The Golden Age of Taiwanese Road Cycling: The Cycling Craze from the 2000s to Today

If you told someone in 2003 that you rode a road bike, most people probably wouldn’t even know what a road bike was. Today, Taiwan’s cycling community has over 2 million active riders, the annual “Taiwan Cycling Around the Island” attracts tens of thousands of participants, and mountain roads are packed with riders in brightly colored jerseys on weekends. How exactly did Taiwan’s golden age of cycling come about?

Early 2000s: The Budding Stage

Taiwan’s Global Position in the Bicycle Industry

Before understanding the popularization of cycling, it’s important to understand Taiwan’s special position in the global bicycle industry:

Metric	Figure	Description
Bicycle export volume	Top 3 globally	Dominated by Giant, Merida
ODM/OEM share	Over 80% of brands rely on Taiwanese manufacturing	Specialized, Trek, Cannondale
Carbon fiber technology	World-class	Taiwan produces the best carbon fiber frames
Component supply chain	Second only to Japan’s Shimano	Taiwan has a complete component industry

Ironically, Taiwan manufactured the world’s best bicycles, yet domestic ridership had long been lackluster.

Turning Points: Several Key Events

2001: Alishan Cycling Race
The hosting of a mountain cycling race showed Taiwan the possibilities of mountain riding.

2004: Tour de Taiwan
A UCI-sanctioned professional race arrived, giving Taiwan its first real exposure to top-tier road cycling.

2007: Giant’s Local Marketing Strategy in Taiwan
Giant began actively promoting cycling culture in Taiwan, hosting events, opening flagship stores, and expanding its service network.

2009-2014: The Explosive Growth Period

Two Landmark Events

1. The Cycling Craze (2010-2012)
A wave of “YouBike (predecessor of UBike)” and road bike fever swept across Taiwan. Road bike shops in Taipei, Taichung, and other cities were bustling, with high-end models requiring waiting lists.

2. The Rise of Wuling
The Wuling section of Provincial Highway 14A (elevation 3,275m, the highest road in Taiwan) became the “holy land” for Taiwanese riders:

• Hundreds of road bikes climbing the slope every weekend
• Social media photos of ride records spreading widely
• “Conquering Wuling” became a must-achieve goal for every serious road cyclist

What Factors Drove This Boom?

Factor	Description
Rise of social media	The best platform for showing off achievements and scenery
Rise of the middle class	Increased disposable income, pursuit of a healthy lifestyle
Round-island culture	“Cycling around Taiwan” became a symbol of inspiration
Bike accessibility	Entry-level carbon bikes dropped to NT$50,000-80,000
Chain bike shop expansion	Giant and Merida flagship stores opened across the country

The Uniqueness of Round-Island Culture

The Social Significance of Cycling Around Taiwan

Cycling around Taiwan (approximately 1,100-1,300 km) holds a special place in Taiwanese culture:

• Not just a sporting event, but a life milestone
• “Cycling around the island” after high school or college graduation is a rite of passage for many young people
• Highly praised by society, almost equivalent to a symbol of positive character
• Extensively covered and sponsored by businesses and media

Why cycle around the island?
Taiwan is an island, and cycling around it gives a sense of completeness—you circle this land, getting to know your homeland in the most intimate way possible.

The Evolution of Round-Island Cycling

Period	Format
Before the 1990s	Extremely few adventurers
2000s	Touring bikes and mountain bikes for round-island trips
2010s	Road bike round-island trips became common, time reduced from 30 days to 9 days
2020s	Individual speed record challenges (e.g., completing the loop in just over 2 days)

2015-2020: The Maturation Period

The Establishment of a Race Ecosystem

Taiwan’s cycling events went from scarce to abundant:

Race Type	Representative Events	Features
Challenge rides (non-competitive)	Wuling Challenge, Twin Towers Challenge	Completion certification system
Professional races	Tour de Taiwan (UCI)	One of Asia’s most important stage races
Amateur racing	City and county cups, national championships	Formal age-group competitions
Gran Fondo	Taitung, Sun Moon Lake, etc.	Mass participation events

The Training Culture Triangle of North, Central, and South

Taiwan formed three major road cycling training culture hubs:

Taipei Hub

• Core training areas: Yangmingshan, Wulai Fushan
• Culture: Early weekend starts at 5 AM, climbing meetups
• Main gathering routes for riders: Shiding, Beiyi routes

Taichung Hub

• Core training areas: Dakeng, Guguan, Wuling
• Culture: The strongest Wuling climbing culture
• The heartland of Taiwanese road cycling culture

Kaohsiung-Pingtung Hub

• Core training areas: Meinong, Qishan, Southern Cross-Island Highway
• Culture: Most comfortable winter riding, outdoor riding possible year-round
• An endurance culture emphasizing distance and challenge

2020 to Present: Diversification and Deepening

The Unexpected Push from COVID-19

The pandemic of 2020-2022 unexpectedly became a catalyst for Taiwan’s cycling culture:

• Travel restrictions drove people to seek outdoor exercise
• Road bike sales hit record highs in 2020-2021
• The realization that “you can ride great routes right here in Taiwan” became widespread

The Rise of E-Bikes

In recent years, E-Bikes have brought more people into cycling:

• Seniors can ride with ease
• Commuters who don’t enjoy heavy sweating
• Riders with limited climbing ability

The Rise of Female Riders

Taiwan’s female cycling community has grown rapidly:

• Women’s cycling clubs and events have proliferated
• The market for women-specific bikes and apparel has expanded
• Women taking on climbing challenges comparable to men is no longer rare

The Uniqueness of Taiwanese Cycling Culture

Phenomena Unique to Taiwan

1. Snack stop culture: Riding is inevitably combined with Taiwanese street food; “let’s ride to eat XX” is the most common rallying call
2. Elevation number culture: “How much elevation gained” serves as the measure of achievement, with Wuling’s 3,275m carrying particular symbolic weight
3. Feed station culture: Carefully designed feed stations on long-distance challenges (often featuring hot food)
4. Social ride-log culture: Uploading GPX files, sharing on Strava, and posting on Instagram are standard practice

Stereotypes of Taiwanese Cyclists (Half in Jest)

Type	Characteristics
The Wuling Addict	Treats Wuling climbing time as the ultimate metric
The Gear Addict	Buys top-tier equipment more diligently than training
The Round-Island Addict	Tries to break speed records on every round-island trip
The Data Addict	Analyzes power and heart rate after every ride

Future Outlook

Taiwan’s cycling culture is moving toward a more diverse and mature direction:

• Gravel culture: Taiwan’s abundant forest roads and mountain trails are highly suitable
• Facility improvements: More urban bike lanes and parking facilities
• Increasing older riders: Growing health awareness, with middle-aged and senior riders continuing to join
• International connections: A rising proportion of Taiwanese riders competing overseas

Taiwan’s golden age of cycling is just getting started.

Related Reading

• The History of Taiwan’s Cycling Culture: A Half-Century Transformation from Transportation to Riding Culture
• The Past and Future of Taiwan’s Cycling Culture: From Early Racing to Modern Community Riding
• Taiwan’s Bike Lane Construction: The Government-Invested Round-Island Cycling Network
• The History of Taiwan’s Cycling Events: Evolution from Local Racing to International Competitions