Gravel Bike Festival in Tainan, Taiwan
The 2022 Taiwan Gravel Fundo Tainan Tseng Wen River Stage just finished last Saturday (Mar. 19th). It attracted enthusiastic cyclist from all over Taiwan to challenge this series race. The course starts from KS Bike Park, and then the route will wind alongside riverbed of Tseng Wen River, then returns to KS Bike Park for technical riding. Let me explain.
In the past two years, Gravel bikes have become a trend from Europe and America that lead the world to hold large races around the globe, such as UNBOUND (also known as Dirty Kanza). And Taiwan, the cycling production hub, of course senses and follows this trend. Gravel Fundo is introduced specially for light off-road, and nearly 70% of the course are covered in sand and dust, letting 150 racers to experience the excitement, exploration and the feeling that traditional road bikes won’t have.
After the race, many riders say that it’s easy for them to ride 30 kilometer in the past. But today, it’s very new and unfamiliar to ride on an uneven course. On road bike it is stable and riders won’t feel the resistance from road friction. On contrary, riding this course takes focus on line selection. When riding on high wattage, the body control is relatively unstable. If you ride on such rough conditions, you must maintain high speed and pick safe lines, etc. In addition to precise line selection and bike control skills, the choice of tire sizes has also become very important. Tire knob size, density, and width of the tires, a tube or tubeless, will become a fun process to prepare riding a Gravel Bike.
Gravel Bike originates and evolves from bike camping culture in 1970. People will use steel bikes to bring and attach handlebar bags to do camping in mountainous areas and in the forests. They can feel the tranquility of the mountains and interact sincerely with friends. It is a kind of relaxation. And according to the rider's own preferences and choose equipment and routes of cycling.
The founding sponsor brands of this Gravel Fundo event (KS, SYB, NOVATEC, CICLOVATION) continue the Gravel Bike culture to the event venue. Bike porns are invited to promote gravel riding together, and many traditional dishes from Tainan are provided on site. The organizer provided dining area for all riders to chat and eat together after riding.
In addition to experiencing events, fun events, and gourmet feasts, of course, you can’t miss product experience. All 15 brands will show their products that are most suitable for light off-road riding. All guests are able to touch and see, and crew will explain their functionalities for you. It is an event definitely worth attending!
