Rolling race start (biking, Asia, Taiwan, Neverstop, YangJin P Highway Challenge)

cold + wet + 76 kilometers + 2,200 meters climbing + 5 hours = NeverStop

January 17, 2010  |   Filed under: Biking  |   Posted by:

It all started last October or so when a friend asked, “hey you want to enter a race around Yangming mountain.” Sure, I replied.

Looking back, I must’ve been smoking the ganga weed that day.

I didn’t know that I’d be ever so thankful for new winter biking clothes because of the cold, rain and ever present in your face wind.

1st rest stopOr, how I would mentally vaporize bikers who couldn’t decide whether they’re going to go fast or slow or where to ride in the traffic lane when climbing or descending.

Or, how I would yell at the the driver of an $ 80,000 dollar, road blocking Porsche Cayenne to move their arse so I could go faster down the Jinshan-金山 side of Yangjin Highway-陽金公路.

Or, how my frozen fingers and knees would cause me to ride wide into mud, almost hit concrete barriers and come very close to flying off the side of the hill when I couldn’t control my braking on a slick hairpin turn in coming down Fonggueizuei-風貴嘴.

Or, how cold, dripping wet and bombed out I would feel coming up the last few hundred vertical meters to the finish line at Lengshueikeng-冷水坑. That road had more turns into hills than any I’ve ever ridden before.

It. Was. Demoralizing.

Have we started yet?Of course, we can’t forget the 20-something kid that literally drove into me while turning right. Boy did I have a few choice words for him after keeping myself upright, coming to a stop, turning around and glaring at him while yelling. I even have a keepsake of the cars silver paint on my left shoe.

Proof: I rode the NeverStop YangJin P Highway Challenge in under 5 hoursStill, despite the suck, this was a fun, mentally and physically challenging ride made just under my 5 hour goal for 76 kilometers and 2,200 meters of climbing with my friends… a bit behind me.

So, would I ride this route again? Yes, on a dry weekday morning.

Race Results

Bike Route

Ride Photos

NeverStop Websites

Update January 20

  • Added two photos
  • Add race results

Update January 22

  • Added three photos

Related Posts

8 Responses to cold + wet + 76 kilometers + 2,200 meters climbing + 5 hours = NeverStop

  1. Todd
    January 18, 2010 - 9:08 AM

    Looks like a great route!

    Reply
  2. Michael
    January 18, 2010 - 3:33 PM

    Mr. Wang, 王先生, posted photos at https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=6520a4c89bce7430&id=6520A4C89BCE7430%21287. You might have to login with Windows Live though to view them.

    Mr. Wang is wearing the blue helmet, riding partner Datou is in yellow.

    Thank you for sharing these Mr. Wang. Great job finishing the challenge.

    Reply
  4. Jack Chen
    January 19, 2010 - 1:50 AM

    Nice! I didn’t realize there’re races like this in Taiwan. I am hoping the next time I’m back there to do something similar, albeit on a rental bike.

    Re: “silver paint”, does that mean the road is not closed to motorists on a race like this? That’s just nuts.

    Reply
    • Michael
      January 19, 2010 - 9:01 AM

      Jack,

      Check out the NeverStop website for a list of the challenge rides throughout the year in Taiwan.

      Next, these races are on the open road in general. Some traffic guides, volunteer taxi drivers, direct you in hopefully the correct direction. Sometimes the spectators will tell you the correct way when the traffic guide is waving you ahead blindly.

      Besides the traffic guides, scooter and motorcycle cops travel up and down the route trying to keep folks orderly.

      Regarding the car turning into me, it’s not uncommon here in Taiwan and in fact NeverStop has a 4-5 lines on their home page of what’s needed to submit your medical costs for reimbursement. Furthermore, I normally know to ride on the left side of the right traffic lane to keep myself visible. However, with a bit of oncoming traffic, I moved over to overcome the car that turned into me. More than likely, I surprised the driver by being there suddenly.

      As long as I stay upright and can ride on, I’m content to move on.

      Anyways, it was a day of experiences that I can look back upon with a smile, knowing I did it, survived without any scars and did better than 80% of the other riders.

      Michael

      Reply
  5. Michael
    January 19, 2010 - 10:20 AM

    More photos

    * http://photo.xuite.net/lin9343
    * http://www.wretch.cc/blog/ruby0502007/12777470
    * This guy kept riding after crashing when going down hill on a tight hairpin near 北28 and still put in a 4:30 finish before going to the hospital for a broken collarbone – http://kevinworker.blogspot.com/2010/01/117-neverstop-p.html
    * More cute girls – http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/jimmy63723/article?mid=10026
    *
    * http://nicheyquan.blogspot.com/2010/01/neverstop-p2010-0117.html
    * http://misgary.pixnet.net/blog/post/26314158
    * http://blog.yam.com/daw731/article/26462227

    The final rider, 張開昭, crossed the finish line after starting 10 hours and 15 minutes before. Congratulations on sticking it out and completing the NeverStop Challenge.

    Reply
  7. Michael
    January 22, 2010 - 9:28 AM

    Datou found these for me. Thank you!

    Michael’s picture:
    * http://www.flickr.com/photos/fei0518/4283502455/
    –> at the finish point where you received the certification

    *
    *
    –> at 天祥寶塔 (a Buddha temple, just about 1km before the second food station)

    * http://www.flickr.com/photos/45443559@N06/4287988950/
    * http://www.flickr.com/photos/45443559@N06/4287247953/
    –> these photos must be taken at the finish line because you look exhausted, haha!

    Reply

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