Hi everyone, would like to recount and share my bicycle touring trip around Taiwan's Cycling Route No.1 (环岛). I completed this trip in March 2025, and would definitely recommend this route, even for first-timers!
Here is the route, I completed the route anticlockwise, and thankfully had strong tailwinds for the first few days!
Taipei > Hsinchu > Wuqi District > Changhua City > Chiayi > Tainan > Kaohsiung > Checheng > Chishang > Ruisui > Hualien > Dongshan station by train > Fulong > Taipei
I rented a touring bike from Mathewbike in Taipei, came with all the bells and whistles I needed, all my gear was in the rented panniers. Really friendly staff, note that they only opened at 12pm.
Regarding accommodation, I stayed predominantly in homestays and motels. Since it was my first bike tour, I chose to book the accommodation in person, or on the day itself. Some motels even have their own garage, which I thought was pretty cool. However, I probably could have saved more money if I booked the accommodation beforehand. Some motels had their own washing machine, but sometimes I had to go look for a coin laundry. I did my laundry every 2 days.
On food, I absolutely love Taiwanese food!! Meals were affordable, especially in smaller towns, and if you’re planning to tour Taiwan, make sure to try beef noodles and Taiwanese 蛋饼 (Egg Roll). As someone who loves milk tea and tea in general, I had a cup everyday, prices about 40-60 TWD. I was especially fortunate to be in Taiwan during the strawberry season, and stopped at a strawberry farm along the route for fresh strawberry milk and ice cream. Convenience stores (7-11) were plenty along the route and generally had toilets, which was convenient. Please try the Taiwanese sports drink 舒跑 (Super Supau), similar to Pocari sweat. There were many night markets, even in smaller cities, and my favorites were clams and pork buns!
The most useful/ notable piece of gear I bought was my Garmin Edge Explore 2. Though you could probably get away with using your phone for navigation, I felt more at ease with the bike computer. The weather varied greatly during my trip, from as cold as 18°C to 30°C, and I was not prepared for the cold haha. I faced a few days with heavy rain, needing to dry my shoes in the motel afterwards. Would waterproof shoes be wise?
Regarding road conditions, Route No1 was marked out very clearly with many signs. Drivers were generally courteous, and navigation was simple, as most days I was only heading in 1 direction with few turns. Sometimes the route would be a dedicated bike path, a shared lane with scooters, and occasionally sharing the main road. It was mostly OK, and other motorcyclists and scooters are generally aware of your presence and treat you like a slow moving scooter haha.
The highlight and most memorable part of the trip was definitely the descent from Shouka! Shouka Cyclist Rest Stop (壽卡鐵馬驛站) the downhill ride was super exhilarating after a long and arduous climb. Some challenges I faced were stray dogs, punctures and many many traffic lights in the western cities. The Taiwanese people I encountered were very hospitable and kind. I had a restaurant owner give me a drink during my meal on a hot day, friendly aunties on a walk giving me recommendations on the next city, and many motorcyclists, cyclists, and other strangers shouting “加油” (similar to keep it up!) I met other cyclists along the way during the trip, and shared stories and meals together.
As a first time bike tourer, this trip was nothing short of magical. Months later and I yearn to go back to Taiwan to cycle. I grew a lot as a person through this trip, and would recommend anyone thinking about doing route 1 to give it a try! Unfortunately I skipped the Sun Moon Lake and did not see the Taroko Gorge, but I’ll be back. Although I’m not the most experienced, I’ll try to answer any questions.
by Radiant-Fuel7492