Is Brian the fittest 80-year-old in Milton Keynes?

Brian Hobbs, who lives at ExtraCare’s Shenley Wood Retirement Village, is such a keen cyclist that he was picked to lead a team of riders at the Queen’s Jubilee Pageant in London this month.

Living proof that a pensioner’s life does not slow down, Brian has owned a trusty Claud Butler road racing bike since his childhood and it is now registered vintage.

He is a member of Eroica Britannia, a global organization that connects vintage bikes, and was contacted to take part in the Jubilee Pageant after organisers were looking for quirky cyclists who had an association with the seven decades of the Queen’s reign.

He said: “Evidently I dropped nicely into both bike and rider categories, where we both held the “vintage” tag and are “still in working order.”

Entering the full historical spirit, he even donned vintage attire - including his cycling shoes dating back to the fifties and a shirt originally from the seventies.

“The whole experience has been amazing,” he said. “I couldn’t have done it without my family behind me. I managed to stay focused and like all 300 Cycling Cast Members - we managed to stay in the saddle!

“My favourite part of the event was how I had the overwhelming feeling of being a part of history, I have been around for seven decades and that feeling took me back to the coronation party when we had a street party.

"As riders we were taken right to the gates of Buckingham Palace and we were able to witness the queen on the balcony. There are some big moments in life, and it felt like a historic moment.”

Brian still regularly runs both the both the South and the Great North Run half marathons. When he’s not fitness training, he volunteers for the fundraising group ExtraHope at Shenley Wood Village.

He made it back from the Queen’s pageant in time to enjoy the retirement village’s own Jubilee street party with his fellow residents.

Shenley Wood Village is a community resource for older people to live, make friends and enjoy each others company.

It is open to older people in the local community and offers a range of activities every day.