Taking my pink bike to see the world
My favorite cycling routes in Taipei, San Francisco and New York
My pink road bike “little pink (小粉)” is probably the best single investment I’ve ever made in my life. I bought her from Giant’s female brand Liv (model: Langma SL 3 2019) in the last year of college with money saved from a summer worth of tutoring English. She’s since been to 3 countries, flown across the Pacific Ocean 3 times and lived in 10 different homes.
She’s circled around Taiwan - from the hustle and bustle of Taipei (台北) in the North to beaches of Kenting (墾丁) in the south then the serene mountains in Taitung (台東) and Hualien (花蓮) in the east.
She’s cycled across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, cruised along Ocean Beach watching surfers catch their morning waves and fought the hills up Twin Peaks looking over the city.
She’s seen the Manhattan skyline from both sides of the Hudson River and crossed suspension bridges older than the Empire State Building itself — Brooklyn Bridge (1883), Williamsburg Bridge (1903), Manhattan Bridge (1909), and George Washington Bridge (1931).
I have made countless friends through cycling but also found solitude and peace in my solo rides — diving into nature and escaping from the big cities in only a matter of hours. So I wanted to share my favorite bike rides in every city I’ve bought little pink to — from Taipei to San Francisco and now New York.
All cycling routes linked in map here.
Taipei - Northern coast ride
Taipei is where my cycling adventures began so picking just one single favorite route is like choosing a favorite ice cream flavor. In the city, it’s very easy to rent a shared bike called YouBike and most major roads are covered by bike lanes. There is also an extensive system of bike lanes along the river called Taipei Riverside Bikeways (河濱自行車步道) that takes you from Tamsui (淡水) all the way to Xindian (新店) and beyond.
I decided to pick a route that is an easy get away from the city and can be done all through public transportation. It’s hilly but not hardcore like the other mountain rides in Yangmingshan (陽明山).
✏️ Round trip distance: 45 km / Elevation gain: 500 m / Estimated time: 2 hours
This ride can start from the city center of Taipei but if you want to save some energy, take the MRT train closer to Tamsui (淡水), for example Guandu (關渡) to see the famous red Guandu Bridge (關渡大橋) or Hongshulin (紅樹林) where you can take the light rail right up to the northern coast and begin your ride there.
My favorite part of this bike ride is actually the bike lane between Qianshuiwan (淺水灣) translated as shallow-water beach and Baishawan (白沙灣) translated as white sand beach. It is a lesser known path that I had accidentally discovered when turning on the wrong road and it is right beside the water with prestine beaches all to yourself.
I have grown up visiting Baishawan with family and spent countless afternoons catching crabs, building sand castles and jumping waves so this bike ride alway brings back good memories. No perfect bike ride ends without a cafe visit, Le Coq is my favorite. The sunsets here have never failed me; the cafe sits right along the water and you can enjoy steaming Taiwanese hotpot set right under their backyard lights.
San Francisco - Golden Gate Park to Hawk Hill
San Francisco has been a dream city since my first visit in high school and I had told my 17 year old self I will come back and work here one day. When the dream finally came true I decided to bring little pink with me - picturing myself riding on the Golden Gate Bridge with other cool California girlies. I moved to the city without really knowing anyone and cycling became the perfect opportunity to make friends.
The first cycling friend (and later became my closest friend) I made was at a house warming party - in a big city like SF people are always warming and cooling houses, moving in and out of their life chapters. We decided at 2 AM in the morning it would be a good idea to meet the next morning and tackle the infamous Twin Peak. To no surprise, sleep deprived and hung over, it was a literal uphill battle, but it won me a new friend to cycle with.
We then began cycling regularly together and soon formed a group of cycling tech girlies calling ourselves “The Breakfast Cycling Club” because we always got breakfast after.
✏️ Round trip distance: 30 km / Elevation gain: 500 m / Estimated time: 2 hours
This ride is the perfect Sunday ride. Again you can start anywhere in the city, but since I lived close to Panhandle at the time, I usually start there to warm up through Golden Gate Park, up to Lands End to catch a glimpse of Sutro Baths and view of the ocean. Then into the beautiful eucalyptus and pine forest of Presidio, and before you know it, you’re on the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. Once you’ve crossed the bridge, this is where the real challenge begin. Hawk Hill is not for fainted heart, but the view at the top is worth every pedal.
After Hawk Hill you can glide down to Sausalito for breakfast at Equator Coffee and look at million-dollar houseboats while other techies pass by in their Rapha uniform. Or head to my personal favorite neighborhood cafe in Lower Haight — Cafe Réveille. Since moving away from SF I have attempted to bribe my friend countless times to air-seal their breakfast burrito to me. Drizzling the light green chimichurri sauce over the perfectly wrapped bacon, eggs and baked potato only adds to it’s heavenly status.
New York - West Side Highway to Palisades
Cycling is probably every other person’s weekend hobby in San Francisco, but it’s rarely the case in New York. When people talk about cycling it’s more often on the city’s shared bike, CitiBike — getting home after a late night out or getting to work in the morning when the subway is down for the 8th time that week.
Having cycled mostly in tropical and mild climates, acceptable cycling months in New York for me are limited from late April to early October. This leads to my self-rationalization of why I’ve cycled far less since moving to New York and leaving little pink to collect dust in my overpriced apartment half of the year.
So, it may not be accurate to suggest this is my “favorite” cycling route, as it’s closer to my top 3 out of 3. The ride up West Side Highway always reminds me of home. It’s like the Taipei Riverside Bikeways, but on steroids, with people speeding by on e-bikes in New York fashion, hurrying to wherever it is life is hurrying them to.
✏️ Round trip distance: 80 km / Elevation gain: 700 m / Estimated time: 4 hours
You can start the route anywhere along the West Side Highway, but I generally start close to Chealsea, as that’s where the Jersey ferry takes me to. The bike lanes are quite easy to navigate in this part of the city — well paved, straight and no funny bumps. Even the rats will obey the stop signs.
The only tricky parts are before and after the George Washington Bridge. To find where to turn for the George Washington Bridge, you actually go under the bridge first before you see a sign to turn right and up a smaller pedestrian pass way thats leads to the bridge’s bike lane. Once you’ve crossed the bridge, turn left down the hills to find the Henry Hudson Drive, a turnabout that will lead you into the quiet roads looking over the Hudson River and through an oak tree forest, best enjoyed during the autumn foliage.
Cycling in New York feels very different from Taiwan, where there are 7-11s every other corner, even in the most remote parts of the island. The only cafe on this bike route is the 9W Market, but it does not disappoint. There are countless bike racks outside the cafe, always park beside a European-sounding bike brand like Cervélo or Bianchi so no one will take yours (unless you own one of those — then better lock it up). The cafe is packed with other fellow cyclists and serves hot brunch food like omelettes and coffee of every variety.
My secret tip about cycling in New York? The best views are from the Jersey side. I love strolling along the Hudson River Waterway in Hoboken, the bike lanes here are clean and new with an unparalleled view of the Manhattan skyline. Because after all what would you be looking at from the Manhattan side of the Hudson river … Jersey?
That’s a wrap for my cycling adventures with little pink - for now. Still dreaming of the day I bring her to Paris and Nice.
Save for your next trip or share with your similarly cycling obsessed friends 🚲 🚲 🚲