Location: Miaoli County
Distance: 80km Elevation Gain: 1,070m
This is our second loop ride departing from Miaoli City, with #080 being the first. This is on account of the fact that we have included new areas which are of interest to both cyclists and tourists alike.
We start from the train station with a 3km ride due east to get out of the city, where the rider will connect to Provincial Highway No. 6. Just another few kilometers riding due south along the Houlong River until you come to a red bridge. After crossing the bridge, you switch to County Road No. 119A, which has a lot less traffic.
This is a really nice section of riding with a gradual ascent towards the central mountains. After 12 kilometers, the No. 119A reconnects to the No. 6, which then connects to Provincial Highway No. 3. Head south for a kilometer or so till you get to the 126.5km marker. This is the turn-off for Local Road Miao 62. There is a Family Mart convenience store right on the corner, so this is a good place to pick up refreshments.
From here you start the climb up to Taian Hot Springs town. This is an excellent section of the ride with the Wenshui River on your left the whole way up. Two stand-out features along the road are the strawberry farms and Indigenous artwork in this Atayal tribal area. The locals like to paint Indigenous graphics on their house walls to showcase their daily life traditions.
After 4km, you’ll see a turn-off to the right that leads to Xishuikeng Tofu Street, a popular tourist stop along the way. Lots of small restaurants here serve all kinds of food, not just tofu.
After 12 km, you arrive at Taian itself, which is at an elevation of 550m. Apart from very expensive resort hotels, there isn’t much in the town, but it would be well worth staying the night, or you can pay for a few hours to enjoy the springs. There is the option of visiting Shuiyun Suspension Bridge, which is a further 500m up the road from Taian, where you can get access to the river to cool off.
On the return leg, to avoid riding straight back out to the No. 3, there is a bridge on the right which takes you onto Local Rd. Miao 64. This is located at around the 5km marker on the No. 62 and is a bit of a shortcut to get you to the next stop on the ride. This road was a mistake; extremely steep gradients had me walking some sections of it, but it’s only 7 kilometers until you get back to the No. 3.
Now on the return leg to Miaoli, you’ve got a nice 10km downhill. At the 100km marker on the No. 3, take a left onto County Rd. No. 126; you’ll see signs on the road directing you to Mingde Reservoir, which is the next stop on the ride. Inside the reservoir area, there is now the longest zip line in the country, which brings in the tourists. More info on the reservoir here.
The road runs parallel to the reservoir for around 10 kilometers on a gentle, undulating downhill as you head back towards the city. The No. 126 intersects with Provincial Highway No. 13, and then it’s a straight shot back to Miaoli City.