Cycling Without Age came at the right time in my life. I read about it in a cycling newsletter when my mum was about to move into aged care, and I thought it would be a great thing for her to do. Sadly, she passed away before she was able to enjoy a ride.
The organisation originally started in Denmark but it has gone global. There are now over 30 chapters in Australia alone. I never expected to be running a chapter myself, but Baptist Care was looking to run a trial here in Macquarie Park with BIKEast, so I volunteered. I found some willing pilots through Bike North and now we run eight half-hour rides once a month for the local Baptist Care residents.
We take the passengers on a trishaw, which is a custom-built bicycle with a two-seat couch at the front. It’s a little strange to handle at first, but it’s easy to get the hang of it with a bit of practice. It’s electrically assisted, thank goodness. You do need that when you hit a slope! We’ve just placed an order for a second trishaw which will be able to take a wheelchair on it.
We started off taking the residents around the Baptist Care grounds, but the route was quite limited. We looked into Macquarie’s campus and realised it had a great network of paths and a beautiful environment. We vary the routes and stop in different places to give the passengers a chance to enjoy the views of the lake and the bushland.
It’s great to be able to go through the areas on campus that are bustling with people. It helps the residents feel connected to their community. As students and staff at the University have grown used to seeing us, we have started getting waves and people saying hello. It’s really nice because it builds up a feeling of belonging. Sometimes we have passengers who have a child who went to Macquarie, or who used to work on campus themselves, so they chat to us about the University as we ride.
It’s really rewarding to see the passengers’ reactions. They are always so eager to start their ride when we arrive, and staff and relatives tell us that they are often asked when the next ride day is. That’s quite gratifying to hear.
The age and ability of our passengers varies. If a passenger is suffering from significant dementia, we might get very little feedback during the ride. But quite often we get a little smile at the end, and later the care staff tell us that the passenger has been talking about the ride with their relatives. So, we know it’s making an impression.
One man that we took out for a ride was in his 90s. We took him with his grandson and they both enjoyed it enormously. The man passed away just a few weeks later. His daughter wrote to me to say what a special memory the ride was for them and how much they appreciated having that chance to be out in nature with him.
To support Cycling Without Age or volunteer as a rider, visit Cycling Without Age – Sydney North
