It's on! Taiwan pedal.360 launches 8th March 2026
The date is locked. The bikes are real. The legs are... well, they'll have to get used to the idea.
Taiwan pedal.360 2026 officially launches on Sunday 8th March.
We saddle up in Taipei and don't stop (much) until they've cycled the entire island of Taiwan. 961km. 7,962m of climbing. 10 riding days, 2 rest days, and approximately zero guarantees that everything will go to plan.
A quick reminder — Who we're riding for
As many of you already know, we're raising funds for the Taiwan Fund for Children and Families (TFCF) and their Art Therapy for Early Intervention Children project — using creative therapy to support young children with developmental challenges. Local, meaningful, and close to our hearts for this trip.
If you haven't donated yet, there's still plenty of time and every bit counts.
The 10 Cycle Stages (A brief and only mildly terrifying overview)
Stage 1 — Taipei → Hsinchu | 89km | 450m climb
We ease in gently. Relative word, "gently." Day 1 is the warm-up act — legs still fresh, optimism still intact. Hsinchu is famously windy, which we're choosing to interpret as character-building rather than a warning.
Stage 2 — Hsinchu → Changhua | 107km | 338m climb
First proper century-ish day. Flat west coast, tailwind (hopefully), agricultural scenery, and the dawning realisation that we're doing this every day for a week and a half.
Stage 3 — Changhua → Chiayi | 79km | 242m climb
The shortest day on paper. Don't be fooled — short days have a habit of feeling long when your backside has already clocked up 200km.
Stage 4 — Chiayi → Kaohsiung | 108km | 361m climb
Taiwan's second city awaits. Four consecutive days of riding in the legs. Dinner in Kaohsiung will feel very well-earned.
Stage 5 — Kaohsiung → Fangshan | 84km | 210m climb
Heading south toward Taiwan's tip. The west coast has been kind — mostly flat, mostly tailwind. We make the most of it because we know what's coming.
Stage 6 — Fangshan → Taitung | 89km | 1,150m climb
Ah. Here we go. The Shouka climb kicks things off, and then the route drops to the east coast — fully exposed to Pacific headwinds with nowhere to hide. Dramatically beautiful. Also properly hard. We will appreciate the rest in Taitung enormously, ideally horizontal.
Rest Day — Taitung
Earned. Fully and completely earned.
Stage 7 — Taitung → Ruisui | 112km | 860m climb
The longest day of the whole trip. The east coast in earnest — the Huadong Rift Valley, rice paddies, mountains to the left, Pacific to the right. Stunning. Also 112km with nearly a kilometre of climbing. We will enjoy Ruisui's legendary hot springs with absolutely no guilt whatsoever.
Stage 8 — Ruisui → Xincheng | 88km | 328m climb
A more manageable day by comparison, which at this point means we only feel slightly broken. We arrive in the shadow of Taroko Gorge, one of Taiwan's most spectacular landscapes. We'll try to appreciate it despite our legs.
Stage 9 — Xincheng → Yilan | 99km | 2,145m climb
The queen stage. The big one. The one we've been quietly dreading since we planned the route. Nearly 100km and over 2,100m of climbing — more elevation gain in a single day than most people manage in a month. The rest in Yilan will be appreciated on a level that words cannot adequately describe.
Rest Day — Yilan
No further comment required.
Stage 10 — Yilan → Taipei | 106km | 1,878m climb
The final stage. The finish line. The glory. Also, cruelly, nearly 1,900m of climbing on the last day — because Taiwan has a sense of humour. We roll back into Taipei completing the full loop. 961km done.
We're five days out. It's happening.
Follow along here and on our socials for regular updates from the road. And if you've been meaning to donate, now's a great time.
Alex & Adam
Rusty Rhinos
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