Bits and Pieces: bicycle

Showing posts with label bicycle. Show all posts

2012/05/27

West Coast 101, 2012/05/27

My first time to attend a cycling event. The event has 10,000 people registered, people in Taiwan are really crazy about cycling!
Riding in a peloton is an amazing experience. Just keep an eye on the guys around me and we can easily ride at 40+ km/h without much effort.
Traffic control is very cool, there were police at every intersection for the event and we almost always get green lights. This is not something we can get in our daily life and it causes the illusion that we are very important people. :)
Going for a long bike ride with father-in-law can be a great bonding experience.
All the time I spent on bike this year paid off quite nicely. It took ~3.5hr for me to complete the ~100km ride and I feel great afterwards. Probably can try a century next time.

Getting ready to go. Ann is very kind and insisted to drive us there at 5AM.

On the way back, thanks to the kind person who provided this picture.

CP is right behind me.

A cute souvenir from the event.

Because the event was organized by the Hsinchu Post Office, the certificate for finishing the ride is actually a sheet of stamps. Very cool!

2011/09/12

Here is my brilliant calculation when I found myself in the middle of nowhere and started to wonder how I ever going to get home against the crazy headwind and blazing sun:

(i) Although the trip is 114 km, because I am looking at the big picture here, it is not necessary to concern about the details (such as that pesky 4 km). So, the trip is only about 110 km.
(ii) The last 30 km is along a pleasant bike path that I know like the back of my hand, so that does not really count. With this tiny adjustment, the trip is now 110 - 30 = 80 km (hey, that's nowhere close to 100 km!)
(iii) After I got out of the bed and before I realized what I committed myself to do this morning, I already rode 34 km, so there is only 80 - 34 = 46 km to go.
(iv) If I plan a short break halfway, there is only 46 /2 = 23 km to go before food/drink (and possibly a comfy chair).
(v) 23 km? That's only about half of my usual evening ride! What a piece of cake, of course I can do it! :)

2011/06/19

Not a baby anymore

Two milestones for Alyssa:

1. Yet again, she claimed to have outgrown her bike. I can't even remember how many times this has happened. This time, she took over the 20" folding bike that Ann and I were sharing, so technically, she is adult-sized now.
2. On our family ride today, instead of going with Ann by car, she rode 4 km with me in Taipei's crazy street traffic to get to the bike path. I am amazed by how well she managed her first ride on the street.

2011/04/30

Vitamin supplement

Exactly what I need to improve my health:

A new and shiny KHS Vitamin D road bike!

2011/04/12

Keelung River after dark

Follow the signs:

Fun begins here:

The long road ahead:

Taipei 101:

Free light shows every night:

Quiet bike rental station:

Empty boat:

A small temple beside the bike path:

The Miramar Ferris Wheel, looks like a giant firework in the night sky:

A big and impressive bridge:

A small and charming wooden bridge:

A sleepy dragon:

2011/04/10

Family ride, then and now

Amazing how much has changed in 4 years. When we lived in Athens, our "family ride" involves 2 bikes + 3 child seats:

Apparently the bike seats we got were pretty good, see how David loves them all:

Fast forward to 2011, now it take 10 wheels to get all 5 of us on the road:

The little dude made it to the 5.5k mark this time:

The girls got a bit further with me:

Oh, and this is what happened on our way to dinner:

2011/04/09

40k

Rode 40 km along the river in under 2 hours this evening. The weather was a bit windy (18 km/h) but that didn't bother me too much. The last time I rode this far in one go was about 20 years ago (before I have a motorcycle). Very happy that I am gradually getting back in shape.