Taiwan’s Tourism Bureau has proclaimed 2021 the “Year of Cycling Tourism,” promoting bike routes throughout Taiwan tailored to a variety of interests, broadening and enriching the “new cycling culture.” Today we’re hopping on our two-wheelers and pedaling through Taichung in Central Taiwan for a brand new riding experience and a look at the new cycling culture.
Sparking the spirit of adventure
After a leisurely ride on the Tanya Shen Green Bikeway, basking in the warmth of the morning light and the fragrance of the bishop wood trees (Bischofia javanica), we follow the Dali River, headed for the Dakeng Scenic Area. Before reaching Dakeng Trail No. 2, a sign directs us to Taichung’s mysterious Dondon Bike Park, where the hilly terrain is perfect for mountain bike training and competition. Here we find Mountain Bike Academy founder Liu Hong-i practicing “pumping,” a technique used to increase speed and traction. Liu took up mountain biking in 2019, switching from road bikes and opening the academy to teach kids to ride and to love the sport.
“Bicycle culture is vibrant and powerful,” says Liu. “I just needed to find a way to promote it, what I call ‘impression density.’” No matter the type of cycling, as long as people are drawn to it, there’s an opportunity to form a culture. Liu provides knowledge and education, enhancing both the biking experience and bicycle culture and attracting ever more biking enthusiasts.
“There’s another place that’s even better on Taichung’s Dadu Plateau,” Liu tells us. “Few Taiwanese know about it, but foreign riders love it.” Hooked by our first taste of off-road riding and tales of even cooler and lesser-known biking areas—not to mention the guidance of an expert instructor—we arrange to meet Liu the next day.
Freedom and sustainability
Riding down into the city, we meet artist Chiang Hsin-ching. She and a friend once spent 992 days touring 32 countries by bicycle. Today she’ll lead us on a ride through the heart of downtown Taichung, exploring the city from a cultural and aesthetic perspective. Chiang’s “urban arts route” takes us first to the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts. From there we pass through Shenji New Village and CMP Eslite Bookstore to the National Museum of Natural Science, riding along streets and lanes until we come to Calligraphy Greenway. “It’s worth spending time here,” Chiang says. “You can see many quaint shops converted from villas dating from the years when the area was an American military base. Park your bikes and walk right in—it’s just like calling on friends.”
Chiang Hsin-ching says that cycling around the globe instilled in her the courage to face challenges she would once have avoided. As a disciple of Liu Kuo-sung, “the father of modern Chinese ink-wash painting,” the bicycle has been a source of inspiration for her: “The bicycle represents freedom. You’re in control of your speed and can go anywhere, relieving the pressures of modern life and enjoying unplanned leisure.”
Exploring bicycle culture
We’ve heard that employees at the Central Taiwan Science Park take advantage of the cool early morning temperatures to ride a few laps on the famously challenging “Squirrel Hill” bike trail near the Science Park, then shower at home before heading off to work. They say it energizes them. Morning rides have gradually become part of Taichung’s new bicycle culture, not only as exercise or a hobby but also as a social activity.
At six o’clock next morning, while warming up at the starting point of the Squirrel Hill trail, we meet Wang Yiwen. Fully clad in cycling apparel, she leads us on the ride. The trail has a smooth surface, with moderate gradients and bends. The workout leaves us excited and refreshed.
Following the morning ride, we visit the Cycling Culture Museum, located next to bicycle maker Giant Group’s towering new headquarters. Before coming to Taichung, we called on architect Joshua Jih Pan, the museum’s designer. “To give the museum the largest possible exhibition space we used a thin-shell structure, and we designed the roof in the image of Giant’s corporate logo. English sculptor Henry Moore’s Two Piece Reclining Figure No. 5 at Denmark’s Louisiana Museum of Modern Art inspired the contrasting high-and-low design, and the surrounding bike-friendly environs come from cycling culture.” Pan adds: “We chose a bright silver finish for the exterior so that the flowing lines of the structure can reflect the sunlight at different times of day and convey the streamlined feeling of a bicycle.”
“Before retiring, what Giant founder King Liu wanted most was not to promote Giant products but to record the cultural evolution of the world’s bicycles,” operations director Howard Wang says of the museum’s origins.
There’s lots to see in the Cycling Culture Museum, from bicycle evolution, functional changes, process technology, mechanical principles, and materials development to bicycle art. The rich and varied displays, covering nearly every aspect of cycling, reshape our cultural perception of bicycles.
“Driving is too fast; walking is too slow. Bicycle speed is in the middle. Cars rely on engines and walking depends on two legs. With a bicycle, the body and the brain work together,” Wang says. “When a majority of people think alike and repeat the same behavior patterns, cultures naturally coalesce. The same is true when it comes to cycling.”
Reasons to love cycling
Michael Vincent Manalo, originally from the Philippines, is the museum’s resident creator of bicycle art. After living and working in Europe, he’s chosen to settle in Taichung. “Taiwan’s a great country. That’s why I’m staying here,” he says in fluent Mandarin. “I’ve been to Taipei and Kaohsiung, but the pace of life is too fast in those cities. Taichung is different, just right. I really like the bike trails here, so I’ve decided to stay.”
Manalo has always loved bicycles. Even in countries more spacious and less densely populated, he still prefers to commute by bike. The instant he puts his feet on the pedals, he says, his troubles are forgotten. “The Taiwanese have made cycling even more fun, with different kinds of bike routes. Cycling here is a great experience, and there are a lot of fellow enthusiasts. We’ve formed a Line group. For me, it’s given cycling a new meaning.”
Manalo’s art has enriched bicycle culture. He likes to explore Taichung on his bike and share his favorite routes with others. “There’s a Black Forest Restaurant on the north side of the Dadu Plateau with a lot of trails nearby. I like to find new routes. Many people in Taichung go there to dine and enjoy the ocean view, but most riders on the trails are foreigners like me.”
We enter through a gate on Xiangshang Road Section 5. The area is thickly forested and crisscrossed with paths. You won’t find this place on Google Maps. Most Taiwanese don’t know about it, but foreign cyclists living in Taiwan make pilgrimages here. Some loved it so much they took the initiative to create a dirt trail, enhancing the joy of cycling. That’s why locals call it the “Foreigners’ Forest Road.”
However, foreign cyclists have hung a sign on a big tree at the beginning of the path, christening it “Jungle Bunny,” because that’s how they feel when they ride this route: like rabbits hopping through a jungle.
Hey, let’s race!
Ace mountain bikers gather on the Jungle Bunny Trail. One is Mike Dutton, who created both this trail and the route for the annual international Super 8 MTB Festival. The two courses are located on opposite sides of the Dadu Plateau, each amid entirely different terrain. The Jungle Bunny Trail is heavily wooded; the Super 8 route is on sparsely vegetated sloping shrubland facing a freeway, so it requires a lot of maintenance.
Riding on to Xiangshang Road Section 6, we take a side road and soon come to the circular Hengde Memorial Park. A downward-sloping path is the starting point of the Super 8 route. “During the competition, with permission from the authorities, this is indeed the track,” says Super 8 race organizer Bobby Chen. “But the land belongs to the government, so normally it’s open to the public. Anyone can come and ride here—it’s a barrel of fun!”
The Super 8 track is on the steeper side of the Dadu Plateau, where the soil is stickier. Consequently, ideal cambers and curves can be artificially built up to make the track more exciting. “Competitions make mountain biking more interesting and give riders a sense of accomplishment,” Chen says. “Ultimately, it’s about having a good time.” He believes that the popularization of cycling culture has inspired people. “Challenging yourself has nothing to do with age.” Mike Dutton and the other riders all agree—no matter how old you are, as long as your legs can move, you can keep riding.
Fast or slow, it’s all in the legs
Next, riding on Taiwan Boulevard Section 6, we come to Luliao Drainage Ditch and head north along the waterway, reaching the Gaomei Wetlands at dusk. Along the shore stand 13 giant wind turbines. The marsh enjoys a reputation as a world-class scenic spot that should be on everyone’s bucket list. We cruise along the Gaomei Wetlands Bikeway, which was completed and opened in 2018.
Finally, we dismount at the entrance to a boardwalk that extends onto the ocean, the gusty sea breeze welcoming us as we stroll onto the boards. As the sun sinks into the sea, in the last light of day, the ripples in the water below us look like colorful, gently undulating fish scales. With the development of bicycle types and performance, a new and different culture is emerging, permeating our daily lives. Cyclists ride for different reasons: some for self-exploration and others to make friends; some to ponder their lives and others to seek freedom. There’s something for everyone in the new cycling culture.
