Colorado Springs

Cycling Without Age’s 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
Older adults 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 older adults, between pilots and passengers, care home employees and family members. Relationships build trust, happiness and quality of life.

Without Age
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 – fully aware of the opportunities that lie ahead when interacting in their local community.

Thus, was born Pikes Peak Breaking Away CWA and our belief in getting all folks outside. Dave and Diane, founders of Pikes Peak Breaking Away CWA, enjoy many hours of each day outside—whether cycling, hiking, gardening or sitting in our beautiful backyard enjoying meals and reading. Our belief, as is CWA, is to keep moving and part of moving is getting outside.

What better way to share our passion of cycling than taking folks in assisted living and memory units outside for a ride in fresh air. What better way to improve one’s mood, wellbeing, and sleep? Cycling through the neighborhood park and trails improves our friend’s quality of life through conversation and storytelling, reading the signs of the seasons, see hawks soar and bunny rabbits hop about. Interaction with green spaces and nature encourages sensory stimulation, which can have restorative effects on the mental wellbeing of older people.  The green grass of the park and Pope’s Bluff with the evergreen trees may also provide benefits for mental health, cognition, mood, mobility, and physical function.

We are looking to provide folks with smiles, precious moments, and memories. We are just getting started with our Pilot training program.