KarunaNews Story

“Oh my gosh, I'm free again.” That’s what Barb Lotze hears from older people as they glide through Littleton in “trishaws” — sturdy e-bikes with passenger seating up front — provided by the nonprofit she founded. Wind in the hair is what Cycling Without Age Littleton promises to anyone who can’t pedal themselves. The movement started in Copenhagen and has expanded globally. When Lotze founded the Colorado chapter, she included younger people with physical disabilities. Still, most passengers are older. The chapter has more than 100 volunteers and offered 2,400 rides last year, all free. Pat Allan, 88, has spotted deer, birds, and even eagles, thanks to the trishaw. Walking at her age means her eyes are glued to the ground. “So this is such freedom. It's a feeling of freedom.”