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2023 Tour of Taiwan  - Mike Larson 

Introduction 
I was fortunate to be included in the Cycling Taiwan Tour from 7 to 15 October 2023. This is otherwise known as the Tour de Taiwan. There were 78 total riders – almost 40% of them women. There were approximately 20 E-Bikes. All factories and offices were represented. There were 2 non-Taiwanese – me and my friend Tom, who has always wanted to visit Taiwan and see a little bit of SRAM. The full range of rider speed was also represented, anywhere from 20kph to 40kph and beyond. 

Hotels and Restaurants 
All the accommodation was very nice and clean. The restaurants were wonderful. The food was healthy and plentiful. Breakfast was buffet style at the hotels. Lunch was sit-down along the route. Dinner was usually sit-down at the hotel. A few dinners were “on our own” when we stayed in larger cities with plenty of dining options – a nice way to mix things up. 

Upon arriving at each hotel we were guided quickly to the bike storage area. From there we went to the hotel lobby to grab our luggage and room keys – we didn’t really “check in”. Everyone gathered for post ride stretching and general announcements concerning dinner arrangements and laundry location. I always had enough time to shower, do a little laundry and take a stroll for a quick beer before dinner. 

Giant Adventures support 
World class. None better. I’ve been on at least 25 supported group tours. Tom has been on at least 50. We both agreed that the support from Giant Adventures (GA) was the best we’ve experienced. The support on the route was so good we didn’t need maps or navigation tools. We just rode, ate, and laughed. GA handled all the logistics. 

GA provided one large luggage truck and three vans (white, gray, black) for on the route support. One van (white) had fresh fruit, snacks, water, electrolyte drinks, sunscreen, and our day bags. The day bags allowed us to change gear, shoes, kits all along the route without having to carry anything while on our bikes. Some riders took full advantage – changing gear at nearly every rest stop. One van (black) had a full bike-tool set-up and excellent mechanics. The third (gray) was the sweeper van, which also held additional day bags. All vans had racks to haul bikes for any tired riders riding in the vans (there were only a few). 

I never got an accurate count, but GA staff rode with us on the route. There was a route leader (not the ride leader Rui) who did his best to keep us contained, on the route, and safe. He was super diligent with hand signals and whistles. With the route leader were a handful of riders who would peel off to act as traffic cops when the route took us into cities or when the group fragmented. I wasn’t always at the front, so I got to appreciate the staff pointing out turns and signaling dangerous spots or construction obstacles (which were infrequent). 

Possibly GA’s biggest challenge was keeping us together while allowing faster riders to go fast. After the first day the route leader switched to an eBike so he could keep up with the speedy folks and contain them a little without being annoying. He was happy to allow folks to go off the front as long as he had a chance to describe the upcoming turns and stops. Of course the speedy folks had to wait longer at rest stops, but this did not seem to matter to anyone – giving them more time to change kits? 

Safety! Every ride segment, turn, stop, restart, and break was guided by safety as the overriding principle. Left turns through traffic were a particularly difficult challenge but GA handled even those with a simple method. Keeping the group together, even in several separated groups, provided safety in numbers. 

Each morning we were given a ride preview by Rui. He often spoke a few sentences in English for the benefit of Tom and me. The overview was captured on an erasable board that included segment lengths, climbs, rest stops, and sites of interest. After the ride preview (or was it before) we did our daily group stretches, then we hit the road. Nearly everyone took a pic of the overview board, so they had it handy on their phones during the day. 

Each rest stop also provided recycling options, so we kept our trash to a minimum. 

 

The Approach and Mindset 
This was not about finishing the ride each day – it was about enjoying each other, while riding and spending time together on the bike, during meals, and during breaks. I can’t recall being on an extended group trip where there was so much laughter and joking around – all day. I think the laughter will stick with me the longest. 

I joked with my friend Tom (mentioned earlier) about the number of times we each had our picture taken (50 times daily?). At the end of any major rest stop the ride leader arranged a group photo, with SRAM and ride banner included. The ride leader Rui (pronounced Ray) was also a professional photographer – so the arranging part of the group photos was fast, efficient, and effective. He went to great lengths to make this happen. He also leap-frogged us on the route to capture pics in special locations of each and every rider. 

Then there were the spontaneous photos – at nearly every traffic stop, while riding, and during breaks. If someone pulled you into their selfie, it was almost guaranteed that someone else would jump in, and then someone else, and then someone else. Result = lots of spontaneous group photos often with spectacular scenery as a backdrop. My dirty secret = I hardly took any photos; there was no need. 

We were also issued friendly dress code reminders for the next day’s ride. The options were SRAM Red jerseys, Green Taiwan jerseys, or free. Sadly I didn’t get this part of the memo, so I didn’t have a SRAM red jersey. On the free days I was set with my latest Velocio kits so I fit right in with the more fashion-forward riders (there are more of these folks than you might think). I’m not naming names, but one rider switched kits multiple times during most days, shoes included. Everyone on the ride knows who this is, but you’ll have to go on the next ride to find out who. 

The Route 
We rode for 9 days, covering a litle more than 900km. For one segment we rode the train in the interests of rider safety, to avoid heavy traffic and tunnels. The ride started in the parking lot of the ADC, proceeding counter clockwise around the approximate perimeter of the island. The ride was relatively flat for a country having almost 100 mountain peaks above 10,000 feet. The few significant climbs were of very reasonable grade and length, almost always with a rest stop before or after. 

The route included a great mix of urban and rural. The east side of the island was especially beautiful with great sweeping views of the Pacific. The direction (counter clockwise) was chosen so we were always adjacent to shoreline, placing us on the side of the road for unobstructed views and photos. The ocean was stunningly blue, and when taken in with lush vegetation it would have been easy to think I was in Hawai’i. The only downside were the seasonal headwinds on the east side, but in a group as large as ours, and with eBikes, it was manageable. We were not in a hurry so riding a little slower was a small compromise. Once we rounded the northern end of the island the seasonal winds were at our backs – making the last days of the ride very easy and fast. 

The breaks were frequent, and long. This is atypical of US/EU group tours, with few and short breaks. It took a couple of days to adjust to this riding style but I quickly came to appreciate and enjoy it. They breaks were always well placed and almost always in interesting cultural or scenic spots – with lots of healthy snacks. Often the snacks were supplemented with local specialties. The breaks were also spaced and timed to gather the entire group together throughout the day. This was a smart way to manage this large group when riding into the larger urban areas. It kept us together and kept us safe. It also enabled seamless and quick bike storage, luggage retrieval, and check-in. Last note on the breaks – there were always clean and plentiful restrooms. 

Road, bike lane, and bike path surfaces were phenomenal. I can’t recall a single instance of broken glass or litter. On busy traffic routes there was always a separate bike/scooter lane. Taiwan has come a long way with their bike infrastructure – surpassing most of the US and on parr with many bike-friendly EU countries. 

You can do the math – each day averaged ~100 km. Longest day was over 120 km. There were a handful of days just under 120 km, and a few in the 80 km range. It was a challenge to do this day-in, day-out for nine straight days with no rest day, even for the stronger riders. 

Taiwan Friends 
The best part of the ride – hanging out with friends in Taiwan while they are not at work. Even better, they were all on vacation! And they were very happy to be on vacation together. I’ve mentioned the group photos and laughter. Time to mention the random appearance of beer during each ride. Not a lot, but just enough to make it clear this was a vacation. 

I’ve spent a lot of time visiting Taiwan, and even lived there for a while back in the late 90s. But I only went on one vacation trip with my Taiwan friends. This was my second such vacation. I was surprised at the difference in vibe. It’s one thing to hang out after work, it’s another to vacation together. I forgot who I was within the company because I was treated as just another fun-seeking guest and friend. I can’t claim to understand all there is to know about Taiwan SRAMmies, but I experienced a new level of understanding and appreciation for their warmth, playfulness, hospitality, and pride in their homeland. 

If you’re wondering “should I go?” I think you know my answer – yes. I plan to go again. 
 

Support from SRAM 
This ride has been growing in numbers for SRAM, due in-part to the company supporting and subsidizing it. I hope the company continues to do this far into the future. I can’t imagine a better team builder. Thanks Jeffrey W!