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Why you should attend the Taiwan Cycling Festival

This post is sponsored by the Taiwan Tourism Bureau.   

Pretty excited for the 2017 Taiwan Cycling Festival! It’s held each November in Taiwan! The Taiwan Cycling Festival is an annual event offering exciting challenges to all levels of riders.

Here are the major events in the festival:

Oct. 20: Taiwan King-of-the-Mountain (KOM) Challenge

Nov. 4-12: Formosa 900

Nov.11-12: Sun Moon Lake Come! Bike day tour

Biking in Taiwan can be as easy or as difficult as you want to make it. If you want a challenge, hit the mountains and cycle one of the cross island roads. If you want to take it a little easier, stick to biking the quiet roads of Taiwan’s east coast. There are so many choices for bike touring in Taiwan. Sun Moon Lake Bicycle Trail has been chosen by CNN-Go as one of the ten most beautiful bicycle trails in the world, Sun Moon Lake Bicycle Trail is famous for its unique natural environment, rich aboriginal cultures, well-preserved natural ecosystem, and famous cultural attractions (including Wenwu Temple, Xuanguang Temple, and Xuanzang Temple). Although the total length of the bike trail is only 30 km (18.6 miles), its steep hills make it a fun challenge on every bikers’ bucket list. A 968-kilometer round-Taiwan bike network was launched in 2015, with 122 rest stops spread along the route to facilitate hassle-free biking across the nation. The cycling network is further complemented by 12 in-place paths, as well as connections to railways and provincial highways. Expounding on its clear directions and accessible amenities, cyclists can easily complete a round-island tour of 1,200 kilometers in nine days.

A few things you shouldn’t miss during your cycling tour in Taiwan:

  1. A dip in one of Taiwan’s many hot springs.
  2. A visit to picturesque Sun Moon Lake (日月潭) – nestled at 762 m (2,500 ft) in the hills of Nantou County.
  3. A ride through Takoro Gorge – one of Asia’s most iconic cycling roads.
  4. A food-fest worthy of a hungry cyclist at any of Taiwan’s numerous night markets.