EXCLUSIVEI cycled 625 miles around Taiwan without ANY training - here's how I got on

'I cried 涙/ほころびs of joy because I 現実に did it.'

So says Riley Yen, a novice cyclist who 完全にするd a 625-mile (1,006km) bike ride - the 同等(の) of almost 24 マラソンs - around?Taiwan.

にもかかわらず never owning a bike or cycling longer than 30 minutes at a time before, it took him just 12 days in total, with one of those 存在 a '残り/休憩(する)' day.

The 21-year-old, from California, U.S, charted his 旅行 with 地位,任命するs on his Instagram account @rileyyen, taking his 47,600 信奉者s along with him.

He told MailOnline Travel: 'I just went in with the mindset that no 事柄 what happens, I will 人物/姿/数字 it out.'

Riley Yen (above) completed a 625-mile (1,006km) bike journey around Taiwan - without any preparation

Riley Yen (above) 完全にするd a 625-mile (1,006km) bike 旅行 around Taiwan - without any 準備

Riley cycled for 11 days and took just one day off to rest
Riley had never owned a bike or cycled for longer than 30 minutes at a time before starting his journey

Riley cycled for 11 days and took just one day off to 残り/休憩(する). He had never owned a bike or cycled for longer than 30 minutes at a time before starting his 旅行

Before 乗る,着手するing on his two-wheel adventure, Riley had just 卒業生(する)d from the University of Southern California, with?a healthcare 協議するing 職業 in New York lined up later in the year.

After 卒業生(する)ing 早期に, he decided to use the extra time - and money he had left - to travel around Asia.

'I had 完全にするd everything I "should do", from going to college to getting a 職業 and getting healthy,' he said. 'I 手配中の,お尋ね者 to do something not because I should, but because I’m curious about it. 満足させるing the child-like curiosity.'

Riley had reached Japan when the idea struck him to cycle around Taiwan.?

He then travelled to the island and bought a bike for $130 (£103) and 始める,決める off on the Taiwan Cycling 大勝する No.1 in February.

The 大勝する starts and finishes in the 資本/首都 city of Taipei and circles the island, with some parts passing along the coast.

Riley 完全にするd it in an impressive 12 days by spending up to 12 hours biking every day, taking just one day off on day nine of the 旅行, and staying in hotels along the way.

When asked if he ever veered off course, he said: 'Yes. For the most part, I followed it but I did go off to Tainan, which is off 大勝する.'

Riley said he 手配中の,お尋ね者 to 完全にする the 旅行 to '満足させる a childlike curiosity'?

Riley said: 'I just went in with the mindset that no matter what happens, I will figure it out'
Breaking past the physical pain was one of the toughest parts for the novice cyclist

Riley said:?'I just went in with the mindset that no 事柄 what happens, I will 人物/姿/数字 it out.' Breaking past the physical 苦痛 was one of the toughest parts for the novice cyclist

The 21-year-old, from California, charted his journey with posts on his Instagram account @rileyyen , taking his 47,600 followers along with him
Before embarking on his two-wheel adventure, Riley had just graduated from the University of Southern California

The 21-year-old, from California , charted his 旅行 with 地位,任命するs on his Instagram account @rileyyen, taking his 47,600 信奉者s along with him.?Before 乗る,着手するing on his two-wheel adventure, Riley had just 卒業生(する)d from the University of Southern California

Riley said breaking past the 'physical 苦痛' was a 堅い part of the 旅行.?

'The most painful parts were my 手渡すs and my 底(に届く) because my bike did not have 扱う variations and was not fitted 正確に,' he 追加するd. 'I also had a 捕らえる、獲得する on my 支援する rather than tied to the bike.

'My 手渡すs were 絶えず numb, and I couldn't use chopsticks for a week after.'

He also had a run-in with Mother Nature on day eight, which he 述べるd as the hardest day.

'I 遭遇(する)d a 嵐/襲撃する with almost no energy and four more hours to go as I approached the night,' he said.

And the hardest psychological part, he said, was 地位,任命するing '井戸/弁護士席-edited ビデオs and interacting with my テレビ視聴者s - not just one day but every 選び出す/独身 day'.

Riley revealed that during the ride his hands were 'constantly numb' and that afterwards, he 'couldn't use chopsticks for a week'

Riley 明らかにする/漏らすd that during the ride his 手渡すs were '絶えず numb' and that afterwards, he 'couldn't use chopsticks for a week'?

Did he ever get の近くに to giving up? 'Every day,' he said. Why didn't he? He explained: 'I said I would 完全にする it, so I must do it.'?

And he (人命などを)奪う,主張するd he doesn't have any 悔いるs.?

For the most part, Riley said, Taiwan is very cycle-friendly. But he explained he had to skip two small sections in the east of the island and take a train because it was either '違法な for bikes or too dangerous 予定 to large トラックで運ぶs and 落ちるing 激しく揺するs from the 山腹'.

Some of the best sights he saw were 農地s in eastern Taiwan, 含むing Taichung and Hualien, and beaches in Kaohsiung and Checheng, in southern Taiwan.?

Riley's bike is pictured next to Xiluo Bridge in?Changhua County
The cyclist said some of the best sights he saw were farmlands on the east side of Taiwan

LEFT: Riley's bike is pictured next to Xiluo 橋(渡しをする) in Changhua 郡. RIGHT:?The cyclist said some of the best sights he saw were 農地s on the east 味方する of Taiwan

What's next for Riley? He said: 'I'm running 30-mile runs now and 規模ing my 着せる/賦与するing brand, Kaede Gardens.'

While he said he would 'love to' continue cycling, Riley doesn't have any more long jour neys planned.?

However, he said Japan 'would be very nice' to cycle around, 同様に as the Taiwanese mountains.

For more from Riley, visit him on Instagram at?www.instagram.com/rileyyen/, YouTube at?www.youtube.com/@rileyyen?and TikTok?at?www.tiktok.com/@rileyyen.