TAIWAN BIKE RIDES

SANDIAOLING TUNNEL BIKEWAY

Since it reopened in 2022, Sandiaoling Tunnel has become a top spot for people wanting a short half-day adventure from Taipei.

BADE CYCLE LOOP (八德區自行車O型)

Taoyuan’s Bade District is perhaps best known for its bald pine grove–a tourist trap that fills up with Instagrammers when the leaves turn deep orange, but there’s more to this area than seasonally picturesque trees. There are grand old houses, odd shrines, and living relics of a lifestyle long-since forgotten in the cities.

TAITUNG FOREST PARK (臺東森林公園)

Hemmed in between the broad expanse of Beinan River and the city of Taitung sits the quiet oasis of Taitung Forest Park. Its leafy lanes and tranquil wetlands make for a great half day retreat.

TAITUNG MOUNTAIN OCEAN BIKEWAY (臺東山海鐵馬道)

Taitung Ocean Mountain Bikeway was designed as a great loop encircling Taitung City. It was meant to take riders along the old railway line, over the river, past huge mountains, before looping back to bring you along the seafront. Sadly, only a portion of the original trail is still there, but that doesn’t mean you can’t forge your own route!

TAMSUI RIVER CYCLE PATH

The west bank of the Tamsui River makes an excellent short excursion. To get the most out of your adventure make sure you leave time to enjoy some of Tamsui’s street food and savour the sunset.

XIMEN TO XINDIAN RIVER CYCLE PATH (新店溪自行車道)

img_8665 As with almost all of Taipei’s large rivers, the Xindian River has well-maintained cycle paths stretching for many kilometres along its banks. This gentle ride upriver towards Bitan is a great way to stretch your legs and enjoy scenery that becomes more and more dramatic the further south you go.

JINGMEI RIVER CYCLE PATH (景美溪自行車道)

A short and simple river bikeway which can be combined with a trip up to Maokong. For the more adventurous, you can turn this into an all day, three-modes of transportation trip by then walking down from Maokong via Yinhe Cave.

SANCHONG AND LUZHOU CYCLE LOOP

If you look at Sanchong and Luzhou on a map, they seem to form an island, cut off from the rest of Taipei by rivers and parks. Luckily for the residents of this area, these unbuilt-up spaces house a great network of cycle paths where you can enjoy either a good bit of exercise or a laid back bike ride depending on your mood and energy levels.

SHEZI ISLAND CYCLE PATH (社子島自行車道)

img_7550 This easy cycle route will show you around a less often visited nook of Taipei City. Jutting out between the Keelung and Danshui rivers, Shezi island has lots to offer avian aficionados. Those less interested in the birds can still enjoy the scenes of a quieter way of life.

BALI LEFT BANK CYCLE PATH

img_3162 A comfortable and straightforward ride along the banks of the Tamsui river all the way up to Bali. Join the casual strollers and serious cyclists as you ride through parks, past boats yards to Bali old street.

SUN MOON LAKE FULL CYCLE LOOP

For those wishing to experience all of Taiwan in a short time, you could do a lot worse than trying out this loop. As a microcosm of Taiwan it covers almost all the bases: grand temples, spectacular mountain scenery, aboriginal culture, bustling old streets and well crafted tourist experiences, (and of course sharing the road with motorists who view traffic rules as optional).

KEELUNG RIVER CYCLE PATH

Hop on a bike to explore the parks along the banks of Taipei’s Keelung river. Cycling is a great way to get around Taipei and the network of cycle paths through riverside parks offer plenty of interesting sights.

This is currently an unpaid side passion project and I will continue doing it just for the love of it, but of course if you like what I do and feel inclined to chip in a few dollars for transport and time then I would appreciate it immensely. You can find me on either Ko-fi or Buy Me a Coffee.