One pleasant little surprise that I've noticed is the increased proliferation of bicycle paths and recreational biking in Taipei. It's actually not too uncommon nowadays to run into people commuting by bike, or simply biking for the fun of it. While the city streets remain rather hazardous for bikers, several new bike paths have been constructed along the riverside parks which flank the shores of the rivers and streams running throughout the Taipei metro area. It is now possible to bike all the way from Neihu (內湖) to Danshuei (淡水) along the Keelung and Danshuei Rivers.Considering that Taiwan is one of the world's biggest producers of bicycles, it seems only fitting that folks here are finally taking up recreational bicycling again. Bicycle repair and rental shops (some publicly funded) have been popping up along the bike paths and weekends find many a family rolling along together on two wheels. Perhaps in a few years we'll finally start to get over our fixation on motorscooters.
The Dajih Bridge (大直橋) and the Grand Hotel in the distance.
New apartment towers near Dajih.
Commuters near Beitou.
Cloud covered Yangmingshan and an expressway in the foreground.
Mangrove swamps near Guandu.
The Guandu Temple.
A nearby bicycle repair and rental shop.
The Guandu Bridge.
Looking towards Danshuei and out to sea.(If you're wondering why the weather is different in some of the photos, they were taken on two separate trips.)
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