1Chapter

The first step to bringing Cycling Without Age to your community is starting a chapter. As many chapter founders will attest to, once people see your first trishaw the demand will be there. You just have to craft a strong vision and plan out of the gate to ensure rides and smiles for years to come.

Join the Movement

Complete the Affiliate Agreement. This is free, and gives you access to a global community of chapters who can guide you on your way.

Create a Chapter Plan

Before you get too far down the rabbit hole of ordering trishaws and training pilots, build out a plan for your chapter. This can be a simple document that lays out the following:

Goals

Why do you want to bring trishaws to your community?
Who do you want to reach with your rides?
What do you want your chapter to look like in 5 years?

Structure

Do you need non-profit status? Many donors will require non-profit status to make donations.

Starting your own non-profit requires some work, but gives you more flexibility and reduces overhead.
Working under the umbrella of an organization like a bike coalition can provide fiscal sponsorship and insurance, but will cost.

Do you want to provide rides through local senior communities?

Activity directors at these communities can often help with ride booking

Do you want to offer direct booking for seniors who live on their own?

Allow you to give rides to those who don’t live in senior communities.

People

A Board of Directors is required if you plan to start a non-profit, and can contribute to your chapter management.

A local bike shop owner can help with trishaw maintenance
Someone who knows local foundations can solicit donations
Someone with accounting experience can manage your books

Core Volunteers manage your day-to-day operations. Consider starting with the following:

Ride Coordinator
- Sets up ride opportunities with local partners
- Assigns pilots to these ride opportunities
Pilot Coordinator
- Manages the training of all new pilots
- Helps recruit new pilots
Fundraising Coordinator
- Secures sponsorships from local businesses
- Writes grant proposals

Calculate a Budget

A clear budget will help you prioritize your fundraising, and build a more sustainable chapter. There are a two core cost categories to consider as you build out your budget:

Startup Costs

Trishaw: $15,000
Trailer (if needed to move trishaw) - $2,000-$5,000
Accessories: $120
- Repair kit for trishaw: $50
- Safety vests for pilots - $20
- Blankets for riding partners - $50

Annual Costs

Travel expenses (if you are transporting the trishaws)
Insurance: $700-900 depending on your location)
Maintenance: consider starting with $200/trishaw/year
Fundraising Events

Addressing Safety

When many people hear about Cycling Without Age, the first question that they have is about safety. Aren’t rides dangerous? Who is liable? Do you have insurance? Many donors, partner organizations, and older adults may have heightened sensitivity to risk. Listen to their concerns, and work on tailoring your chapter to meet their needs.

Risk Management Talking Points

Here are suggested talking points to use when questions of risk and safety come up.

Many aging experts would argue that the dangers posed by isolation and loneliness indoors far outweigh the much smaller risks of going on a ride.
Trishaw rides are slow. Usually no more than 5-6 mph.
Pilots are trained on standards established by CWA chapters around the world.
Rides usually take place on car-free multi-use paths.
Chapters have their own liability insurance.
Everyone who boards a trishaw must sign a waiver (here is an example).

Insurance

Getting proper liability insurance will go a long way towards addressing many stakeholders' concerns. There are two primary ways to go about doing this:

Get your own liability insurance through Silent Sports, who insures most of the existing CWA chapters
If you are under the umbrella of an organization like a bike coalition, their insurance might cover you

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