Fallen leaves accumulate on the red lakeside track. [Photo by Xing Wen/China Daily]

Each time I endured a lengthy uphill climb, my leg muscles tensing and aching, heart rate increasing, and posterior feeling friction against the saddle, I reminded myself that somewhere ahead lay an effortless downhill section, where my body could rest for a while. It became a kind of reward, allowing me to face all the uphill challenges in the latter half of the ride with equanimity.

Upon reaching the 80-km milestone, I received a message from my friends. They had chosen to use the Huolala fallback option due to knee and buttock pain. I was resolute in my decision to finish the rest of the journey by myself. I had a deadline to return the bike to the shop by 4:30 pm, where my friends would be waiting. Following this, we intended to catch the 6 pm high-speed train from Qiandaohu town.

Upon reaching the 100-km mark, I encountered several steep uphill sections, and the discomfort in my backside became noticeable. It was a scorching afternoon, and I was cycling alone through open countryside.