Garmin Activity: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/739803179
221km, 7h34, elevation 708m
Each ride you gain mileage and the accumulation of days, weeks and months brings that number to the four digit reign. In January I had already made it to 8000km on my SW Roubaix and the last few weeks the number of 10,000km was drawing closer. According to my calculations, all I needed to do was 200km and BINGO! I would have 10,000km on my road bike in 10 months time. That was the mission for today, go for ten thousand kilometers.
I wanted to do this 200km and still make it back to Fengyuan in time for some tea talks with my friends. That's why I chose the traditional coastal highway 17 down to Yunlin for today. At this time of the year, I would be getting a tail wind and my speed would easily average around 35kmph. No shit, it really went super fast. Just after a good two hours of cycling, I was already crossing the Zhuoshui river.
In Yunlin there were some road works and a construction worker indicated that I had to take a detour, which sent me through to above road. Cute and cozy, just like we remember Yunlin.
Already done more than 65km, 33% of my goal for today.
Xibin daqiao, the great bridge of the Western coast. It runs over the Zhuoshui river, which lies between Changhua and Yunlin.
Traffic almost non-existent and tail wind. Talk about some good riding conditions. Not to mention the lovely temperature. Truly another great day to be outside.
I entered Yunlin's Mailiao township and connected to Lunbei via Route 156
The plains of Yunlin county, rice fields and gentle breezes all over the place.
Route 156 leaded me to Lunbei, my good friend Liao Shi-jie's hometown.
Lunbei, located just south of the Zhuoshui river
Lot's of rice fields here. Makes sense, easy to grow rice in these plains. I also always see a lot of tractors and agricultural vehicles in these areas; Having grown up at a farm, it is one of the details I place more importance on.
The 13km mark of Route 156. I did not know it at the time of photography, but this is right next to the little street where Liao Shi-jie's home is. I did not know it at the time, but he told me this when he saw the picture. What a coincidence! I will visit him next time when he's here. Not really that far from Shalu, can easily be done in a couple of hours.
Enjoying myself in the western plains of Formosa
The plains of Yunlin are so relaxing. I consider myself truly lucky to have spent so much time here, just whiling away and forgetting about society.
I kept following Route 156 and this would lead me through Xiluo and Citong, all townships located south of the Zhuoshui river, north in Yunlin county.
Citong township, each township in Taiwan has a cute sign or plate with its name on. Most of them are original. In my own country, they all look the same with just a white plate and black letters.
10,000km baby, approaching!
Now here's a giant quantity of ducks. And they made a lot of noise!
Yunlin is known for its agriculture and horticulture, not quite the big city life of Taipei, but that's actually its charm. That is the reason why I visited Yunlin five times more frequently than I went to Taipei.
The good part about these roads is the low amount of traffic. It really adds to a lovely cycling experience.
Route 156 eventually connected to Hwy 3. Everywhere I go, there is Hwy 3. I decided that I could take Hwy 3 all the way back to Fengyuan, which would surely push me over the 200km mark for today and the 10K milestone on my bike. I first passed Yunlin's Linnei township and then I crossed the "Nan-yun Bridge" between Nantou and Yunlin townships.
The Nan-Yun bridge between Nantou and Yunlin. This river is called the Qingshui river, the clear water river.
When I came here, I suddenly remembered that crazy 336km ride in March. I cycled Hwy 3 all the way back to Taichung and I also passed this area, cycling through Zhushan, Mingjian, Nantou and Caotun. I kept thinking how crazy I was that day.
No 335km on this ride, 200 will do.
This is where Lugu is. I came here a few times in October 2014 when I discovered Xitou and Shanlinxi. Hard to believe that is already six months ago.
Yanping bridge, a referral to Coxinga, the mythical figure in 17th century history.
Hwy 3 also brought me to this Wufeng Bridge. This is where Nathan Miller brought me a few weeks ago when I went to Hualien.
I also came here several times during my earlier trips in the summer of 2014.
I stayed on Hwy 3 until Dali. Then I decided I did not want to go all the way through Taichung city. I checked my map and I decided to take route 129 north. When I reached the Hi-Life in Taiping, where the mythical 136 climb begins, I saw the magical number of 10,000 on my speed sensor.
10,000km in 10 months, good cycling! Congratulations!
The Toubiankeng river, I was not gonna ride 136 today. I continued my way to Fengyuan for tea. Then I went to the Guofa Specialized cycling store where my day of accomplishment had a very demoralizing anti-climax: there was a crack in my frame!
I was having tea with my friends when my buddy Liao Shi-jie was checking my frame. He was the one who noticed the crack and told me to go to Guofa.
Maybe not too clear from this picture.
This is the crack! Tbh, I did feel that there was something strange during this ride, but I could never quite put my finger on it. Anyway, it was a very nervous ride back home to Shalu. Later, I asked the Specialized Fengyuan store to contact Specialized about this. I sent in my invoice number and luckily they decided that I would get a new frame. I bought this frame in Belgium, was now in Taiwan and they would send me a new frame from the US. That was really cool. Only downside: no road bike for a month! I only had my flatbar Sirrus to play with now.
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