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Tour de Taiwan 2018

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Tour de Taiwan 2018

Old 03-21-18, 07:26 AM
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Old 03-21-18, 08:24 AM
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Originally Posted by Abu Mahendra
Final setup
● Clothes & toiletries in a dry bag on the front rack. 3.5kg
● tools, spares & pump, rear blinker, plus snacks in the seatpost bag. 1.5kg
● hipbelt bag (not pictured) on my person with camera, sunglasses, documents and small water bottles. 2.5kg.
● two 700ml bottles mounted on frame. 1.5kg
● cellphone craddle and light mounted on handlebar. 500g?
How did you transport bike to Taiwan? Do you have additional luggage that you've stowed somewhere for the return trip to Bali.

I looked into a Backroads-like (or actual Backroads itself) trip for Taiwan and the cost was eye-watering! I've never done a cycling trip before so I thought it best to start with an organized group trip, but they are so expensive.
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Old 03-21-18, 08:33 AM
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Originally Posted by tdonline
How did you transport bike to Taiwan? Do you have additional luggage that you've stowed somewhere for the return trip to Bali.

I looked into a Backroads-like (or actual Backroads itself) trip for Taiwan and the cost was eye-watering! I've never done a cycling trip before so I thought it best to start with an organized group trip, but they are so expensive.
i packed the bike in a cardboard box which my hotel in Taipei is keeping in storage for when i return.

No additional luggage or stuff. What I carry on the bike and my person is all i brought.

Cost eye-watering? Average hotel room is about $60/nite. Food, you can get away with $12-15 per day. I had never been to Taiwan before, I know no one here, and I do not speak the lingo. Just do it. Google, Google Maps, Agoda and the Lonely Planet is all you need. I was a bit apprehensive before arriving, but this was unfounded. The place is well sorted out, civilized.

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Old 03-22-18, 06:28 PM
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Old 03-23-18, 01:21 PM
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great pictures!
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Old 03-23-18, 07:06 PM
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Coastal road, Rt.11. Too bad it's been overcast and windy. Otherwise, there are awsome vistas to be had.



views along Rt.11


Taitung is the end of the line, as far south as I'll go. Tomorrow I return to Taipei by train


Qing-dynasty era temple

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Old 03-25-18, 12:55 AM
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Next stop: Taipei

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Old 03-25-18, 02:40 AM
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Outstanding!!
Thank you for sharing.
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Old 03-26-18, 10:48 PM
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Taipei street art





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Old 03-26-18, 11:00 PM
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Thanks for a wonderful look at your trip. Looks like an interesting place to tour!
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Old 03-27-18, 02:56 AM
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i did virtually no shopping here. The exception was a pair of Wellgo C-17 pedals, a pair of which, in black color, have served me well on the Dash since 2015. Aluminium body, steel spindle, sealed bearings, $30/pair. Turning the spindle is real smooth, with no granular feel. Recommended.

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Old 03-27-18, 06:52 AM
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King of the Mountain

You wanna climb?
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Old 04-01-18, 02:06 AM
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Originally Posted by Abu Mahendra
i packed the bike in a cardboard box which my hotel in Taipei is keeping in storage for when i return.

No additional luggage or stuff. What I carry on the bike and my person is all i brought.

Cost eye-watering? Average hotel room is about $60/nite. Food, you can get away with $12-15 per day. I had never been to Taiwan before, I know no one here, and I do not speak the lingo. Just do it. Google, Google Maps, Agoda and the Lonely Planet is all you need. I was a bit apprehensive before arriving, but this was unfounded. The place is well sorted out, civilized.

Cool, you made it to Taiwan ... The weather looks nice too in these photos

Any earthquake lately?

So this isn't a foldie?

Room per nite can be $20 if you speak proper Taiwanese or Mandarin. Less Chinese tourists this administration, so the price is very negotiable ...
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Old 04-01-18, 02:43 AM
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Weather was quite variable. It ranged from downright frigid in Taipei in the beginning--heck, i had caught a cold by the second day--and along the Northern Cross in the morning, to very pleasant in Taipei at the end of the trip.

Earthquake? I felt a tremor--verified by the USGS website--in Qishang. I've lived in very seismic and volcanic places (Guatemala, Mexico and Indonesia) so unless the world is coming to an end, it doesn't ruffle my feathers.

Yes, the Dahon Dash is a folder. I folded it on the train from Taitung to Taipei so i could take the express run. Otherwise i would have had to take the slow run.

I am sure you can find rooms for $10/nite, but they wouldn't be places where I'd chose to stay. Hard to see how speaking the lingo helps on Agoda. Still, Taiwan offers better value than Singapore, Macao or HK. Friendlier folk too.

Originally Posted by bike.gang.uk
Cool, you made it to Taiwan ... The weather looks nice too in these photos

Any earthquake lately?

So this isn't a foldie?

Room per nite can be $20 if you speak proper Taiwanese or Mandarin. Less Chinese tourists this administration, so the price is very negotiable ...

Last edited by Abu Mahendra; 04-01-18 at 05:27 PM.
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Old 04-01-18, 06:40 PM
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Nice photos and video Abu. Did the Topeak seatpack bag work out okay?
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Old 04-01-18, 06:52 PM
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What??!! You don't like squid?

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Old 04-01-18, 07:18 PM
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Thanks, man. Yeah, the Topeak seatpost bag worked out great. Granted, i never loaded it to the hilt, but yeah, fully serviceable. No swaying, it stays put, the roll-up close/open systen is easy. Best of all is its lower price than the Ortlieb, Revelate Designs, etc. offerings.

Originally Posted by BikeLite
Nice photos and video Abu. Did the Topeak seatpack bag work out okay?
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Old 04-01-18, 07:33 PM
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Home debrief - mechanicals
Not much to say here. The bike and its components held up without problems during the tour.
* The Marathon Supremes just ate up the kilometers with no flats or punctures at all. They've been on the bike since October 2016 sans flats.
* I spent a fair amount of time at 19 gear-inches on the climb to 1,200masl on the Northern Cross. This put a bit of strain on the SRAM Dual Drive II hub which does not shift into the granny band as instantly as it did before the tour. It will engage no problem, but just not as crisply as before.
* i had an intermittent creak in the BB area. No functional impact, though.
* wheels still true. The 14-spoke front wheel just keeps on rolling.
* SLX shifter mated to Zee RD keeps on shifting crisply and accurately time and time again. No a single mis-shift or ghost shift.

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Old 04-03-18, 05:42 PM
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OP:

Thanks for the excellent posts! Especially the logistical details.

Could you please describe your video rig?

I'm just starting to get into making ride videos and am particularly impressed by the smoothness of the roadworks clip.

Where do you mount your camera?

Is it a GoPro/Similar or cellphone?

Are you using a gimbal, or in-camera digital smoothing?

TIA!
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Old 04-03-18, 06:51 PM
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Ah, yes, the videos... First of all, my apologies for the amateurish footage. Truth be told i bought a GoPro Hero 6 just before setting off. I had never before done video, off- or on-bike. The trip was a bit of a how-to lab on what works and what doesn't.

To answer your questions, the video 'rig' is a GoPro Hero 6 mounted on the top of my helmet. The mount is not the most solid (it is not the GoPro helmet attachment kit, but rather the one that came with my Bell helmet. I'll post a pic later), and the glue on the back of the velcro attachments came off due to my profuse sweating, but it held up good enough. The electronic stabilization on the GoPro Hero 6 is to account for the relative smoothness. It can be tricky, though, because it can look jerky when it tries to stabilize your turning your head left/right. You'll have to be deliberate and slow with your head turning. I think the smooothness is quite acceptable for a biking. Walking may be another matter, though.

My stills camera on the trip was a Canon EOS M3 with a 22/2 prime lens which i carried in a hip-belt bag. I took several images with the Canon, but virtually none of those have been posted here. My other stills camera, the source of the pics here, was my ASUS cell-phone which i carried on a craddle on the handlebar or in my pocket.


Originally Posted by MovingViolation
OP:

Thanks for the excellent posts! Especially the logistical details.

Could you please describe your video rig?

I'm just starting to get into making ride videos and am particularly impressed by the smoothness of the roadworks clip.

Where do you mount your camera?

Is it a GoPro/Similar or cellphone?

Are you using a gimbal, or in-camera digital smoothing?

TIA!

Last edited by Abu Mahendra; 04-03-18 at 07:07 PM.
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Old 04-03-18, 08:26 PM
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Originally Posted by Abu Mahendra
To answer your questions, the video 'rig' is a GoPro Hero 6 mounted on the top of my helmet. The mount is not the most solid (it is not the GoPro helmet attachment kit, but rather the one that came with my Bell helmet. I'll post a pic later), and the glue on the back of the velcro attachments came off due to my profuse sweating, but it held up good enough. The electronic stabilization on the GoPro Hero 6 is to account for the relative smoothness. It can be tricky, though, because it can look jerky when it tries to stabilize your turning your head left/right. You'll have to be deliberate and slow with your head turning. I think the smooothness is quite acceptable for a biking. Walking may be another matter, though.
Selamat Pagi!

Thanks!

So far I've experimented with out-front barfly mount and with chest harness (suboptimal on road bike because pic becomes very boring when get into the drops on the interesting descents). Must acquire a helmet mount and give it a try.

I too use electronic stabilisation on my Garmin Virb Ultra 30. Got it instead of the GoPro because of simpler integration with ANT+ sensor metrics. See how I go after trying a helmet mount. If not happy, will be getting a GoPro as well.

YMMV, but I find watching these/my action cam bike videos to be a bit hypnotic and relaxing. A good deal of this is the ultra-wide angle lens which sucks the viewer into the action. Fun fun... and probably another way that this cycling hobby becomes yet more of a money sink .
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Old 04-03-18, 08:51 PM
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My GoPro helmet mount...
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Old 04-03-18, 09:01 PM
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GoPro just released a budget camera that gives you 80% of what the Hero6 offers, at half the price. If it has the Hero6's image stabilization, that alone may be worth the price.

Originally Posted by MovingViolation
Selamat Pagi!

Thanks!

So far I've experimented with out-front barfly mount and with chest harness (suboptimal on road bike because pic becomes very boring when get into the drops on the interesting descents). Must acquire a helmet mount and give it a try.

I too use electronic stabilisation on my Garmin Virb Ultra 30. Got it instead of the GoPro because of simpler integration with ANT+ sensor metrics. See how I go after trying a helmet mount. If not happy, will be getting a GoPro as well.

YMMV, but I find watching these/my action cam bike videos to be a bit hypnotic and relaxing. A good deal of this is the ultra-wide angle lens which sucks the viewer into the action. Fun fun... and probably another way that this cycling hobby becomes yet more of a money sink .
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Old 04-04-18, 07:52 PM
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Home debrief - luggage
My luggage consisted of four principal items: clothes, toiletries, chargers & cables, and bike tools & spares
Clothes - i brought too many clothes. Three shorts and three shirts is enough, plus fleece vest and rain jacket
Toiletries - nothing significant to report.
Chargers & cables - i wish for a camera with USB charging so i can dispense with the stand-alone charger. The wall USB charger I brought along didn't put out enough juice to charge the GoPro so i had to recharge it from the powerbank. The 10,000mAh powerbank was perhaps overkill so perhaps a smaller powerbank is in order for future similar tours.
Tools & spares - none of them were really needed for i faced no mechanical problems or any tires punctures
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Old 04-11-18, 06:50 PM
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Forget about the new cheap GoPro. As far as image stabilization, it lags the Hero6.


Originally Posted by Abu Mahendra
GoPro just released a budget camera that gives you 80% of what the Hero6 offers, at half the price. If it has the Hero6's image stabilization, that alone may be worth the price.
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