Riding over 14,000 kilometers on a single bicycle, crossing 13 Eurasian countries in 162 days. The person who did this isn’t a professional cyclist, but a post-90s boy from Shunyi District named Zhao Yueming. Yesterday, the young man shared his cycling dream with the author.
Zhao Yueming is not tall and has slightly dark skin. Years of cycling have not only given him rich experience but also built a strong physique, making him look a bit more mature than his peers. Despite his young age, Zhao has plenty of cycling experience. Ever since he learned to ride a bike at the age of 8, a cycling dream took root in his heart. "At 8, I wanted to cycle to Tibet on my own. Back then, when I told my classmates, they all laughed at me, thinking I was bragging and that it was impossible." Zhao smiled as he recalled his initial cycling idea. No one could have imagined that over a decade later, this small dream would grow into an even bigger Eurasian cycling journey.
This Eurasian trip was something Zhao Yueming had planned since his freshman year in college. "My classmate Xiao Chao and I set off from Beijing on June 22 last year, following the Silk Road. We entered Kazakhstan, Russia, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland, and Italy from Xinjiang, cycled all the way to Rome, and flew back to Beijing on December 1." The cycling enthusiast pulled out a world map, pointed to the marked route, and recounted his 13-country Eurasian cycling adventure.
"Facing the endless Gobi Desert, under the scorching heat of 50 degrees Celsius, accompanied by winds of force four or five—and even worse, most of the time it was crosswinds or headwinds—the wind hitting your face felt like an eight-horsepower air conditioner outdoor unit strapped to the handlebars, making cycling very slow..." This is an excerpt from Zhao Yueming’s diary, recording the toughest day of their Eurasian journey. On July 13, Zhao Yueming and Xiao Chao set off from Xinjiang’s Xingxingxia toward Hami, covering a total of 225 kilometers. The entire route was through barren Gobi with no supplies available—they had to reach their destination within a day. At 4 a.m., Zhao and Xiao set off carrying 70 kilograms of luggage each, plus 5 liters of water and some dry food. By noon, the intense heat and strong winds hit. They crawled along the road like snails. Even worse, when they were just 30 kilometers away from Hami, Zhao ran out of water and nearly fainted. At that critical moment, a passing Uyghur uncle gave them several bottles of mineral water, which saved the day.
This 13-country Eurasian cycling journey allowed Zhao Yueming to experience the hustle and bustle of big cities, the tranquility of small villages, the scorching heat of the Gobi in Gansu, and the exotic charm of Xinjiang... When asked about his biggest gain from all these years of cycling, he said that every time he climbs a mountain, he tells himself he’ll never ride again—but every time he glides down from the summit, the pride and thrill make him love cycling even more. "I cycled across Europe in 2012, next up is the Americas, and in the future, Africa and Australia. I aim to cycle through the whole world before I turn 30." Zhao Yueming’s cycling dreams are still going strong.