Taiwan pedal.360 2026 — Stage 10. Every Kilometre Earned.

Stage 10 complete. Luodong Township, Yilan → Taipei. 113km. 894m of climbing.

Nine stages of preparation, 891km in the legs, and a finish line waiting in Taipei, sheer determination carried the rest. We respected everything the route could throw at us and it threw plenty.

Taiwan kept one final card up its sleeve, headwinds, rain and cold, all three, on the last day, on the final stage home. When the headwinds arrived, Stage 6 trauma came briefly to mind, we laughed and then rode harder.

The climbs came and went, every single one completed without stopping, as they have been across all ten stages. No trains, no cars or assistance of any kind throughout the 10 stages. Every kilometre of Taiwan pedal.360 2026 was earned on the bike.

On bikes weighing 25kg fully loaded, 12kg bicycle, 11kg of panniers, bottles and gadgets, ridden across 1,004km and 7,124m of climbing. After the first couple of days the weight stopped being something to think about. The bikes became part of us, and not once did they let us down.

Near the finish, a hiker offered a quiet thumbs up. No words needed, we knew we were almost there.

Taipei and the 0km marker arrived at the exact spot where twelve days ago this all began, when a circumnavigation of Taiwan was just getting started. We rode towards the end at full speed, furiously, as if the finish line deserved nothing less. The moment we arrived, disbelief, exhilaration, and a sense of accomplishment that is genuinely difficult to put into words.

Taiwan pedal.360 2026 complete!










Riding for the Taiwan Fund for Children and Families — https://www.globalgiving.org/fundraisers/rustyrhinos-pedal360.

Alex & Adam 

Rusty Rhinos



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