Did You Know? Taiwan Cycling Is a National Rite of Passage

Taiwan is famous for bubble tea, night markets, and semiconductors. But there’s a quieter claim to fame rolling around underneath all of it: this island is the reason so much of the world rides the bikes it rides — and Taiwan cycling has become a genuine rite of passage for locals.

The Island That Builds the World’s Bikes

In 1972, a former eel farmer and fish-feed importer named King Liu (劉金標) pooled money with a few partners and started a small contract bicycle factory in Dajia, a district of Taichung. He called it Giant.

For years, Giant made bikes with someone else’s name on them. Its big break came in 1977, when American brand Schwinn signed Giant as its overseas manufacturer. When Schwinn eventually took its business elsewhere, Giant did the bold thing: it put its own name on the frame. Today it’s the largest bicycle manufacturer in the world, and at its peak it turned out more than six million bikes a year.

Giant isn’t alone, either. Merida — also Taiwanese — is another global heavyweight, and the cluster of frame, gear, and component suppliers around Taichung is why the industry nicknamed this place the Bicycle Kingdom. There’s a decent chance the bike in your garage has Taiwanese DNA in it somewhere.

The 73-Year-Old Who Started a National Obsession

Here’s the part that turns a manufacturing story into a culture story.

In 2007, King Liu decided that a man who had spent 35 years selling bicycles ought to actually ride one properly. So at age 73, he cycled 927 kilometres around the entire island in 15 days.

Taiwan noticed. Huándǎo (環島) — “circling the island” — exploded from a niche endurance stunt into something closer to a national coming-of-age ritual. Students do it after graduation. Office workers do it to mark a birthday. Retirees do it to prove a point.

The government eventually paved the way, literally: Cycling Route No. 1 opened in December 2015, a signposted 960.8-kilometre loop around the coast with rest stations roughly every 20 kilometres. Most riders finish it in about nine days.

King Liu passed away in February 2026 at 91. The loop he inspired is still full of riders every single weekend.

You Don’t Need Nine Days

The everyday version of this culture is orange and parked at almost every MRT station: YouBike, the public bike-share system Liu helped bring to Taiwan. Tap an EasyCard, grab a bike, ride the riverside paths along the Tamsui and Keelung rivers, and drop it off anywhere. It’s one of the best-value ways to see Taipei, and it costs less than a coffee.

Autumn is the sweet spot, too. From late September through November the summer heat breaks, typhoon season winds down, and the east coast road turns into one of the most beautiful rides on the planet — Pacific on one side, mountains on the other. If you’re planning a trip, our guide to things to do in Taiwan has more ideas for the season.

The takeaway: Taiwan doesn’t just export bicycles — it rides them. The island turned a factory town in Taichung into a global industry, then turned one 73-year-old’s road trip into a rite of passage that thousands of people repeat every year. That mix of practical craft and stubborn heart is Taiwanese culture in a nutshell.

Riding, planning, or just daydreaming about the island? Carry a little Taiwan pride with you — our Taiwan-themed tees and gear are made for people who love this place.