Location: Nantou/Yunlin/Chiayi
Distance: 41km Elevation Gain: 800m
The No. 149 road is interesting to riders for several reasons. For one it’s an excellent access point to some of the best roads in the country that we have covered in other posts in our series. The 149 has two subsidiary roads – the 149 A and B. The 149A is actually longer than the primary 149 which is unusual. (the 149A will be covered later in our series) It also spans the three counties of Nantou where it starts and passes through Yunlin before it terminates in Chiayi.
The road can be accessed from the north or south depending on the riders’ approach. For those traveling from north Taiwan by public transport, Ershui is the nearest train station. From there it’s just 10km south on County Road No. 141 to the start of the 149.
Traveling from the south Douliou is just 18km to the start point at Zhushan located at the 234km marker on Provincial Highway No. 3. Zhushan is a fairly big town and there’s no shortage of shops and restaurants to stock up. From 0km marker on the 149, there are a couple of dog leg turns at the beginning, but the road is well sign posted.
The elevation at this point is just over 100m and the ascent is gradual all the way to the top. At the 11km marker, there is a turn-off for the Nantou 52 road which leads to Ruilong Waterfall – well worth a visit. Further up the road, there are a few small villages to pass through. Signs on the road will tell the rider that Gukeng is up ahead. This is a primary coffee growing region and there is no shortage of boutique cafes to stop for a break – it won’t be cheap, but you are paying for the view as much as for the coffee.
Continuing on up the road reveals the best of Taiwan riding scenery, there is very little traffic and the surface is perfect. It’s not unusual to get a sea of clouds hovering over the lower-level mountains. At the 19km marker is the turn off for the 149A – this leads the rider into the magical abyss of interconnected roads that make Nantou and Chiayi two of the best counties in the country for cyclists.
As with most county roads of this kind there is dense forest vegetation, not to mention betel nut plantations, shading the road. So, even in summer the rider only has to deal with short intervals of full sun exposure.
One of the best attractions on this road is 10,000 Year Gorge which involves a short detour to the left at the 23km marker. At the 27km marker the road tops out at around 700m and the descent is dramatic down to the west.
The last point of interest on the 149 is near the end at Meishan town. At the 39.5km there is a left turn for the No. 162A, otherwise known as the ’36 Bends’ road and #028 is our series of the Top 100 Climbs in Taiwan.
Once the rider reaches the end of the road at the 41km marker there are two options available to get back into the hills. If not the 36 Bends mentioned above, then the other option is the No. 166. Ride 5km south down Provincial Highway No. 3 178km marker to Zhuqi where the No. 166 starts. This road is covered in #031 of our series.
