In 2006, Chen Zhantian cycled to the Yalu River
At 63, Chen Zhantian has been inseparably hooked on the life of “riding solo across thousands of miles” ever since he joined the Nanjing Cycling Group after retiring in 2005. Over seven years, he and his teammates cycled through nearly the entire China. He treasures a “Cycling Logbook,” stamping a post office seal at every stop, collecting attraction commemorative stamps, and asking attraction managers for inscriptions. Now, the logbook boasts hundreds of stamps and inscriptions. His biggest wish now is to embark on a solo cycling tour around Taiwan, but as of now, Nanjing is not yet among the “independent travel” cities.
First cycling trip to Yan’an
Over 3,000 km round trip and lost over 10 pounds
As a seasoned cyclist, Chen Zhantian truly lives up to the title. The Nanjing Cycling Group has over a thousand members, many of whom highly recommend him to reporters, calling him the member who has visited the most places and has the richest cycling experience. Over seven years, his footprints have covered 22 provinces including Yunnan, Guangdong, and Hubei. Some places he’s even cycled through four or five times, so he can’t even remember how many kilometers he’s ridden in total.
At an ordinary residential building on Ruijin Road, the reporter met this legendary figure. He appears slim and speaks gently. Chen Zhantian said he started cycling in 2005 when he joined the Nanjing Cycling Group, initially just wanting to lose weight due to weight gain. In the first three months as a newcomer, he followed his teammates on several rides to Luhe, covering over 100 km round trip each day. On May 18 of the same year, he embarked on his first long-distance trip, and since then, he’s gone on one or two expeditions each year, with a maximum of three trips in 2006.
His first long-distance ride was to Yan’an, starting from north of Nanjing Bridge, with a total round-trip distance of over 3,000 km. That experience taught him a lot. “Back then, I just rode blindly without knowing how to properly allocate my physical strength and endurance. I’d ride fast, then slow, and gradually couldn’t keep up,” Chen Zhantian said a bit sheepishly. “Luckily, a few teammates stuck with me, riding at the back, and I managed to persevere. By the time we reached our destination, I was utterly exhausted. With that experience, the second time was much better.” He also “confessed” that he had ridden his bottom raw, covered in blisters, which was painful, but what made him happy was the obvious weight loss—over 10 pounds shed.
Now, the farthest east he’s been is Shandong, the farthest south is Hainan, the farthest west is Xinjiang, and the farthest north is Heilongjiang.
Everywhere he goes
He stamps a postmark and writes in the Cycling Logbook
Chen Zhantian calls himself a “cycling enthusiast.” They prefer bicycles and seek the feeling of freely enjoying nature. He says the biggest advantage of cycling travel is convenience. It’s not restricted by time or speed, and as an aerobic exercise, it strengthens the heart, prevents high blood pressure, and allows you to make friends with other cyclists on each trip. The friendships formed during cycling are the most precious.
Over seven years, he’s collected over a dozen photo albums with thousands of travel photos and written a beloved Cycling Logbook. Flipping through the logbook, it’s not only stamped with postmarks from various places but also features many attraction commemorative stamps, along with blessings and encouraging words from attraction managers. Chen Zhantian flips through the “Cycling Logbook” like a proud treasure and says, “This treasure not only has commemorative value, but more importantly, it’s saved us a lot of money!”
It turns out that Chen Zhantian and his teammates are “budget travelers,” advocating spending the least money to visit the most attractions. How do they save money? “By using our cheeky faces and persuasive mouths!” Chen Zhantian joked. Their first secret weapon is an introduction letter issued by the Baixia District Sports Bureau. At every attraction, Chen Zhantian shows it to the manager, and many, admiring the cycling spirit of these seniors, often waive the entrance fees. The second secret weapon is this “Cycling Logbook,” where the hundreds of inscriptions and attraction commemorative stamps easily move the attraction management. “We’re very frugal with food and lodging, eating at small restaurants, averaging ten yuan per person. The cheapest accommodation was in Sanya city, where we stayed in a double room for twenty yuan per person—that’s our well-honed experience,” he said proudly.
Unexpected gains from cycling
Learned bike repair and opened a repair stand
A Giant bicycle, two water bottles, some simple daily items, a few changes of clothes, a small box, and a rain poncho… Chen Zhantian packs all these belongings into a large bag hung on the back of his bicycle, weighing over 20 pounds. To ensure the bicycle functions properly, he specially brings some repair tools, tire patch kits, a simple pump, and more.
The corners of the motherland are all marked by the wheel tracks of Chen Zhantian’s bicycle. The bicycle has become his closest friend, and he affectionately calls his Giant “the BMW.” When the reporter saw it, it was polished to a shine, quietly parked on the balcony. Chen Zhantian is also skilled at fixing bicycles. Before joining the cycling group, he taught himself how to repair bikes, and now besides joining cycling activities with friends, he sets up a small repair stand next to Ruijin Middle School, with a thriving business.
In 2007, in Taiwanese director Chen Huai’en’s film “Island Etude—A Cycling Log,” a hearing-impaired boy named Mingxiang carried a guitar and completed a six-night, seven-day solo cycling trip around the island. The stunning island scenery and simple local culture left a deep impression on Chen Zhantian. He especially liked the DVD cover: a young man named Ah Ming riding a bicycle with a big backpack and a big guitar. On the right side of the image were two lines of small text: “Some things, if not done now, will never be done in a lifetime…” “I want to cycle to Taiwan!” Since then, this wish has taken root in his heart.