Just like all of New York University's sports teams, the Cycling Club's wheels stopped spinning when the coronavirus hit and all activity was halted.

However, that did not stop Cooper Yang from fulfilling a dream. When the 2020 spring semester ended and he found himself with a lot of free time on his hands (and feet), Yang decided to bicycle across the United States.

"It had always been a dream of mine," revealed Yang, a three-year member of NYU's Cycling Club Team. "I was supposed to start an internship this summer. But, because of Covid, I had three months of free time to pursue my dream. In a way, I guess you could call the virus a blessing."



Growing up in China and first coming to the U.S. to attend NYU, Yang had yet to see most of the 50 states. This was his opportunity.

"I started thinking about doing this in April as soon as my internship was canceled," said Yang, a junior majoring in Game Design in the Tisch School of Arts. "Originally, two of my NYU teammates, Jonathan Zhou and Thomas Liu, were planning to go with me, but Jonathan got a job and Thomas went back to China."

So, it was up to Yang to traverse the 3,000 miles on his own. Rather than biking from New York to California, he decided to start in Los Angeles and make his way east.

"I wanted my final destination to be home," Yang explained. "So I mailed the bike to my hotel in Los Angeles and started from there."

The original plan had Yang completing the trip in 31 days, beginning in mid-July. Each day was planned meticulously, mapping out routes and overnight stops.



"I tried to take into account the weather, the terrain and how many miles I could go each day," Yang recalled. "I even considered camping out each night, but that would mean having to pack too much equipment. So, instead, I stayed in hotels to cut down on the load."

The plan was interrupted several times along the way, with accidents, traffic, and weather changes causing delays. It wasn't too far into the trip when the first concern arose.

"Early in the trip when I was in Arizona I had a broken shifting cable, and I rode for two days without it," Yang explained. "I couldn't find a bike shop right away, so I had to wait until I almost got to Colorado to replace it."

It was in the same state when Yang experienced one of his highlights.

"Passing over the Great Divide in Colorado was thrilling because it was the highest point of my trip, some 10,000 feet above sea level," Yang said. "There was even some snow flurries."



There were a couple of incidents where tire issues and others caused Yang to hitchhike. But, it wasn't until he was almost home, having reached Pennsylvania, when his most serious accident occurred.

"I was near Penn State University in State College, PA, when I had an accident and suffered a severe cut on my knee," Yang revealed. "Luckily, there was a hospital on the campus. I was patched up pretty good and was back on the bike the next day."

Crossing the George Washington Bridge and returning to New York City left Yang with "very complex feelings. I had spent a lot of hours by myself and I already started missing my time on the road. There was just so much time to think and I just felt a sense of loss."

Mikael Hanson has coached the NYU Cycling Club Team since 2013, and has seen many of his bikers accomplish impressive feats. Two of his former athletes, Shay Ratinski and David Chen, filmed a documentary on the life of a collegiate rider while recent graduate, Kevin Hubsmith, was featured on WABC -TV in 2020 for his 300+ mile ride to bring awareness to mental health.  

"Our goals are to introduce as many riders to the sport of bike racing as possible, whether they are brand new or have some experience," explains Hanson, whose 2015 team won the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference (ECCC) Championship. "Through the years, I have seen great development and some outstanding performances with riders continuing to advance in their levels. I've been blessed with having some very unique individuals, both men and women. They've gotten along well and it's been a great team environment.
 

"In Cooper's case, I was so impressed that he took on such a huge undertaking with very little support along the way," Hanson continued. "I know many riders who have ridden cross country, and most do so with a large support group or caravan. Cooper put it together himself and accomplished it!"
 
So, Cooper, what's the next big hill to climb?

"I think next time I'll try camping instead of staying in hotels," he smiled. "This one might have been a bit too easy."