Arthur Plummer, a 92-year-old resident of Waterloo, Ontario, continues to rack up thousands of kilometers on his bicycle each year. Having taken up the sport upon his retirement at age 65, Plummer has transitioned from being one of the youngest members of his local seniors' cycling club to its oldest. Today, his passion for riding remains undiminished, with his odometer already showing 4,270 kilometers (2,650 miles) for the current year. Following a recent conversation, he planned to immediately set out on another 40-kilometer ride.
For Plummer, cycling is more than just a hobby; it is a vital source of physical freedom and health. In his late 80s, he developed polymyalgia rheumatica, a painful inflammatory condition affecting his shoulders, neck, and hips that temporarily confined him to a wheelchair. Feeling trapped as he watched neighbors pass his driveway, Plummer decided to test his limits. Though walking remains uncomfortable and has shortened his stride, making it difficult to keep pace with his wife and friends on foot, he found that he could still ride. The decision allowed him to regain his mobility and maintain his health, describing the post-ride exhaustion as the most exhilarating feeling.
Today, Plummer has cycled on virtually every accessible street within a 100-square-mile (260-square-kilometer) radius of his home. To seek out new vistas, he frequently loads his bicycle onto local buses to explore areas further away. This active lifestyle contrasts with his youth. Born in 1934 during a time when financial hardship was the norm, Plummer grew up in a family with few luxuries. His father worked in a rubber factory, while his mother worked as a homemaker, waiter, and clothing sales assistant. He notes that being poor in those days came with the unexpected advantage of having more friends, as wealthy and low-income classmates generally stayed apart.
In his younger adult years, professional and family responsibilities left little time for cycling. After college, Plummer worked as an estimator and quantity surveyor, starting on hydro projects in northern Quebec before returning to Ontario. During this period, he raised his three daughters—then aged nine, 11, and 13—as a single parent, which he describes as a wonderful experience. He later co-founded a firm managing construction and school renovation projects. However, the high-stress environment prompted a career change at age 50, after a colleague suffered a heart attack. Plummer transitioned to working as a municipal building inspector until his retirement. It was during his working years that he was inspired by a colleague who commuted by bike, even pedaling through winter snow squalls.
While Plummer once maintained a sustained speed of 25 kilometers per hour, his pace has now adjusted to between 15 and 20 kph, and he aims for a yearly target of 5,000 kilometers. Though he has taken precautions—such as giving up skiing at age 90 to avoid broken limbs—cycling has not been without its dangers. He has gone over his handlebars six times. A few years ago, he was struck by a car that ran a red light, which knocked him unconscious and broke his helmet. According to witnesses, as soon as he regained consciousness, he ran straight back to his bike, illustrating what he describes as a deep connection between rider and machine.
Now living an urban lifestyle in a high-rise downtown apartment, Plummer keeps his carbon-fibre Cannondale bike on a rack right next to his bed. He refers to the bicycle as his best friend and buddy, greeting it if he wakes up during the night. Filled with an abundance of energy, Plummer has no plans to stop. He hopes his last day will be spent on his bike, sharing his personal philosophy that he is cycling to eternity, and it is further than he thought.
“I love cycling,” he says. “Wherever I go, even if I ride on the same roads, there’s something new happening. When I get on my bike, I feel great. I come home at about 3pm and I feel exhausted. However, it’s the nicest feeling. It’s exhilarating, and it’s resulted in me being extremely healthy.”
“I apparently went head first on to the road, broke my helmet and passed out. People tell me that when I woke, I ran straight to my bike,” he says. “There is a kind of a connection between the rider and the bike.”
