‘Just draw a line and I’ll race you to it’

Put a line in front of Myles Higgins and he will race you to it.

The 77-year-old Shepparton Cycling Club member loves racing bikes. Chances are if it has two wheels he is racing it. Cyclo-cross, mountain bike, road, time trial – you name it he is racing it.

“I really specialise in time trialling, I do like mountain biking, I enjoy the cyclo-cross, if there’s a race I’ll be there,” he said.

Myles Higgins on the podium at the AusCycling Mountain Bike National Championships. 

Already this year he has competed at the Road Nationals at Ballarat, and cross country long and short course at the AusCycling Mountain Bike National Championships in Thredbo.

Racing at Thredbo was a full circle moment for Higgins, who had tasted success in the Snowy Mountains back in the 90s.

“It was 30 years ago I won masters 40+ here so it was exciting coming back and it’s a real mountain bike course - there was great climbing,” he said.

And age is no limit for Higgins who was the oldest rider at the national champs.

“I kept the young ones on their toes. I put them to the sword at the start and made them work hard and it was a great feeling.”

Higgins says riding keeps him fit and healthy and hopes to keep riding for as long as he can.

“Just draw a line and I’ll race you to it. I just love racing and pushing yourself and riding to the limit,” he said.

“I started when I was young. I ended up having to go to Vietnam being a conscript and that sort of ruined my life for a few years, and my son said the masters are racing, this was back when I was 47, and I borrowed his bike and I started racing with the Australian Veteran Cycling Council. On and off through the years, I’ve also spent a lot of time riding around Australia with my wife.”

Looking ahead he has plans to race the cyclo-cross season and Masters National Time Trial and Road Race in his hometown of Shepparton later this year.

“I’ll train hard through winter and see how we go,” he said.

Photos: Matt Rousu