[Spoiler: It’s mostly good!]
Although it’s off most people’s radar, Cycling around Taiwan is an ideal destination. The terrain is varied and the infrastructure for cycling is well developed and maintained. It’s a visually stunning country with rich cultures, friendly people, and outstanding food.
Although recreational cycling has been gaining popularity in the past few decades, bicycles have been an essential form of transportation in Taiwan for much longer than that. Recently replaced by scooters and motorbikes, few people now rely on bicycles to get from place to place. However, Taiwan is still a major manufacturing hub for all types of bicycles exported worldwide.
Taiwan is an excellent place for both bicycle touring and road riding up world-class mountain roads. I did some of each! Before my 10-day tour cycling around Taiwan, I peddled up the winding roads into Yangmingshan National Park.
If you’re not keen on bike touring around Taiwan, or you live in the country, read this article for 5 Alternatives to Cycling Rt 1 for other suggestions.
This was my third time back to Taiwan, a place I consider one of my favorite countries in the world.
The Good
Cycling Lanes are (Almost) Everywhere
Taiwan has done a great job of sectioning off car traffic from motorcycles and bicycles. There is so much scooter traffic on the roads that you almost always see a special lane for scooters and bicycles. I stayed to the right of the scooter lane and had no problems. Sometimes there is even a designated lane for cyclists. Other times the shoulder to the right of the scooter lane is wide enough for a bicyclist to ride safely.
Drivers are bike-aware
Automobile drivers in Taiwan are so used to driving together with motorcycles and scooters, that this makes them already mindful of cyclists. Very rarely, a speedy driver will pass, or an overzealous truck driver will veer too close, but all in all, drivers in Taiwan are aware and respectful of cyclists. I generally ride defensively, but in my two weeks cycling in Taiwan, I never felt violated on the road.
Availability of Rental bikes in Taiwan
It is easy to find rental bikes in Taiwan. You can get all types of road bikes and recreation bikes, and touring bikes as well. In many destinations, renting a touring bike isn’t even a possibility. In Taipei, I rented from MathewBike. They rent touring bikes for cycling around Taiwan and make it very easy for international travelers and beginner cyclists because they supply all the bike equipment as well as rack and panniers. Their website also has good info for cycle touring around Taiwan.
Affordable of Food, Accommodation, and Transport
If you’re traveling with US Dollars or Euros, you will find Taiwan very affordable. My budget accommodation was usually between US $20-$35 per night. A dorm bed will normally be under $20, and a budget private room will be somewhere over $20. I usually spent less than US $10 on food each day. A tall iced tea to go is generally between $1-2, and a rice ball from the convenience store is about $1. A 3-hour train ride from Hualien to Taipei was about $10.
Taiwanese Food is Delicious
Taiwanese food is one of the highlights of traveling here. Cooked food is readily available and inexpensive. Much of it can be boxed to go, which is convenient for cyclists. I typically look for meals with a good mix of carbs, protein, and fat – great for nourishing cyclists. In some places, you’ll find buffet-type restaurants with rice, vegetables, soup, and meat/fish. On other nights, I had traditional beef noodle soup. Box (bento) meals are great for variety. Other nights, I enjoyed braised beef and rice or Hong Kong style BBQ. Fried chicken, dumplings, and other quick foods are easy to find as well.
Mountain Climbs are Incredible
If you crave epic cycling climbs into the mountains, look at Taiwan. Taiwan has some unforgettable cycling climbs, from the winding roads in Yangmanshan National Park to the world’s longest climb to Wuling Pass. Outside of a small window of a couple of months in winter, most of these climbs are accessible year-round to cyclists. The climb to Wutai is a year-round favorite that I did. There are countless other roads into the hills and mountains, and the road surfaces are mostly in great shape.
Road Surface Quality is Excellent
I’ve never been anywhere where the roads were consistently in excellent condition. The surface was nearly perfect on almost every road I cycled in Taiwan. I regularly noted this in my video, maybe to a point of beating the topic to death. But in much of the world, winter weather means freezing and thawing breaking up the road surface. Taiwan maintains its roads very well.
Friendly People
In my experience, Taiwanese people were quick to help me when I needed assistance. They were also very patient with my lack of Chinese language. One time, I veered down the wrong road into a major steel factory. I feared getting scolded by security, but the guard kindly pointed me in the right direction. Taiwanese are also very generous. I got more than one meal paid for, and a bubble tea shop owner even gave me a free hat! Lots of people expressed encouragement to me as I peddled along my journey.
The Bad
Relentless Development
You won’t find any pristine nature on Taiwan’s West Coast. It seems as if every square kilometer is totally developed with either cities, farms, or industry. Of course, that’s not a bad thing if you’re a cyclist in need of a bike shop, a convenience store, or a place to grab a cheeky afternoon bubble tea. It’s also not bad if you love cities or want to experience more history and culture. Tainan, for example, is a historic city with many temples, attractions, and museums.
Cycling down the West Coast, you are bound to spend hours riding past smelly pig and goose farms, aquaculture, and other agriculture. Even worse, this is one of the world’s most developed manufacturing hubs. I passed countless warehouses, industrial parks, and factories, even peddling through one of the country’s major steelworks. Industry does not help the air quality, something cyclists rely on.
But it’s all part of Cycling around Taiwan. You have to take the bad with the good.
The Ugly
Air Pollution
Taiwan is among the world’s most densely populated countries. It’s got about 24 million people living on an island 1.44 times bigger than the US state of Vermont. (For comparison, Vermont has less than a million inhabitants.) Population density plus a huge manufacturing sector sometimes leads to less-than-ideal air conditions. Heavy motorbike traffic does not help breathing at street level.
High Winds
On a positive note, heavy winds flush out much of the air pollution. While we’re on the subject of high winds, this is a good time to point out that in January, I had to deal with wind every day. This was a huge boon for me as I rode south from Taipei. The tailwinds helped boost me down the coast. It’s something to be aware of when planning or in Taiwan riding. I used an app called Windy to look at wind speed and direction.
I even changed my plans because I feared a headwind. A little bit of adversity and hardship never hurt anyone, but let’s be honest. Riding your bicycle around a country is hard enough. I balked when I saw my upcoming day had 70 miles and over 2,000 ft of elevation gain plus a forecasted 15-20 mile-an-hour headwind. I decided instead to climb up a mountain road that day and catch a train to my final destination after the climb.
Heavy Traffic
If there is one place you want to deal with heavy traffic, it’s Taiwan. I am mostly referring to urban areas (which there are a lot of on the West Coast) and rush hour. If you can avoid either of those you will be better. But a combination or riding in the city during peak traffic times is miserable.
The good news is that much of the traffic is of the two-wheeled, motorized variety. And most of these riders drive defensively. Furthermore, car drivers in Taiwan are used to watching out for scooters and bicycles, and they normally pass with plenty of space and care.
Cycling around Taiwan is Highly Recommended
Overall, I highly recommend cycling in Taiwan as either a bike touring destination or for road riders who love hill climbs. A favorable year-round climate, excellent roads, delicious food, friendly and helpful people, affordability, and a great cycling culture make this an ideal cycling destination.
