On my recent travels to the Far East, I was able to take in some of the Taiwan Cycling Festival events, including the arduous King of the Mountain (KOM) Challenge. Nearly 400 international cyclists participated in this 100km, 3275m ascent from sea level to the highest point on the Island. Riders had a maximum of seven hours to complete the run, and while Danish rider John Ebsen finished in about half this time, there were many others who failed to make the final finish line.
After the race I was able to catch up with the lone Canadian rider, Fraser Young, who is currently living in Taiwan. He shared some of his cycling tales from his past twenty years of both road and mountain biking riding.
- How did the Taiwan KOM challenge compare to other races you have done in the past in terms of distance, endurance, and the elevation factors?
The KOM race, as a one-day race, was one of the toughest I have done. Other races, such as multi-day tours tend to be more tiring at the end because of the accumulated fatigue. There was no excuse on this one. The amount of climbing is what made it really difficult. I have done longer stages in races, but it wasn’t as difficult as this. Often boredom sets in during long races, but this one is a mental battle the whole way. Often in races you can draft other riders for most of the race and save energy, but the drafting made little difference in this race.
- You ride in both road and mountain competitions. Do you have a stronger preference for either, and if so why?
I like them both for different reasons. Picking a favorite is a little sort of like picking your favorite child. Mountain bike races are an individual challenge, where you can’t hide your weaknesses. Road riding is a lot more cerebral, as it isn’t always the strongest rider who wins, and you have to worry more about teams and what their plans are. The scenery can be amazing in either race so it’s a tossup there as well.
- In terms of training and regime, is there a difference between the two disciplines with regard to preparation for a race?
Training can be slightly different. Mountain bikes require a little more upper-body strength in order to absorb the bumps and control the bike. Unfortunately this makes you heavier and less able to compete with the lighter riders who generally climb better than heavier riders. Also, you have to have more technical skills and be able to ride quickly on difficult terrain, which requires much practice. However, the basics are the same as you need to have a strong cardiovascular system.
- Growing up in British Columbia, where were your favourite places to ride, both road and mountain?
I grew up in Victoria and I learned how to ride with Andreas Hestler and his friends. They were a little older and a lot faster than me. I rode a lot at Hartland and the Highlands, which has apparently been turned into housing and a golf course. At the time I thought it was great, but I think that the road riding was actually better than the mountain biking. There were a lot more roads to choose from and they had a lot less traffic than those in Vancouver. Of course the mountain biking in Vancouver was a lot better. Since I moved to Taiwan, the trails have become world-class. The mountain biking at Whistler is unbeatable if you like downhill riding. Who can complain about being carried to the top of the mountain on a chairlift?
- When did you first start riding competitively? When was your first race, both road and mountain?
I competed in the school series when I was in high school, which involved both mountain and road races. I would say that this was my start of competitive riding. This would have been nearly twenty years ago. Makes me feel old just saying this!
- Living in Taiwan enables you to have more cycling competition options available to you. Which competitions have you done regionally since living there?
I have completed a couple of UCI stage races around Asia, mostly in Thailand but also Taiwan. I have also been to Japan for some racing. Recently I have just competed in the Taiwan national club series.
- What would you consider one of the most challenging rides you have competed in nationally? Your favourite to ride in?
I would say that the Taiwan KOM was the most challenging local race I have done. Most races are short (50-60 km) which I don’t really like. As for road riding, I really like riding the Tour of East which is usually in April. It is a two-day road race with a total of about 300 km distance covered. It is one of the biggest races of the national club series, and the scenery along the east coast is beautiful so it is a little vacation when you get over there. My favorite mountain race of the season is not part of the national club series. It is called Super 8, and as its name suggests, it’s an eight hour mountain bike race. The atmosphere is very relaxed. There is a costume competition, beer garden, BBQ and hob-nobbing. I am competitive so I usually miss out on the festivities, but it’s still a blast.
- Living in Taiwan, can you tell me some of your favourite road and trail riding areas, both for training and for leisure that you might want to recommend to others?
Taiwan has countless paved roads so picking a favorite is difficult. Usually the mountain roads are more scenic but they tend to get crowded on weekends. If you pick the smaller roads you can see some amazing scenery, but it is very easy to get lost. Some popular spots in the central region are Wuling, Ali Mountain and Sun Moon Lake. There are countless other beautiful places to ride, and an endless number of ways to get there. As for mountain bikes, there is only one popular trail in the central area which is called Neng Gao. There are more places to ride up in Taipei and down in Kaohsiung, but I don’t get a chance to go there much.
- How many competitions do you enter annually on average, and are there any that you enter each year?
I usually race twice or more a month, depending on the season. Usually I enter the club series races because they are all the same every year, and I always make sure I hit the Super 8 race too.
- What’s in your current collection of bikes that you’re using for competitions, both road and mountain?
I have a Cervelo R5 with a mix of Dura Ace and Ultegra. It is fitted mostly with 3T parts and for races I use Black Inc. wheels. My mountain bike is a Chiru with Sram XX parts and mostly outfitted with WTB and Magura parts.
More on my Taiwan cycling adventures can be found here.
