Taipei riverside bike path news

[Poagao]

I rode out to Taipei Zoo from Bitan last Sunday, all on the riverside bike paths thanks to the new section along the Jingmei Stream by Shixin University. Very nice. The guys at the kiosk near the zoo helped me figure out what part of the bike was rubbing on the tire and gave me some water and snacks. The official opening of the new section is this weekend I think.

[headhonchoII]

I think you could do that previously too, just that they spent a longtime renovating the riverside going up to Muzha.

[Poagao]

I'm pretty sure there was no bicycle path on the stretch near Shi-hsin University before. You had to use regular roads to get to Muzha.

[Mucha Man]

No path before. This is a welcome addition to a great network.

[Jaboney]

Where can I find a decent map of the paths? I live near Miramar in Neihu, and I'm rollerblading to work in Nankang (Nangang) -- weather and schedule permitting -- and taking Sprout out and about in the stroller. Also, the Pixie and Sprout will soon be back in Taoyuan for a month, and I'd like to skate in and out.

[tommy525]

Thought I would update this thread with some new good news.

The Taipei bike paths run southwest to Yingge on the west and east bank of the Dahan and soon there will be a completed bridge across the Dahan River from just south of the pottery museum to the Sanxia side. A small road that is being prettified with then lead under the highway and quickly to the 7 spur route tio Sanmin. This means the north cross will soon be accessible from Taipei along bike routes, avoiding all the shit from the roads.

From the bridge it's about 25km to the eastern section of Shimen Reservoir so this would also make a nice day trip as it's just a couple hours from Taipei to Yingge. There are a couple coffee shops with big decks overlooking the reservoir which would make for a great rest stop before turning round.

There are also bike paths being built along the river through Sanxia which will connect with the Dahan stream trails but on the east bank. The trails in Sanxia continue past the old street area south for a couple km. This puts you nicely out of town and just a short distance from the turnoff for the 7 spur to Sanmin. When completed this should be the fastest and most traffic free route from Taipei to the North Cross.

this all sounds exciting. we never had any of that stuff when I was growin up. Taiwan really is concentrating on making a lot of great bike paths all over. Good to hear.

[lostinasia]

Where can I find a decent map of the paths? I live near Miramar in Neihu.

You're in luck - go to the Miramar in Neihu! The tourist info booth (in the atrium between the two buildings, with the fountains) almost always has cycling maps. There are both Chinese and English versions, but if you know Taipei at all the Chinese one is pretty good anyway. For both versions the map itself is bilingual.

I assume the Flower Expo stretch is still closed?

Inquiry: how feasible is it to make a "big circle" around downtown Taipei, sticking mostly to the cycling paths? It looks possible to take the city streets from, roughly, the Raohe night market/ Rainbow Bridge, heading southwest towards Gongguan. Possible, however, doesn't mean pleasant. (I'd rather go from Raohe to Taipei Zoo, but that goes through a tunnel that I very much doubt is bicycle friendly.)

[Mucha Man]

Where can I find a decent map of the paths? I live near Miramar in Neihu.

You're in luck - go to the Miramar in Neihu! The tourist info booth (in the atrium between the two buildings, with the fountains) almost always has cycling maps. There are both Chinese and English versions, but if you know Taipei at all the Chinese one is pretty good anyway. For both versions the map itself is bilingual.

I assume the Flower Expo stretch is still closed?

Inquiry: how feasible is it to make a "big circle" around downtown Taipei, sticking mostly to the cycling paths? It looks possible to take the city streets from, roughly, the Raohe night market/ Rainbow Bridge, heading southwest towards Gongguan. Possible, however, doesn't mean pleasant. (I'd rather go from Raohe to Taipei Zoo, but that goes through a tunnel that I very much doubt is bicycle friendly.)

You can also pick up a map at the main train station visitor centre.

As to making a big circle, yes, compeltely doable and I have done it from the zoo to the Raohe area. But you'll need to stick to the north side of the Keelung (Jilong) River until almost Shezi island and then head south. It's all nice and especially the section along the Xindian River (either north or south side) is lovely, with wide grassy and treed parks, big stretches of wetlands and from the south side views up to Guanyinshan and Yangming Shan.

[Mucha Man]

Thought I would update this thread with some new good news.

The Taipei bike paths run southwest to Yingge on the west and east bank of the Dahan and soon there will be a completed bridge across the Dahan River from just south of the pottery museum to the Sanxia side. A small road that is being prettified with then lead under the highway and quickly to the 7 spur route tio Sanmin. This means the north cross will soon be accessible from Taipei along bike routes, avoiding all the shit from the roads.

From the bridge it's about 25km to the eastern section of Shimen Reservoir so this would also make a nice day trip as it's just a couple hours from Taipei to Yingge. There are a couple coffee shops with big decks overlooking the reservoir which would make for a great rest stop before turning round.

There are also bike paths being built along the river through Sanxia which will connect with the Dahan stream trails but on the east bank. The trails in Sanxia continue past the old street area south for a couple km. This puts you nicely out of town and just a short distance from the turnoff for the 7 spur to Sanmin. When completed this should be the fastest and most traffic free route from Taipei to the North Cross.

this all sounds exciting. we never had any of that stuff when I was growin up. Taiwan really is concentrating on making a lot of great bike paths all over. Good to hear.

It's really a great system. That said, what I wrote above doesn't seem to be entirely accurate. The bridge past Yingge turned out to be a water pipe I believe though the paths do continue south from Yingge past Daxi and there is a bridge much further down. I rode this a month or so: from Bitan all the way to Shimen Reservoir, with only the last 3km not on bike path. Beautiful ride.

For those who haven't explored the southern parts of the bike system I implore you to do so. South of Huajiang Bridge (where the Dahan and Xindian Rivers meet to form the Danshui) head south to Sanxia. The path is wide, with adjacent parkland sometimes .5km wide. Lots of excellent views, chances to ride through wetlands, and some lovely parks. If you want to pop over to Yingge and continue south it's best to do that near the start at the Xinhai Bridge. The connection further south is not ready yet.

One of my favorite short loops is to ride from Bitan to the Xiulang Bridge then pop over to the west bank of the Xindian. The city has been working on this area for a while and the rough sections now have smooth tarmac. The views across the river are truly beautiful in many sections as there are big stretched of wetland filled with white egrets and not many high buildings in the background. Also many wide stretches with high grass fields blowing in the wind, well tended vegetable gardens, and restored wetlands.

At the Huajiang Bridge I cross and then return along the Xindian River on the north-east bank.

[lostinasia]

how feasible is it to make a "big circle" around downtown Taipei, sticking mostly to the cycling paths? It looks possible to take the city streets from, roughly, the Raohe night market/ Rainbow Bridge, heading southwest towards Gongguan. Possible, however, doesn't mean pleasant. (I'd rather go from Raohe to Taipei Zoo, but that goes through a tunnel that I very much doubt is bicycle friendly.)

As to making a big circle, yes, compeltely doable and I have done it from the zoo to the Raohe area. But you'll need to stick to the north side of the Keelung (Jilong) (Jilong) River until almost Shezi island and then head south.

Do you mean I can ride from Raohe to the zoo? Looking at the cycling map, if downtown Taipei is a clock, it seems like there's a gap between 2:00 (Raohe) and 4:00 (Taipei Zoo). The Xinyi Expressway does link the two, but that's not any good for cycling, is it?

What I'm wondering is if I can make it a "round trip": go south from Danshui, east along Keelung (Jilong) (Jilong) River to Raohe, south from Raohe, presumably through the city, to Gongguan or - less likely - the zoo, then back up to Danshui along the Danshui River. I'd make a complete clockwise circle around Taipei.

I often go from Danshui to Raohe - and back. Or from Danshui to Xindian - and back. All fine, but loops are somehow more satisfying than there-and-back journeys.

Thanks for the Yingge pointers. I'll be doing that next sunny day I have a chance to get out for a while.

Of course, what I really need to do is get into the mountains as well, but it's so nice not worrying about traffic.