Thermaltake Bicycle Rides TIME Bicycles and stijncycles Challenge Taiwan KOM, the world's top ten toughest races

Pingtung, Taiwan－March 21st, 2022－ Thermaltake Bicycle Ken, Sophia and Stijn Deferm, the founder of stijncycles, rode Alpe d' Huez 01 of TIME Bicycles and PEG Road of stijncycle, which are agent by Thermaltake Bicycles, to challenge the KOM in Taiwan.




Starting from the Qixingtan beach, passing through the Taroko Gorge, mixed forests at medium altitudes to the continuous peaks above 2,500 meters, and finally reaching the Wuling Mountains with an altitude of 3,275 meters. Faced with severe self-challenges, you need the best tools to achieve your goals. Congratulations to all the contestants who finished the competition, and welcome to join us in the next challenge!



We also have professional camera crew and take you to explore the amazing magnificent scenery along the way and the perseverance of the contestants.
Youtube Channel：曜越單車 TIME X stijncycles 挑戰臺灣KOM，世界十大最難賽事 │Thermaltake Bicycle



Stijn Deferm： As many races got postponed or cancelled due to the pandemic; for 2022 I decided to enter the Spring KOM again. I still don't have a (training) plan and I am certainly not skinny but also not too ambitious; let's ride together and enjoy this! In "preparation", I did the "3 Peaks" challenge in January and in February I got surprisingly 3rd (overall :)) at the "36 bends" race. Admitted, that course includes a long winding descent and a large part of headwind, so Peg definitively provided me an (un?)fair advantage.

At both occasions, I got to ride with Dave Tilley - he's relatively new to racing but he absolutely impressed me. Not only he's much stronger and fitter than me; he loves corners as much as I do and doesn't hold back! So much so that his equipment often has difficulties to keep up with his riding style. He was keen to try a Peg so I suggested him to join the KOM. A massive ride on a bike you hardly ridden before, but luckily, it's easy to set up Peg exactly like he wanted.

When we set off at 6.30am, the hard rain was replaced by drizzle and eventually we even experienced a fair bit of sunshine on the first 60km. I was enjoying it, I let go of the leading group early (Dave went up the road with them) and I decided to set my own pace. 3,5 Hours into my ride, reality started biting when stinging belly aches started to slow me down; I ate & drunk plenty but had trouble digesting that many carbs. On the positive side, the slow tempo made it easier to prevent cramps and I managed to granny gear up the final steep segments. It is not surprising to see even strong competitors walk after many hours of climbing; some parts having 27% gradient!

The final 10k, I got a brutal reminder on how tough the final was. A sudden cold surge (this is alpine mountain) and hard rain made matters worse. 10k may sound doable, but if realize you still have 1000m of elevation to go and you are literally crawling, you know it will take way longer as you would like it to.

The final 5k, I lost most of the feeling in my hands and feet - shifting was impossible - but I got some motivation back when I heard Dave ended up 15th and 3rd in his age category. I finally came in 40th and also 3rd in my age group, a very unexpected surprise! While trying to change clothes in a organization van near the finish line, I promise myself never to do this again. At least not for a few months :)

PS: I would like to thank my Taiwanese distributor ThermalTake Bicycles for their support and motivation. Looking forward to our next ride together!




▍The Alpe d' Huez 01 is the lightest frame ever made by TIME Bicycles, it is just under 900 grams. Frame made with exclusive RTM technology for ultimate agility and comfort. Best for cyclists interested in challenging distances, heights, steepness and climate.

▍The stijncycles PEG Road is a road bike focused on maximum handling performance and comfort. The use of the Small Wheel Specific geometry resulted in aerodynamical but also in other practical advantages, usually restricted to minivelos. Excelling on winding roads and boosting confidence in tricky conditions, it rewards beginner and experienced riders alike with a joyous and plush ride.