple ) : A gentle climb through fruit farms brings you to just three kilometers from the top , then it is 25 % grades for the rest of the ride . Not for the faint of heart , but empty and lovely . To get to it , take the road to Gonglaoping and Zhongzheng Park in Fengyuan , Shuiyuan Road ( map link ) . You ' ll come to a Family Mart by the park , with vendors and a small morning market . Turn right , go past the Family Mart and past the morning market -- the local riders will all be going the opposite way to the Fengyuan Golf Course , a total yawner . The Taichung 93 ( orange ) : To get to this road , locally known as Wanxian Road , follow the 3 around to this point . You ' ll see a 7 - 11 . Turn right and follow the road until it forks in into the Taichung 92 and Taichung 93 , you ' ll know the intersection by the sudden avalanche of signs pointing to stuff hither and thither . The 93 is about 4 kms of 15 %+ grade , very good workout . It brings you to the top of the ridge with great views north to Dongshih . I ' ve never seen a local rider on this one . The Taichung 92 ( blue ) : Pretty and easy , another quick way up to Hsinshe . Lots of traffic , however . The Taichung 95 ( black ) : Another gem of a road , great combined with the 8 or the 21 . A fantastic and enjoyable descent . Popular with local cyclists , it ' s an exception to the rule . I ' m not discussing my routes on the plateau itself . You ' ll have to get up there and explore . ++++++ The Fengdong Bike PathThis path is extremely useful for getting to the roads that go north into central and eastern Miaoli . on weekends it is like the chariot race from Ben - Hur , avoid if possible . The path is easily accessible . one end is where Hwy 4 ends in a junction with the 3 , the other is at the Hakka Museum in Dongshih . Along its length it is easily accessed from the 3 , and there is a large Merida shop where the 3 forks as it goes past Shigang , a little up the left fork into Shihgang town . View that pic above in large size . +++++ Returning routes out of Dongshih : DahsuehshanOnce you ' ve reached Dongshih , two good routes are the road to Da Hsueh Shan ( blue ) , which follows a rigid 6 . 5 % grade up to over 2000 meters , with good views . The road surface is not in good condition in many places , so take care on the descent . It ' s roughly 130 km round trip , depending where you live in Taichung . The road is clearly marked , just follow the main drag through Dongshih until you see the brown sign for it at the other end of town . GuguanAnother good route is the road to Guguan ( red ) , the 8 , popular with local cyclists , who race up in the morning to the 7 - 11 and race back down . Since I am slow , I usually encounter them in the morning on the way down and seldom see cyclists on the way up . This road is very pretty and because the wind is funneled up the river , you have the wind at your back during the climb , making it seem easier . It gets up to 800 meters at the top past Guguan where there is a gate beyond which cyclists may not pass . Stop for lunch / coffee in Guguan , but be sure to climb to the gate , the best views are along that last 3 km stretch . Also roughly 130 kms from Taichung round trip , it makes a good overnight trip because of the inexpensive " spa " hotels there . Taichung 46 The purple dot identifies one of my favorite local loops , the Taichung 46 , which is totally unknown to local riders ( pics ) . This lovely road rises sharply to nearly 1000 meters at the top , then falls steeply back in a loop to the main road . Follow the 8 south out of Dongshih and then on the left before the first bridge over the river you ' ll see a temple gate . Turn left into there , then when you reach the loop , turn right and follow it up . And up . And up . The government is trying to make a tourism area out of it but it stubbornly resists such development . The road surface is poor and the ramps are steep and often covered with mud and leaves , so be careful on the descent . I ' d avoid it if it rained the previous day . Roughly 85 kms round trip from Taichung , it has stupendous views once you gain a little altitude . Dongchi RoadThis road is amazing and a great favorite of several riders I know . on weekends one sometimes sees local riders . I usually do this road as a loop back to Dongshih ( but see below ) . From Dongshih follow the bike path to the end and keep going straight out the end of the path , past the museum . If you follow that road straight in 100 meters you ' ll hit a Family Mart . Turn left there . Follow that for about 11 kms and you reach the peak at 600 meters I ' ve marked with the red line ( there ' s about ten surveillance cameras on a pole there , easy to spot ) , then turn around and roll back to Dongshih for lunch . It makes a nice 85 km round trip from Taichung , not difficult at all with a gentle grade , perfect for newbies . I often do this ride , with its enjoyable views of mountains and farms . If you continue , you descend a series of switchbacks , always a pleasure , with excellent views out towards the mountains . Climb sharply , then up a long upward grade , and you ' re in the village of Shuangchi , where you can grab a snack or drinks . Then it is three switchbacks down to the river . If you follow the road NE along the river , the views are spectacular but the climbs can be quite sharp . Well worth the effort , it ' s roughly 140 km round trip to the end . The Dongchi Road LoopAnother way to approach the excellent Dongchi Road is from Jhuolan in Miaoli . Take the road along the north bank of the Dajia River ( there are two bridges where it can be crossed ) . Then turn left ( north ) onto the 3 . Climb that hateful bastard of a hill on the 3 over to Jhuolan . once you reach Jhuolan , you can ( 1 ) follow Zhongshan Road out of town to the east . Highly recommended , shoots through farms and coffee stops . Very nice . Ends in real Taiwan pavement with fields on every side , and a couple of nerve - wracking bridges that are just plates of metal ; or ( 2 ) turn right immediately as you cross the bridge and follow the river . An easy gentle upward incline with plenty of great views . Either way , when you reach the bridge , cross it , and turn right up the three steep switchbacks to the village atop the bluff . This is an excellent little ride , with quite a bit of climbing and great views of forest and farm terrain . Highly recommended , about 90 kms loop from Taichung . +++++ Routes from JhuolanTo access these routes , you follow the bike path until you reach the tourist center where the old blue train cars are . Leave the bike path and go out by the parking lot , turn left immediately and follow that road across the bridge and around towards the 3 . Pick up the 3 , climb that bastard of a hill I hate so much , then roll down to Jhuolan . From Jhuolan , so many great routes in Miaoli , Taiwan ' s best kept secret . Pinglin Road ( red squares ) : 15 kilometers of brutal short climbs , with grades between 10 % and 21 %, will give you a workout in farming country with excellent roads , few cars , and no other cyclists . You come back to the 3 at Nanhu where there is a big Family Mart and several restaurants where you can rest and recharge , then return to Taichung via the 3 and the bike path . Highly recommended . 90 kms from Taichung , give or take . 3 + 52 - 1 ( green ) : Instead of turning at the light at the top of the long climb out of Jhuolan , go straight on the 52 - 1 . You climb a bit more into fruit farms , then descend a long , steep , fun downhill to the 13 . A good light workout , 75 kms from Taichung , give or take . Miaoli 52 - 3 ( orange ) : this outstanding road is empty of cars and riders . It meets the 3 at km 140 . Follow the gentle upward grade through farms and hills along the reservoir , then the last two km are brutal 30 % grades . once you reach the top , it ' s an amazing downhill ride snaking along watercourses and farms , until you pop out below the dam . Totally excellent . Miaoli 54 : This road starts at the highest point on Pinglin Road and runs west to the 3 . A lovely rolling ride atop the ridgeline . Post with maps here . Miaoli 54 - 1 : To find this sweet little road take Zhongzheng Road north out of Jhuolan . Just below the cemetery it turns into the 54 - 1 . It climbs up through the cemetery , rising ever more steeply as you climb . From the top of the ridge it rolls up and down for the rest of the ride , until you hit the 54 and it ends , 8 kms later . Not a level spot on it , it cuts through farms and past the reservoir , kilometers of quiet empty pavement . Post with maps and details here . The 130 ( blue ) : This outstanding route is my favorite and I usually try and hit it once a month . Follow the 3 out of Jhuolan , climbing up , then down past the reservoir , then up again . When it plateaus , you ' ll see the sign for the 130 . Turn left and start climbing . It ' s roughly 5 kms of 10 % average grade , but some of the ramps are brutal . Near the top you ' ll see a large wooden building on the right hanging out over the hillside , that ' s the Mile High Cafe where we always stop for coffee and lunch . Tell A - Shen , the girl who runs the place , that you ' re my friend and she ' ll treat you right . The area has a ginger festival ( locals know it as the Jiang Ma Yuan ) and also grows oranges , red plums , and strawberries . Local cyclists know this road but you won ' t see many . After the Mile High Cafe , climb the last switchback and the long ramp up to the top . Lovely views all the way up if the weather is good . Down the fantastic long descent to the T - junction marked by a gigantic rock . Turn LEFT ( right takes you to Sanyi and the nearest train station ) and follow the road ( Miaoli 49 ) and the signs to the Broken Bridge ( Longteng Broken Bridge ) through a conservation area of forest and small farms , past some coffee shops , and then to the bridge . once you hit the Broken Bridge , go past it about 200 meters and you ' ll come to an intersection , take the RIGHT across the little bridge and congratulations ! you ' re climbing again , then down a nasty steep descent to a road running east - west . That takes you back to the 13 ( to the west ) eventually , and you can come home through Houli and Fengyuan . Total route is 100 kms or so from Taichung , with over 1100 meters of climbing . A great workout , decent food , excellent scenery , and some history . What could be better ? Mingde ReservoirIf you follow the 3 to Shitan , you ' ll hit the 126 and the road to the Mingde Reservoir ( not on the map ) . This pretty lake is quiet and untrafficked . Well worth a visit . Take the road around the north side , and follow the 13 home . 145 kms round trip from Taichung . ++++++ The West Coast North of TaichungThe 13 / 130 : I usually avoid the town of Sanyi , which is a mess on weekends , a gigantic lemming migration . But the 130 from Sanyi town down to the coast is a fun descent , with a nice climb up the 13 to get to Sanyi . The 140 : If you follow the 13 out of Houli , take the 140 , the turn to the left is just at the foot of the climb to Sanyi . Follow that road all the way to the 61 , the coast highway , you can ride alongside and underneath it . Ignore the 1 . If you have a sudden urge to ride the 1 , lie down til it passes . If it persists , see a doctor . A variant of this is to take the first road off to the right from the 140 , which will take you to Yuanli through rice farms and old houses . I marked it with a red dot ; it is designated the Miaoli 47 . There ' s a Family Mart at the halfway mark . Coming back from the coast , it makes an excellent alternative to the 140 , a long uphill slog . The 132 : Definitely needs to be done once . This otherwise nondescript , crowded four lane nightmare takes you into the heart of Dajia and the famed Matsu Temple there . After you ' ve taken it to see the Matsu Temple , never ride it again . It sucks . The 1 : This road should be plowed under , the buildings along it destroyed , and the ground underneath salted over as a warning to the next ten thousand generations that some development comes at too high a price . Unquestionably the worst road in Taiwan , the 1 is an abyss of car repairs , truck traffic , gas stations , and convenience stores from one end of Taiwan to the other . Even the betel nut girls are sub - par . Just try finding a simple noodle restaurant anywhere along its length when you need one . Ignore the 1 unless necessary . There is no need to tell you that on the weekends this white line nightmare is crowded with local riders , who often take it on their way round the island . It drives me to despair watching healthy young people ride this road when practically any road south is better . The 61 : When you reach the coast , take the 61 . You can ( 1 ) see the ocean ( 2 ) avoid traffic ( 3 ) duck under the elevated highway to get out of the sun ( 4 ) cut quickly over to the seashore bike path . That path begins right after leaving Tongxiao and is well worth leaving the 61 / 1 for . Just work your way down to the ocean on any small roads between the 61 / 1 and the sea , many are marked as bike routes . Coming back to Taichung the secret way : once you have done the coast , you must return to the city . And that means hill climbing because of the bluffs along the river , or climbing Tatu Shan , which isn ' t very high , but is a pain in the ass when you ' re returning from a 160 km ride , or climbing back to Sanyi ( god no ! ). You can return via the 140 back to the 13 , but the 140 is a very long upward incline , painful when I am tired . The 132 has several short sharp climbs and is full of traffic . I hate both . There is , however , another solution : the secret way up Tatu Shan that is fast and easy . This route takes you up to the HSR and the 10 , and then intersects the Tanzih bike path , which pops you out on Zhongshan Road ( Beitun Road ) in Tanzih , a few kilometers from Taichung . I ' ve put a map on Google maps , since this route is complicated and non - intuitive . It starts from under the intersection of the major 3 and 4 highways which you can easily reach from [ shudder ] the 1 . You go east and then when the road ends in a kilometer , you follow the gravel trucks up a road that runs along a stream , which you can ' t see from the road . You ' ll pass the gravel company and then reach the top . It ' s counterintuitive . There ' s an intersection right before the top . Go RIGHT and then when you reach the main road , go LEFT . If you can ' t find the road from the bottom , follow a gravel truck . Do not take the climb on the corner of Tatu Shan which is easily seen from the highway intersection ; it is brutal . When you get to the top , follow the road as it curves around , then go straight . You ' ll go through a small town , pass a couple of Hi - Lifes ( turn right at the second Hi - Life , a big one ) , then come up alongside the HSR . After you pass under it , go straight on Sanmin Road and you ' ll hit the bridge on the bike path over Sanmin Road . Take bike path back to Taichung . Tatu Shan : I almost never ride on this mountain , so I don ' t have routes to offer . +++++ Gaomei WetlandsAn easy 80 km flat round trip from Taichung . Take the 10 out past the airbase and descend into Chingshui , then go down to the 61 . Follow the 61 until you reach Gaomei Road ( there are signs ) . once you reach the wetlands , take some iconic photos of the wind machines there , and then turn north along the shore , follow that road to the river and turn east to return to cross the 1 and return to Taichung via the secret way to climb Tatu Shan above . You can combine this with a trip to the Taichung fishing port for seafood . once . ++++++ Routes SouthThere are three basic rides south through flatness that is Changhua . The first is to ride to Lukang ( many routes ) . The second involves looping Baguashan . The third consists of longer routes to Chiayi and points south . I ' m not going to bother with Lukang as it is a simple ride , though you should go out to the 61 once you ' ve done the city and follow the small roads up the coast and cross the river on the 17 and then take the bike path to Taichung . Some interesting terrain there . BaguashanHugely popular with weekend riders from Taichung and Changhua , the easy climb up the 139 to the road atop Baguashan offers excellent views , with tea farms at the south end . From Taichung , the simplest way is to take Fuxing S Road along the south side of the city until you reach the great bridge on [ shudder ] the 1 . Cross into Changhua , then find the 139 . The entrance is near the old Changhua Bank Building . There ' s a nice old kendo school nearby worth a look . Any of the ways down off the mountain is a blast . Good luck ! The other interesting road , though it is not nice , is the 137 . The north end near Changhua and Yuanlin is a pesthole , but the south end has some old houses that date back to the 18 th century . Worth a look once . The southern end of the 137 offers Tianzhong and Ershui , both of which have lots of Japanese - era buildings lying around uncared for . They are connected by a bike path whose surface is awful . When you swing around the south end of the 137 you pick up the 152 and return to Nantou city . Instead of following the 3 , take the 14 B , a few kilometers of empty farm road , very nice , and then climb over the 74 to return to Taichung via Liming Road or Wenxin Road . Either of these will be about 100 kilometer round trip from Taichung . If you get tired , bring a bike bag , you can board a local train in Ershui and be back in Taichung in an hour . South out of Changhua : routes and remarksGetting through Changhua city : skip the city by taking the alternate 1 that loops around its northwest side ( AKA Jinma Road ) . It is the first major intersection after you cross the bridge ( Follow the road off to the right when you get off the bridge ! Don ' t go into the tunnels after the bridge ) . That comes down to the 19 , get on the 19 and head south . From there you have several options . You can work your way out to the coast . Yawn . The coast south of Lukang is desolate and windswept , the local economy in shambles . I avoid that . Or you can take one of the interior routes . Assuming you are headed to Chiayi or Tainan , my personal favorite is to take the 19 down to the 145 , which you hit a few kilometers south of Xihu . The road forks and there is a large Family Mart there . Take the LEFT fork which shoots straight down for a few kilometers . You then come to the highlight of the ride , the big red bridge in Xiluo . You can cross the bridge , get a snack in Xiluo and return , having done 130 kms or so round trip , all flat . If you want to continue , there is a minor problem : the 145 takes a funky jag here , and it is unmarked . When you hit the first major intersection , Yanping Road , take a right and then immediately go left off at an angle . There is no sign to tell you to turn . LOL . If you want to linger in Xiluo , take a left on Yanping Road , there are some interesting buildings from the 1930 s there . From there I usually head to Chiayi HSR / Tainan or Douliu . From Douliu I take the train back , a flat and easy 80 km run . For Chiayi , take the 145 all the way to Tuku or Beimen . In Tuku I pick up the 145 A and then head due south through Taibao until I hit the 37 , the HSR road . Or I go through Beimen , cross the river , and then turn left onto the 159 and take that to the 37 . Either way I go to the HSR station , bag my bike , and take the HSR back to Taichung . That ' s a nice 120 km ride for me , flat , and 20 minutes back in the HSR . Pro tip : I stand with my bike in car 1 , which is at the end of the train nearest the Taiwan Railway Station at the HSR . This shortens my walk to the train station lugging bike and stuff when I am tired and stinky . For Tainan , you follow the 145 through Chiayi until you hit the 19 near Beimen , then follow the 19 to Tainan . It ' s marginally better than [ shudder ] the 1 . The 19 A is also a possibility . Whatever happens , don ' t consider taking [ shudder ] the 1 . If anyone suggests taking [ shudder ] the 1 south , just shoot them . The courts will be lenient . +++++++ The Central Mountain RangeEast of Taichung is some fabulous biking accessible in a day or as an overnight trip . You should procure a bike bag for flexibility and a good camera . And a few good friends to enjoy it with . East of Taichung : Due east of the city there are three major routes . For the hills in Taiping and Wufeng which I know nothing about , find Nathan Miller , the expert on that complex and steep road network , on Facebook or join the Taichung Cycle group on Facebook . The 136 . This steep , demoralizing , unrewarding road has an unbeatable " is this thing over yet ? " feeling exceeded only by the detestable climb up Niushan south of Hualien . The top is invariably hazed over and nothing can be seen , so your effort at climbing this ever steepening road ( nicknamed " the Fence " by local riders ) comes to naught . Going down the other side , you find yourself on [ shudder ] the 14 , a truck route , potholed , noisy , and lined with tourist traps . Avoid like the plague , it is a total waste of time . Nevertheless , if you are a strong rider , it is a route down to the 14 . So is a taxi . The 21 : This marvel is best accessed from the north end . Get thee to Dongshih , then take the 8 south out of Dongshih . Cross at one of the two bridges near Dongshih and take the road on the south side of the river , it ' s less crowded and much prettier . The climb up tops out at about 800 meters and is not difficult . But the descent down to Guoxing near Puli is pure alpine switchback heaven . Back to Taichung on the hideous 14 to the hideous 3 , unless you want to climb the brutally steep 136 . 120 kms depending on how you go . You can also reach the 8 by going over Hsinshe , enabling you to put in lots of climbing . The Xinghe industry Road ( purple box ) : I ' ve been on many parts of this road , it is lovely . Good luck not getting lost , though . NantouGods above , it ' s beautiful in Nantou . Several of my favorite rides go through here . First , the area around Sun Moon Lake . .... Sun Moon Lake : now a disaster of Chinese tourists and the tour buses that carry them , avoid the lake to the extent possible . Visit once just to see it . It is a gigantic tourist trap in the shape of reservoir , a monstrous sinkhole into which Chinese tourist dollars are poured . I am all in favor of this , tourist dollars are nice , and it keeps the Chinese tourists away from the really enjoyable , spectacular , and interesting areas of Nantou . 147 - 131 - Nantou 63 : This is one of my favorite routes , culminating in the glorious Nantou 63 , one of the island ' s loveliest roads . Take the 3 or the 136 to the 14 , then follow the 14 to the 147 . That portion of the ride will drag and you will catch yourself wondering if you passed the 147 . It ' s farther than you think . Follow the 147 south through farms and hills until it summits at the 131 , then turn east ( left ) towards the lake . The 131 will eventually take you to the 21 . Climb the 21 to the lake , circle around the east side to Ita Thao ( De Hua ) village on the SE side of the lake . Have lunch . Behind the gas station you will see the sign for the Nantou 63 . Climb three switchbacks to the top of the ridge above the lake ( lovely views ) . Then prepare thy heart , for the Nantou 63 ( purple box ) is like an alpine descent dagger slashing through the heart of the mountains down to the 16 . Take the marvelous 16 back to Shuili and take the train home to Taichung . 80 kms . If you want to bike back to Taichung , it is 60 kms on the 16 and the 3 , crappy roads all the way . Really not worth it . If you ' re not up for Sun Moon Lake , you can follow the 131 to Shuili , going south ( right ) instead of east ( left ) . That ' s a short route of some 60 kms from Taichung . An easy climbing route for beginners . The 131 : Another pleasurable experience is to take the train to Shuili and then do a loop on the 131 / Nantou 63 . The 131 is one of the prettiest roads in Taiwan and is lovely along its entire length . From Shuili it climbs steadily past the reservoir until it summits at the intersection with the 147 among farms and hills . Starting from Puli is also recommended , you can get a bus to Puli near the train station in Taichung and return home via the 3 . The 152 ( red ) : this is a sweet little road , the old road to Shuili supplanted by the modern 16 . It runs next to the railway and is lined with tall trees , very pretty . on its way to Shuili it will take you to Jiji , the town - cum - tourist trap which is packed on the weekends , one of those places famous for being famous . The 21 . The 21 south of Puli to Sun Moon Lake is a traffic nightmare , avoid it . South of Shuili it is gorgeous and climbs 75 kilometers until it reaches the summit of Tatajia at 2800 meters , then swings down to the 18 . That ' s an overnight ride . ++++++ Lugu Area : Filled with tea farms , I have only begun to explore this area . There are several wonderful routes . The 149 : The 149 goes due south out of Jhushan town . To get to Jhushan , you can either ride the hideous 3 50 kms through south Taichung and Nantou and across Jhushan town , or take the train to Ershui and ride the 3 for about 5 kms . I highly recommend the train . The 149 is surrounded by good rides , but a simple century ride I do sometimes involves riding to Jhushan and then hitting the 149 , climbing to the 158 A , which is empty of traffic , and then climbing through the tea fields . Neither difficult nor high , it is pretty . The 158 A then descends back to the 3 , which I use to return home . The 149 runs through a river gorge and is quite pretty , well worth a ride . Lugu ( blue spackles ) : Many riders take the 151 up . You can avoid the climb at the bottom by taking the side road I ' ve marked up until you reach the 151 . The grade on the 151 is gentle and it goes up to Xitou , but if the cars are too much for you , cross the gorge on one of the bridges and climb up the steeper parallel road on the other side . Overnight in Xitou , then on day 2 get up very early , like dawn , and climb up the twelve turns , each named for a Chinese astrological sign , to Sanlinxi at 1700 meters . Near the top you will see the turnoff for the Nantou 49 . Turn right through the cedars ( the route is on Google Streetview ! ) and plummet down through the tea farms back to Jhushan . An experience like no other . Pavement is bad or nonexistent in places and farm equipment is everywhere , so be careful . Go up early to ensure you make it before the fog rolls in . Well , this is probably enough . Happy riding ! Feel free to find me on Facebook or use gmail if you have questions . _______________________[ Taiwan ] Don ' t miss the comments below ! And check out my blog and its sidebars for events , links to previous posts and picture posts , and scores of links to other Taiwan blogs and forums ! Email ThisBlogThis ! Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest Labels : bicycling , biking , cycling , Taichung ( Permalink ) 9 : 03 PM 9 comments : Jenna Cody said . .. I wonder - why would the routes popular with locals be inferior ? I can ' t imagine that locals think " well I want to go biking , let ' s choose the worst route ! ". They probably think they ' ve chosen the best routes . What ' s the disconnect here ? Also is it wrong of me that when I saw this post my first thought was " the best thing about Taichung is talking about how to get out of Taichung "? Sorry . ( not sorry ) March 10 , 2014 at 11 : 55 PMMichael Turton said . .."" They probably think they ' ve chosen the best routes . What ' s the disconnect here ? "" They like riding up short , sharp hills , for training . But because the hills are short , they often don ' t have good views and lack other stuff ( coffee stops , etc ) . And their length of their routes is short . For example , they ride up the 136 , 700 meters , but then they turn around at the top , a few kms outside of Taichung . They seldom head out to Nantou or Changhua for a longer ride . I never run into them doing rides for any historical purpose . Finally , they always do the same roads . Again and again and again . It ' s very predictable . That ' s the disconnect . March 11 , 2014 at 7 : 26 AMAnonymous said . .." the chariot race from Ben - Hur " That comment cracked me up . Good one . And true . Well - done post , Michael . Cheers from Merican Teachr ( otherwise known as Surly Mike ) March 11 , 2014 at 4 : 43 PMJenna Cody said . .. Huh . If they ' re never going to take longer rides then what ' s the point of " training " on the short steep hills ? And I wonder why they always do the same roads . Since nobody ever thinks " I want to do an inferior bike trip ", I have to wonder what about this is appealing . One of my private students in Taipei is an avid cyclist with one of those groups , but from his Facebook posts , they do take longer rides ( around Taiwan , down the entire East Rift Valley , up and over Yangming Mountain and down to Sanzhi etc ) and they do enjoy good views ( or cherry blossoms ) and stop at the coffeeshops along the way . They don ' t seem to ride roads for historical purposes though . March 11 , 2014 at 7 : 02 PMMichael Turton said . .. One of my private students in Taipei is an avid cyclist with one of those groups , but from his Facebook posts , they do take longer rides ( around Taiwan , down the entire East Rift Valley , up and over Yangming Mountain and down to Sanzhi etc ) and they do enjoy good views ( or cherry blossoms ) and stop at the coffeeshops along the way . They don ' t seem to ridSure , but when they ride the Rift , they ride the 9 and the 193 . They don ' t ride the 197 , or the Zhuofu Industry Road , or the Hua 64 or the 23 . They stick to the same few roads , predictably . The Sanzhi ride is the well known route above YMS . There aren ' t many routes there , but you can be sure they are not on any tiny agricultural roads . ... MichaelMarch 11 , 2014 at 10 : 13 PMAlly said . .. Hi thanks for sharing these . I noticed most routes seem to be good work outs and I applaud your fitness . Which easier route would you suggest for a beginner who hasn ' t ridden a bike in years ? Thanks ! March 23 , 2014 at 4 : 21 PMMichael Turton said . .. Ally , the Dongchi Road route is a gem and not difficult . Take the bike path out to Dongshih , climb to the peak of Dongchi Road , roll 40 kms home bcak to Taichung . March 29 , 2014 at 8 : 33 PMSlowRain said . .. A very quick , simple question : Is there a map that shows all the designated cycling trails in the Dakeng / Taiping area ? There ' s a trail in front of Warehouse 185 , which I didn ' t even know about until a couple weeks ago . Thanks . October 12 , 2015 at 3 : 01 PMUnknown said . .. Hi Michael , a friend and I are coming to Taichung this weekend for a 2 day cycle and we were wondering if you could suggest a route that would take us somewhere scenic but also offering a nice ride and challenge . We were thinking of leaving the city ( any direction is fine ) ride for 65 - 80 km and then get lodging for the night in the country and then come back another route Back to Taichung maybe 50 km . Part of the Saturday ride can involve heading back towards Taichung on a circular route of sorts . Any suggestions , we are semi flexible with distances . We are flying out at 2 : 00 pm on Sunday . January 6 , 2016 at 6 : 48 AMPost a CommentLinkbacksCreate a Link