For a group of men who formed the Zipper Club, heart surgery has not stopped the 70-something cyclists from getting back on the bike and hitting the open road.

Colin Armstrong, 77, is one avid rider who bears the zipper-like scars of the life-saving operation.

As a member of the Warrnambool Heart Support Group, he has been riding with John Haberfield, Harold McKenzie and Alex O’Flynn for more than 15 years.

They catch up together at least weekly to feel the wind in their face and reminisce about old times.

But as age and fading fitness catches up, you need more than a little help from your friends to tackle the undulating terrain of the south-west.

Armstrong is now a keen advocate of the electric assistance bicycle, which can be revved like a motorbike to give the rider a powerful boost when starting or pushing up steep slopes.

“As your bike riding deteriorates, electric assist is a good way to go,” Armstrong said.

With a 200W geared brushless motor, Armstrong’s bike is at the maximum allowable power output before requiring registration or compulsory third party insurance.

Viewed from a distance, it looks like a regular bike, with the motor integrated into the rear hub and the battery slotted into the bicycle frame.

But on the road it is anything but, with the motor allowing the rider to literally take his or her foot off the pedal and coast at a regular riding speed.

Like any electrical appliance, the motor needs to be recharged via a power point.

Armstrong said he would be plugging in his bike to prepare for the opening of the Port Fairy to Warrnambool Rail Trail, a circuit the Heart Support Group was looking forward to adding to their list of achievements.