Cycling Without Age Australia (Sydney-East Chapter) Rides Program: 2026 Achievements

Background

BIKEast’s volunteers provide Cycling Without Age trishaw rides for people unable to ride for themselves living in care support. This includes people with a disability.

BIKEast operates as an independent affiliate of Cycling Without Age-Australia. BIKEast owns two trishaws locally housed in a garage courtesy of Waverley Council and also supports the operations of a trishaw owned by Montefiore Assisted Living in Randwick. Pilots are required to be members of BIKEast and Bicycle NSW, affiliation with which ensures insurance cover for any liability resulting from misadventure whilst supporting the rides. Pilots are also required to undergo a NDIS Worker Check and additionally may separately obtain a Police check.

Two of the three trishaws we serve were purchased through grants from Woollahra and the City of Sydney Councils and Australian Government’s Stronger Communities Program – Kingsford-Smith. Clovelly Community Bank provided a grant in 2024 allowing the purchase of a spare trishaw battery to extend the ride distances available for one of our two trishaws.

Initiatives and achievements in 1 July 2025 – 30 June 2026

  1. We offered 80 ride events throughout the 12 months up to 30 June 2026 with 64 successfully conducted; 16 booked rides were cancelled due to logistics (5), wet weather (8), and hot weather (3). While special event rides for the Elvis Festival in Parkes were contemplated, this did not proceed due to logistics.
  2. Count shows a total 425 passengers carried, of those 408 (96%) in care support and the remaining 33 being their carer or other support persons. Approximately 42% of conducted rides were with people with a disability under NDIS support. In total, 24 pilots covered 1,515 kilometers in the two BIKEast trishaws in the 12 month period, with an estimated additional 150 km covered by the Montefiore trishaw.
  3. We applied for funds to replace the battery for Trishaw T1, which will require rewiring of the electricals. Funds were also requested for pannier bags and first aid kits. Two grants were submitted, to the Federal Governments’s 2025-26 Volunteer Grants scheme via Allegra Spender’s office and to the Community Bank Clovelly 2026 Grants Program (CEF). We received a grant of $3,400 + GST from the Community Bank Clovelly and the Community Enterprise Foundation, and therefore advised the Federal Government that our application is withdrawn.
  4.  In August 2025, Vibeke Catts and Adrian Boss met with Jeff Marchant from Lower Hutt NZ, who has established CWA activities in honour of his late wife.
  5. Vibeke Catts spoke at The Big Bike Film Night, 2 September 2025, promoting our activities before the screening of a 30-minute film of CWA activities by the CWA Chapter in Carpinteria, CA USA.
  6. Vibeke Catts was interviewed by James O’Loghlin on ABC Sydney Radio on  Friday 8 May 2026.
  7. A total of 8 new pilots were trained, each receiving two training sessions. Two new pilots, Donna Campbell and Keith Scott, were recruited following the Big Bike Film Night in September. Rob Ralph, was recruited from amongst the BIKEast Saturday Social Ride. Tim Coen, champion of rail trails, joined our efforts from the Inner West. An additional four pilots were recruited by word-of-mouth and/or sightings in the park.
  8. We had one new care provider sign up, being SummitCare which has homes in Waverley and Randwick as well as further afield in Sydney.
  9. Pilots experienced many issues with the Trishaw T1 battery at the beginning of 2026. While an interim solution to better secure the battery in place was implemented, the team concluded new battery and wiring is required. T2 had a service in September 2025, with brakes adjusted. Regular checks by our mechanic and pilot volunteer, Nathanael Dyon, ensures safe operation.

September ride event in Centennial Parklands, thanking Community Bank Clovelly for their support, which helps make our rides possible.

Conclusions & Recommendations

Special thanks to Adrian Boss for continued support even after he handed over the Captain’s cap; to Stephen Saks and Richard Lewis for troubleshooting and research in relation to T1 battery issues, to Yvonne Poon and Francesca Ehmig for assistance with social media and website, and to all BIKEast pilots and volunteers for their continuing support.

Prepared by Vibeke S. Catts, 24 July 2026

Vibeke S. Catts PhD

BIKEast CWA Captain