Fingal Cycling Without Age Brings Joy of Cycling to Older People
Fingal County Council is delighted to announce the launch of Cycling Without Age Fingal, which officially began with a celebratory cycle at St. Catherine’s Park, Lucan on Wednesday, 18 May.
Cycling Without Age is a movement that started in Denmark in 2012, led by social entrepreneur Ole Kassow. Ole wanted to help older people get back on their bicycles, but needed a solution to their limited mobility. The answer was a trishaw and he started offering free bike rides to the local nursing home residents.
Trishaw bikes offer a very comfortable cycling experience for passengers and cyclists with deep, secure seats designed for maximum safety and electric power assistance helping the cyclist to efficiently manage the load as they move. The Cycling Without Age initiative isn’t just about cycling, it is about meeting the social needs of older people by providing social connection and inclusion.
There are 4 locations for Cycling Without Age Trishaws in Fingal. Located at St. Catherine’s Park, the Baldoyle Portmarnock Greenway, South Strand Skerries and in Northwood Demesne where Fingal County Council have partnered with Dublin City University. These 4 local schemes provide an array of opportunities for nursing homes, older persons’ organisations and individuals who want to feel the wind in their hair on a refreshing open-air cycle.
Since 2021 Fingal County Council has been recruiting and training volunteers, also known as trishaw pilots, for this exciting scheme. Mayor of Fingal, Councillor Seána Ó Rodaigh, says this project demonstrates the commitment of the community to older people. ‘We’ve had lots of people come forward and offer their time and energy to this cycling project and it’s just one example of the way in which we care for our older people and nurture inclusivity in our community. It’s great to see people enjoying their time on the trishaws, showing us that cycling really can be for everyone if we work to provide inclusive experiences and facilities.’
There are more than 2,700 Cycling Without Age chapters around the world, operated by more than 35,000 training pilots. David Storey Fingal’s Director of Environment, Climate Action and Active Travel, says Fingal is proud to be part of this very special global movement. ‘It’s vital that we help open up cycling to people who are older and often dealing with mobility limitations. Getting out on a bike can be a very joyful experience and offers a wonderful feeling of freedom. Our older people have often grown up with cycling a major feature of their youth and it’s great to be giving those same people a chance to return to that feeling again. Cycling is a healthy social outlet for people of any age and can be an ideal tool to manage stress and combat isolation. We’re really looking forward to seeing the trishaws in use across Fingal.’
Trishaw cycle slots can be booked online via the Fingal County Council website and interested people are encouraged to contact [email protected] for more information.
