YouBike [Taiwan Day 697&698-T'was the Night with YouBike - July 29 & 30, 2015]

After the gathering of the Filipino Scholars in Taiwan (FSiT), I was asked to join by some of my friends to go shopping in Wufenpu. It was a naïve invitation that turned into a cruel intention. The MRT closes at midnight and the only way to go back home was by taking the YouBike. The problem is that it was 16 years ago when I last rode a real bike (The SkyCycle in Taiwan Day 525 was a fake one). I already forgot how and I need to bike again just to survive the night.

The YouBike is Taipei's public bicycle rental system and it has also scattered in other areas in Taiwan like New Taipei City and Changhua. How to start riding a YouBike? You just need an EasyCard and a Taiwan mobile number. If you don't have a mobile phone number, just ask your friend living in Taipei to register for you. A maximum of five YouBikers can be registered in one mobile number.


A brake handle, basket, headlight, and a system for changing for gears is provided for every YouBike. It was a bit difficult first to pedal a bike. I always have this fear of losing my balance and getting myself hurt. A few tries and I made my first successful pedal!

We headed to Rainbow Bridge to enjoy the night scenery at Keelung River. We passed by Raohe Night Market but I'm not comfortable yet in riding a bike in a place full of people. I might hurt others so I just pulled the bike while walking. My practice ride continued along the riverbanks. It was my first night time travel adventure in Keelung River.

Drinks from a 24-hour convenience store quenched our thirsts. Gerald asked me take a photo of him with a milk tea vendor. Jonalyn also followed. Was this a battle of the sexes? lol. Jason and Kristine led the gang in biking to Nangang. Oh! Gian was also with us. 

We finally reached the MRT Nangang Exhibition Center where I bid goodbye to my Travel Buddies. My home was just walking distance from the MRT Nangang Exhibition Center so biking was no longer needed. A YouBike Station was just outside the MRT Station and I put back the YouBike. I placed my EasyCard on the sensor zone to finish returning the YouBike.

Was the YouBike ride free? The first 30 minutes costs NTD 10 and this rate will continue up to the first 4 hours. The next 4 hours will costs you 10NTD and another 4 hours the rate will become NTD 20. The YouBike is heavily maintained so don't worry about the payment. It's very cheap. Buying your own bike is a good investment but riding the YouBike is a different experience.

A new way of travelling in Taiwan was unlocked with this travel adventure. There are numerous biking lanes in Taipei City and the scenery is great. Biking was now added to my personal skill set and I will continue practicing in preparation for my future biking adventures. It was a tiring but exciting night. T’was the night with YouBike.

Sakura Series - Taiwan

2026 Forecast

Taipei 101 first flowers

Tianyuan Palace backyard

Taipei Flower Test Center

Pingjing St. Lane 42

Broadwood Park

Sunshine Sports Park kawazu sakura

Wuling Farm (武陵農場)

SYS kawazu sakura

Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village

CKS Memorial Hall

Shibafen Yoshino Sakura

Hope River

Dongfang Temple

Tianyuan Palace

Neicou Stream Trail

Orange Garden Cafe

Yangming Park Visitor Information Center

Yangming Park Service Center Bus Stop

Huashan Road

Qianshan Park

Zhongshan Hall Entrance

Tenglong Sakura Farm

Flower Test Center Shōwa Sakura

Neihu Creek Trail

Shulin Land Office

Xióng Kōng Cherry Blossom Forest

Lung Yen Sakura Forest

Yangming Park cherry stream

Yangming Park fountain

CKS Memorial Hall Tairyō sakura

Wugu District Tianyi Road

CKS Memorial Hall yaesakura

Loving Farm

Yong Long Farm

Zhongbaling Sakura Road

Sun Link Sea

Tai'an Police Station

Cherry Hill Slope

Hsinchu Park

Taipei 101

Kāng Gào Kēng Creek

New Garden City

Broadwood Park

Tianyuan Palace backyard

Pingjing St. Lane 42

Alishan Ranger Station

Alishan House

Alishan Police Station

Alishan Forest Railway

Alishan Station

Alishan Entrance

Alishan Gou Hotel

Alishan Magnolia Garden

Wulai tour

Wun Chang Elementary School

Bishanyan

Sanzhi Sansheng Trail

Sakura Series - Taiwan

Nei Cuo Stream

Orange Garden Cafe

Sansheng Trail

Tenglong Sakura Farm

Yangming Park Cherry Stream

Yangming Park Fountain

Flower Test Center

Broadwood Park

New Garden City

Yinghua Park

Pingjing St. Lane 42

Yangmingshan Visitor Center

Taipei 101

Tianyuan Palace backyard

Sakura Series - Japan

Kamonyama Park

Near the Nippon Maru Memorial Park

Shinko Park

Minato-mirai 21 area

Tokyo Tech Suzukakedai Campus

Onda River

Tenryuji

Byodoin

Kiyomizudera

Himuro shrine and Yakushi-ji Temple

Hōryū-ji Temple

Nara Park attractions

Tokyo Tech Ookayama Campus

Sumida River

Tsuruma Park

Gion

Maple Series

Taipei Aowanda

Shimen Dam

Alishan

Aowanda

Shanlinxi

Taoyuan Valley Garden

Fushoushan Farm

Yehliu to Jiufen? Yehliu to Shifen? Cheaper than yellow taxis

The "Taipei kong mahal" (My beloved Taipei)

Always in my heart

MRT birdman

Valentine's Day

Tulips Festival

2018 Taipei Lantern Festival

City of Azaleas

Linji Huguo Temple

Nanjichang Night Market

Gudetama Chef restaurant

Dalongdong Bao'an Temple

Shilin hollyhocks

Ningxia Night Market

Ximending graffiti

Discovery Center of Taipei

Chunghwa Postal Museum

Double-Decker Bus

Shilin Cold Balls

Jingimoo

GomanMango

mud volcanic ice

Fire and Ice Dumpling

Opium Fen-Yuan

Ichiran Ramen

Liu Shandong Beef Noodles

hydrangea flowers

National Palace Museum

Other attractions in Taipei

Taipei on a budget

Japanese buildings

Dāoxiāomiàn beef noodles

Presidential Office Building

Yongkang St. and Elephant Mountain

CKS and SYS Hall

City tour

Beitou ramen

MRT Monopoly Game

Winter city tour

Zhicheng Park

Shilin Plum Blossom

Art museums

Shopping in Taipei

Summer desserts

Qingtiangang

Qixingshan hiking

2015 Calla lily

2016 Calla lily

Beitou tour

Beitou-Zhuzihu tour

NTU

Confucius Temple

2015 Dadaocheng Festival

Puppet Museum

Fantasy Ice World

2016 Bread Show

Strawberry picking

2015 Rose Garden

Modern Toilet

Shilin Night Market

NASA Exhibit

Raohe Night Market

Longshan Temple

2013 Taipei Zoo

Maokong Gondola

Lupin flowers

Taipei 101 day visit

Taipei 101 night visit

Tiger Mountain

Din Tai Fung

Taipei Story House

2014 Flower Show

Chrysanthemum Show

Miramar Ferris wheel

Miniatures Museum

Archery

1600 Pandas

Wulaoguo hot pot

Upside Down House

2016 101 Fireworks

New Taipei

Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival

Elephant Rock SUP/kayaking

Meteor Garden school

Tamsui Pumpkin Tunnel

Shifen Waterfall

2017 Sand Sculpture

Dragon Caves

New Taipei tour

2016 Kite Festival

Pingxi Crags

Bitou Cape

2016 Sand Sculpture

2015 Christmasland

Juming - Jinshan

Houtong - Pingxi

Sandiaoling Waterfall

Jiufen foodtrip

Guanyinshan hike

Yehliu Ocean World

2014 Kite Festival

Pingxi Rail tour

Jinguashi tour

Vigor Kobo Pineapple

British Consulate

Yehliu Geopark

2014 Sand Sculpture

Paragliding

2014 Christmasland

2014 Pingxi Lantern

firefly watching

Yingge Ceramics Street

Jiufen tour