Education › Cycling Workshops › Senior Cycling (HBL.org/Seniors)
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Rediscover your youth on adult-tricycles supplied by HBL!
With a grant from the City & County of Honolulu Department of Transportation Services HBL has purchased eight (8) recumbent tricycles for use in this program.
Recumbent trikes offer greater stability and comfort to riders of all levels because of their unique riding position. Even if you haven’t been on a bike since your childhood–or don’t know how to ride a bike–you’re sure to feel stable on a three-wheeler! The recumbent trike offers a (very comfortable) alternative to traditional upright bicycles, making them great for people with bad backs or poor balance.
If you’re used to riding a bicycle this is a fun alternative to see the island from a more “laid-back” perspective. We always ride the pace of the slowest rider, so you never have to worry about getting left behind. You will be with a friendly, patient, and knowledgeable Ride Leader the whole time.
[↓ SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THE SENIOR RIDE SCHEDULE
& REGISTER FOR A RIDE ↓]
WHERE Do We Trike?
Main Location: Pearl City / ‘Aiea. Ride on the car-free Pearl Harbor Bike Path (also known as the Pearl Harbor Historic Trail), 8 trikes available total.
Special: Contact Malia at Malia@HBL.org or by calling the HBL Office at (808) 735-5756 to coordinate having the trikes brought to your area for a senior/health group/organization (5 participant minimum).
The 3 DIFFERENT LEVELS of HBL’s Senior Cycling program:
1. “Introduction” Ride (2 hours)
This two-hour morning workshop will provide recumbent tricycles (and all the bells and whistles) to seniors ages 50 and up, free of charge. Your instructor will go over the all the basics of the trike – trike handling, fit, gear shifting, braking, and how to ride efficiently. The workshop will end with a short, slow test ride on the car-free Pearl Harbor Bike Path, likely not more than 4 miles. No prior bicycling experience is needed—this workshop is aimed at kūpuna who have not ridden a bike in a long while. The Intro Ride is ideal for those who are new to the trikes.
2. “Silver” Slow Roll (2 hours)
This two-hour ride is the perfect follow-up to the Senior Intro Ride. HBL will provide recumbent tricycles to seniors ages 50 and up, free of charge. The workshop will include a recap of how to use the trikes, but majority of our time will be spent out casually spinning on the Pearl Harbor Bike Path. Silver Slow Roll participants may expect to ride 4 – 7 miles on the bike path, with a couple small hills.
3. “Gold” Fitness Ride (2.5 hours)
This 2.5-hour ride is for active seniors (age 50 and up) wanting to ride the full 10 miles on the Pearl Harbor Bike Path and get a good cardio workout in on the trikes provided (free) by HBL. The Gold Fitness Ride is designed for those who want to ride about 10-miles (with a handful of hills) and can keep a moderate pace. If you haven’t tried the trikes before or don’t think you might be able to ride the full distance, the Silver Rides is for you!
Reservation Note:
All Senior Ride trike reservations are on a first come, first served basis (in order of participant sign up), and registrants must submit a completed Pre-Ride Health Screening to complete their ride reservation (this will be emailed to them after they register). There are only limited tricycles available (8 at the Pearl City location), so sign up to reserve your trike now.
SCROLL DOWN TO
REGISTER FOR A RIDE
HBL’s Senior Ride SCHEDULE:
April 2021
- April 10 (SAT.), 8:00 – 11:00am – Try Our Trikes “Open House” Event @Neal Blaisdell Park (map)
- 8:00 – 8:45am – Session #1
- 8:45 – 9:30am – Session #2
- 9:30 – 10:15am – Session #3
- 10:15 – 11:00am – Session #4
For more information & sign-up for a trike trial at: HBL.org/TryATrike
April 16 (FRI.), 9:00 – 11:00am – Silver Slow Roll@Pearl Harbor Bike Path (map)- FULL. Incoming registrants will be put on a reservation waitlist as of 4/11/21.
- April 27 (TUE.), 9:00 – 11:00am – Introduction Ride @Pearl Harbor Bike Path (map)
- 3 trikes open (as of 4/26/21)
May 2021
May 1 (SAT.), 9:00 – 11:00am – Silver Slow Roll@Pearl Harbor Bike Path (map)- FULL. Incoming registrants will be put on a reservation waitlist as of 4/11/21.
May 6 (THU.), 8:30 – 11:00am – Gold Fitness Ride@Pearl Harbor Bike Path (map)- FULL. Incoming registrants will be put on a reservation waitlist as of 4/11/21.
May 10 (MON.), 9:00 – 11:00am – Introduction Ride@Pearl Harbor Bike Path (map)- FULL. Incoming registrants will be put on a reservation waitlist as of 5/05/21.
- May 14 (FRI.), 4:00 – 6:00pm – Arlene’s Group Ride @Pearl Harbor Bike Path (map)
May 16 (SUN.), 4:00 – 6:30pm – Gold Fitness Ride@Pearl Harbor Bike Path (map)- FULL. Incoming registrants will be put on a reservation waitlist as of 4/11/21.
May 25 (TUE.), 9:00 – 11:00am – Introduction Ride@Pearl Harbor Bike Path (map)
June 2021 (registration opened 5/19/21)
June 12 (SAT.), 9:00 – 11:00am – Silver Slow Roll@Pearl Harbor Bike Path (map)- FULL. Incoming registrants will be put on a reservation waitlist as of 5/20/21.
- June 17 (THU.), 8:30 – 11:00am – Gold Fitness Ride @Pearl Harbor Bike Path (map)
- June 20 (SUN.), 4:00 – 6:30pm – Gold Fitness Ride @Pearl Harbor Bike Path (map)
- June 28 (MON.), 5:00 – 7:00pm – Arlene’s Group Ride @Pearl Harbor Bike Path (map)
July 2021 (registration opened 6/16/21)
July 3 (SAT.), 9:00 – 11:00am – Introduction Ride @Pearl Harbor Bike Path (map)- FULL. Incoming registrants will be put on a reservation waitlist as of 6/18/21
- July 16 (FRI.), 9:00 – 11:00am – Silver Slow Roll @Pearl Harbor Bike Path (map)
- July 18 (SUN.), 4:30 – 6:30pm – Silver Slow Roll @Pearl Harbor Bike Path (map)
REGISTER for a Trike Ride:
Complete & submit the form below with your information to reserve a trike for the Senior Ride date of your choice.
* Senior trike registration closes 24 hours before the ride date.
Cancellation / No-Show Fee
For cancellations/no-shows with less than 24 hours notice there will be a $20.00 cancellation/no-show fee for costs incurred. If you cannot attend your scheduled workshop, please contact HBL’s Adult Education Manager at Malia@HBL.org or contact (808) 457-5401 as soon as possible. Because our Senior Rides have limited trikes, no-shows and late cancellations deprive someone else from the opportunity to participate. As a small nonprofit trying to change the world one person at a time, we appreciate your understanding!
New Program Information for 2021 (*As of 3/2021)
How many times can I ride?
* For those that have participated in HBL’s Senior Rides before, your Trike Reservation Count is wiped clean! You may sign up for more than one Senior Ride, but please keep in mind that the “INTRO Rides” are for new, first-time trikers, who will be given priority over an individual returning to the program.
What COVID-19 precautions are you taking to keep everyone safe?
The safety of the community we serve has been, and continues to be, our overriding priority. In order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus & reduce the potential risk of exposure to the people that ride with us, ALL trike & bike riders (that means instructors as well) looking to participate in our Senior Rides must complete a mandatory Pre-Ride Health Screening prior to attending a Senior Ride. Individuals are not allowed to participate until their Health Screening responses have been reviewed and their entry has been approved by HBL’s Director of Adult Education.
On top of that, face coverings are required to be worn properly over the mouth & face in the infrequent cases when 6ft physical distancing is not practical. Hand sanitizer and extra disposable masks are provided with each ride. Our rides all occur outdoors, in the open air, and under the wonderful Hawai‘i sun. Each trike is disinfected throughly after each and every ride. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to get in contact with us at (808) 735-5756.
I’m a senior, can I bring my own bicycle & join in a ride?
For those that ride a bicycle or tricycle regularly (once a week or at least a few times a month), you are welcome to join us on your bicycle at any scheduled Senior Ride and are allowed to bypass the Intro-level Senior Ride. Those electing to bring their own bicycle/trike still need to register using the form below, simply indicate that you will bring your own (working) bike/trike. You’ll need to bring your own flat repair tools for your personal bike to participate. And don’t forget your helmet!
Senior Ride FAQs:
Yes, absolutely! You don’t have to have ridden a bike before to enjoy our trikes & the benefits cycling offers. The trike’s three-wheels do the balancing for you and keep you upright as you pedal along, feeling the wind in your hair! Make sure to start with a Senior Introduction Ride if this is your first time riding – your trained, helpful, and patient Ride Leader will go over everything you need to know to get rolling safely & having fun on our trikes.
Is there a weight limit for the trikes?
The trikes we have are called Sun EZ-Tri Classic SX Recumbents (delta configuration) and can accommodate an individual up to 300lbs. These were purchased on-island from Eki Cyclery for about $1,200.
At each Senior Ride, we take the time to fit each trike to the individual riding it so that they are set up for the most comfortable & enjoyable ride they can have! We even provide foam backrests for those on the shorter-size spectrum to ensure maximum control & comfort. We’ve had trike-riders ride comfortably from heights of 4’10” to 6’2”. We understand that each body is different, so if you have any concerns or questions about any physical restrictions you may have, please contact HBL (Malia at Malia@HBL.org or 808-735-5756) in advance and we’re happy to help.
HBL’s Senior Cycling Program utilizes O‘ahu’s car-free, bike paths where you can escape the noise & chaos of traffic and roll along, uninterrupted by traffic lights and cars. The Introduction Rides occur entirely on a car-free multi-use path, where motor vehicles are NOT permitted, so you can focus on enjoying the ride instead of interacting with traffic.
Silver Slow Rolls are conducted almost entirely on the Pearl Harbor Bike Path (again, no cars), and may have 1-2 small road crossings, which your Ride Leader will make sure to facilitate everyone’s safe crossing.
Gold Fitness Rides ride on the Pearl Harbor Bike Path but will have some sections of on-street riding where you may be trike-ing on the same road with cars.
Anyone that is 50 years of age or better is welcome to register for a Senior Ride, free of charge! This program is funded through an Adult & Senior Cycling education grant from the City & County of Honolulu, Department of Transportation Services. We love seeing kūpuna out there, having the time of their lives rediscovering their childhood and we firmly believe you’re never too old to get cycling!
The distance you trike at any particular Senior Ride will be determined by the duration of time, and pace of the group as a whole. We’ve given estimates of how far we think you’ll go for each type of ride, but ultimately the distance will vary from ride to ride depending on your fellow trikers.
Your Ride Leader will lead the group along the bike path, and set the pace which will always go the speed of the slowest rider so no matter a person’s pace or abilities, there is no chance for anyone to get left behind. It is very important that those riding in our Senior Rides never go faster than they feel in control of, so we’ll NEVER rush or push someone past their comfort-level.
You don’t have to worry about you having to fix it – we’ve got built-in “bike-path roadside coverage” for you in the shape of your Ride Leader 🙂 All of our Ride Instructors are League Cycling Instructors, certified nationally by the League of American Bicyclists, and are trained to lead a group safely in traffic as well as be able to take care of mechanical problems. If you are bringing your own bicycle/tricycle, we do require you to bring with you on the ride your own flat repair tools for your bicycle. If you don’t know what tools to bring, or are unable to, please contact Malia at Malia@HBL.org and we can help you out!
There is NO fee to participate. Our Senior Cycling program is free for those 50 years of age and above! This is made possible through a C&C grant and conducted by the Hawaii Bicycling League, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to enable more people to ride for health, recreation, and transportation through advocacy, education, and events. While the trikes are being provided for ūupuna for no cost, if you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to HBL, we would humbly accept any cash/check (made out to “Hawaii Bicycling League”) to help support our advocacy & education efforts in pushing for safer streets in Hawai‘i. FEIN: 99-0250682.
Please contact HBL’s Director of Adult Education, Malia Harunaga, ASAP by calling her cell at (808) 457-5401 or emailing Malia@HBL.org. We only have so many trikes to use per Senior Ride, thus last minute cancellations can deprive someone else from the opportunity to enjoy the trikes. This is why we ask you to double check your calendar & make sure your schedule is clear to attend the Senior Ride you’re signing up for. We thank you for your understanding and aloha towards others!
Participant Testimonials:
Questions? Contact Malia by calling the HBL office at (808) 735-5756 or emailing Malia@HBL.org.
