A photo of Song Tao in front of the Potala Palace
Those who have seen the movie "Kora" know that cycling to Tibet via National Highway 318 is every cycling enthusiast's dream. Song Tao, a 38-year-old resident of Kangzhuang Road Community in Yichang, Hubei, accomplished the feat of riding a bicycle all the way to Lhasa in just over 20 days, realizing his dream.
Falling in love with cycling many years ago
On the morning of July 4, a reporter found Song Tao in Kangzhuang Road Community. His tanned skin and confident demeanor indeed made him look like someone who had cycled to Tibet with strong perseverance.
Song Tao had long loved cycling trips, but he took a break for a while. In 2007, he picked up the hobby again. “Because cycling can not only exercise the body but also broaden your horizons and cultivate your mind,” Song Tao said. In the beginning, he mainly cycled around the urban area, but as his stamina and experience grew, he gradually became unsatisfied with short-distance rides.
In May 2009, Song Tao learned from the news that many cyclists were preparing to ride along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway. This sparked his interest. After learning about and familiarizing himself with the specific routes of other cyclists online, Song Tao decided to cycle to Tibet—to visit a sacred place in his heart and challenge his physical limits.
Cycling to Tibet with companions
After some preparation, that May, Song Tao and several fellow cyclists first took a bus to Sichuan, then set off from Chengdu and entered Tibet via the Sichuan-Tibet Highway.
“I remember when I was gasping for breath and reached the entrance of the 2,170-meter-high Erlangshan Tunnel, it was almost dark. Then I continued cycling through the 4,176-meter-long tunnel and an uphill stretch of over 2 kilometers to reach the mountaintop,” Song Tao said. By the time he reached the top, it was completely dark and starting to drizzle. In a flurry, he put on his raincoat, turned on his bike light, and began descending—but then encountered a Tibetan mastiff charging at him, scaring him into speeding down the slope.
At the famous Nujiang 72 Turns, a winding series of hairpin bends that twisted like intestines, the rough downhill dirt road stretched for 20 kilometers. One wrong move could send the bike plunging into the abyss, so Song Tao and the others proceeded with extreme caution, slowly making their way down the mountain. After more than 20 days of grueling travel, they finally arrived in Tibet.
Planning to cycle around Qinghai Lake with his wife
During this cycling trip to Tibet, Song Tao achieved his longest single-day ride of 190 kilometers in 16 hours, as well as a top speed of 70.4 km/h. He also endured landslides, collapses, fierce winds and heavy rain, hail and snowstorms, hunger and cold.
The Sichuan-Tibet Highway cycling journey greatly enhanced Song Tao’s cycling experience. He is now planning to embark on more cycling trips. After returning from the ride, he also successfully got his wife involved. Song Tao said that he and his wife are now fully preparing for a cycling trip around Qinghai Lake and will set off again in mid-July.