Most people would be lucky to live to 103. And even luckier to be able to ride a bike at that age. But, actually, riding a bike regularly would increase your chances of both things, since it is good for your health and extends your life expectancy.
103-year-old Octavio Orduño would recommend it. He is perhaps the oldest living cyclist and still loves cruising along on his tricycle (well, it would be a bicycle if his wife hadn’t insisted he switch). “It keeps me going,” Octavio says.
Octavia rides through the streets of Long Beach daily and has gotten quite a reputation for it. He’s “our poster boy for healthy, active living around here,” says Charles Gandy, the city’s bike coordinator.
Octavia pedals around his beach neighborhood everyday, “to the park, the beach and the farmers market — in a ritual honed over nearly 40 years,” the LA Times reports.
“I can ride this bike all day long,” he says. “Sometimes I feel stronger than the year before.”
Octavio is a retired aerospace mechanic, but it’s clear he’s a fan of human-powered transport.
As he’s gotten older, Octavio has certainly had his share of falls, though. The LA Times reports:
Not long ago, on his way out of the garage, his foot slipped going uphill and he flipped over. His face hit the concrete. The bike landed on his leg. He lay on the ground for half an hour before a neighbor came to his rescue.
Once, he and the tricycle came home in a police car.
“That time, I thought I was clear, so I let it roll,” he says. “I think I was going about 30 miles an hour when I went over the curb and some guys came to help me.”
A day or two later, he was back on the street, “like nothing ever happened,” Alicia said.
h/t TreeHugger
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Zachary Shahan
If you couldn't guess, I spend most of my time on CleanTechnica and Planetsave. I'm the director/editor of both sites and am a little obsessed with them and the topics they cover. I'm also Publishing Services Manager at Important Media, which means that I do everything I can to support other Important Media writers, editors, and directors (as well as the network as a whole) in the good work they are engaged in. You can also find my work on Scientific American, Reuters, Change.org, most of the sites in the Important Media network, & many other places. For more, or to connect, go to: zacharyshahan.com
5 Responses to “World’s Oldest Cyclist” Rides His Bike Nearly Everyday at 103
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[...] certain 103-year-old man — Octavio Orduño of Long Beach, California — may be the oldest bicyclist in the [...]
[...] do I think Marchand and 104-year-old (if he’s still alive) Octavio Orduño would get [...]
[...] Additionally, you should feel healthier and more fit bicycling than not. Plus, it’s fun, as 103-year-old Octavio Orduño, who still bikes nearly every day, will tell [...]
Octavio is truly an inspiration to everyone! If a 103 year-old man can ride his bike every day, then what is any of our excuses?! Hope to be just as active as this great man when I get older!
seriously!