Standing amid a sea of fish farms on Taiwan's west coast, cornered by a dozen-odd angry stray dogs, I began to question what I was doing.

I was just four days into an 800-mile bicycle journey around the island, armed with only a bicycle, a couple of sets of cycling Lycra and some basic supplies: jeans, two T-shirts, my iPhone, and a spare inner tube. I'd expected this solo trip to be a challenge, but I'd never imagined this.

Before...