You are never too old!

If you haven't learnt to ride a bicycle by the time you reach adulthood, the chances are you never will. Paramedic STEVE EVANS, bucked the trend, proving that an 'old dog' can indeed learn a new trick!

At the age of 49 (and a quarter) and well over 20 Stone in weight, We had just bought my wife  a nice touring bike and my 8 year old already had a cycle. We were about to go on holiday with the caravan to Anglesey, North Wales, when I said to my wife Pam; “This is great you two will be off cycling leaving me to walk everywhere, I need to learn how to ride a bike!” (I was never allowed a cycle as a child as I was such a clumsy kid).

She said; “What? The size of you you’ll fall off and kill a child on the campsite!” I moaned until she let me have a go on her bike and pretty soon I was riding round the local park unaided, so it was off to the Halfords store to buy an Apollo Crosstrack Hybrid.

Every day of the holiday I rode more and more.

When we got back, I was off to the canal path, but was putting my bike on a car rack for the 1 mile journey, so I decided to learn how to ride on the road safely, I spoke to the people at Halton Road safety unit here in Liverpool and they put on an adult cycling course for me.

I was then teaching First Aid to a team of Merseyside Fire Fighters when I mentioned my new hobby, two of the lads said why not join our Club, Liverpool Century? I said; “Get away! What would they do with a middle aged fat new cyclist? They said; “Come along and meet the members”.

I am now the club British Cycling Welfare officer

So now I am more than 5 Stone lighter and owner of 3 cycles, A Giant Rapid, A Saracen Venture 2 and a Raleigh R100 winter training cycle and an indoor Turbo Trainer. Last September I rode the Manchester 100 miles in under 8 hours and took up 10 mile time trials. My aim is to get down to 30 minutes to this aim I have embarked on a Power Workout which, with the aid of a Gymboss Interval trainer/timer, I should in 12 weeks time be ready. These days I have the blood pressure of a small child, and this is all thanks to learning to ride a bike.

You're never to old to learn to ride a bike.