Taiwan has always had plenty of promise as a tourism destination for cyclists. It offers countless potential rides ranging from gentle flat cruises to breathtaking mountainous marathons, and it also makes some of the best bicycles in the world, including those from Giant Bicycles, now the world’s largest bike manufacturer. At the same time, Taiwan is becoming increasingly bicycle-friendly as its citizens take to the sport out of growing awareness of the importance of health and the environment.

In the past few years, those conditions – good inexpensive bikes, plenty of potential rides, and a growing health consciousness – have combined to create an explosion of interest in cycling in Taiwan. According to one survey, the number of biking enthusiasts has doubled in just two years, with the total number now approaching one million (out of a total population of 23 million). Recognizing this trend, and also in appreciation of cycling’s health benefits and its potential for easing commuter traffic, governments at all levels have pitched in with bicycle lanes and trails that have further boosted the enthusiasm for cycling in Taiwan.

Bicycle trails now abound in Taipei and other cities, with more on the way, and urban bike paths are well used, both by weekend riders and commuters. Cyclists have also taken to the rural roads in increasing numbers, with the trip along the East Coast from Hualien to Taitung especially popular. The newfound popularity of local cycling has been given an additional boost by the annual Tour of Taiwan, a highly competitive road race that criss-crosses the island’s most scenic roads every March. By attracting Asia’s best cyclists, the Tour of Taiwan also helps promote cycling in Taiwan to a regional audience.

In an effort to further reinforce Taiwan’s reputation as one of the top bicycling destinations in Asia, the Taiwan Tourism Bureau is preparing to launch a creative new promotion called Cycling Around the Island. In late September and early October, the Tourism Bureau, together with Giant Bicycles, will invite 500 bicycle-loving tourists, celebrities, professional cyclists, and media members to take a two-wheeled tour of some of the most scenic parts of Taiwan.

Aside from promoting Taiwan’s cycling virtues and cementing its reputation as a designer and manufacturer of high-end bicycles, the event will also allow the visitors to see the island’s attractions at a slower pace and to develop a deeper appreciation for its culture, scenery, local cuisines, and other highlights. The Cycling Around the Island events will later be used to develop a series of half-day bicycle tours, which will be specially designed to appeal to casual cyclists.

Most of the Cycling Around the Island tourists are expected to come from Japan and Hong Kong, with visitors from Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Europe, and the United States also represented. Giant Bicycles will invite a handful of guides to steer the visitors around the roads of Taiwan for the tour, which will start on September 28 and last for five days. The event will begin at Sun Moon Lake with a press conference and ceremonies, and end with a final ride near Dapeng Bay.

Enthusiasts from the various countries will each cycle a different part of the island. Japanese cyclists will pedal in hilly Nantou County, in the vicinity of Sun Moon Lake, while Koreans will cycle the flat, bicycle-friendly paths of Bali, Danshui, and Fisherman’s Wharf near Taipei. Singaporeans, North Americans, and Europeans will pedal their way through the wonderful scenery of the East Coast; the Singaporean contingent will cycle near Hua- lien, while the Europeans and North Americans will tour the roads around Taitung. For the final leg, the tourists from Hong Kong will ride in the area around Dapeng Bay, which includes the newly completed Dapeng Bay bicycle path.

The Tourism Bureau selected the areas and the routes for the Cycling Around the Island promotion based on their current popularity with cyclists, and the routes also maximize the number of scenic views and other tourist attractions that the overseas bicyclists can see. Experienced bike-tour guides will be asked to evaluate the five routes, and their feedback will be uploaded onto a “Cycling Taiwan” website where they will be available as reference for potential visitors.

The sections that were chosen for the tour are not particularly strenuous; each of the groups of visitors will cycle a route of about 50 kilometers, and each trip is expected to take about half a day. Along the way, the riders will be introduced to local culture, food, and attractions. In addition, every participant will receive a number of free gifts, including a dinner banquet, backpack, biking apparel, lottery prizes, tickets to the National Palace Museum, and discounts on bicycle purchases.

The Cycling Around the Island promotion is part of a larger effort by the Tourism Bureau to advertise the island’s cycling attractions. As part of that program, the Bureau has mapped out six routes on the scenic East Coast, including areas along the coastline, in the Rift Valley, and in Taroko Gorge. The Bureau’s promotional partner, Giant Bicycles, has likewise been busy advertising the island’s bicycling highlights, and it has unveiled colorful displays about bicycling in Taiwan’s scenic areas in hundreds of its outlets in Britain, Germany, France, and the Netherlands.

Meanwhile, the island-wide effort to upgrade the network of bike lanes and trails is continuing. The central government has already built 40 dedicated bicycle paths totaling more than 1,200 kilometers, with another 2,000 kilometers on the drawing board, and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC), which oversees the Tourism Bureau, has said that in the future all new highways will include space for bike lanes. The Kao-hsiung City Government, considered an early pioneer in promoting cycling, has expanded its network of bicycle paths in the run-up to the Kaohsiung World Games, which were held in July. It now boasts 200 kilometers of bike trails. Taipei, not to be outdone, is spending nearly NT$800 million (US$24.2 million) to expand its own set of trails, and will eventually add another 130 kilometers to the network. Aside from providing traffic-free pathways for cyclists, the trails further cement Taiwan’s reputation as one of the most bicycle-friendly destinations in Asia.