Student in China rides 4,000 kilometres to start medical school

An 18-year-old student in China has become an internet sensation in the country after riding his bike for 4,000 kilometres to start his studies at medical school.

It took Lin Jinmin three weeks to ride from his home in Guigang in the Guangxi Zhaung region in the south of the country to his place of study in Heilongjiang in northeast China.

He set off on 1 August and arrived in Qiqihar on the 23rd day of the month, the city he will be studying in, reports Xinhuanet.com.

Afterwards Lin, whose post on Weibo – China’s version of Twitter – has attracted more than 2,000 comments, said: "I wanted to toughen and cultivate myself into a brave, fearless person.

Speaking about his passion for cycling, he said: "When I was in junior high school, I would always ride to and from school, around 20 kilometres each way.

"Sometimes I would ride different routes up to around 100 kilometres on the way home."

His parents weren’t too happy about his plans to ride to university, however.

"They thought it was a crazy idea," Lin explained. "But they eventually agreed, because they know that I am a determined person."

He rode for around 12 hours each day, and on the trip had six punctures.

"The scariest time was when a tyre blew in the darkness," he said.

"At that time, I pushed myself to ride to the next village, where I could rest and change the tire.

"One time a nice store owner gave me a tyre for free."

He spent the equivalent of around £200 on the entire trip, including staying in hotels and eating noodles for his meals.

His father, Lin Zicheng, said: "He is an experienced and strong cyclist.

"But I hope other young people will be cautious if trying to copy his journey, because there are many uncertainties on the road."

Lin added: "I plan to start a cycling group at college.

"I hope that more people like me can share their experience and go on cycling trips together in the future."

At least he was riding in the correct direction – unlike a poor cyclist we wrote about earlier this year who got a bit lost as he headed home for Chinese New Year …

> Man rides 500 kilometres in wrong direction on way home for Chinese New Year

> Man rides 500 kilometres in wrong direction on way home for Chinese New Year

http://road.cc/content/news/216252-man-rides-500-kilometres-wrong-direct...