A worldwide movement to get older people back out on bikes has launched in Brighton, with crowdfunding for a second adapted bicycle.
Cycling Without Age, a volunteer run programme that began in Denmark, uses tricycles with front seating to take the elderly out for a spin.
Volunteers sign up for bike rides with the elderly through a simple booking system as often or as rarely as they want to.
More than 225 chapters around the world offer Cycling Without Age from well over 1,000 trishaws, and more than 8,000 pilots ensure that the elderly get out of their nursing homes, out on the bikes to enjoy the fresh air and the community around them.
Volunteer Elly Hargreaves in Brighton told the Argus: “We create life-affirming cycle rides and relationships between elders, care home residents and voluntary cycle pilots.
“You can volunteer as often or as little as you want.
“Our principles are generosity, slow cycling, storytelling, relationships and community, and of course our cycle rides are free!
“Life unfolds at all ages and can be thrilling, fun, sad, challenging, beautiful and meaningful. Cycling Without Age is about engaging people of all ages to build community.”
One of the first trishaw passengers was 93-year-old Kemp Town care home resident Vi.
Duncan Henderson, her pilot said: “I said to Vi, ‘I imagine there’s a lot of memories here for you’.
“She sighed wistfully and said, ‘everywhere! It’s so ridiculous how close I live to the sea and I can’t even remember the last time I was down here’.
“It was a beautiful ride.
“Cycling Without Age helps elderly residents get out of their homes so they can enjoy the fresh air and community around them.
“Forty people have signed up to become volunteer cycle pilots but we are looking for more.
“Five care homes are already interested and the city council’s older people’s housing manager, Peter Huntbach, is a keen supporter. He is working to extend our reach.”
The Brighton team already has one trishaw with electrical power assist and is crowdfunding for another.
You can contribute to funding a second tricycle by clicking here.
Life bans are already possible, but rarely dished out. The only one I'm certain of is the Derek Witt case - not that he had a license at the time...
Would have been better if he had looked at the cyclists keeping fit and decided "I'll have what they are having".
I'm an off-road drop-bar rider, none of this applies to me! 😁
Explains alot.
As opposed to "30% better funded Social care" or " Welsh population has overall worse health"...
A smartphone set to handsfree is always fully legal, especially when held in the hand...
I've had a pair of these (and, in fact, the full length ones) for a few years and they really are very good.
surely the police can do better that this? A woman almost died ffs...
Doesn't look like it'd keep mud/water out very well, I'll stick to my saddle bag with a plastic bag inside to keep my stuff together and dry.
The blessings from drivers take so very many forms - over to no-so-sleepy Haverhill... ...