Cycling Without Age along with Team Heritage House rolls out its Santa Barbara chapter Friday, March 22, with the first of its weekly rides, 1:30-3:30 p.m. at Heritage House Assisted Living Community, 5200 Hollister Ave.

Cycling Without Age is a worldwide movement that aims to provide joy and vitality to older adults through the magic of the bicycle.

It was founded in Copenhagen in 2012 by Ole Kassow, who developed a special trishaw and offered free bike rides to local nursing home residents. Cycling Without Age has spread to all corners of Denmark, and since 2015 to another 40 countries around the world.

Local educator, author and cyclist John Seigel Boettner got wind of the program and is rolling out Santa Barbara’s chapter.

With a growing population of 17,000 older adults in Santa Barbara, Boettner hopes to work with older-adult programs, merchants, and community partners to give older Santa Barbarans a chance to get out on a bike again; pedal the streets and stop for coffee, ice cream, and conversations along the way.

Boettner is doing presentations at centers all over Santa Barbara and hopes to grow the program to fullfill the desires of older adults to feel the Santa Barbara breeze on their faces, and give others a chance to reconnect with those older adults.

After a presentation and parking-lot prologue ride at Heritage House, Team Heritage House begins its first weekly bike ride Friday afternoon. It’s called  Wildflowers and Waterfalls.

Two-by-two, team members will ride out the driveway, up the Maria Ygnacio Bike Path, and turn around at the rare waterfall just up the trail.

For more information on Cycling Without Age, Santa Barbara, visit cyclingwithoutagesantabarbara.

— John Seigel Boettner for Cycling Without Age, Santa Barbara