Veteran rider has no plan to put on brakes; cycling 50-80km most days
Clocking 10,000km on his bicycle for 2019, 81-year-old Wally Bradford is a cycling legend who has no intention of putting the brakes on his favourite hobby.
Cycling since 1953, the avid Grandads’ Army pedaller in East London says he cycles between 50-80km almost every day and has enjoyed spending his retirement experiencing life from behind the handlebars.
“I started riding when I was about 14 and I’ve loved it ever since, it’s just a part of me now and I’m definitely going to keep going,” the East London born-and-raised Bradford said.
“I don’t like going out in the rain so this week has been slow, but I cycle every day except Fridays and Sundays. It keeps me healthy and I just really enjoy it.
“My wife would think there’s something wrong with me if I stopped, ” chuckled Bradford, who was a firefighter at the East London fire department before he retired almost 20 years ago.
Along with various rides throughout the year, Bradford has also completed the annual Grandads’ Army’s Rob Burton memorial ride from East London to Cape Town, since he joined the cycling Samaritans in the late 1970s.
The group complete long-distance cycles regularly in aid of the Eyabantwana for the Children Trust and have raised more than R1m for the trust since starting in 2015.
And while broken collar bones, a few fractures and one very bad accident have temporarily knocked Bradford down, he is not one to give up easily.
“The worst accident was about 3½ or four years ago.
“I landed up in hospital and they had to operate on my brain to remove pressure.
“I’ve had one or two other small accidents and broken a collar bone once or twice, and a few broken bones, but I’m still going.
“Nothing is going to keep me down,” Bradford quipped.