"Poster boy" of Long Beach cycling, and possibly oldest cyclist in world, dies - aged 106

A man who may have been the world’s oldest cyclist, described in 2011 as the “poster boy” of cycling in Long Beach, California, has died at the age of 106.

Retired aerospace mechanic Octavio Orduno was a local celebrity in Long Beach, where he cycled daily along Ocean Boulevard until a couple of years ago, reports the Los Angeles Times.

He only gave those excursions up because he could no longer make it up the slope back to the parking garage of the home he shared with his wife of 60 years, Alicia – although he would continue to pedal loops inside it.

A colourful character and by all accounts something of a ladies’ man, he began riding a tricycle at the age of 100 on his wife’s insistence, having previously preferred two wheels.

Charles Gandy, formerly cycling co-ordinator for the Long Beach municipality, recruited him to act as the symbol of cycling there.

"He was the embodiment of health, vitality and longevity," he said. "He was also full of mischief."

Orduno said the secret to his longevity was to "Keep moving and eat healthy."

His daughter Angelina said: "He just loved life, and he wasn't going to go down without a fight."

When he finally gave up cycling, it wasn’t for health reasons, but because someone had stolen the front wheel of his trike.

His son Eddie said: "He was upset. But I think, by then, he was too old to keep going."

According to the Los Angeles Times, Orduno would pass his days looking out of the window and with his health deteriorating, was put in a home by his family.

Earlier this month, he decided to head outside but fell and broke his hip and died several days later as a result of complications.

"If he could, he would have been riding still," his son said. "He would have made it to 107."

The world’s best known centenarian cyclist is without doubt Frenchman Robert Marchand, aged 103.

A year ago today, and almost nine decades after he first entered a race, he smashed his own age group Hour record – a category specially created for him by the UCI.