Roger Davies, from Taradale, is spending his retirement repairing and selling bikes to raise money for charity. Photo / Paul Taylor
Roger Davies, from Taradale, is spending his retirement repairing and selling bikes to raise money for charity. Photo / Paul Taylor
A Taradale man is spending his retirement repairing bicycles to raise money for children's charities and cancer research.
Roger Davies repairs old, broken bikes to sell and gives the proceeds to cancer research in Hawke's Bay and charities like Ronald McDonald House, Starship Hospital and Kids with Cancer.
"I'm 80and I still think I can do something for society. To me that is the important thing."
He said he provides bicycles at a more affordable price than bike stores for people who are normally unable to buy their own.
"People find it difficult going to a bike shop, the majority of bike shops are quite expensive."
He said he has been working with bikes since he was 14.
"I went to a bike shop after school in Waipukurau and repaired bikes. At the age of 15 I left school and worked at the shop for another couple of years, then I went on to own my own bike shop."
He said working with bikes was something that ran in his family.
Davies estimates he has between ten and 20 bikes available at his house at any time, stored in the shed or sometimes even the pool. Photo / Paul Taylor
"My step father had a bike shop, his father before him had a bike shop, my uncle had a bike shop in Wairoa. It goes back a long way and I am thrilled to take part and do my bit."
He said he works with all types of bicycles.
"I'm not worried about what they are, it just doesn't matter, people will buy all sorts. From racing bikes right through to mountain bikes and older bikes."
He said he was now more than busy enough with the work fixing and selling the bikes that he had.
"It works very well, it keeps me busy, it keeps me occupied, otherwise I wouldn't know what to do with myself.
"Now I am basically inundated, I have people dropping in bikes to me, giving them to me. I buy a few as well, of course, some worthwhile ones."
He said he was lucky to have a extremely hard-working wife who supported both of them, although she wasn't pleased with how he liked to store the products of his hobby.
