KING GOING STRONG THROUGH SECOND WEEK OF CHINA TOUR

Giant founder passes 1,000-kilometer mark on cycling tour
from Beijing to Shanghai

After two weeks of cycling through China, Giant founder King Liu was two-thirds of the way through his 1,668-kilometer tour from Beijing to Shanghai. Liu, 75, departed Beijing on May 9 with the mission of inspiring the people of China, and around the world, to embrace cycling as a healthy lifestyle.

Over the first two weeks of the tour, King and a group of about 30 support riders rode up to 80 kilometers per day through varied terrain and weather conditions.

On his seventh day of riding, King had the honor of riding across the Yellow River, the sixth-longest river in the world. Known as the “cradle of Chinese civilization,” the Yellow River flows through nine provinces of China and empties into the Bohai Sea. It was the first time King had ever visited the river, and his group represented the first organized cycling group to cross it. A local organization created a sculpture of King to honor the occasion.

Other moments of interest during the second week of the tour included a trip to the top of Mount Taisha in the Shandong Province and a ride through Qufu City, the birthplace of Chinese philosopher Confucius.

On the 11th day of riding, the group crossed into Jiangsu Province, where temperatures began to heat up. While riding toward Xuzhou on day 12, the group encountered rain for the first time during the tour.

After 13 days, King passed the 1,000-kilometer mark on his specially-designed Giant Defy Advanced bike. He stopped in a small town that day and addressed a gathering of people to speak about his passion for cycling. He reminded everyone that paying attention to the small details that are observed on a bicycle tour is core to the experience of cycling.

With less than 700 kilometers to go, King was still going strong, intent on reaching his final destination of Shanghai in early June.