{"id":26483,"date":"2015-04-09T12:43:27","date_gmt":"2015-04-09T11:43:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/?p=26483"},"modified":"2015-08-05T13:21:46","modified_gmt":"2015-08-05T11:21:46","slug":"field-notes-welcome-to-the-jungle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2015\/04\/09\/field-notes-welcome-to-the-jungle\/","title":{"rendered":"Field notes: Welcome to the jungle!"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you ever find yourself near Taipei, you shouldn<\/strong>\u2019<\/strong>t miss the opportunity to take a MTB trip into the jungle. Our We Love Cycling Editor Adam reports on one of the most interesting cycling experiences.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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I\u2019ve only seen a place similar to this in the movie Platoon. But there\u2019s no war and no enemies. Just a jungle very close to Taipei, capital of Taiwan. I found myself deep in the jungle with a lot of danger. Slippery roots on the ground, lianas hanging from the branches and bamboo stems very close to the trail. Everything is an obstacle which could lead to serious injury if not careful.<\/p>\n

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Every cyclist has to watch out very carefully not to crash into the bamboo with the handlebars. It happened often, so you have to bail from the bike into the bush. Thankfully the ground was heavily covered in leaves softening the fall somewhat. The most exotic part about riding in the jungle are the sounds. Unseen birds sing loud and constant. It\u2019s the first experience of its kind in my life.<\/p>\n

Prepare to go on a hard mode<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I\u2019m sweating like hell with all my photo gear in my bag. This trail is far from an easy level. It\u2019s quite steep with lots of rocky steps and roots in the way. I wish I had woken in a much better shape today. To have it more tricky, I forgot my safety knee pads in my hotel room.\u00a0Whoops.<\/p>\n