JOIN THE RIDE
TOOLKITWe created this toolkit to help you bring the trishaw magic of Cycling Without Age (CWA) to your community. From ordering your trishaw, to recruiting pilots, to planning trailside donut and coffee stops, here is how to get started:
1. Create a Chapter
Craft a plan and budget.
2. Build Support
Fundraise, find partners, and order a trishaw.
3. Find Pilots
Recruit and train the backbone of your chapter.
4. Go Ride
Set up a booking system and plan your routes.
What is a Chapter?
The global CWA movement has chapters in 39 countries. At its core, each chapter is made up of volunteer “pilots” who provide trishaw rides to seniors in their city or town. Communities have structured their chapters differently based on local needs, largely fitting into one of three categories :
Individual Chapter
- Run by a single volunteer pilot with their own trishaw.
- Provide rides as personal schedule allows.
Community Chapter
- Run as a non-profit or part of a bicycle coalition.
- Matches pilots with ride opportunities in the community.
Provider Chapter
- Run by a local care provider or senior living community.
- Incorporate trishaw rides into existing programs.
You can bring the rides and smiles to your community in the way that you best see fit. Find another chapter in your region and reach out. Join them on one of their scheduled trishaw rides. Participate in one of their pilot trainings. This will give you a great idea of what Cycling Without Age can look like in practice.
Chapters in Action
Cycling Without Age can manifest in all shapes and sizes. Single trishaw operators. Senior community networks that have a trishaw at each facility. Chapters with a dozen trishaws that have their very own birthday party planning committee. Here are a few examples to inspire you with the possibilities:
Individual Chapter
Marin County, CA
Community Chapter (Small)
Anne Arundel County, MD
Community Chapter (Large)
Littleton, CO
Provider Chapter
Dove Healthcare
FAQ
Is it safe?
Yes! Rides rarely go faster than 5-6 mph. There is a rigorous pilot training formula developed by chapters around the world. You can stick to multi-use paths, which are more fun anyways! Perhaps most importantly, many experts would say that the loneliness and isolation experienced by older adults trapped inside far outweigh the very minor (and some would say good) risks of going for a trishaw ride.
What about insurance?
Silent Sports offers a policy that has met the needs of most chapters in the United States. This will not only give you peace of mind, but address any insurance concerns of partners organizations and senior communities that you want to give rides with.
Are the trishaws hard to ride?
No! While three wheels takes a bit more practice to master than two, the trishaws have a powerful electric assist. You don’t need to be a hardcore cyclist to pedal one. Chapters have successfully trained pilots ranging from age 15 to 90!
What does it cost?
A trishaw typically costs about $15,000, including shipping from Denmark. While this isn’t cheap, neither is most of the equipment that an assisted living facility might purchase for their residents. It is certainly cheaper than the facility van! If local fundraising doesn’t allow you to hit this target, consider reaching out to senior living communities in your region to see if they might be interested in purchasing the trishaw outright.
