Stage 9 - The infamous Suhua Highway. We owned it.

Stage 9 complete. Xincheng, Hualien → Luodong Township, Yilan. 108km. 1,442m of climbing.

Its reputation precedes it and we respect that, the tunnels are occasionally terrifying, the trucks are loud and the noise they create inside those echoing narrow mountain passages is something between a howl and a roar. With a prepared mindset, defensive riding and a genuine sense of adventure, the Suhua doesn’t intimidate, it exhilarates. 

We wouldn’t have ridden it any other way, the scenery alone with towering cliff faces to our left, the Pacific in every imaginable shade of blue far below to our right is among the finest of the entire route. Anyone considering skipping it should think again.

Taiwan also handed us a gift, a truly impressive tunnel network, completed in recent years, effectively gave us a 30% discount on the planned climbing. We accepted graciously and without hesitation.

The climbing itself was serious, a Category 1 climb of 5km early on, followed shortly by a Category 2 of over 6km marking our first climbs of this category. Then the reward, a long, windy mountain descent that our legs had absolutely earned. At some point during that descent, 58.9km/h happened which is a new trip record. 

A tunnel closure early in the ride forced a 20 minute wait we hadn’t planned for, all part of the adventure where anything can happen on the road but it didn’t cost us anything that mattered.

The preparation helped immensely, the right protein and carbs the night before, a solid breakfast, and proper fuelling on the road, nutrition is everything on a day like this and we felt it. We felt strong throughout, no low points, conquering every climb with confidence even when our legs were feeling it.

The people of Taiwan showed up again with waves, thumbs up and horns throughout the day. A bin truck passed us playing its iconic music, having already cheered us on twice earlier in the ride. The third time it went past us in full enthusiastic support, only in Taiwan!

The final stage 10 remains, to the finish line in Taipei on Thursday 19th March.

 







An adrenaline buzzed Rusty Rhinos.

Alex & Adam


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Rusty Rhinos Go Pedal-Powered: 1,000km, 12 Days, One Island

For six events, the Rusty Rhinos formula has been reassuringly familiar: A 1964  Land Rover (mostly), remote roads, questionable decisions, excellent stories and supporting a charity close to our hearts. This is all about to change. In  March 2026 , we are ditching horsepower and swapping it for  leg power , taking on our  first ever human-powered Rusty Rhinos adventure,  Taiwan pedal.360 2026 . The plan? Cycle  1,000km around the entire island of Taiwan in 12 days .  No engine. No fuel (unless burning a serious amount of calories is considered fuel). No support vehicle. Totally self-sufficient carrying everything we need on our bicycles. No spares box the size of a fridge. This will be our  seventh Rusty Rhinos event , and the first not involving any sort of vehicle. Instead of oil leaks and low-range gearing, we’ll be managing energy, weather, and whether our legs still like us by day five. Taiwan was an easy choice, dramatic coastline, misty mo...
Read more

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. Donate here: goto.gg/f/85874 The 10 Cycle Stages (A brief and only mildly terrifying overview) Stage 1 — Taipei → Hsinchu | 89km |...
Read more

Taiwan Pedal.360 stage 2 complete!

Image
Stage 2 complete. Hsinchu → Changhua. 123km. 695m of climbing. A somewhat longer day than the 107km on the plan, a route closure forcing a 10km detour, a chain that decided to take an unscheduled break, a gear issue requiring a roadside repair, and hotels that don’t always park themselves exactly on the route. An extra few kilometres builds character. Allegedly. Average moving speed of 22.5km/h, overall average of 16.1km/h once you factor in the stops, the 7-Eleven detour was again non-negotiable, and we stand by that decision.  Max speed of 57.2km/h suggests we found a descent and made some very questionable life choices on the way down.  GPS recorded 695m of climbing, more than the planned 338m, though in fairness it was gradual and well spread out, which meant the legs never really knew what was happening. Changhua truly delivered. Stinky tofu navigated with the help of a kind stranger who translated the menu, then a shaved ice bowl of taro balls, red beans and purple rice,...
Read more