King's Ride Life
May 21st, 2007, Taichung, Taiwan - King Liu, Chairman of Giant Inc, has recently completed an unprecedented tour of Taiwan at the age of 73. His 15-day journey started in Taipei on May 7th, traversed counter-clockwise from west to south, returned along the eastern coastal roads, passed through Hualian, Yilan and finally arriving back in Taipei on May 21st. The total journey was 927 kilometers, and marks an impressive accomplishment for a person who has contributed greatly to the cycling industry.
The reason for King’s adventure was simple: he wanted to experience this beautiful island in a way hat allowed him to intimately connect with the people, places and culture. And he felt the best way to do this was on a Giant bicycle. “Driving is too careless, walking is too slow, and only through cycling can you truly experience the beauty of this island and have this once-in-a-lifetime adventure,” King explained. The trip brought King closer to the island, particularly the beautiful coastal scenery, the breath-taking mountain ranges, and the amazing people that he met along his ride.
King’s tour of the island also enabled him to experience a wide array of regional culinary delights that Taiwan has to offer. For example, he had the best beef cuisine ever in Jhongli City, delicious rice noodles in Hsinchu City and the famous black tuna sashimi in Donggang Township. Such great experiences were magnified after long days of riding.
The 15 day tour, however, did present some challenges for King. For example, an accident while crossing an intersection left King’s knees and fingers with cuts and abrasions that caused him discomfort. However, King’s toughest challenge was the pass through the Central Mountain Range, which was 21 kilometers long with 500 meters of steep switchbacks. With five kilometers to go on the climb to the peak, King’s body was so exhausted that he almost had to switch to an electric bike. However, through great strength and
willpower, King was able to preserve the spirit of the journey and persevered up the climb on his own strength. The reward was a breathtaking view of the beautiful coast, and a realization that his ride from the Taiwan Straits East bank to the Pacific Ocean West bank was worth every effort.
Fortunately, the fans he met along the journey also gave him great encouragement him to complete the arduous tour. He received warm welcome and support from many cyclists along the journey – and even had some accompany him on portions of the trip and numerous requests to be photographed with him. Overall, he met tremendous support and a warm welcome all over the island.
King’s 15 day journey exemplifies the spirit of adventure that drives everyone at Giant, the company he helped built into the world’s largest manufacturer of quality bicycles. It’s what Giant calls “Ride Life”, a belief that life is made more adventurous while experienced on a bicycle. King’s journey on a bicycle allowed him to connect with the culture, places and people on the island that he has lived for 73 years in a whole new way.
For King, the three most important elements for making a successful journey are quite clear: (1) use a high-quality bicycle (2) ride with the right gear and apparel and (3) enjoy the unexpected experiences along the journey. When he first established the Giant bicycle company, his vision was to create the total cycling solution to enable people to experience an adventurous life on a bicycle. King also believes that cycling provides positive influences to society and provides long-term environmental protection and health benefits. It is this philosophy that has driven King to embrace the power of cycling, and to continue to be a driving force in Taiwan’s Cycland Foundation, a cycling advocacy established in 1989.
The Giant founder hopes that his tour of Taiwan is only the beginning of a global transformation to inspire more people to experience life on a bicycle – whether it’s on a daily commute or a 15 day journey. King started his “Ride Life” and he invites everyone to join him.