When retired packaging general manager Ian Vowles hooked up with a few mates to take a leisurely ride along Durban’s beachfront in May 2016, he would never have imagined that six years later, the ride would be as popular as it is.

Vowles, 75, now has a WhatsApp database of 116 called ‘The Recyclers’, and his cheerful band of riders meet up every Tuesday morning for a ride that ranges from 22 to 35km.

“It’s true that most of us need new hips or new pacemakers, and that an upgrade on our bodies would be most welcome,” Vowles smiles, “but most of us are pretty enthusiastic, and our Tuesdays are always something to look forward to.”

The group started with the idea of simply going out to ‘smell the roses’ rather than for training and racing; and although most of the riders are retirees, there are one or two younger riders who come along simply for the fun of it.

“When we started the group, guys would just phone me and ask if they could join us,” Vowles remembers. “There’s no entrance fee… all you need is a bike and a helmet.”

On a good morning, close to 50 riders turn up – on all manner of cycles, both new and old – and chat eagerly in the parking lot before setting off. The members regroup along the way to ensure that the slower riders are always looked after.

Their oldest rider is 83, and the average age of the group is 70 years. 

“It’s a slow, casual ride, and it’s about getting to know each other and having fun,” says Vowles. “It’s not about speed or hills.”

“They really are the most delightful people.”

The ride always finishes at Circus Circus, a local restaurant that offers the group a discounted breakfast and gives everyone a chance to catch up after the ride.

“It’s quite incredible the array of people who have joined us. Engineers, accountants… even an ex-parabat, who still does skydiving. They really are the most delightful people.”

The route often treats the ride as an excursion, to ‘sights’ nearby such as the world-famous mangrove swamps, or for tours around landmarks like the Edward Hotel, which Vowles pre-arranges.

So popular has the group become that other Recyclers groups have sprung up in both Johannesburg and Cape Town, with the same ‘easy riding’ philosophy.

“There are so many wonderful stories. Like our 83-year-old Frances, whose husband died last year. She never misses a Tuesday; and the group is important for her, to keep active and social.”

Vowles himself has an extraordinary back story. In 2008 he nearly died when he crashed while training for a sub-three-hour Cape Town Cycle Tour, suffering severe head trauma. He was at home for a year recovering, and is still active in raising money for charities such as Headway.

“I realised that day that if you lose concentration for one second, a lot can happen.”

In the future, Vowles is considering a second day of riding during the week, as demand has increased so much; while the ‘Retreads’ – mainly made up of Recycler wives – is a growing group of walkers who start and finish at the same time.

THE DETAILS

MEET: 9am most Tuesdays
ROUTE: Various; along the Durban beachfront to Blue Lagoon, and sometimes north to Virginia airport
TERRAIN: Mostly flat
SPEED: Leisurely
BREAKFAST: Circus Circus Beach Café, Durban beachfront
TECHNICAL SPONSOR: Melville Cycles
CONTACT: Ian 083 675 2125

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