Jianyu Chen '20
On Aug. 31, 2020, Jianyu Chen '20 completed a 50-day cycling trip across the United States — from Santa Monica to Boston — by himself, setting the record, at nearly six months shy of his 21st birthday, for the youngest Chinese person to cross the American continent on a solo ride.
His adventure is documented here; some excerpts from the story, as translation by Google, follow.
Born in Dongguan, Chen graduated from Jiangmen High School and then studied in the United States. After graduating from a two-year community college, he was admitted to UCLA, majoring in Asian studies.
At his high school, Chen formed a cycling enthusiasts club. After he came to the United States, he went to school by bicycle every day and crossing the United States by bicycle was always a dream of his. He worked at the UCLA Bike Shop, located at the back of the John Wooden Center, and is quoted in a Daily Bruin article as saying, "The bike shop differs from other repair services in that its primary purpose is not to make money. They just want to help customers and try to save customers’ money."
In early 2020, Chen began planning to find friends and bicycle across the American continent during summer vacation, but when school ended and he had not found a partner for the ride, he decided to start a short-distance ride to San Diego. After arriving there, he felt that the ride was less difficult than he had imagined and decided to ride all the way to Boston to complete the entire journey across the American continent.
Chen said that frequent tire leaks after departure became the biggest problem. He rode about 60 miles a day, leaving at 8 in the morning and usually looking for a place to stay overnight at around 6 p.m., although at time he would push through all the way until 9 p.m.
"I will take a break at noon to replenish my energy and avoid the direct sunlight at noon," said Chen. "The stop at noon is mainly a service station that provides food and rest for large truck drivers along the way. Accommodation along the way is either a motel or a family accommodation."
Along the way, Chen was bitten by bugs on cheap motel beds at three o'clock in the morning; stopped by police on the highway; comforted by the police and escorted to a safe section of the road; and taken in by family-run hotels. He enthusiastic friends in Chicago who were accompanied by bicycles, took photos, and provided suggestions for the next stop.
Chen had an important tip for solo riding: "When you encounter a place that sells food, you must not be picky, and you must eat immediately, because the next place that can provide food may be very far away." He also said that he has always seen friends complain about navigation problems, but during his trip this time, the accuracy of navigation has been improved.
After completing the whole trip, "I really didn't feel much!" He flew back to Los Angeles from Boston on Sept. 3 to participate in the UCLA Freshman Conference, and said that the biggest plus is that he has gained a lot of insights.
Every night when alone, he had a lot of time for reading and thinking. Many problems on the journey made him realize, "Any difficulty, you can wait a while and leave it to time to solve," and "Facts have proved that some hearsay is likely to be incorrect. To knowing the truth, you need to see it yourself. When I passed by the small town of Clinton, I heard people say that the area is unfriendly and there is no hotel, so I was advised not to come. When I passed by, I found that the town is very beautiful and there are [generous] people there. I have an overwhelming affection for this small town."
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