Celebrating a 90th birthday with a cycling party

Sylvia Briercliffe learnt how to cycle at the age of three and now at 90 she is still passionate about the benefits of cycling.

“Cycling is fun no matter how old you are, and it’s not only good for your health it’s good for the environment too.”

Sylvia began volunteering at the charity Live! Cheshire after a difficult period in her life. After losing her friend Betty to Alzheimer’s and the breakdown of a relationship, at age 85 she decided to take on a challenge of cycling 1,000 miles in a year. 

The challenge helped her rediscover her love of cycling and she now calls herself a ‘recycled cyclist’.

At her celebration event this week, Sylvia proudly donned her ‘recycled cyclist’ tabard and led a group of riders of all ages around the nearby track before heading out of the cold and windy weather for food, drinks and a Tai Chi demonstration.

“It’s not a birthday party it’s a celebration of everyone at Live! Cheshire and what they’ve done for me.

“Cycling has revolutionised my life. I now want to get my message out to other people.

I want to encourage everyone to pledge to find somebody who would go cycling if they’d only had a bit of a push.

Sylvia Briercliffe

"I want to encourage everyone to pledge to find somebody who would go cycling if they’d only had a bit of a push. I see myself as someone who’s just giving people a bit of a push. 

“I want people to find that joy they had when they cycled a bike as a child. I want them to realise that cycling is still fun no matter how old you are.”

Sylvia was the oldest woman nominated as one of Cycling UK 100 Women in cycling in 2019 and in 2020 has been nominated in the Women’s Cycling Awards.