If you're a cycling enthusiast, you might occasionally spot a one-armed hero speeding through the crowds while riding around Longjing — his name is Jin Liang.
Aside from having one less arm than most people, he also lives in a world without sound. Yet he can swim as swiftly as a "flying fish," winning the swimming championship at the provincial level for disabled athletes, and he can also race energetically on the cycling track.
The one-armed hero fell in love with mountain biking.
He can ride up and down Longjing four times faster than many able-bodied people.
How does he get on the bike with one hand? How does he maintain balance and avoid falling while riding? These challenges, which many see as daunting, are no longer issues for Jin Liang after countless hours of practice — sitting on the mountain bike, holding the handlebars with one hand, pedaling with one foot, and pushing off the ground with the other foot, the bike speeds forward.
With only one hand, he can only use one brake, and he rides downhill on mountain terrain — doesn’t he fall often? Jin Liang says that so far, he’s only fallen three times, none of them serious. His tips: using CR hydraulic disc brakes works well, and not being afraid helps a lot.
How does he fix his bike and get dressed with one hand? “If I get a flat tire, my teammates help me out; I use my mouth to help put on my clothes,” Jin Liang says.
A series of childhood accidents drastically changed the course of Jin Liang’s life. Shortly after birth, he was diagnosed with neonatal septicemia, and an overdose during treatment led to drug-induced deafness, plunging him into a silent world ever since. That summer when he was six, with no one at home to look after him, he followed his mother to work at the factory. While playing alone, he tried to retrieve a small toy that had fallen onto a running conveyor belt — and in the process, one of his arms was torn off.
“I fell in love with cycling in 2009. Back then, when I was on the bus, I often saw others riding shiny, beautiful bikes, looking cool and riding fast — even faster than electric scooters. That’s when I wanted to get a bike of my own. But my mom didn’t agree, worried that I’d get into an accident. So I had to find ways to save money, and eventually used about a thousand yuan of my pocket money to secretly buy a second-hand mountain bike and joined everyone for rides.”
At first, Jin Liang rode with able-bodied cycling teams, but the team he’s on now is called Deaf Riders of the World, made up entirely of deaf and mute cyclists. The team holds night rides twice a week, and Jin Liang joins every time. When he has time, he also goes for solo night rides around Longjing, and he’s faster than many able-bodied riders. “I usually do four up-and-downs of Longjing, taking about twelve minutes for each round trip.”
Former triple champion in swimming competitions
Dreams of cycling the world
“Every time he goes out riding, my heart is constantly in my throat. If he’s not back on time, I text him. Only when I see him return does my heart finally settle. Seeing how much he loves it, I don’t say anything anymore. Gradually, I’ve just gotten used to worrying,” says Jin Liang’s mother. In truth, she still doesn’t support his cycling.
Jin Liang’s mother shared that her son is quite talented in sports. When he was 19, he took part in Hangzhou’s disabled swimming competition for the first time, entering both the 50-meter and 100-meter events. Though he had never seriously swum those distances before, he came in first and second place. Later, he was selected by a coach for three years of training, and participated in provincial competitions where he became a triple champion. “What worries me most about his cycling is that he might fall — and he has fallen a few times, but fortunately the injuries weren’t serious. Before he started cycling, aside from going to the pool, he spent almost all his time at home. Now with the bike, his range has expanded, and he’s made a lot more friends.”
Jin Liang said that before he started cycling, he had never left Hangzhou. His first long-distance trip was a ride to Ningbo with a few friends, covering a full 260 kilometers in a single day. Though extremely exhausting, he felt a great sense of accomplishment. Later, he also participated in the Xiaoshan Baiyun Lion Mountain Climb Race, cycling tours around Fuyang, and a 70-kilometer experience ride around Shaoxing.
“It’s not about competing — it’s about joy!” Jin Liang says. Cycling has brought him a bigger, brand-new world and helped him discover his potential. Many cyclists dream of riding to Tibet or seeing the world on two wheels, and Jin Liang admits he’s no exception. “If I get the chance, I’d like to go to Tibet with some companions.”