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March 31, 2023 — 2023 Taiwan KOM Challenge – Spring EditionOverall Ranking: 139 out of 208

Writer: Nate Wang
Nate Wang
Apr 19, 2025
2 min read

Completed the Taiwan KOM 📍Finish Altitude: 3,725m

📏Distance: 105km Sometimes, when life won’t move forward — I ride until it does. I’ve never been someone who loved the outdoors.

Growing up, I was just your typical nerd — into games, music, and watching sports.

Back in middle school, I couldn’t even make it up Yangde Blvd without walking my bike, and I still remember crashing on the descent.


It wasn’t until last September that I seriously started cycling again.

Now, seven months later, I’ve finally completed something I used to literally dream about — the Taiwan KOM Challenge, East Route to Wuling.

The moment I crossed the finish line, my body and mind just… aligned.

It was a strange kind of peace — full, quiet, and deeply satisfying.

Grateful, truly.



In life, not everything rewards you directly for effort.

But cycling? It’s brutally honest:

What you put in is exactly what you get.

No more, no less.

No one can pedal for you.


And maybe that’s why I love it so much.

It satisfies a very particular kind of obsession in me —

Not to become strong or fast,

but to have something that moves forward when the rest of life feels stuck.

Something that reminds me I can still climb, and go far.

And if one KOM ride isn’t enough to shake off the weight,

well, then I’ll ride it twice.



The race itself was a blast.

Since it was on a weekday and fully supported with road closures, there weren’t many cars or people.

So I spent most of it blasting music, screaming nonsense, and singing along like a maniac.


Every now and then, I’d cheer on other riders too.

The same Taroko Gorge that I’ve seen so many times —

when you’re climbing it with your own legs, it looks completely different.

The view feels higher, wider, more alive.

The wind brushes your skin.

You ride on the edge of cliffs, above the clouds.

And little by little, your heart opens up,

your burdens loosen,

and the things you couldn’t let go… start to slip away.



This was my first KOM, so I focused purely on finishing.

I didn’t train for speed — I trained for calm, control, and finishing strong.


I had 4 goals for this ride:


  1. Finish within 7.5 hours to qualify for the main race in October

  2. No walking the bike — ride every meter

  3. Conserve energy — don’t burn out early, save it for the final climb to Dayuling

  4. Stick to a strict nutrition plan — eat before I feel tired or hungry



I’m proud to say I hit all of them.

No cramps, no burnouts — just a long, steady, satisfying ride.


Now I can finally say this to Raven and Breed:

Respect.

See you in October.










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