IF YOU’VE NEVER HEARD of TED Talks, a world of wonder awaits you!
It was five years ago that I happened upon a TEDx Amsterdam presentation by Ole Kassow, the founder of Cycling Without Age. Ole tells the story that on his bike commute to work each day (everyone rides a bike in Amsterdam), he saw an older gentleman sitting by the roadside with his walker. One day, Ole had the idea to show up on a bike-for-two and asked, “Would you like to go on a bike ride?”
That was almost 10 years ago, and Cycling Without Age has spread to 52 countries around the world, with 2,700 chapter locations, including the United States—and now Toledo.
But it’s much more than just a bike ride—it’s an opportunity to forge new relationships, to tell stories both new and old between generations, and to feel the wind in your hair.
Two local non-profit organizations, We Are Traffic and Maumee Valley Adventurers, worked to bring the program to the Toledo area. With the support of many generous donors and a grant from the Ohio Department of the Aging Foundation, we purchased our first “Trishaw” bike and transport trailer. With room for one to two passengers in addition to the pilot, we schedule mini-adventures at several Metroparks Toledo locations and at Olander Park in Sylvania. We are also working with Kingston in Sylvania and Rosary Care on the Lourdes University campus to provide rides to their residents. Last month, we received a special bike that will allow those in wheelchairs to experience an adventure while remaining in their chair.
On a recent ride through Wildwood Preserve, one of our participants said, “This is quite marvelous, to have the feeling of riding a bike again, and to feel the wind in my hair.” This is our dream realized in one adventure!
To learn more about the program, schedule a ride, or serve as a volunteer, go to www.CyclingWithoutAgeToledo.org.
Keith Webb is the Founder of We Are Traffic, Vice-President of Maumee Valley Adventures and Toledo Bikes!, and Vice-Chair of TMACOG Pedestrian & Bikeway Committee. You can contact him at keith@WeAreTraffic.org or 567- 225-4032.
Cycling Without Age Toledo is a grassroots movement that organizes volunteers (pilots) to give bike rides to the elderly.
