At 54 and 59 years of age, they liquidate their assets and leave the bike

Photo courtesy
Louise Lauzon, 54 years old, and Gilles Lavoie, 59 years of age, are going to go on their bikes, the 23 000 km separating Laval from the Land of Fire, Argentina, over the next 18 months. They wish to exceed and to discover new landscapes.

Yanick Fish

Saturday, September 2, 2017 23:28

UPDATE
Saturday, September 2, 2017 23:28

Look at this article

Tired of his hectic lifestyle, a couple in their fifties Laval has sold his property and embarked in a journey of 23 000 km bike ride that will take him to the Land of Fire in Argentina, the most southerly point of the continent.

“We were both tanned in the pace of life too fast North America. It is all there to run and raise bébelles. In central America, the people have less possessions, but they are not less happy. They have a beautiful joy of living, ” says Louise Lauzon.

The couple, who are together for 36 years and has two children, has always been active, but has made the practice of cycling for a decade only and embarks on the adventure of his life this weekend.

It’s now been a year and a half that Ms. Lauzon and her husband, Gilles Lavoie, prepare this ” trip of a lifetime “. They sold their condo, their furniture and have retained only their bikes, equipment, a few kitchen utensils and souvenirs. They increased the number of long bike outings, having made over 3000 km this summer, including several with a heavy pack on their frame.

The couple has the intention of rolling average of 450 km per week, five days of 90 kilometres. He gives himself 18 months to reach the south of Argentina.

As no road connects Panama to Colombia, the adventurers will have to take the boat.

Obstacles

On their way, the couple will face multiple obstacles, including weather, traffic, and crime.

“This is all a preparation physical, mental, and logistics. There are all kinds of inherent risks of the road, some countries are less recommendable and we are not immune to injury. But if it comes to it, you don’t do nothing in life, ” adds Lauzon.

Among the places most at risk of the journey, there is the border between the United States and Mexico, as well as the Atacama desert, northern Chile.

Louise Lauzon, 54 years old, and Gilles Lavoie, 59 years of age, do not see themselves as great athletes and they are not leaving to break records.

They want to show that even people in their fifties can achieve sporting feats to scale and go after their dreams.

No retirement

Ms. Lauzon is contracted administrative assistant and she has chosen not to make new contracts this fall to be able to from. Mr. Lavoie is representative for Systems LMP. It will take advantage of its presence in central America and South America for the promotion of the refrigeration equipment of the company.

The couple chose to leave in the fall to avoid the winter in quebec. It expects to achieve for the Land of Fire in January or February, 2019, when it will be summer in South America.

Countries visited

• Canada
• United States
• Mexico
• Guatemala
• Salvador
• Honduras
• Nicaragua
• Costa Rica
• Panama
• British
• Ecuador
• Peru
• Chile
• Argentina

• In particular, they will need to change five times from the tires.
• They take a string and five air chambers.
• They will have to change the cassette (where there is the chain on the rear wheel) along the way.