Day 8: 18 May 2023, Thursday
Day 6 of our Tour de Taiwan, and it will be the most challenging day for a few reasons. Today, we will be cycling 110km from Hengchun to Zhiben (知本). Hengchun is the southernmost township in Taiwan so we will be cycling north towards Zhiben, a hot spring town in Taitung County (台東). Having covered the west coast of Taiwan for the past five days, we will now be cycling along the east coast for the rest of the tour towards Taipei in the north.
The eastern side of Taiwan is mountainous, with the Central Mountain Range stretching some 500km from the north of the island to the south, and the Hai’an Mountain Range stretching 175km northeast to the southwest, with the East Rift Valley between them. As such, the East Coast is sparsely populated and it has the most beautiful scenery in Taiwan. While today’s cycling distance is not the longest, we will have to conquer the greatest elevation gain among the nine days. After five days of cycling, our bodies have been conditioned well and we are now ready for the challenge.
As usual, we woke up at around 5:30am and went for breakfast an hour later, followed by warm up at 7:10am before starting our ride at 7:30am. After the blazing hot day yesterday, we were lucky that it was mostly cloudy today, with a maximum temperature of 29 degrees C. After setting off from the hotel, everything was perfect…until disaster struck 40 minutes into the ride.
As we cycled through an archway at the Shimen Ancient Battlefield Visitor Information Centre (石門古戰場旅遊資訊站), I fell off my bike and injured myself. What happened was, I didn’t see our tour leader/photographer Jeffrey, because he was hiding inside a drain by the side of the road. He usually stands at the side of the road where he is fully visible but this time, he had lowered his body into the drain, with only his head and upper torso sticking out from the ground. He got into this position so that he could capture low-angle shots of us cycling past.
As I rode past him, I’m not sure why but I did a double-take and turned my head to look back. I was surprised to see only Jeffrey’s head popping out so I wanted to confirm what I saw. But when I turned my head back to the front again, I realised I was riding too close to Taurus (who was cycling in front of me), so I jammed my brakes to avoid colliding with her. I managed to avoid hitting her but I lost my balance and fell to my right. Luckily, TH who was directly behind me, and the others behind him were able to avoid crashing into me as well, or it would have resulted in a pile-up, as we were going rather fast downhill.
After my crash, I sat dazed on the ground for a few moments before I composed myself and picked myself up. There was blood on my right knee and elbow, and my right hip was injured as well. Jeffrey and another Giant crew member came to check on me, as well as TH and AT. The Giant team offered to do first aid for me but I had brought along my own first aid kit so I retrieved it from my day bag in the Xiaobai (小白) support vehicle. I then administered first aid on myself by cleaning the wounds and wrapping bandage/gauze around my knee and elbow, and slapping a plaster on my hip. After patching myself up, I rested for a short while before continuing the ride less than 10 minutes later.
Needless to say, I was a little shocked because it happened out of nowhere. But that’s why they call it an accident because it happens when you don’t expect it. Having said that, with a group of 39 riders cycling for nine days, it was only a matter of time before someone fell and got hurt. I just happened to be the “lucky” one to fall first. Lesson learnt: always maintain a safe braking distance from the rider in front of you. And photographers, please don’t hide in drains to take sneaky pics!
We had a short break at 8:28am, at the 18.2km mark, then it was time for the steepest climb for the day. After the fall, I felt even more energised and my senses were more awake than ever. Maybe it’s an ego thing because it’s always embarrassing to fall, so I wanted to prove to the others that I’m not weak. The pain in my knee didn’t hurt too badly but the injury was at a spot where there is a lot of movement because I need to bend my knees while cycling, so the wound kept stretching open, making it hard for the blood there to clot. For a day with a lot of climbs, it could have put me out of action but I was determined more than ever to overcome it and not let my injury hamper my goal. I pedalled harder and pushed myself to the top of the hill.
We took another 20-minute break at 9:38am, at the 34.2km mark, at Dongyuan Tribe Visitor Centre (東元部落遊客中心). We were not done with the hills yet but we were more than halfway through. We felt great so far and were all in high spirits. There was a running track here so Jeffrey took some fun shots of us racing down the track. It was all for show of course, because I couldn’t really run with my injured knee. These turned out to be some of my favourite photos from the trip because it showed that we ride hard, but we also don’t forget to have fun while doing so.
Following the break was the last big climb to the highest point for today’s ride – Shouka mountain pass (壽峠), with an elevation of 460 metres. It is the highest point of the South-Link Highway and an important link between Taiwan’s east coast with the rest of the island. Cyclists attempting to cycle around the island of Taiwan must climb up to Shouka because there is no other road possible between Pingtung and Taitung. This makes Shouka an iconic destination for road cyclists.
We huffed and puffed and eventually reached Shouka at 10:28am, at the 44.5km mark. We had a longer break here to take photos with the landmark former police checkpoint building, which has been transformed into a rest stop for cyclists. The rest stop provides water, toilets and repair tools for cyclists to use for free but it was closed during our visit. It started to rain so we put on our ponchos and rain jackets before taking our daily group photo here. This was the first time we encountered rain during the tour.
We resumed cycling at 10:53am. From Shouka, it was downhill all the way for the next 12km, our reward for the intense climbs in the morning. The rain made it cooler but it also meant that we had to be a lot more careful because of the slippery roads. Some of the more seasoned cyclists sped down the hill but I applied my brakes very judiciously while enjoying the breeze and relief from pedalling.
After the downhill section, we hit the eastern coast of Dawu Township (大武), where we had the most amazing view of the ocean. It was still drizzling but most of the grey clouds had been replaced by blue skies and white clouds. The pale blue ocean shimmered with each wave, reflecting the sky above and blending seamlessly with the horizon in the distance. It was very beautiful. I stopped by the side of the road several times to take photos and admire the scenery.
We stopped for lunch at 11:43am, at the 62km mark, at Tong Fa Shun seafood restaurant (同發順海產飯店) in Dawu. It was a simple restaurant but the food was as good as any other. After lunch, I also took the opportunity to redo my dressing. The wound on my knee had turned pinkish and it was still raw but the bleeding had mostly stopped.
We set off again at 1:00pm, recharged and energised from the lunch break. We continued cycling along the coast for the rest of the afternoon so we had the most spectacular view as the sun was out and it made everything look prettier. The coastal road was mostly flat, except for three hills with small elevations ranging from 70m to 127m.
Just after 2:00pm, as we came off the Provincial Highway 9 to do a hook turn (代轉) to go into Jinlun village (金崙) for a break, we received news that one of our cycling party members, Yoshi, had crashed and injured his face quite badly. Yoshi was cycling a little behind so he was not with our main group. He was probably coming down the highway quite fast (it was downhill) and was not expecting to do a hook turn so he most likely hit the brakes too hard and fell over.
We were naturally concerned with Yoshi but we knew that the Giant team would take care of him. The second support vehicle, Da Bai (大白), quickly sent Yoshi to the nearest hospital to seek treatment. With two crashes in a day, the mood was slightly dampened, especially with Yoshi’s injury, which was more serious than mine. But with the Giant team’s assurance that Yoshi was in good hands and they would update us on his condition, the rest of the group continued with our journey. We took a short break at 2:07pm, at the 85.8km mark, at a 7-Eleven convenience store at Jinlun.
After the break, we continued cycling along the coast. The rain had stopped and the ocean views were stunning. We paused to take photos at a scenic spot before stopping again at 3:14pm at the 98.3km mark, at Taimali (太麻里) for a half-hour break.
The weather was too nice so we went to the beach to chill. The beach was filled with pebbles and we sat there for a while to absorb the beauty of the scenery before us. After a long and tough day of riding, it felt great to be able to slow things down and just enjoy the calming sounds of waves lapping the shore.
Upon resuming our ride, we tackled another two small hills before reaching our hotel, Toyugi Hot Spring Resort & Spa (東遊季溫泉渡假村), at Zhiben at 4:32pm. My Strava showed that we had cycled 112.61km today, with an elevation gain of 1,124m. This would be the third longest distance and greatest elevation gain among the entire nine days of cycling, making this the toughest day overall. But despite my fall and injury, this was my favourite day of cycling. It was the toughest in terms of the climbs and elevation gain, but the scenery was spectacular because we had both mountain and ocean views. This was what I hoped for when I signed up for the trip.
Today’s route and scenery were much better than the big cities and towns of the previous five days, which had heavy traffic and frequent traffic stops. The climbs were really tough but climbing together as a group at a steady pace made it manageable as we knew we were in it together. Honestly, it didn’t feel as tiring today compared to yesterday mainly because of the weather. It was cool and cloudy in the morning when we negotiated the climbs, which helped a lot. The sun came out when we hit the coast, which made the views even better and provided an extra morale boost.
Upon reaching the hotel, we did our cool down as usual. However, as our Dabai support vehicle was not here yet (it was used to send Yoshi to the hospital), we did not have access to our luggage because they were all in the van. Hence, we only had our small day bags but didn’t have any clean clothes to change into. After checking in to our rooms, I showered carefully then lounged in bed while AT and TH went to the 7-Eleven store nearby to buy me some plasters.
It was only after completing the day’s ride that the fatigue and pain set in. The wounds on my knee seemed to be recovering well as the skin appeared crusty and less raw. Even though the injury at my right hip was not the most serious, my hip felt sore and it was the most painful, maybe because it received the heaviest impact when I fell. I could walk slowly but winced slightly whenever I had to climb steps.
After Da Bai finally arrived at the hotel, we changed into our clean clothes and went for dinner at around 6:30pm. The Giant team updated us that Yoshi’s injury was not too serious even though he lost a couple of teeth from the fall. He was being hospitalised for the night for observation, but he was otherwise in good condition. We felt more relieved upon hearing the news.
After dinner, a few of us walked to the 7-Eleven store for Round 2 because somehow, tonight’s dinner wasn’t as satisfying as the previous days. We bought the chilli beef flavoured instant noodles, which came with chunks of real beef cubes. After eating our fill, we went back to the hotel to use the hot spring.
Zhiben is one of the popular hot spring areas in Taiwan, with several hot spring resorts located in the tranquil valley at Zhiben Forest Recreation Area. Toyugi boasts large indoor and outdoor hot spring pools, a sauna, bubble massage beds and massage fountains, all designed to leave you feeling relaxed and refreshed, perfect after a long day of cycling. Of course, my injuries meant that I could not enjoy the hot spring fully, which was sad because I was very much looking forward to it. While the others tried out all the different pools and facilities, I could only dip my legs into the water, up to just below my knee. At least my calf muscles got a good soak.
After spending about an hour at the hot spring, we went back to our rooms to rest. I had to bandage my wounds properly so as not to stain the sheets, and avoid sleeping on my right side, where all my injuries were. I only fell asleep around midnight. It was a long but eventful and fulfilling day of cycling in Taiwan. Hope the remaining three days will be great as well, but without any more falls please!