Epic can mean different things to different people. Based on this, we have graded our guided tours by level of difficulty. The factors which determine the difficulty of a tour will primarily be distance, elevation and riding time, however we will also consider the heat and altitude of the days. You can choose a tour that suits your level, or the level that you can train towards. We will have something for everyone. For our "Grand Tours" we will cover an average of around 100km/1500m/5-6hrs riding a day, for seven days with just one rest day included. For this you do need to be relatively fit and experienced at riding long days. Don't feel intimidated though, because if you are having a bad leg day, you can just pop your bike in the van and we'll drive you to the next place along the route. It's all part of the service! Of course, if you have a group which prefers less challenging days, then we have other options, including having a tour designed specifically for you. For self-guided Tours of course, the choice is yours! We not here for racing, we are here for the adventure.

Firstly, unless it's a self-guided or bespoke private tour, we require all our guests to provide some evidence of their cycling experience and fitness levels. With this, we can ensure that riders within the same group will be as well matched as possible. With private groups, we will discuss and suggest strategies to make the ride go as smoothly as possible, if the levels of the riders differ widely. Examples could be splitting the group into smaller groups for certain sections of the route, everyone setting off at different times, or simply faster riders waiting at the top of climbs for the slower members to catch up.

For guided tours, we have a minimum of one guide riding with you. We also have at least one (maybe two depending on the group size) support vehicles driven by professional mechanics. You will also be supported on the trip for fuelling (except dinner which, from experience, is best left to personal choice) and hydration needs.

Traffic in Taiwan is generally pleasant. Even on busy roads in the cities, drivers act courteously towards cyclists and respect the space that a cyclist needs. We believe this is due to the culture of having scooters (small automatic motorcycles) on the roads, so the awareness that drivers have for two wheeled vehicles is heightened and ingrained. In addition, because Taiwan has a lot of scooters, many of the main roads have designated bike and scooter lanes, keeping you separated from the motorised traffic.

This is just a basic guide to the level of difficulty of a route based on the elevation gained and distance, on a per day and overall basis. ★★★★★ = A five star tour will be challenging. A good level of fitness and experience would be required. ★★★★ = A four star tour will require a reasonable level of fitness, as it will include a challenging amount of climbing or distance to be covered daily. ★★★ = A three star tour will be a level that the majority of cyclists will be able to cope with, although not without a few challenges. ★★ = A two star tour will be easy enough for all but absolute beginners, with a flat or rolling profile and shorter riding distances. ★ = A one star tour will be extremely easy, with flat profiles and short distances.

Unfortunately, bad weather is a possibility in most environments. In the case of rain, we will continue guided tours as planned, however if we are heading into very bad weather, we are able to change the route to avoid the worst of it. Epic Ride Taiwan considers your safety as the upmost importance, so in the case of extreme weather, local situations out of our control, or situations where the road is damaged or dangerous, we reserve the right to change the route for guided tours. We will, however, do all we can to re-route you on something as similar as possible.