HowToTrip: YouBike in Changhua is a huge hit — some riders even cycled all the way to Wenhuo Mountain in Nantou to try pineapple cakes

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

One month into the trial operation of YouBike in Changhua, Giant Bicycles reported that usage has exceeded expectations. To adapt the bikes to the local terrain, Giant also adjusted the gear systems to make cycling easier. As a result, some users have been known to ride all the way to Wenhuo Mountain, a pineapple cake shop located at the border of Changhua and Nantou mountainous areas, just to buy pineapple cakes.

▲ YouBike trial operation in Changhua County has received positive feedback over the past month. (Photo / Provided by Changhua County Government)

Changhua County introduced the long-running YouBike public bicycle rental system from Taipei City. After one month of trial operation, total ridership has exceeded 100,000, surpassing the expectations of both the Changhua County Government and Giant Bicycles.

Kuo San-mo, head of the Central Taiwan Operations Division of Giant’s YouBike division, said that although Changhua’s YouBike system was modeled after Taipei’s, adjustments were made due to the hilly terrain in the city, including famous landmarks such as the Eight Trigrams Mountain Buddha and bridges like Zhongyang Overpass and Zhonghua Road Bridge. The gear systems were specially modified to provide a more effortless riding experience.

Regarding usage, Kuo noted that over the first month of the trial, there have been few cases of bike damage or theft. However, some riders have taken the bikes as far as Wenhuo Mountain at the Changhua-Nantou border to buy pineapple cakes, while others have ridden to Lukang Old Street for sightseeing. He added that if a bike is rented for more than four hours, the company will contact the user to check on the bike’s status.

Kuo also mentioned that many users often forget to take personal belongings left in the bike baskets when returning the bikes. He urged the public to double-check their belongings upon returning the bicycles. (News source: Central News Agency)