Introduction

Life is made of opportunities that sometimes need to be grasped. After 2 years living in Canada, Jérémie 🇨🇵, 31, can’t stay still and despite all the efforts of the world, Daisy 🇧🇪, 27, is nearing the end of her work visa. A sign, maybe … Anyway; it’s time to leave.  After analyzing a lot of possibilities, a route begins to emerge: a crossing of the Americas, from north to south.  From Alaska to La Tierra del Fuego.

And yet, the route does not really matter, it is rather a guideline. We want to give more meaning to our trip. Our goal is not to break records, we do not want to simply pass through; we want to take our time. Take the time to discover, to share. We want to be able to stop wherever we want and volunteer along the way, in organizations working in the social, cultural and ecological sectors. The goal: learn new things by working with different audiences, in new and ever changing environments and contexts.  Moreover, if you know some organizations that you want to recommend we look into … please let us know!

 

The bike as our main means
of transportation, yes, but why?

For its rhythm “on our scale”: slow enough to allow us to appreciate what surrounds us but also fast enough to move through  less pleasant stretches relatively quickly. It also gives us the freedom to go wherever we want, to leave the paved roads and take the smaller paths less travelled which aren’t always accessible. To reach villages, along coastlines, climb mountains and discover new and unexpected landscapes.

 

It gives us a certain autonomy: we don’t have to follow the main road, but also don’t depend on others: we depend on ourselves and on the strength of our calves, no need to know where the next petrol station is. We are also independent of the schedules of public transportation, which lets us choose  our own departure and arrival times.

Cycling offers us an inexpensive mode of travel: beyond the initial costs such as the purchase of equipment and the cost of vaccines, we move for free, sleep in a tent or homestays, and have only food as our main expense.

Cycling is also an ecological means of transportation, which corresponds with our values.  It’s great exercise, allows us to clear our minds while staying aware of what surrounds us and last but not least, for the proximity it allows us to experience.  Without being surrounded and protected by the metal carcass of other means of transport, the two wheels offer a proximity with the very nature we pass through outside the cities and when we camp, as well as the weather.  In some ways, we are more vulnerable but positively more sensitive to what surrounds us. It also brings us closer to others, those people we meet along the way and engage in conversation , as we search for a coffee to warm us up, or a bike repair to get us back on the road again.

Why DISROAD

Contraction of “discovery”, because the discovery is at the center of our journey, and “road” for this path that we are going to pace and discover.

Disroad also pronounced “This road”. The one we will follow, that will make us discover small paths which will lead us to beautiful encounters, that will lead to others and so on. This (Dis) unique road (Road) we will take.

The road to all possibilities, the discovery of nature, landscapes, cultures, …  The one that will put our nerves to severe tests: sinuous, dizzying, indomitable. The one that will harden us, make us stronger and more humble.

 Big up to Jess and David for their invaluable help in finding the name;)