“Trike-Shaws” helping Mueller senior citizens get around

Thanks to reporter Casey Claiborne, Fox News 7, for this fun story!

It’s fair to say Preston Tyree is a cycling fanatic. He’s a bike advocate and very involved in the community. The 72-year-old isn’t slowing down anytime soon. In fact he’s helping senior citizens who need a lift…or just a pick-me-up.

“These are trike-shaws, rickshaws but a trike instead of a guy with 2 poles running around,” Tyree said.

Tyree says the idea came from Copenhagen, a program called “Cycling Without Age.”  He’s been working since March to get the Austin chapter up and running. It’s really kicking off now that it’s getting cooler outside.  He says the “Wildflower Terrace” retirement community in the Mueller neighborhood has been very helpful.

“The management here said ‘well we’ve got this room that’s just filled with debris.  Why don’t we clean it out and let you use it?’  And so we’ve got a locked room with power where we can recharge it, it’s the perfect place for us,” he said.

You read that right — he said “recharge.”  These “trike-shaws” are different from pedi-cabs. They have electric-assist and the “pilot” sits in the back.  Perfect for an afternoon spin around Mueller.

“With this we can get somebody to the grocery store for instance and get them back in a two-hour time slot without any trouble,” he said…

Click here to see full story, with video.