"I wasn't a prolific winner, I just enjoyed racing..."

David Wohlers started racing in the Wangarrata, Victoria Schoolboys’ District Championships as a boy, at the time of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. After an apprenticeship he moved to Melbourne to work, and rode with the Brunswick Cycle Club.

In 1971, recently married, David drove to Perth with his wife Shirley and Melbourne cycling buddy Robert Matthews. They came to Perth at the invitation of Tommy Norris whose plan was to stiffen the competition among the local riders. David joined the Belmont Wheelers cycle club and the three visitors lived and worked in Perth for the next six months, training to and from Kwinana on weeknights in the headlights of Tom Norris's car.

Wohlers and Matthews settled into the routine of weekend club racing including open events hosted fortnightly by the League of WA Wheelmen. Riding his George McDonald built Hillman, he came to the attention of handicappers, winning the Balcatta Sprint on a criterium circuit. In Beverley, a week later, Dave together with Matthews, Steve Pember (Midland) and Mark Keyser (Belmont) were at the start line together, riding 28 minutes off scratch.

Working together, they hoped for a good outcome. Dave recalled riding through the hills "...we'd caught the leaders and gone past everybody". The riding continued hard to the finish, "I wasn't the best sprinter I didn't think, ...but I ended up being the best one on the day."

Returning to Melbourne and later owning bike shops in Wangaratta, David's cycling continued, competing in two Sun Herald Tours and six Melbourne to Warnambool Classics along the way. In 1980 he flew back to WA for another tilt at the Beverley, becoming the only interstate rider to win the local classic twice.

He continued racing in Masters Games including cyclocross in his 70's, and returned to Perth in 2019 to ride the Beverley once again. He and Shirley still live in Wangaratta, proud parents and grandparents.

"I wouldn't have been able to do it without Shirley, ...it would have been slap-dash for me".

L-R Robert Matthews, sponsor Michael Poyner and David Wohlers. Photo donated by David Wohlers.