Yau Ma Tei - Tai Wo MTR
This bike ride takes you out of Hong Kong's bustling Kowloon urban area to the relative rural paradise of Route Twisk on the slopes of Hong Kong's highest mountain, Tai Mo Shan. The biggest difficulty is keeping your eyes on the road instead of looking out to the panorama of the Kam Tin valley.
The basicsRating: A2
Distance: 31km Starts: Yau Ma Tei MTR Ends: Tai Wo MTR (bikes allowed with front wheel removed) Urban/rural/mixed: 30/30/40% Surface: Medium quality through urban Kowloon. Very good along Route Twisk. Medium on final stretch to Tai Wo. Difficulty of navigation: Very easy |
Map and elevation
The detail
As with almost all the routes on this site, the first few kilometres follows the urban jungle that is the Kowloon peninsula. It is 12km from the start (Yau Ma Tei MTR) to the beginning of Route Twisk but go early in the morning and you'll have the road to yourself.
From this point, the climb to the top is an arduous 5km or so. The good news is that is the road clears and becomes gradually less busy with traffic, and much greener with fewer buildings. This is, however, a bus route so care must be taken at all times.
At the top, the road flattens out for a few hundred metres before dropping down the northern side of the hill, which affords superb views over the Yuen Long valley. If you want to see the view properly (as in the panorama at the top of this post), you need to look out on the right hand side after a couple of hundred metres of descent from the top for a set of steps.
The descent on this side is steeper than it would be on the other side, but shorter and with many more sharp bends. At the bottom you will meet a roundabout; turn right (signed for Tai Po) and climb up another (relatively short) hill. This road is much busier with lorries and buses and I strongly advise pulling in to the side especially at points where the road is narrow. From the top is a long gradual decent.
On arriving on the edge of the Tai Wo urban area, follow the cycle path around the town and follow signs for the MTR. From Tai Wo the East Rail Line (MTR) returns southwards and bikes are permitted with the front wheel removed.
From this point, the climb to the top is an arduous 5km or so. The good news is that is the road clears and becomes gradually less busy with traffic, and much greener with fewer buildings. This is, however, a bus route so care must be taken at all times.
At the top, the road flattens out for a few hundred metres before dropping down the northern side of the hill, which affords superb views over the Yuen Long valley. If you want to see the view properly (as in the panorama at the top of this post), you need to look out on the right hand side after a couple of hundred metres of descent from the top for a set of steps.
The descent on this side is steeper than it would be on the other side, but shorter and with many more sharp bends. At the bottom you will meet a roundabout; turn right (signed for Tai Po) and climb up another (relatively short) hill. This road is much busier with lorries and buses and I strongly advise pulling in to the side especially at points where the road is narrow. From the top is a long gradual decent.
On arriving on the edge of the Tai Wo urban area, follow the cycle path around the town and follow signs for the MTR. From Tai Wo the East Rail Line (MTR) returns southwards and bikes are permitted with the front wheel removed.