By NATALIE GALLENTI
WHEN penny farthing enthusiast David Axon gets on his bike he is transported to another era and so are his neighbours.
The Melton resident’s love of bikes began many years ago when he was a young boy in England, but it wasn’t until he spotted an 1880s penny farthing in the Wangaratta Museum 15 years ago that he truly realised the value of the humble push bike.
“As soon as I rode it, I was caught,” he said.
Now David is well-known for his riding exploits and has often surprised neighbours by riding around the streets of Melton in his top hat and tails.
But as David will attest, riding a penny farthing is not for the faint-hearted. Something as simple as a pebble on the road could send him toppling over.
“It can be relaxing on the bike, but you have to concentrate because there is always something on the road.”
The 74-year-old has no intentions of riding a regular bike, even after five heart bypasses.
“I like unorthodox things – you only have to take a look at my shed to see that.”
And how right he is. A member of the Melton Model Aircraft Association, David not only owns an array of vintage bikes, but a myriad of model airplanes. They come in all shapes and sizes and are his cherished possessions.
“It’s very important to keep active. Sometimes when you retire you take on more things. I’ll be riding until I’m infirm … nothing will stop me.”
