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<\/p>\nEmpty wine, beer and soft drink bottles are helping fuel bike rides, with a new Queensland chapter of Cycling Without Age quickly gaining momentum.<\/p>\n
In The Loop met with Steve Bayliss at Raby Bay on Brisbane\u2019s bayside, and although the Redland Coast branch of the cycling charity group is only a few months old, local support and popularity of the service has been astounding.<\/p>\n
A national not-for-profit that gives those no longer able to ride free outings on specially designed trishaw e-bikes, Cycling Without Age has close to 50 chapters around Australia.<\/p>\n
Meeting Steve at the picturesque Raby Bay marina, he explained how the Redlands Coast chapter came to be.<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw it up at the Sunshine Coast last year and thought it would be perfect in this area,\u201d he told In The Loop.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’ve had an incredible amount of support from the start; everything just fell into place. One of our volunteers donated the money for our first bike, then a committee member donated the cost of the second.\u201d<\/p>\n
With the specially set-up Tribe Bikes \u2018trishaws\u2019 priced at around $9,000 each, storage, safety, and security were key priorities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe got in touch with some storage companies, and the first one I phoned donated the container and delivered it to us. Then marina management offered to store the container in their lockup carpark,\u201d Steve told us.<\/p>\n
\u201cRegarding fundraising, Containers for Change gave us the recycling bin,\u201d Steve added. \u201cThe bottle scheme has proven fruitful; we are planning on more of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI put the bin near the marina office, which gives us good exposure \u2014 plus lots of wine bottles,\u201d he laughed. \u201cIt\u2019s a really good way to raise money and a lot simpler than going through the grants process.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The community support for the service has also been overwhelming, and the emotional rewards have been just as significant. Bayliss organised a ride for his 97-year-old mother; another volunteer\u2019s 93-year-old mum celebrated her birthday from the passenger seat. A 95-year-old rider from a local aged care home spent her ride sharing stories of growing up in the area.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe reactions from the riders are fantastic,” he told us. “Some are a little apprehensive at first, but afterwards they absolutely love it,\u201d Steve added. \u201cAnd not only the riders \u2014 the volunteers get a real buzz from every day out. Soon after starting it, I realised it\u2019s as much about removing social isolation as anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Redlands Coast cycling program runs three days a week along a scenic 25 to 30-minute route from the Raby Bay harbourside to a nearby bayside park and back.<\/p>\n
A concierge officer greets the riders; trained pilots pedal the trishaws, and a scout rides ahead for extra safety. And, from what we saw on that glorious Wednesday morning, Steve, his team of volunteers, the riders, and their carers were all having the time of their lives.<\/p>\n