Golden Rollers Ride along Boggy Creek Trail

Golden Rollers is a collaboration between the Ghisallo Cycling Initiative and the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department that provides an opportunity for adults aged 50 and older to engage in low-impact, bicycle-based recreation, exploration, and transportation. 

Since starting in 2015 with a small number of seniors attending classes at Conley Guerrero Senior Center, Golden Rollers has expanded to over 10 recreation and senior centers to reach over 300 participants. The program has a wide age range of clients, including folks in their eighties and nineties, those with physical and cognitive disabilities, and majority of black, Asian-American, and Latino populations. Creating functional opportunities for older adults and seniors to explore the world on three wheels, proving you are never too old to roll.

First, Golden Rollers Participants attend an orientation class where they are tested for hand and leg strength and balance, provided classroom instruction, and given the opportunity to practice starting, stopping, turning, and obstacle avoidance. Riders who pass orientation can then attend trail rides led by instructors, center staff, and community members.

Riders experience the physical, mental, social, and emotional impacts bicycle-based recreation can have on an individual, especially at an older age. This route is our classic ride where we roll with our older adults and seniors from the Conley-Guerrero Senior Activity to the Sustainable Food Center in East Austin along the Boggy Creek Trail. We use three-wheeled adult trikes to enable riders of all skill levels to cycle the Boggy Creek Trail system and ride by the Pillars Project, Downs-Mabson Fields, Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex, Rosewood Neighborhood Park, and more. Now riders can also experience Austin's First Dual-Track Trail after passing Rosewood Ave.

Want to hear from our Golden Roller Riders? Copy and paste the urls below to view some conversations we had with our participants:
https://goldenrollers.org/blog/roller-spotlight-september-2016-meet-joy/ 
https://goldenrollers.org/blog/roller-spotlight-meet-robert/ 
https://goldenrollers.org/blog/roller-spotlight-august-2016-meet-federico/ 
https://goldenrollers.org/blog/roller-spotlight-meet-alice/

Interested in learning more about the Golden Rollers or want to join them on future rides? Head on over to goldenrollers.org for all the details!