{"id":1860585,"date":"2026-04-01T02:09:54","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T23:09:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1860585"},"modified":"2026-04-01T02:09:54","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T23:09:54","slug":"why-cycling-in-taipei-feels-safer-than-in-portland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1860585","title":{"rendered":"Why Cycling in Taipei Feels Safer Than in Portland"},"content":{"rendered":"

[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/PXL_20260330_060500273.jpg”]<\/p>\n

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Josh Ross<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Updated April 1, 2026 05:25PM<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

For the past week, I\u2019ve been in Taipei reporting on the Taipei Cycle Show and logging miles on a Factor One. I\u2019ve ridden throughout the city, navigating both hectic traffic and dedicated bike infrastructure, and I\u2019ve explored the countryside in both group events and long solo rides.<\/p>\n

Through it all, a few realities of riding outside the US have come into sharp focus. I\u2019m keeping it simple with five main takeaways. Most of these serve as a wish list \u2014 or perhaps as push-back against the American narrative on road safety \u2014while another deals with a unique environmental challenge I haven\u2019t encountered anywhere else in the world.<\/p>\n

\"Cycling
(Photo: Josh Ross\/Velo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

1. Scooters make bikes safer<\/h2>\n

In Taipei, there are far more scooters than cars. I don\u2019t mean full-size motorcycles; I mean small scooters under 250cc. While data says many of them are electric, they all blend into a massive swarm of two-wheeled transit. The point is they aren\u2019t massive vehicles, but they get people around, carry groceries, and even transport entire families. Yes, I saw one with four people on it.<\/p>\n

\"Cycling
There are electric scooters here and there. (Photo Josh Ross\/Velo)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For cyclists, this creates a massive advantage: drivers inherently expect smaller, two-wheeled vehicles to be everywhere. Lane filtering is rampant. Even if you know what what lane filtering means and have experienced it in the States, it\u2019s far more prevalent here than you could imagine. If there is a gap between a car and a curb, a scooter will use it to filter to the front. Because of this, cars are constantly looking for smaller vehicles and expect them on all sides.<\/p>\n

\"Cycling
No one touches the bike box no matter what. (Photo Josh Ross\/Velo)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Beyond behavior, there is actual infrastructure to support this. Often, the right-hand lane is dedicated entirely to scooters, which works out exceptionally well for bikes. Then, at each light, there\u2019s a bike box.<\/p>\n

\"Cycling
That\u2019s a two-stage left turn bike box. (Photo Josh Ross\/Velo)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I call it a bike box because that\u2019s what we call them in Portland, Oregon. Here, they are shared, with pavement markings for both bikes and scooters. You also find them tucked into odd little nooks at large, multi-directional intersections. It\u2019s a system where scooters head right to reposition for a direct shot across the intersection (essentially a two-stage left turn). It sounds confusing \u2014 because it is \u2014 but the takeaway is that if you are on two wheels, there is dedicated space carved out just for you, keeping you protected from larger vehicles.<\/p>\n

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This setup highlights one glaring difference from what I see at home in Portland: the cars actually respect it. In Portland, bike boxes are painted bright green, incredibly obvious, and often paired with \u201cno turn on red\u201d signs. Drivers typically ignore all of this, pulling straight into the bike box to make a right-hand turn regardless of the signs and markings. In Taipei, there are no bright green painted boxes, yet I didn\u2019t once see a car inch forward over the line. They stayed back, even at small intersections with no bikes or scooters in sight.<\/p>\n

\"Cycling
This is every size vehicle you typically see on the streets in one image. (Photo Josh Ross\/Velo)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2. Right sized vehicles make infrastructure usable<\/h2>\n

I know this risks sounding like an old man yelling at clouds, but seeing it in action is striking. We already covered the scooters, but the scaling doesn\u2019t stop there. The cars and trucks here are simply smaller. When I was climbing narrow mountain roads with zero shoulder on the Factor One, it was still workable because the road naturally had room for both me and the vehicles passing next to me.<\/p>\n

\"Cycling
Admittedly not all buses are this small but some are. (Photo Josh Ross\/Velo)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To prove the point: even the buses are downsized. They are still large vehicles, but on those tight switchbacks, there was actually room to breathe. Transit buses in Taiwan are narrower than those in the US by anywhere from 4 to 20 inches depending on the model. I assure you, you feel every one of those inches when a bus passes you on a tight grade.<\/p>\n

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What this means is that existing infrastructure can carry far more traffic without friction. The roads in Taiwan aren\u2019t wider than ours, but they move far more people. Massive American SUVs are mostly hauling empty space. When you size the fleet down \u2014 and replace a huge portion of cars with scooters and bikes \u2014 you fit significantly more people onto the exact same footprint.<\/p>\n

\"Cycling
Right size vehicles make more sense for everyone. (Photo Josh Ross\/Velo)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This has a profound effect on the cycling experience. In the US, forward-thinking cities \u2014 Portland included \u2014 try to make streets safer through \u201croad diets,\u201d which typically size a four-lane road down to two lanes with a center turn lane and outer bike lanes. In Taipei, I didn\u2019t see much of that. Yet, riding on a standard four-lane road felt infinitely safer. When you are on a bike, you realize there is actual physical space for vehicles \u2014 even buses \u2014 to pass you without needing to leave their lane.<\/p>\n

Of course, this does mean that \u2014 like almost every foreign country I\u2019ve ever ridden in \u2014 you will get passed closer. In the US, drivers either give you a massive berth, or they close-pass you with malice. In Taiwan, drivers just see you as another vehicle. There\u2019s no malice; they just move to the edge of their lane and pass. When the vehicles are actually the right size for the road, the whole system just works.<\/p>\n

\"Cycling
Paint doesn\u2019t protect absolutely but small changes like this help keep people safe. (Photo Josh Ross\/Velo)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. Protecting vulnerable road users doesn\u2019t have to be expensive<\/h2>\n

There are people in the US who genuinely care about getting road safety right. These advocates have big ideas and frequently say things like \u201cpaint isn\u2019t protection\u201d when pushing for separated, elevated bike lanes. They aren\u2019t wrong \u2014 riding on dedicated infrastructure is always the ideal. But riding in Taipei taught me it\u2019s not the only solution.<\/p>\n

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We\u2019ve already talked about vehicle scale, but fixing that in the States requires a massive cultural shift. The US market is saturated with oversized vehicles because we\u2019ve distorted it through fuel economy loopholes and gas price manipulation, creating a population accustomed to driving tanks. Undoing that won\u2019t be easy. In Taipei, however, it isn\u2019t just the size of the vehicles making the difference; it\u2019s how the traffic is managed.<\/p>\n

\"Cycling
A whole lane for bikes and scooters. (Photo Josh Ross\/Velo)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It starts with those bike boxes, which are nearly free to implement. Yes, it\u2019s just paint on the pavement, but it gives small vehicles a safe harbor. Crucially, in Taiwan, those boxes are paired with ubiquitous countdown timers on the traffic signals. Both the red and green lights, alongside the pedestrian walk signals, show everyone at the intersection exactly how many seconds remain before the phase changes.<\/p>\n

\"Cycling
It\u2019s super handy when walking to know exactly how long you have at all times. (Photo Josh Ross\/Velo)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On a bike, this is huge. Worried you might not make it across a massive, multi-lane intersection before the light turns? Just check the timer before committing. Coasting up to a red and deciding if you actually need to unclip? You can perfectly time your rollout. Or, you can clip in and put tension on the pedals the exact second before the light flips green.<\/p>\n

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You can safely get that jump off the line because the intersections here frequently utilize an all-red clearance phase followed by a \u201cLeading Pedestrian Interval\u201d \u2014 a slight head start for walkers and cyclists before car traffic gets the green. A few progressive US cities are starting to test this, but it\u2019s standard practice here. Having experienced it firsthand, I can tell you it is objectively better for vulnerable road users. It removes the panic from the intersection.<\/p>\n

\"Cycling
You can always see how much time you have left before the light changes. (Photo Josh Ross\/Velo)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The timers are also incredible for basic ride management. When I pulled up to a light and needed to grab a drink or check my head unit for directions, I didn\u2019t have to nervously watch the cross-traffic to guess when my light would change. I knew exactly how many seconds of downtime I had. I imagine this lowers the blood pressure for drivers, too. Instead of anxiously anticipating a sudden green light, everyone just relaxes and watches the numbers count down.<\/p>\n

\"Cycling
The orange bike in the back is electric assist up to 25 km\/hr while the bike in the front is a standard bike. (Photo Josh Ross\/Velo)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

4. Bike share bikes aren\u2019t just for transportation<\/h2>\n

Maybe all these little infrastructural changes add up, or maybe it\u2019s a cultural shift, but in Taiwan, bike share bikes aren\u2019t just for transportation.<\/p>\n

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In the US, in my experience, bike share is generally treated as a temporary, strictly utilitarian solution. Need to go a little farther than your legs can carry you, or don\u2019t want to drive to the market? You grab a rental bike. It fills a gap. But if you actually care about riding \u2014 even if it\u2019s commuting because it\u2019s better for your physical and mental health \u2014 you buy a bike. Even for daily commuters, bike ownership implies that you actually enjoy the act of riding. The rental bikes, meanwhile, stay firmly on the utilitarian side of a strict line in the sand.<\/p>\n

In Taipei, I saw something much different. Certainly, there were people using the ubiquitous YouBikes to run errands, but I also saw tons of locals out on the dedicated bike paths, simply enjoying the day on a bike share bike. The concept of a genuine leisure rider who isn\u2019t in a tourist destination, yet doesn\u2019t own the bike they are riding, is almost unheard of in the US. Here, it seemed incredibly common.<\/p>\n

Also odd compared to the US: the vast majority of these leisure rentals were not electric. Getting more people on bikes is always a good thing, and e-bikes are fantastic tools. However, in the US, it\u2019s impossible (at least in Portland) to even find a non-electric bike in a city share fleet. That firmly cements them as transit rather than recreation. When you combine that with the stubborn (and entirely wrong) American stigma that riding an e-bike is somehow \u201ccheating,\u201d anyone who wants to pedal purely for the joy of the day simply buys their own bike. In Taiwan, electric YouBikes are an option, but people are actively choosing to rent the standard, human-powered versions just to enjoy an afternoon. It\u2019s a refreshing reminder that when the environment is right, you don\u2019t need to own your bike \u2014 motored or not \u2014 to just go pedal for the fun of it.<\/p>\n

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Oh and I did get quite surprised by a three-speed Youbike absolutely crushing it up a steep bridge without any assist.<\/p>\n

\"Cycling
Temporary walls are covered in potted plants. (Photo Josh Ross\/Velo)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

5. Northern Taiwan really is a jungle<\/h2>\n

This takeaway doesn\u2019t offer a direct infrastructure lesson for the US, but riding in a true jungle environment is fascinating. It isn\u2019t my first time riding in one \u2014 I\u2019ve ridden in Colombia \u2014 but the urban environment there didn\u2019t feel quite like this.<\/p>\n

On my first ride in Taipei, we spent maybe 10 minutes navigating the city before suddenly hitting a narrow, winding road climbing straight into the jungle. I couldn\u2019t see past the edge of the tarmac; everything was a wall of green, and the noise of the wildlife was overwhelming. I was minutes from a major metropolis, but very much in the wild.<\/p>\n

\"Taipei
There\u2019s a lot of scooters and it actually seems to overall make bicycling safer.<\/span> (Photo: Josh Ross\/Velo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Even back in the city proper, that wild feeling doesn\u2019t completely fade. There are trees in nearly every open space, and the jungle soundtrack comes with you. Birds are everywhere, filling the air with a volume of noise you simply don\u2019t expect in a dense urban center. It\u2019s lovely.<\/p>\n

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What\u2019s less lovely is the humidity. Step outside in your cycling kit, and you are almost immediately drenched as if caught in a rainstorm. Stopping is worse than riding, and visibility quickly becomes a serious issue. Your glasses instantly fog over, or worse, develop a filmy layer of moisture that feels akin to riding underwater. The same goes for your cycling computer.<\/p>\n

I carry a microfiber cloth on rides for this exact reason, but it was useless here. On a typical long ride at home, I might wipe my glasses once. Here, I tried at least five times. By the third attempt, I was just smearing the moisture around; after the fifth, I gave up entirely. There was simply no way to get the lenses \u2014 or the head unit screen \u2014 dry enough to actually read them.<\/p>\n

\"Taipei
(Photo: Josh Ross\/Velo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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Josh Ross<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Updated April 1, 2026 05:25PM<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

[analyse_source url=”https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-gear\/cycling-taiwan-infrastructure-lessons-learned\/”]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/PXL_20260330_060500273.jpg”] Josh Ross Updated April 1, 2026 05:25PM For the past week, I\u2019ve been in Taipei reporting on the Taipei Cycle Show and logging miles on a Factor One. I\u2019ve ridden throughout the city, navigating both hectic traffic and dedicated bike infrastructure, and I\u2019ve explored the countryside in both group events and long […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,71],"class_list":["post-1860585","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-velo-outsideonline-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1860585","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1860585"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1860585\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1860585"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1860585"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1860585"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}