Biking around Qinghai Lake

Qinghai Lake is located in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. This lake is already a stage for the popular Qinghai Lake professional bicycle racing event that is held every year in July at the same time as the Tour de France. So it is already a favorite biking area in China. Qinghai Lake is at an altitude of about 3,200 meters or about 10,500 feet, so biking around it is strenuous. Many people simply have difficulty living at the high altitude for two days. However, the rewards of seeing beautiful scenery that soars to 4,000 meters and seeing the local cultural mix of Muslims, Mongolians, and Tibetans make the strain worth it for many people. When the weather is warm in the summer months, there are ethnic festivals, and maybe you can be there to watch the big bike race in July. Biking in the winter is probably impossible. Here is a suggested route around much of the lake where you can enjoy the high altitude wide open spaces and the culture.
One thing you might be able to find during this bike trip is some solitude. Qinghai Province is little known to tourists, and it may be the province with the smallest population. However, it is also one of the biggest provinces in the country. About 7 million people live there. The lake itself is the biggest lake in China. Another thing you might be able to find are thousands of birds. It is a major nesting ground for many species of birds, and it is a major stop for several species of migratory birds between March and June. The capital of the province is Xining. It is only about 100 kilometers or about 65 miles from the lake, and maybe you can use it as a place to rest.