A DARING couple admit they are a “pair of April fools” after choosing to spend the next two years pedalling through some of the most volatile countries in the world.
As part of an outlandish mid-life crisis, Roger Darling and Dee Sims have spent the last five years planning an extraordinary 24,000 mile trip around the globe on two custom made bicycles with bullet proof tyres.
The animal lovers, who met 12 years ago, will tow trailers weighing up to 45kg through Europe, the Middle East, the Far East and Australasia.
They will then catch a boat from New Zealand to South America where their route will eventually take them through America and Canada and finally back to Southampton.
Roger, 48, and Dee, 47, both plan to subsist on a measly £35 a day and have packed camping equipment and solar panels for their tour, which takes them through political hotbeds including Iran, Uzbekistan, Nepal, Tibet and Pakistan.
At one point, the cycling nuts will tackle a dangerous mountain pass 5,000m above sea level - the highest Tarmac road in the world.
Roger said: “It’s been a pipe dream of mine for probably 15 years.
“We both figured life really is too short.
“You hear horrid things about some of the countries we are going to visit but they are really not that bad.
He added: “We both feel very lucky that we have the opportunity to do this and we intend to make the most of it.”
Roger and Dee will be guided around the world and stay in touch with friends and family using high tech gadgets.
They are aiming to reach Munich, Germany, by May 6 but, as the months progress and their fitness levels improve, the couple eventually hope to cycle 100km each day.
And talking about the looming problems with foreign languages, Roger admitted: “We are a little bit apprehensive about the ‘Stans’ - Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan because we don’t speak much Russian.
“You just have to make sensible decisions and we’ll be careful not to go waving the laptop around.
“It’ll certainly be a culture shock.”
Roger and Dee will also be raising money for the Guide Dogs for the Blind charity.
To fund the ambitious project, Roger sold his business, Bigfoot bike shop in Hayes, and the couple are now renting out their home in Coney Hall.
Homeless and jobless, the pair had been staying with Dee’s parents in Portsmouth before they set off from Hayes on April 1.
Roger said: “We are just a pair of old April fools really.
“But why wouldn’t you want to go adventuring, exploring other countries and finding out about other cultures?”
Follow Roger and Dee’s trip at afistfullofgears.co.uk.
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