Wind Advisory
from SAT 12:00 PM MST until SAT 10:00 PM MST, Western Pima County including Ajo/Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Tohono O'odham Nation including Sells, Upper Santa Cruz River and Altar Valleys including Nogales, Tucson Metro Area including Tucson/Green Valley/Marana/Vail, South Central Pinal County including Eloy/Picacho Peak State Park, Southeast Pinal County including Kearny/Mammoth/Oracle, Upper San Pedro River Valley including Sierra Vista/Benson, Eastern Cochise County below 5000 ft including Douglas/Wilcox, Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys including Clifton/Safford, White Mountains of Graham and Greenlee Counties including Hannagan Meadow, Galiuro and Pinaleno Mountains including Mount Graham, Chiricahua Mountains including Chiricahua National Monument, Dragoon/Mule/Huachuca and Santa Rita Mountains including Bisbee/Canelo Hills/Madera Canyon, Santa Catalina and Rincon Mountains including Mount Lemmon/Summerhaven, Baboquivari Mountains including Kitt Peak, Kofa, Central La Paz, Aguila Valley, Southeast Yuma County, Gila River Valley, Northwest Valley, Tonopah Desert, Gila Bend, Buckeye/Avondale, Cave Creek/New River, Deer Valley, Central Phoenix, North Phoenix/Glendale, New River Mesa, Scottsdale/Paradise Valley, Rio Verde/Salt River, East Valley, Fountain Hills/East Mesa, South Mountain/Ahwatukee, Southeast Valley/Queen Creek, Superior, Northwest Pinal County, West Pinal County, Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, Tonto Basin, Mazatzal Mountains, Pinal/Superstition Mountains, Sonoran Desert Natl Monument, San Carlos, Dripping Springs, Globe/Miami, Southeast Gila County

'Trike-Shaws' helping Mueller senior citizens get around

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.

One of Tyree's new passengers is Barbara Phillips.

"Just getting to know the neighborhood and introducing people to it because there's a lot of people what would like to go grocery shopping or just sight-see around because everything is changing around here," she said.

And as I found out midway through our trip, Phillips who is in her 80's...isn't always a passenger. She has her own trike! But it isn't electric-assist.

"No it's Barbara-powered," she said.

Tyree says some of his passengers don't get outside as much as Phillips.

"We've got one lady who lives in an electric wheelchair that comes out and rides with us and this is the only time she gets to get away from that wheelchair and it's just delightful to have her ride," Tyree said.

A ride around Mueller is the perfect opportunity for conversation. And Tyree says it's an important factor.

"We want to keep them talking and one way to do that is to work with them, ask them questions like 'Casey where did you grow up?' Or you know 'do you remember the first time you got on a bike?'" Tyree said.

And if you can't tell, Tyree is having a blast. He says he's learning a lot through the wisdom of his senior passengers. And he' s just glad to give back.

"I'm going to be old sometime maybe somebody will take care of me," Tyree said.