Today's ride starts out the same as
a ride does anywhere. I grab some (clean-ish) riding clothes, make
sure that my essential tools and snack are still in my Camelbak,
give my tires a quick squeeze, smear on some sunscreen, grab my
helmet and gloves and head out the door. Almost normal … totally
normal really, except that I can't fill up my Camelbak at the sink.
No, in Taipei, we're warned that it is unsafe to drink tap water.
Not being a fan of drinking recently boiled water while riding,
I'm forced to stop at one of the plentiful convenience stores on
the way to the trail. Easy enough, just not as easy as the tap that
I grew accustomed to drinking out of over the first twenty-four
years of my life in Canada. Speaking of Canada, there is one other
difference in my prep for the ride - as Taiwan's hot January sun
has pushed the mercury up to 25 C today, I certainly don't need
pants, a balaclava or even a jacket for that matter. Instead I simply
buy a larger bottle of water.
Through the busy city streets I ride, working the well-worn path
from my house towards the trailhead. Today I take the main road,
slightly shorter than the more scenic, motor-vehicle free river
pathway. I'm late (again) and need to make up some time. After 15
minutes of riding in traffic, followed by a 1.5 km climb, I meet
Geoff and Stephen. While I've been sweating my way across the city,
they've been sitting and enjoying the sun. Today we're riding the
Backyard Trail, the trail that starts and finishes only metres from
the unofficial headquarters of the FFTA.
Today's ride is front-loaded with climbing - the 1.5 km initial
climb was just the beginning. We gain more than 400 metres in elevation,
finishing with a steep hike up a roped hiking path. The climb feels
long but takes less than 30 minutes from FFTA HQ. At the top, we
find ourselves just below the peak of Monkey Mountain, with a clear
view of one of Taipei's many suburbs far below. Just over 10 km
from my own home, and not more than a few kilometres from the dense
urban jungle below, we find ourselves immersed in the very vivid
Formosa, a true jungle.
Seconds after the climb finishes, one of Northern Taiwan's most
intense technical descents begins. Friction-free green rocks and
roots welcome our wheels, inducing considerable nervous tension.
These innocent looking slippery devils patiently wait for riders
who make the mistake of trying to brake on top of them, instantly
facilitating a quick and painful slip-and-slide to the ground. Hikers
are just as susceptible to their unforgiving attitude. Uneven rocky
drops are interspersed with scattered rocks and great stretches
of wild, rideable trail. Predominantly downhill, gravity powers
us through undulating terrain without much pedalling, though we
must continually scan the trail ahead for evil green danger. This,
my first ride on the top section of the Backyard Trail, is a blast.
Doing my best to keep up with Stephen and Geoff, I find myself in
awe of the trail and the surroundings. After three years in Taiwan,
I sometimes feel like I've grown accustomed to my unusual surroundings.
This trail again shows me that there are always new surprises to
be found. The beauty and pleasure of riding through a bamboo and
palm tree lined trail in the jungle is overwhelming. A quick thought
about the -35 C weather currently keeping Canada in the deep freeze
makes me appreciate these foreign surroundings even more. I have
not yet ridden a bamboo or palm lined trail in Canada!
This well travelled hiking trail has seen very few mountain bikers.
As such, some sections pose a seemingly impossible challenge to
riders. Fresh off the boat from Western Canada, Stephen has the
confidence and vision to pick (create) lines that neither Geoff
nor I are interested in pursuing. Occasional pauses to improve the
trail or perfect a section served as our only breathers during our
otherwise torrid assault of the Backyard Trail. Like most mountain
trails in Taiwan, this one is packed with bone- and bike-jarring
punches, most commonly delivered through the abundant randomly sized
and placed boulders. After one particularly rough section, I noticed
by back wheel was making an odd noise. I expected to find a flat
tire, but instead found that the quick-release had wiggled itself
dangerously loose, meaning I had completed the last section with
an unanchored wheel. I thank the engineers at Bontrager who are
responsible for my wheel staying in place even without a tightened
quick-release.
The trail is divided into two sections by a brief road ride. Feeling
great after my first descent of the top section, I look forward
to my second look at the bottom section. The bottom turns out to
be much drier than the top, though much more difficult than I remember.
Again, more of the same style of trail with twisting and winding
singletrack covered and surrounded by rocky jungle. Lush isn't really
a strong enough word to describe the vegetation.
Getting to and from the trail on the road is a necessary evil for
riding in Taipei. Though these commutes account for much of the
total distance that I cover in a given ride, they are quickly forgotten.
My passion for riding lies off-road … the challenges offered
are sometimes more than I can handle, but I never feel bad after
exercising my fat tires. I try to think of words fitting of today's
ride … fast, rocky downhill … irregular trail with countless
surprises … confidence and traction gained and lost in a heartbeat
… seat down, hands on the brakes, constantly shifting weight,
fully alert at all times … hold on tight and ride like hell!
As the trail nears completion, we find ourselves walking through
yet another very local farming operation. An old Taiwanese man greets
us from the small courtyard in front of his even smaller house.
As he finishes his locally grown Mandarin orange, he invites us
to take a break. These friendly greetings are so common on our rides
around Taiwan that we almost brush it aside without a thought. However,
after a few moments we change our minds and take up the man's offer.
Within minutes, he has set up a table and chairs, has fresh tea
brewing and sets out plates full of snacks. We're warned that if
we don't eat plenty of sweet snacks with the tea, the tea's alcohol-like
effects will render us drunk. The warning wasn't really necessary
though as we three hungry riders quickly devoured the assorted sweets.
Entertained by our host smoking "Long Life" cigarettes
while coughing, and his small fleet of clothed dogs, we quickly
feel at home … well, maybe not at home but certainly comfortable.
After nearly an hour of conversations, translations and minor misunderstandings,
we extend our thanks and promise to stop again next time.
Sluggish after our Taiwan style four o'clock tea and crumpets,
we hit the trail to finish off the ride. The ride concludes with
us passing through our third temple of the day - smiles from the
local nuns suggest that they are just as intrigued by us as we are
by them. Only minutes later, we find ourselves back at Geoff's doorstep.
We've gone door-to-door with a little more than an hour-and-a-half
of riding. In that time, we've climbed and descended a mountain,
seen all sorts of small tropical wildlife and interesting views
of the city below, ridden through two temples and walked through
a third, been treated to some tasty snacks by a friendly farmer
and been roughed up by an unforgiving, inspiring trail.
An average ride? It seems like it, as I've been riding here for
many years - by now, I've spent more time riding in Asia than I
have in my home country. But I wonder … is it normal to carry
your mountain bike up a steep hiking trail? Maybe. Is it ordinary
to stop your bike only inches away from a large poisonous spider
and her web? Possibly. Is it common to ride through a tropical jungle
in January? I suppose it could be. Do most people ride their bikes
through a Confucian temple with a fresh coat of red New Year's Paint
still heavy in the air? Ummm … probably not. Do most riders
have the pleasure of being warmly welcomed into the home of a farmer
while riding across his front lawn? Definitely not. Do most people
living in a megatropolis have world class riding in their backyard?
Highly doubtful. But for me, this is just a typical Sunday afternoon
mountain bike ride in Taipei. In writing this, I've reminded myself
to never take such a pleasure for granted. |
