Pensioners give cycling lessons to younger generations

A pair of cyclists with a combined age of 153 have taken it upon themselves to spread the gospel about the joys of pedal power reports the Bolton News.

Rod Bradshaw, 79, and Colin Greenhalgh, a mere 74, are members of the Hot Wheels Cycling Club, based at Middlebrook near Bolton, and  teach both adults and children to ride.

Rod had been a competitive cyclist when younger but only got back in the saddle after the death of his wife around seven years ago.

He told the News: “She used to say if she died before me I would have my bike out of the loft straight away — it was about three weeks before I got it down after she died in 2003. Getting back on the bike was like giving somebody a cigarette who had stopped smoking. It was quite uplifting.”

Rod now gets tremendous satisfaction from teaching people how to cycle as does clubmate Colin who had a 30 year hiatus from cycling.

Colin said: “I was 56 when I got into cycling again and I was riding faster as a veteran than as a youngster.

“One of the things that really makes it worthwhile is getting children aged five and six years old on stabilisers and seeing them get off them and ride on their own, and seeing the look on their face.”