There’s nothing like the feeling of freedom when riding a bicycle, attached to the earth only by a couple of spinning tires, the road spooling out in front of you, the wind in your hair. But for some people, the delight of riding a bike is just a distant memory. Limited mobility, injuries, or the changes of aging can make cycling a thing of the past.
Enter the trishaw: a bicycle built for three. Like a backwards rickshaw, the vehicle is powered by a rider pedaling and steering in the back, while the passengers sit in front with a great view and the wind in their hair.
You may have seen a trishaw trundling along the bike paths near City Park in Iowa City. A new chapter of an international nonprofit organization, Cycling Without Age Johnson County (CWA-JC), purchased the vehicle and has been taking local residents on trishaw rides. Its overall goal is to bring the joy of cycling to those who cannot cycle independently.