POPULAR 'Old Penarthian' prop forward and Texas representative rugby player Geoff Mules celebrated his 65th birthday in his adopted home in the state of Texas last week – with a 150-mile bike ride!

He rode the challenging MS150, a cycling event through the Texas hill country from Houston to Austin. He was sponsored by Diageo/Guinness and was captain of Team Guinness.

The event, which is the largest cycle ride in the United States, is an annual fundraiser for the benefit of Multiple Sclerosis sufferers.

And Geoff had a message for all his friends in Penarth.

"If I'd known I was going to live this long, I would have taken care of myself!" he said.

"And keep paying your taxes, because my first Old Age Pension cheque arrived yesterday, and I plan on drawing it for a while.

"Bike riding is so easy compared with rugby - they don't even tackle you!" he added.

This was his third major event of the year with several more rides planned for the summer. The route he followed was the training course used by Lance Armstrong in his annual preparation for the Tour De France.