A commentary by a retired software developer living in Victoria.

My wife and I are senior citizens who chose Victoria about 10 years ago. We didn’t cycle at all then; we just wanted a walkable city!

As an experiment, we delayed buying a car. We walked everywhere, and learned that Modo worked well when we wanted a car locally, and that renting worked for longer trips. We still don’t own a car, but we don’t walk everywhere anymore, either.

Joints don’t improve with age, and my wife now finds long walks painful. Without our walks, our world started to get smaller, but we adapted.

Although walking hurt, physical limitations are not “one size fits all” and my wife discovered that riding a bike was pain free and often made her feel better.

So we, like many older Victorians, bought e-bikes. I have a compact cargo bike, which is great for groceries, and can even carry the two of us to a restaurant. My wife’s bike has an upright seating position and is designed so her feet sit flat on the ground when stopped, which she finds easier for balance.

Several years later, my wife rides everywhere: to physio, to shopping, to restaurants, to doctor........

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