![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.asianinny.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/unnamed.jpg\" "\\"Bicycle")
<\/a><\/p>\nBicycle Adventures launches its new Taiwan Bike Tour in 2015 with two scheduled 11-day departures: Oct. 24 and Nov. 7. The nearly all-inclusive rate per person, based on double occupancy, is $3,945. Bicycle rental and most meals are included.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the past several years, Taiwan has made a commitment to become the bicycling capital of the world,\u201d said Todd Starnes, Bicycle Adventures\u2019 President and Owner. He explained that this commitment came about when the now-retired Chairman and Founder of Giant Manufacturing Co., Ltd., one of the world\u2019s largest makers of bicycles by sales, decided that he would start biking as a retirement activity.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe jumped on a bike and rode around the island of Taiwan, only to realize that there existed little infrastructure for cycling. He then began giving both his time and his money to support local and national government agencies along with the Taiwan Tourism Bureau to create a cycling-friendly country. This was accomplished through the creation of bike lanes and bike paths, including the Danshui River Bike Path (30-60 KM, depending on one\u2019s appetite). There are even designated bike paths veering through rice paddies,\u201d said Starnes.<\/p>\n
Taiwan has begun to embrace health and wellness as a cultural ideal, with new fitness-oriented facilities springing up in urban areas. More people can be seen outdoors walking and running for fitness. Several cities have even begun bike-share programs, according to Starnes.<\/p>\n
The easy-to-access and, for the most part, easy-to-bike routes were designed with showcasing the island in mind. The tour itinerary Bicycle Adventures crafted includes stops at culturally significant sites, including the National Center for Traditional Arts and the Lanyang Museum that was created when a Chinese cultural leader was exiled some years ago to Taiwan. Following in his wake came a collection of Chinese artifacts more impressive than any in China or anywhere else in the world.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a very proud and progressive country,\u201d Starnes said. \u201cThey are proud of what they\u2019re doing in technology and manufacturing. Their tourist accommodations reflect their vision for the future, all offering excellent service.\u201d<\/p>\n
The gateway city is Taipei where guests are met at the airport. The following day a ride on a high-speed train to Kaohsiung City brings cyclists to the southern end of the island to begin the tour northbound.<\/p>\n
On the itinerary that averages about 74 kilometers a day of biking, guests pause in aboriginal villages where people still live as they did hundreds of years ago. These are descendants of Austronesians who first settled on Taiwan.<\/p>\n
Traversing the ups and downs and in-betweens of some of the island\u2019s five vertical mountain ranges is part of the fun. This includes rides up to and through two national parks that reveal stunning canopies in near-rainforest settings of up to 8,000 feet. One of the biggest challenges will be an uphill ride in the Taroka Gorge, promised Starnes. \u201cOur guests are welcome to try to ride all the way to the top. I didn\u2019t make it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bicycle Adventures recently signed the 20,000-member Japan Cycling Association to be an exclusive provider of bike tours in North America. Starnes anticipated that the new Taiwan program will be popular with the Japanese as well. \u201cIt\u2019s an easy flight from Japan and a way of introducing our company to the new Japan market.\u201d<\/p>\n