Keeping the bike dream alive with Cycling Without Age 

Our Community Bikes has been exploring how others across Vancouver are working on accessible and inclusive cycling, elevating their voices. We sat down with Jake Winn, Executive Director of Vancouver Cycling Without Age to explore their work, visions for the future, and challenges ahead.

Cycling is more than pure pedal power, getting from A to B in the fastest time possible. It is about enjoying the outdoors, being part of life on the street, and the whole social ecosystem which comes with this. However, for many more senior folks or those with limited mobility, accessing the opportunity to cycle can be challenging.

This is where Vancouver Cycling Without Age comes in.

Founded in the spring of 2018, the registered society uses the trusty bicycle to reduce social isolation and increase both mental and physical health for folks in their older age. The concept is simple. Using a trishaw, a pedal propelled vehicle with a two-person bench on the front and a volunteer Pilots pedaling (e-assist in the back), volunteers visit care homes, senior centers and community groups to offer rides to those who want to view the world by bike, but may not be able to ride themselves.

What are the main ambitions of cycling without age? 

Wherever they are, whenever they want, we want to be there to provide seniors and individuals with limited mobility with a joyous adventure on our trishaw where they are seen and celebrated in their community and can feel the wind in their hair. 

In a broader sense, we want to tackle social isolation and ageism. We want seniors to feel connected to their communities, even long after they lose their independence, and we want this city to be a place where seniors are respected, loved, celebrated and included. 

How has the organization grown over the last few years? And where do you see yourselves going over the next few years? 

We started in 2018 as an idea. By 2019, we had our first trishaw. Now, we have 6 trishaws and are on the road every day from May to October. 

This past year, we grew by an average of 35%, pedalling 1,000 passengers 3,500kms across the city. We have 22 volunteer drivers operating the trishaws at 8 facilities. 

Next year, we hope to double our reach and number of volunteers. And over the next couple of years, we hope to establish hubs in different parts of the city where our trishaws can be stored, so that they are accessible to more facilities across the city.  

How do you feel cycling without age has changed what ‘cycling’ means? 

For us, cycling is not about getting somewhere in a hurry. We have no destination – it’s about the journey. We go slow and focus on connecting with our passengers and having them connect with the community  around them. Our trishaws are the tool with which passengers can be seen, and  can see the world around them. When we cycle, it’s a great reminder of the power of cycling – which is a time to focus, rid yourself of distractions and worries and just be in the moment.  

Why do you feel western society, particularly in large metropolitan areas, often overlooks seniors’ wellbeing? And how do you feel cycling without age confronts/ changes this? 

In our society, I believe that senior wellbeing is too often overshadowed by transactional care. With limited resources and even less time, always racing around from one thing to another, we often focus on what seniors need and neglect what they want and what they deserve. We forget that aging is still living, and that anyone, at any age, deserves to experience love and joy, not just medical care. 

The irony here is that a neglect of recreation has a direct, negative impact on the health of seniors that we are trying so hard to address. Research shows that social isolation, for example, is linked to greater risk of disease, disability, and cognitive decline – even more so than obesity.  So, because we treat seniors in this very prescriptive way, we have come to see them as just a drain on our community and our resources, rather than as fellow humans who have much to share and much to still live for. 

With CWA, our focus is on recreation. It’s on seeing, supporting and celebrating seniors, one trishaw ride at a time. When the public sees a senior on a trishaw cycling around the  seawall, there’s an exchange that happens. They wave and the senior feels seen and once again connected to their community. But that passerby who waves does not just see a care home resident – they see a neighbour – they see a fellow human out enjoying the world around them. 

How do you feel changes in cycling, particularly the introduction of new technologies  like e-bikes, has helped individuals cycle into older age? 

For us, it’s huge. Our rides are not possible without our e-assist motors. We can take seniors farther and for smoother rides than ever before. We can access off-road trails, scale minor hills and essentially allow seniors to access any space in the city. This would not be possible with manual bikes, particularly with two people on the front. For example, a standard duet bike is great, but it’s 1 to 1. By having two passengers, we have grandchildren that join their grandparents on the trishaw for a ride, or two friends in a care home facility that are able to get out together and socialize during a ride. These intergenerational connections are made possible by our motorized trishaws – that and the amazing love, care and leg strength of our volunteers! 

What types of partnerships have cycling without age established to maintain and expand its work?

We are fortunate to have all sorts of incredible partnerships. Our core partnerships are with the facilities that we serve. We think of it as a partnership, because we work together to offer this service to residents. They help us to communicate with residents, prepare residents for their rides, invite family members to join, and get them outside to load onto the trishaws. We couldn’t do it without them! 

We work with public and private facilities across the city. We’re also very fortunate  to have many wonderful individuals and foundations that support our work through providing storage space, and funding. Food Stash Foundation is our wonderful warehouse host where we store all of the trishaws and work out of.  

Fundraising is a big part of ensuring the future of organisations like yours, how do you  find innovative ways to raise money and awareness? 

It’s never easy, but the reality is that we need funding to do what we do and to expand and meet the growing demand. Yes, the bikes are big pieces of equipment that are expensive, but they  also require storage, insurance and regular maintenance. Then we have to pay for staff to manage everything and for a website and systems to schedule these hundreds of rides we do each month. The list goes on. 

We also host community rides where anyone from the public can sign up for a ride. This is great for seniors who are still living independently and their families, but it’s also a way for our bikes to be out there in public more, to be seen on a Sunday in Pacific Spirit Park, or stopped at Convivial Cafe & Bakery at Leg-In-Boot Square listening to music on a Saturday afternoon. 

What kind of further support do you feel would benefit you? 

More funding, more accessible grants and more volunteers! Funding is always great. This will always be a limiting factor, but that’s the same for any nonprofit. 

For us, I think the two biggest areas for support are spaces and recreation-based grants. And a lot of grants do not focus on recreation-based activities, so we are hoping for the city of Vancouver and for foundations and organizations who grant funding, to recognize the immense value of seniors to our community and of outdoor recreation for their health and well-being. We all win if we do this. 

What recent cycling without age project/initiative/action are you proud of? 

I think our Grandparents’ Day rides this past September really stand out to me. We had 4  generations of families come out and go on rides together. I had one very fit young woman who ran beside the trishaw with her dog while her mother and grandmother were on the trishaw (we don’t go very fast). It was so impressive and was so fun for all of us to cheer her on the whole time as we pedalled! That intergenerational connection is probably the part that I adore most and am most proud of. 

Want to know more about accessible cycling?

Building better biking means working together. Ensuring accessible cycling for all is at the heart of Our Community Bikes’ work, but it takes cooperation between advocacy organizations, local municipalities and others to achieve our goals. Check out the other articles in our blog, which together, provide a comprehensive overview of Vancouver’s progress towards cycling for all!

Want to find out more? Check out Vancouver Cycling Without Age’s website HERE.

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