Taiwan: A Bikepacking Approach to Long-Distance Touring

AN OPPORTUNITY TO GROW

The chance to adventure cycle in Taiwan, a little-know Pacific island adventure cycling jewel with lots of bike friendly infrastructure and a plethora of local bike shops presented the perfect opportunity to experiment with a full on bikepacking set up (sans tent, sleeping bag, and cooker) for long-distance adventure cycling.

TAIWAN, A PLACE THAT DOESN’T COME TO MIND

When daydreaming and considering new locations to adventure cycle, the island of Taiwan isn’t a place that immediately comes to mind. But to those in the know, the island offers a quick weekend get-away or multi-week tours to those so inclined.

A HIDDEN GEM

Taiwan is very bike friendly with lots of bike infrastructure, riding paths, and a burgeoning cycling culture well worth exploring. Not well known to most westerners, the Pacific island is a burgeoning cycling favorite for many mainland Chinese and other Asians looking to get off the beaten tourist trail for some stunning mountain and coastal scenery, tasty Taiwanese culinary delights, and linking up with friendly locals along the way.

Taiwan is in the final stages of opening a cycling route that completely circumnavigates the island on the numerous bicycling routes. Giant, the worlds largest bicycle manufacturer, is out of Taiwan and has many shops located throughout the island so most repair parts are not too far away.

BUY THE TICKET, TAKE THE RIDE

Just after coming off of the heels of a solo trek across Vietnam and Cambodia to explore the temples at Angkor Wat, it was time to hook up with my trusty long-distance adventure cycling partner Zhang Wei Lei, who shares the same passion for great cycling experiences, for an 1100-1500 kilometer jaunt around the perimeter shores and over the rugged 3,000+ meter mountains of this Pacific island to take in the sights, dine on some of the tasty food, soak up a little of the local culture, and make a few friends along the way.

Our plan is simple: Keep the sea off our right shoulder and ride until we come back to where we started. Spend some time on the beach, sample the food, engage the locals, and seek out a the island’s natural hot springs for a relaxing soak or two while sipping on an icy cold one.

CLIMATE

A bit cooler than Vietnam and Cambodia this time of year, local temperatures on the north end of Taiwan are averaging around 15-20 Celsius during the day interspersed with a spot of rain here and there, and the skies mostly cloudy. January is the lowest precipitation month of the year averaging about 83 mm of rainfall for the month so we shouldn’t get too wet.

Working our towards the south end of the island, the weather gets sunny up a bit with less rain and the daytime temperatures should be hovering in the high twenties. Riding counterclockwise around the island beginning in Taipei, the prevailing north by northwest wind should be at our backs the first half of the ride down to the southern tip of the island and then turn into a crossing headwind on the mountainous return route up the eastern side of Taiwan.

ITINERARY AND SCHEDULE

Circumnavigating the island in a counterclockwise direction, we intend on keeping the pace nice and the riding fairly easy keeping the average distance under 130 km per day, which should allow a little time for exploration and experiencing the local color. Remaining open to discovery and backroad exploration is a core value in our riding style. After all, visiting interesting sights and landmarks while remaining vigilant for local points of interest is what it’s all about. Avoiding touristy areas and seeking out local color, culture and food will be the mainstays of our journey.

LESSONED LEARNED

Light is right. Avoid overpacking. Bring only what was absolutely needed (within reason). Don’t be afraid to assume more risk if the conditions warrant it. Buy stuff along the way or have it shipped to you if you really need it.

Reliable gear allows you to assume more risk and carry less. Some stuff you just have to carry, such as specialty items like carbon belts, oil for Rohloff hubs, or special spoke lengths or inner tube or tire sizes.

WHAT WORKED WELL

Co-Motion Divide Rohloff. Performed flawlessly. Solid on rough dirt roads while carrying a load. No flexing or creaking. Just a great expeditionary bike.

Lights for night riding. Spend several days riding at night due to riding longer distances and shorter winter days. The Cygolite Centauri headlight and Sarfas taillight are super bright giving the illumination I needed.

Planet Bike Cascadia 29er mud guards. The fenders worked great at keeping the mud and road grime to a minimum. The Planet Bike Cascadia 29er plastic fenders are tough and durable and well fitting. In my book, they’re a must for fowl weather touring.

Shimano XTR SPD pedals — a smooth and efficient way to pedal. I’ve been riding clipless pedals for nearly 30 years and like being able to pedal using all of the muscle groups in my legs to spin the cranks, especially on the inclines.

Pletscher Double-Legged Kickstand. Having a kickstand is super convenient and a must for long distance riding. I can stop and park my bike virtually anywhere, whether that be stopping along the road to make a picture or parking my bike to eat or in hotels or hotel rooms. In cities, many businesses require you to keep your bike out on the sidewalk and won’t let you lean your bike up against their buildings making parking a bit of a challenge. Being able to stand the bike up on its own for loading and maintenance is also a plus.

Rear View Mirror. Essential for safe riding and maintaining situational awareness to the rear with a quick glance of the eyes and not having to twist my body to look over my shoulder is a big safety plus on busy roads. In Asia, lots of mopeds, motorcycles, cars, trucks and busses approach quickly from the rear and pass in very close proximity. It’s good to know what’s going on behind you.

Spur Bell. Loud, compact, and well made. Essential in communicating with those riding and driving around you. Everyone in Asia knows what the sound of bike bell means.

Ride with GPS app. Simple route building that can be done on the fly. Accurate, detailed maps. Works on your smartphone without cell or wifi access. Allows you to save and print your routes and rides along with all the route data, such as distance, elevation, average speed, etc. Great for staying found.

Delorme Explorer. An effective GPS tracker that provides peace of mind on the home front. Friends and family can see where you’re at. The unit has an emergency distress signal capability should you ever need it. Medical evacuation insurance is available with the monthly subscription plan in case of an accident. The device lasts several days on a single charge.

Revelate Designs Bags and Pouches. Superior construction and materials — bombproof. The best on the market (along with Porcelain Rocket) in my humble opinion. Excellent YKK zippers that stand up to and function in dirt and debris without jamming like the older coil type zippers. All the bags and pouches fit and work together as one system. The bags are highly water resistant but will allow moisture in after prolonged exposure to the rain or other wet conditions. For added insurance I back them up with dry bags and ziploc plastic bags to keep the moisture and dust out and makes them pretty much monsoon-proof and will keep my gear dry so I can ride in the rain all day with confidence if need be.

Porcelain Rocket Mini Slinger Camera Pouch. It’s a perfect fit for my Sony RX1R camera. The string pull draw closure facilitates quick access to my camera. Most of my shooting is done from the bike or just off of the bike so having quick access to my photo gear make for less missed opportunities. The Mini Slinger is well constructed of quality materials. Three-point mounting straps provide solid rattle-proof mounting on the Jones Loop H-Bar. Probably water resistant, but I back it up with a dry bag just in case. Moisture and dust are camera killers.

WHAT DIDN’T WORK SO WELL OR WASN’T NEEDED

Neither the bike or any of my equipment outright failed or broke down and all performed as needed though there were several items I brought and were not needed.

Surly Front Rack. Not needed. I carried no panniers or camera bag on the front rack the entire journey through Vietnam and Cambodia. I only kept rack on for the trip because I was unable to get a longer set of front fender stays before I departed. The present stays were shorter and attached to the rack and were not long enough to be mounted on the front fork.

Bath Towel. Bath towels were available in all of the hotels and guesthouses I stayed in unlike some in China. So a towel wasn’t needed.

DEET Insect Repellant and Head Net. I encountered few mosquitos or other biting insects so neither was needed.

ITEMS NOT USED BUT STILL NEEDED

The following items were not used but still needed in the event of a breakdown or emergency.

Spare Tire. The Schwalbe Marathon Mondial tires are wearing well with over 10,000 kilometers of travel.and will carry a spare tire based on 29-inch tire availability in the area traveled as them and 29-inch inner tubes can be hard to come by in remote locations.

Inner Tubes. Number carried based on availability on the road. On short rides, I carry one, on longer rides two, and in remote locations three.

Rohloff Oil Change Kit. Not required but will continue to carry in the event of seal leaking issues with the speed hub. It’s light and doesn’t take up much room and not having the proper lubricant for the internally geared hub could be a showstopper.

Gates Carbon Belt. Not required but would be a another showstopper if the present belt failed and I had no replacement. It too is light and doesn’t take up much room so carrying a spare isn’t a big deal.

Spokes. The rear wheel requires special length spokes for Rohloff Speed Hub. Will continue to carry three or four just in case as they are light and take up little space.

Cables. Will omit when available on the road and continue to carry in remote locations where we’ll-stocked bike shops are scarce.

A Second Storage Battery. One 10,000 Ah battery will keep my iPhone, Garmin Edge 800, and Delorme powered for 13+ hours a day for several days, so a second isn’t necessary. I would consider carrying a second battery in remote locations where periodic access to electricity would be limited.

Rain Gear. Never rained once during the day. Will continue to carry but a lighter set up based on the warmer weather.

Spare Parts. Disc brake pads. Rear brake cable housing. Screws and rack bolts. SPD cleat. Will still carry these items as they are small, don’t weigh much, and take up little space. They could be replaced on the road but may be a big hassle to find as many bike shops in remote locations aren’t well stocked with repair parts.

A REVISED APPROACH

My approach to setting up the bike and building my gear list is still situation dependent. Assessment of the expected riding situation defines the capabilities required to complete the journey which determines the gear to be taken.

The lower temperatures, increased precipitation, greater parts availability expected for riding in Taiwan coupled with wanting to lighten up a bit were the major factors driving the changes in my kit and bike set up for this trip that led to the adoption of a pretty much full stop bikepacking arrangement.

GOING LIGHT, GOING RACK-LESS

It’s a somewhat spartan approach to long-distance adventure cycling but removing the racks and opting for a handlebar bag, a frame bag, and a seat bag have allowed me to omit not only the racks but the heavier panniers as well. Moreover, I’m able to better center the payload weight on the frame of the bike just over the cranks and under my body. Shifting the weight off of the front forks and rear of the bike promotes better handling and overall weight distribution. A lighter bike will be a little easier in the mountains as well.

The compartmented pockets on the Revelate Designs Rippio frame bag provides me with quick access to tools, lip balm and sunscreen, clothing, battery, charging cables, and other items I’m using through out the day, rather than having to dig into the panniers.

Not having to check a second bag for the panniers and being able to transport the bags as a carry-on saves me $75 at the airline ticketing counter also.

PARTS AVAILABILITY

The increased number of local bike shops and parts availability in Taiwan have allowed me to forgo carrying a spare tire and a third inner tube, while the paucity of Rohloff Speed Hub oil, shorter spokes, and Gates carbon belts have necessitated the continued carrying of these items — the size and weight of which are negligible.

ACCEPTING RISK IN THE RAIN

Rather than a full rain suit (jacket, pants, gloves, booties), I’m rolling with a Vaude sleeved cycling poncho, waterproof gloves and socks. With the fenders keeping most of the road splash off of my feet and lower body, the poncho and gloves should keep my upper body relatively dry in light to medium rain. For the mist and light stuff, I’m bringing an ultra light weight Berghaus rain jacket. Anything more than that and I’m hosed.

Protection from moisture and dust is always an essential consideration for my person and my gear. Double bagging gear ensures electronics, clothing, and tools will be kept dry and free of dust in the worst conditions. The bikepacking bags are quite water resistant but not waterproof and will eventually soak through if out in the rain all day. Double bagging gear not only keeps the water out but it provides peace of mind when the wet stuff starts falling and the only option is to ride. Wearing a buff or a neckerchief to cover my face in dusty conditions is must.

January is the low precipitation month for Taiwan with an average rainfall of only 83mm on the north end of the island with less in the south. Daytime temperatures tend to hover around 20 degrees Celsius in the north and increase to the high 20’s farther south. Some rain is possible but clouds and cool weather is most likely. So accepting a little risk and going light on the rain gear isn’t a bad idea though I’m still double bagging all of my gear.

INCREASED LAYERING CAPABILITY

Aiming for greater versatility in covering a broader range of weather conditions a bit cooler and wetter than those encountered while riding in Vietnam and Cambodia, I’ve added long sleeved shirts and thicker riding jerseys and shorts for the climes expected at the northern end of the island and keeping a couple of short sleeved shirts for the southern, warmer end of Taiwan. With a base, mid, and a shell for the upper and lower body, I can add or drop clothes to keep me comfortable and warm or reasonably cool based on the riding conditions. If I need anything more, I can buy it on the way.

REVISED GEAR LIST

Bike Box. I’m using the same bike box I used to get the Divide home to Shanghai from Siem Reap in Cambodia. I’ll box the bike at home the day before we depart.

ROK Straps — not a big fan of loose gear sloshing around. A tight rig is a happy rig I always say. I’m using two small ROK straps to cradle and snug up the Sweet Roll under the Jones Loop H-Bar and one to tone down the lateral wobble on Revelate Designs Viscacha seat bag. The movement of the bags isn’t excessive. It’s just I that want the minimum amount possible. Snugger is better.

Swim Trunks. I’m adding a pair of swim trunks to soak in the natural hot springs that are supposed to be located on the south end of the island.

Spare Parts. As stated, I’m carrying critical or specialty components only, such as 29-inch inner tubes, Rohloff gear oil, spokes, and a Gates carbon belt.

GEAR LIST

Listed below are the major items I’m taking to Taiwan. Intending to stay in guesthouse or hotels and to eat along the way or carry prepare foods and water, the equipment came down to a lighter version of clothes, electronics, and bike repair parts than used for Vietnam and Cambodia.

WHEELS

• Bike: Co-Motion Divide Rohloff 29er
• Headlight: Cygolite Centauri 1000 Headlight
• Taillight: Serfas Superbright 1000 Headlight
• Bell: Spur Cycle Bell
• Rearview Mirror
• Fenders: Planet Bike Cascadia 29er
• Frame Pack: Revelate Designs Ripio
• Handle Bar Bag: Revelate Designs Sweet Roll
• Cockpit: Revelate Designs Gas Tank
• Cockpit: Revelage Designs Jerry Can
• Camera: Porcelain Rocket Mini Slinger
• Camera/Notebook: Bedrock Tapeats To Go Bag

Added

• Revelate Designs Viscacha Seat Bag

Omitted Items

• Front Rack: Surly Nice Front Rack
• Rear Rack: Tubus Cargo Evo
• Panniers: Ortlieb Front Roller Plus Bag 2x (using the smaller front panniers on the rear)
• Trunk Bag: Arkel Tailrider
• Cargo Net

CLOTHES

• Bern Macon Carbon Helmet
• Baseball Cap
• Morino Wool Beanie
• Sunglasses
• Buff
• Outdoor Research Arm and Hand UV Sleeves
• Wrist Sweat Bands
• Giro Mountain Bike Gloves
• Synthetic Jerseys (2x)
• Synthetic T-Shirt (1x)
• Exoffico Boxer Briefs (2x)
• Cycling Briefs (2x)
• Shorts (3x)
• Smart Wool Socks (3x)
• Synthetic Liner Socks (3x)

Omitted Items

• Mosquito Headnet
• Long Cycling Pants (1x)
• Mavic Alpine SPD Shoes

Added Items

• Shimano XM7 SPD Shoes

RAIN GEAR

Omitted Items

• Rain Hat
• Patagonia Torrent Jacket
• Patagonia Torrent Pants
• Goretex Shoe Covers
• Outdoor Research Waterproof Gloves

Added Items

• Berghaus Lightweight Rain Jacket
• Vaude Cycling Poncho
• Sealskin Gloves
• Sealskin Shoe Covers

CAMPING

• Black Diamond Headlamp

Omitted Items

• Silk Liner (for sleeping in dodgy beds)
• Backpack: Osprey Raptor w/rain cover
• Mini Blow Dryer (for drying shoes when wet)

NAVIGATION

• Delorme Explorer with Earthmate App
• Ride with GPS App (on iPhone 6 Plus)
• Garmin Edge 800
• Magnetic Compass (backup)

DOCUMENTS AND FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

• Passport (with digital photos online and on iPhone and two paper copies)
• Extra Passport Photos
• Cash ($1500 in Taiwan dollars)
• Credit Cards

PHOTOGRAPHY

• Sony RX1R
• Sony RX100 IV (upgraded from RX100 III)
• GoPro Black with Wrist Remote and Spare Batteries
• Micro SD Cards (32 GB, 64 GB)
• Spare Batteries
• (omitted) Mini Tripod

ELECTRONICS

• iPhone 6 Plus 128 GB
• Topeak Rain Cover for iPhone 6
• Logitech Bluetooth Keyboard
• (omitted) Suunto X-Lander Watch
• (added) Tissot Touch Expert
• iPod Nano
• Ear Buds
• (omitted) Kindle Voyage
• SIM Card – Taiwan
• Storage Battery 150,600 mAh 2x (to power electronics for up to 7+ days without access to a power outlet)
• 6 Plug USB charger and cables
• Electrical Outlet Adapters

MEDICAL

• (omitted) DEET Insect Repellant
• Antibiotics (blood and gastrointestinal)
• Prescription Meds
• Ibuprofen
• Imodium
• Neosporin
• Bandaids
• Sunscreen
• Lip Balm
• Talcum Powder
• Tweezers

PERSONAL HYGIENE

• (omitted) Towel
• (omitted) Crotch Towel
• Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Floss
• Razor, Blades, Shave Cream, Brush
• Shampoo, Soap
• Mirror

WRITING

• Moleskine Reporter Notebook
• Gel Pens (4x)

TOOLS

• Flat Repair
• Patches (50x)
• Cement (4x small tubes)
• Lever Tool
• Roller Sticher (to apply patches)
• Schrader Adapter
• White Grease Pencil (to mark punctures)
• EK Tool Roll
• Leatherman
• Leatherman Micra
• Small Brush
• Allen Key Set
• Measuring Tape
• Spoke Tool
• 150mm Small Adjustable Spanner Wrench
• 4mm Shortie Allen Key (to adjust eccentric bottom bracket)
• Gates Belt Tension Reader
• Freewheel Cassette Cracker (for fellow riders)
• Topeak Mountain Turbo Pump
• (omitted) Bontrager Air Support Pump (back up)
• Salsa Straps (2x)

SPARE PARTS

• (omitted) Schwalbe Mondial Tire
• Inner Tubes (2x) (reduced to 2x)
• Gates Carbon Belt
• Spokes and Nipples (6x)
• (omitted) Brake Cable & Cable Housing
• (omitted) Shifter Cable & Cable Housing
• Disc Pads
• Rohloff Oil Change Kit (2x)
• SPD Cleat and Screws
• Fender Parts
• Miscellaneous Rack Bolts and Screws
• Zip Ties
• Duct Tape
• Super Glue
• Sewing Kit
• Tenacious Tape
• Waterproof Patch Kit
• Lacing Wire
• Nylon Cord (25 ft)

THE WRAP UP

Bike set up and the gear carried are situation specific. For the most part, lighter is better. Quality reliable gear enables you to assume more risk and carry less. When you need more, take more. If you can get by with less, take less.

Full on bikepacking for long-distance travel is an interesting concept I’m experimenting with now. I’ll let you know how it worked out on my little soiree around Taiwan.

Leave your comments below and let me know what you think or if you have any interesting suggestions.

Have a safe journey and thank you for visiting my blog. Cheers, Johnny