Thanks a lot! Brings back all sorts of memories, including the ideology, politics, etc. (An advocate of Taiwan independence lived under house arrest around the corner from us, until he escaped from the island; his guards sat in a jeep with at least one flat tire.) Taipei itself was in a flat basin surrounded by hills/mountains, so heavy 3-speed bikes were OK, but it took strong legs and lungs to get out of the basin. With the hot, humid summers, it wasn't ideal cycling for me. We lived on Taiwan for 20 months, and I think adding up all the buses and taxis we took, transportation still didn't cost as much as repeated cycles of buying a bike, getting it stolen, and buying it back from a seller on the street of stolen bicycles.
I always appreciate the rides down memory lane. I especially appreciate this one.