Bike North proudly supports the activities of the Sydney North chapter of Cycling Without Age (CWA).
Some of our members help take elderly passengers from residential (‘aged’) care facilities for gentle rides along nearby pathways and quiet streets. We act as ‘scouts’ (helping clear the path, manage traffic and warn people of our approach) and ‘pilots’ (actually providing the pedal-power for the trishaw).
CWA Pilots, Passengers and care home staff at BaptistCare Shalom Centre, November 2021
Cycling Without Age is an international movement started in Copenhagen in 2012. It provides outdoor rides in purpose-designed trishaws for those not able to ride for themselves (aged, frail or disabled people), to give them the outdoor, “wind in their hair” enjoyment that younger and more able cyclists take for granted.
Cycling Without Age Sydney North has over half a dozen qualified pilots – all of whom are Bike North members - and their own trishaw.
We always receive very positive and supportive feedback from passengers, their family members and care home staff. From this feedback and from other research studies we know that the rides make a significant difference to the lives and happiness of our passengers, particularly during the ongoing pandemic restrictions at care homes.
Cycling Without Age Sydney North has established relationships with organisations including care homes, cycling organisations, local council and Macquarie University, and have received letters of support from numerous aged care organisations in the local area. As well as conducting the rides, work is ongoing to map and document additional ride routes, train more pilots and volunteers, and raise additional funds.
Internationally, CWA currently involves over 35,000 trained pilots in 2,500 locations across 51 countries and has provided over 1.9 million people with rides. We are delighted and proud to be a small part of this remarkable movement.
If you are interested in finding out more about CWA or becoming a volunteer cyclist / pilot, then attending a ride event is a great chance to see CWA in action. Chat with fellow Bike North members who volunteer as pilots and assistants, have a look over the Danish-built Triobike Taxi electric trishaw, and see how this partnership between CWA, Bike North and residential care homes helps lift the spirits and reduce the isolation of residents with a leisurely ride and conversation in the open air. Bring your bike and helmet if you’d like to ride along with the trishaw.
Find out more
If you’d like to know more, sign up for the Cycling Without Age interest group in your member profile. (Click in the top right corner of the website, navigate to your profile, then look for interest groups link.)
To discuss it further of get involved, please contact john.kelman@cyclingwithoutage.org.au.
