If there's a country in Asia where you can find the most number of cycling enthusiasts, it's probably Taiwan. The friendly Chinese territory has long been at the forefront in advocating for cycling as not just a cheap means of transport but also as an environment-friendly lifestyle choice.
In Taipei alone, the government allotted 200km of dedicated bike paths. And along that path and in some train stations you will find U-Bike, a bike-share system where you can rent a bicycle for NT$5 for the first 30 minutes, and NT$10 for every succeeding 30 minutes.
Each U-Bike station is like a vending machine for bicycles, you'll need to deposit money by entering bills or coins into a machine and it will issue a card key which you can use to unlock the bicycle of your choice. You don't need to return the bicycle to where you got it, you can return it to any U-Bike station that you'll come across.
U-Bike has been in operation in Taipei since 2009. Last year, YouBike's more than 6,000 two-wheelers were taken on more than 22 million trips by locals and tourists alike making Taiwan the bicycle capital in Asia. To solidify this title, the Taiwanese government is prepping up a bicycle highway across the whole country!
So if you're visiting Taipei soon, get a better sense of the city with your own bicycle tour. Don't be afraid of getting lost because bike paths are connected to train stations, just don't wander outside these paths. Plus you gain tremendous satisfaction in knowing that you'll be able to burn all those calories from eating dim sums, noodles and other Taiwanese cuisines.
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