Yang said he was inspired to do this trip when he watched a movie during summer 2012 about biking. Yang had been looking for people who would be interested in going on the trip with him until his friends said they would do it.

“So this time (Office for International Students and Scholars) and the Alumni Association sponsored us for $2,000 and we shot (a) documentary film for that,” Yang said, adding that it was a way to promote the Spartan brand in China and also in the U.S. through showing the film.

Yang said his friends and him faced some difficulties along the way. One such instance was when Yang got sick and had to go to the hospital.

“I haven’t traveled a long distance with bikes,” he said. “I didn’t have experience.”

Yang said the trip helped him maximize his ability to bare pressure, especially physical one, and was still a source of pride for him.

One of his favorite moments during the trip was after the students had spent two days climbing a mountain, going from 2,000 meters to 4,000. When they were cycling downhill, Yang said it was very thrilling.

He said they were going at 50 km/h while being surrounded by mountains.

“(This trip) just showed me that if you want to do something, you can do it in many different ways,” Yang said.