3HillRide Taichung

It was my first time attending Taichung Bikeweek, the leading bicycle show focused on OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer). Time to explore new areas in Taiwan.

Since we had recently partnered with our distribution partner Sunstar in Taiwan, they helped us set up our booth, which was fairly simple given our small 3x3 meter space. Additionally, Sunstar provided us with bikes.
Unfortunately, my colleague Dominik, our OEM manager, fell ill, so I ended up going solo to explore the surroundings of Taichung, a city about 1.5 hours south of Taipei by train. I had heard that the hills east of Taichung offered a great terrain for a morning ride, so I decided to check it out, aiming to return in time for the show while still enjoying a good ride.
After leaving the city, the terrain quickly turned hilly, and I found a route on Komoot that took me on three climbs and descents, offering beautiful views of the city on the final descent. It was a warm, humid day, and with a typhoon approaching, there was a chance the weather would worsen, but I decided to continue.
The first part of the ride took me along a small river and into the forest, where the humidity made it quite sweaty as I climbed to Dongnankeng. The descent was tricky due to the damp roads. Afterward, I climbed again on a different road, returning me to Qiyao. I then found another small climb up to Jinshan N Rd, with all climbs ranging from 200 to 300 meters, adding up to almost 700 meters of elevation gain in the morning.
The views from the top were stunning, especially the light setting as I looked down over the city. The descent back into the city was a bit more stressful, with all the scooters on the road, but I made it back without issue. I ended the ride with a refreshing stop at Starbucks for breakfast before heading to the show, which turned out to be a successful event.

bike: Pinarello Torayca
starring: Gerry Samer