WHO WE ARE
Cycling Without Age is a global movement started in 2012 in Copenhagen. We aim to reach and improve the lives of the elderly and break them free from social isolation. We take them for rides to enjoy fresh air and conversation, and together, we create memories and smiles. Each CWA Chapter organizes its own operations and works with the volunteers in its community. BC and Canadian CWA chapters.
About the Vancouver Chapter
Founded in the spring of 2018 we purchased our first trishaw in the spring of 2019. In the Fall of 2020, we became a registered Society and now operate as Vancouver Cycling Without Age Society with charitable status. Our primary ride area is around the West End, Yaletown, False Creek, and the West Side of Vancouver.

Vancouver False Creek Seawall
Our partners include senior care homes, adult day cares, neighborhood houses, recreation centers, and organizations that support seniors and those with disabilities. Our primary passengers are seniors who are isolated and benefit from the opportunity to get out and enjoy the wind in their hair. The age of our passengers is between 70-100 with the average in their mid to late 80s.
We also offer Community Rides (public rides) for those seniors who would like a ride but are not in our ride catchment area. We pick up at Leg-in-Boot Square in Vancouver’s False Creek on designated days. We do not pick up from private homes. We require all passengers, including their companions, to sign passenger waivers and have the ability to transfer to our trishaws. Our rides are by donation and we give priority to seniors who would enjoy the social connection with family and friends.
S.U.C.C.E.S.S family rides, Yaletown Seawall
How You Can Help Us
BE A DONOR
We’re looking for financial donors to help us with the operational costs of Cycling Without Age Vancouver, or in-kind donors to provide items or services of need. Donations can be given through Canada Helps.
BE A PARTNER
We primarily work with long-term care homes to design a regular program of rides, routes, and schedules. Let us take your seniors for a ride and give them the opportunity to feel the wind in their hair. Our partners include:
- ASK Friendship Society
- Broadway Lodge
- Gordon Neighbourhood House
- Nikkei Seniors Health Care and Housing Society
- S.U.C.C.E.S.S.
- The Care Group
- West End Seniors’ Network (WESN)
- Windermere Care Home
BE A VOLUNTEER
July 2023 update. Thanks for all the interest in volunteering with us, we have all the Pilots we need for the 2023 ride season. The season begins in March/April 2024 with Information Sessions, Training (group and individual), and volunteer meet and greet with our Partners. We give priority to volunteers who can dedicate time weekly (3 hours) during the months of April to October and are interested in working with our senior demographic living in care homes. The Vancouver Chapter’s primary ride dates and times are primarily weekdays between 9 and 4 p.m. Volunteer opportunities include Pilots (bike riders), bike maintenance, operations, photographers, musicians, marketing, and fundraising,
Pilot Training April 2023
Windermere Care Mother/Daughter Ride, Douglas Park
Broadway Lodge resident ride, Kitsilano Beach
BUILDING COMMUNITY
CWA is less about volunteering in the traditional sense of the word and more about active citizenship. Citizenship is driven by a desire to get involved and to make a real difference for someone. It starts with the obvious generous act of taking one or two elderly or less-abled people out on a trishaw bike ride.
City of Vancouver with founder Ole Kassow
OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Generosity: Cycling Without Age is based on generosity and kindness. It starts with the obvious generous act of taking one or two elderly or less-abled people out on a bike ride. It’s a simple act that everyone can do.
Slowness: Slowness allows you to sense the environment, be present in the moment and it allows people you meet along the way to be curious and gain knowledge about Cycling Without Age because you make time to stop and talk.
Storytelling: Elderly people have so many stories that will be forgotten if we don’t reach out and listen to them. We tell stories, we listen to stories on the bike and we also document the stories when we share them via word of mouth or on social media.
Relationships: Cycling Without Age is about creating a multitude of new relationships: between generations, among the elderly, between pilots and passengers, care home employees, and family members. Relationships build trust, happiness, and quality of life.
Without Age: Life does not end when you turn 75. Life unfolds at all ages, young and old, and can be thrilling, fun, sad, beautiful, and meaningful. Cycling Without Age is about letting people age in a positive context.
CWA Vancouver milestones:
- November 2018 – Seniors Safely Cycling was awarded People’s Choice at City of Vancouver Citystudio HUBBUB
- January 2019 – secured financial support from the City of Vancouver and donations
- March 2019 – partnered with Better Environmentally Sound Transportation
- June 2019 – received our first trishaw from Triobike
- June 2019 – presented at the BC Active Transportation Summit
- August 2019 – participated with WESN at the 2019 Pride Parade
- September 2019 – exhibitor at the North Shore Seniors’ Health Expo
- October 2019 – exhibitor at the Kits House Autumn Fair
- November 2019 – nominated for the Small Business BC Community Impact Award
- March 2020 – our second trishaw arrived from Van Raam
- March 2020 – official registration in BC as the Vancouver Cycling Without Age Society
- October 2020 – Global News B.C. volunteers make sure voters get to polls
- November 2020 – Vancouver Cycling Without Age Society is now a registered charity
- 2021 ride season – June to October we offered limited rides with 4 partner organizations
- August 2022 – received two more Triobike trishaws
- 2022 ride season – May to October we offered 74 ride days, 602 passengers, over 2,000 km, and 13 trained volunteer Pilots who rode weekly
- April 2023 – Pilot training begins
- 2023 ride season -May to October includes 73 ride days to date

CWA Western Conference, Canmore Alberta
Cycling Without Age Worldwide Facts As of February 2023
- Invented in 2012 in Copenhagen
- Active chapters in 39 countries
- Starting up in 20 countries
- 3,050 chapter locations
- 4,900 trishaws
- 39,000 trained cycle pilots
- Over 3 million rides and over 650,000 people served
- Oldest pilot is 90 (Jørgen Hass, Denmark)
- Oldest passenger Pauline Angleman, 110 from California (sharply followed by youngster Edith Green, 108, from Bournemouth)
Contact Us
Cycling Without Age Vancouver
vancouver@cyclingwithoutage.ca
Please note – we do not rent our trishaws
To purchase a trishaw of your own visit Velolifestyle
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