HUNTINGTON BEACH : Cyclist Takes Break From Tour of U.S.
French-Canadian bicyclist Leo Lafleur has pulled into Huntington Beach for a breather upon reaching roughly the halfway point of his bicycle tour around the United States.
Lafleur, 58, who said he started bicycling about seven years ago to regain his health after a bout with depression, began his trip in June from his hometown of Cap de la Madeleine on the St. Lawrence River, about midway between Montreal and Quebec City.
He figures he has traveled about 9,400 miles. He has ridden his $500 mountain bike to his niece’s wedding in New Jersey, past buffalo herds in Montana, in view of Mt. St. Helen’s in Washington and under the redwoods in California.
Speaking limited English, he describes most of the places he has seen as “very nice.”
There have been a few mishaps. Thieves broke into his camp in Monticello, Ind., and stole the speedometer off his bicycle, he said, and someone took his wallet with about $100 in Nova Scotia. But other than these things, plus flat tires and some worn out bicycle parts, he has encountered no real misfortune, he said.
He carries no insurance and believes he won’t get hurt. Lafleur said he believes God is traveling with him.
Lafleur said he will stay in Southern California before resuming his cross-country trip after the start of the year. In the future, he plans to do a cycle tour of Europe and South America and write a book about his adventures.
He carries about 100 pounds of equipment on his bike, including packs, an air mattress, sleeping bag, tent and a stove and dishes. He averages about 80 miles a day and usually camps wherever he can find a place.
He arrived Monday at the Huntington Beach home of Mark and Maryse Samson. Lafleur and Maryse Samson had lived in the same community in Canada, though they didn’t know each other. Lafleur made the connection, however, when he encountered one of Maryse’s hometown friends while cycling through Maine, and that person gave him Maryse’s phone number.
Lafleur, who is a retired maple syrup distributor, said he suffered depression and was dependent on medication until he tossed his pills away and began pedaling to good health.
