Bike Tour Around the Island, Day 2: From City to Countryside, Seeing Scenery I’d Never Seen Before
Bike Tour Around the Island, Day 2: From City to Countryside, Seeing Scenery I’d Never Seen Before
Hey everyone, meow meow! Today is day two of my bike tour around the island! Yesterday we set off from Taichung, passed through Changhua, and made it to Yunlin. Today I’d originally planned to get up at 4 a.m., but instead I lazed around in bed until after 7 before I started packing up to head out. And the moment my feet hit the floor, I seemed to lose all control over my legs. I found that the second I straightened one out, it would cramp up, so I had no choice but to lie back down and slowly stretch until it felt a little better before I could finally get out of bed.
Honestly, I’d already run into this same thing back on my practice day, the day before I set off, but I just powered through on sheer stubborn grit. After all, you have to try something first before you can really know whether it’s right for you, right!? So I resigned myself to getting back on the bike and kept heading south. If I’m the one who took on the challenge, then I’m the one who has to deal with it.
Because on day one I’d miscalculated and booked a room way too close to the mountains (and super expensive), I figured I might as well just ride straight through the inland areas to my next stop, which also happened to let me enjoy some different scenery. And yet, to this very moment I still hadn’t realized what a terrible decision this was, not until I rode past a huge stretch of rice paddies, including one section where I didn’t run into a single soul, that the regret started to kick in.
The fear really does slowly build up at moments like that, especially since I’d already gotten a blowout on day one. I was genuinely terrified that something might suddenly go wrong out in the middle of nowhere. Thankfully, in the end I made it through those areas safe and sound, with a few scares along the way, and of course I also got chased by dogs more than a few times.
McDondon’s Little Tips for Biking Around the Island
The me of right now absolutely has to give everyone who’s thinking about doing a round-the-island trip a heads-up on how you should plan out a single day’s itinerary. First, let me explain a concept: if this is your first time circling the island, I’d recommend you definitely book your room around noon that same day. Don’t be stubborn and assume that booking early will let you snag a nicer room or anything like that. Because your itinerary is incredibly uncertain. You might run into something unexpected and not be able to ride as far as your lodging, and then dealing with refunds or rescheduling afterward is a real hassle.
If you’re booking your room same-day like me, then I’ll look for a room during my big midday break. As for the route, the night before I’ll go ahead and set up the spot for today’s big midday break as well as a small rest stop in between, which falls at around 70% of that day’s total mileage. Because in the afternoon you’re definitely going to have less energy than in the morning and you’re definitely going to ride slower. As for when to reach the big break, aim for somewhere between 1 and 2 p.m., since that’s the hottest part of the day.
For the spot itself, I’d recommend a big convenience store, ideally one with a restroom, dining tables, and a parking lot. So how do you find this kind of convenience store!? Basically, any convenience store on a major road (a Provincial Highway, the Beiyi Highway, the West Coast Highway) will meet all the conditions above. If you really can’t find one, then you can also use places like a big temple or a gas station for your big break. So what do you do during the big break? Eat, book your room, charge your phone, and charge your front and rear bike lights. Once you’ve finished eating and feel rested enough, you can hit the road. You don’t really need to wait 20 minutes after eating to digest, but don’t go pedaling too hard the moment you get back on either.
As for how to book a room? I usually use the map mode that a lot of apps have and just look at the rooms nearby. As for distance, it’s usually somewhere between 20 and 40 kilometers, decided based on when you take your break. If you’re riding around 100 kilometers a day, this range is just right. If you can ride farther, then you can stretch that distance out longer.
Bike Tour Around the Island, Day 2: The Wrap-Up
After going through all sorts of trials and tribulations, I finally made it to Tainan. Today’s progress was actually pretty good, though it’s a shame I kept stopping and starting, and the time I spent stopped also dragged on a bit. Also, on the way from Chiayi to Tainan, I passed a whole lot of fish farms. At first I saw lots of little birds along the roadside that had been hit and killed by cars, and seeing one flattened little body after another genuinely made me so sad for them.
But the farther I rode, the more something felt off. At the time I was thinking about how, when I was little out in the countryside, people used to string up clear nets over the fish ponds to stop birds from sneaking off with the fish. The birds would usually end up hanging there until they kicked the bucket, after which they’d be taken down and sold as freshly grilled bird meat. But that kind of net can’t block off the sides, and these days it seems like hardly anyone sells grilled bird meat anymore, so I couldn’t help thinking of something even more horrifying, like maybe they were being treated as “trash” and just dumped beside the fish ponds!?
I don’t know, but either way it makes me so sad for them (｡•́︿•̀｡)
Anyway, I rode on like that, feeling sad and lost in thought, until I finally reached tonight’s lodging. Today, just like yesterday, I kept wanting to give up, but at least my legs weren’t constantly cramping the way they were in the morning. I even had a little energy left in the evening to go out and grab a hot pot to bring back and eat at the hostel. Things seem to have improved a bit? But I’ll have to wait and see how I feel when I wake up tomorrow before I can really say.