“ We Want to Build Our Own Roads ”

“All of my free time was dedicated to searching for new ideas for our cycling team." Team leader Chiu Siou Sian, has a deep passion for cycling which was evident from his creation of various competitions such as the "CYTO online competition" held during the pandemic, the Wednesday flash competition and the annual Da'an competition.

Initially, Chiu Siou Sian began riding single-speed bicycles purely for enjoyment. Five years ago, his passion for cycling led him to establish his team CYTO, competing in various road races in Taiwan. He designed their team logo, created sponsorship proposals and successfully secured support from companies for various events and competitions. The team even has their own theme songs composed by NCCU Afro Music! Chiu confidently expresses that “We are pioneers since no other amateur team in Taiwan has ever done any of this!”

Drawing from his past experience of managing the basketball team at his university, Chiu Siou Sian strongly believes that a wellorganized team can always improve, and young team members can gain valuable management skills through their involvement in cycling. To achieve greater success and set more records, the team must choose “an exceptional road” right from the beginning.

While juggling his work and team management responsibilities, Chiu Siou Sian regards his time on the bike as his personal "Me Time" where he can fully focus on cycling without any distraction. His most unforgettable trip was the "three-day around Taiwan" adventure in 2018. He covered a distance of 960 km in just three days, cycling from Taichung to Chishang on the first day, continuing all the way to Jiaoxi on the second day, and then returning back to Taichung on the third day. Despite the overwhelming and intense nature of the trip, he found it incredibly relaxing and could fully experience the pure joy of cycling.

At the beginning, Johnnie felt it was practically mission impossible to work from home and take care of kids during the pandemic. After some time however she adjusted well to this new lifestyle and even found time to bake delicious desserts and support her children's aspirations of becoming YouTubers. Johnnie says she will always cherish the time she spent with her kids, “Even though it was tough finding time to make it work, my kids and I are much closer now.”

Johnnie turned the daily two hour commute time into her introspective exercising “Me Time” before work. “I always exercised when I was feeling down since I knew I would feel better afterward.” The endorphins released after exercising helped her to change her mood quickly. “Finishing the daily target made me feel like a useful person.”

Having accomplished the impressive feat of completing the Boston Marathon, Johnnie decided to switch up her routine and took up road cycling. Due to her competitive nature and desire to not hold her team back, she began training.

“It’s either do it well or not at all for me. Even I am afraid of myself when I take things seriously!”

Johnnie quickly discovered cycling required a bit of a learning curve. Riding entails managing a machine and that is vastly different from managing one’s own body when running. This process was frustrating in the beginning when she started cycling but with focus and persistence, she was able to find the joys in this activity. As Johnnie grew more familiar with her bike, she formed a close bond with it and even gave it a name - Arctic Wolf or Wolfie, who became more of a partner than just an object. She eventually reached her goal by winning the “Loving 197 Road Bike Race.”

Despite the tediousness of constant training, Johnnie always set extravagant goals for herself, which at times made her dislike cycling. However, whenever she achieved a breakthrough, she would immediately turn to her friends and ask, "Where are we cycling next?"