The Right to Wind in Your Hair
In briefAI summary — tap to read
Cycling Without Age uses three-wheeled cargo bikes to take isolated and elderly people on neighborhood rides, creating measurable improvements in happiness and social connection. Founded by Ole Kassow after seeing an elderly man on a bench reminded him of his wheelchair-bound father, the organization now operates in 41 countries with 3,500 chapters powered by volunteers and guided by five principles including generosity and relationships.
Key takeaways
- Cycling Without Age participants report happiness scores of 7.9 out of 10—higher than any country in the World Happiness Report—demonstrating the profound impact of simple, meaningful service.
- The organization succeeds through five key pillars: quality infrastructure, creating belonging, nurturing a service culture, intergenerational connection, and sustainable community coordination that can activate 40–60 volunteers.
- A successful chapter requires 4–6 trishaw bikes operating together, a core team of 4–5 trained pilots with defined roles, a dedicated community coordinator, and local partnerships costing $40,000–$60,000 to launch and $10,000–$15,000 annually.
- Volunteer retention depends on fostering genuine community and mutual obligation rather than one-time recruitment, with successful volunteers typically staying 5–7 years.
- The program bridges isolation by making elderly and disabled passengers visible and dignified in their neighborhoods, while recruiting retirees and young people to forge meaningful intergenerational relationships.
About Ole Kassow and Pernille BussoneOle Kassow is the founder of Cycling Without Age and an Ashoka Fellow who was inspired by his father's experience with multiple sclerosis to create a movement enabling isolated elderly and disabled people to enjoy outdoor bike rides.
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Program: The Right to Wind in Your Hair
Speaker: Ole Kassow and Pernille Bussone
Every week we bring you a new program on innovation, entrepreneurship, and education, and how they contribute to service to others.
Imagine being unable to ride your bike, what would you miss the most? Would you miss feeling the wind in your hair? When we ask people what they associate riding a bike with, they all say the same word…
Ole is the founder of Cycling Without Age and an Ashoka Fellow, and Pernille is a cycling activist.
Members and guests, please welcome Ole Kassow and Pernille Bussone!
To learn more, go to:
Website: https://cyclingwithoutage.org/
Finn Larsen "paradise is right here on earth": https://vimeo.com/134717099
Ice fishing on three wheels: https://youtu.be/hUwzykY_QJM
The right to relate, the story behind Cycling Without Age: https://www.wpbstv.org/a-brief-but-spectacular-take-on-the-right-to-relate/
Our Three Podcast Series
Our main program speakers are available as podcasts in addition to YouTube videos.
Inspiring People — Stories of Innovation and Service
Inspiring Solutions for a Better World
Inspiring Women: Celebrating Trailblazers
Upcoming program recording schedule
All of our guest speakers and programs are recorded live online over Zoom video conference. We welcome members and guests to join us in one of these upcoming recordings.
Our online video conference room link for these recordings is always http://zoom.siliconvalleyrotary.com/.
