With different motivations and for various ends, many people take to learning to cycle even at an older age. Some learn to ride to get a job, while others do so in order to fulfil a childhood dream. Some families choose it as a way to grow closer while learning something new together.
Amal, a woman in her early 60s, decided to learn to ride a bicycle recently. Having spent most of her life immersed in her career, she realised that time had passed without her achieving many of her personal ambitions. She drew up a list of things she wished to do and set about ticking them off, beginning with cycling as the first item on her “post-60” wish list.
For Mohamed, the motivation was different. He chose to learn to ride a bicycle in order to work in delivery services and create a job opportunity for himself.
Nadia, meanwhile, is a mother of two sons aged 10 and 13 in her mid-40s. One is able-bodied, while the other has special needs and a motor disability. While the first son has learned to ride a bicycle, the second has remained confined to a dream he apparently could not realise.
Undeterred, Nadia visited numerous cycling schools to find a place that could teach her second son how to ride a bicycle. After a long search, she found it. The cost of bicycle training courses typically ranges between LE500 and LE1,000. Mohamed Sami, founder of Go Bike in Cairo, said that his firm, established in 2011, is dedicated to teaching cycling and promoting a cycling culture.
“The idea emerged while I was living in a European country where bicycles were widely used as a means of transport. This prompted a simple question: why not bring this culture to Egypt? Upon researching the issue, I found that cycling had indeed been common in Egypt during the 1970s and 1980s,” Sami told Al-Ahram Weekly.
He explained how a team sharing the same vision was formed to organise weekly activities every Friday, including outings to historical sites and other locations.
The initiative faced several challenges, particularly from segments of society that were initially resistant to the idea, especially when it came to women riding bicycles. There was also reluctance from some road users, notably microbus drivers. However, with persistence and the continued organisation of events over the years, attitudes have gradually shifted, and the culture of cycling has now become more widely accepted, Sami said.
He noted that the participants in his events span a wide range of age groups, from as young as six to as old as 75. For those who cannot ride, the initiative has a dedicated academy with trainers who equip learners with balance skills and techniques for controlling their bicycles.
“So far, we have trained more than 800 people. Cycling is not age-dependent, and its benefits are numerous. One of the areas we have developed is integrating sport with developing cultural, heritage, and tourism awareness. This has also led us to raise awareness about a number of medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, autism, and hypertension,” Sami said.
On safety precautions, Sami said that the trainees are first assessed in terms of weight, height, and age to ensure that a suitable bicycle is provided for them. “We can accommodate weights of up to 135 kg with bicycles designed for heavier users, while the minimum age is around six. We proceed step by step; no prior experience is required. We begin with balance skills and avoid high speeds during training.”
“Many people come to learn how to ride a bicycle in order to develop skills for work. A large number of young people train to take up delivery jobs, while others learn to work in densely populated and busy areas where moving by car is extremely difficult, such as Ataba and Mouski in Cairo. In such places, bicycles are the fastest means of transport,” he said.
He added that some of the trainees turn to cycling after receiving scholarships to European countries such as Germany, Cyprus, and the Netherlands, where transport costs are high, making bicycles a practical alternative to cars.
Bicycles as a means of transport also help to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Each km that is cycled rather than covered in a car contributes to lowering emissions, which in turn reduces pollution, improves public health and helps mitigate global warming, Sami said.
The aim is not only to promote cycling as a sport, but also as a viable mode of transport, he added.
“We would like to see the creation of dedicated cycling lanes and suitable infrastructure to ensure the safe use of cycles in Egypt’s cities,” he said, referring to initiatives such as the “Your Path is Green” project, which he managed, aimed at improving infrastructure for safe cycling and providing bicycle parking in public spaces, in line with other global cycling cultures.
PROMOTING CYCLING: Mahmoud Adil, a team leader at the Be Biker group, said that the group started on Facebook before evolving into a physical space dedicated to teaching cycling and promoting cycling culture.
He said that some members of the Be Biker group come to learn for work, while others seek to fulfil long-held ambitions. “We welcome trainees from the age of 16, with a minimum height of 140 cm. We have training locations near the Opera and Tahrir squares in Cairo, which are open and less crowded areas, and we organise weekly events every Friday to help spread the culture of cycling,” Adil said.
He said that the average number of participants in a single ride is around 45. As for preparations, he explained that certain essentials are indispensable: spare inner tubes, a pump, a first-aid kit in case of emergencies, sufficient water and suitable food, as well as helmets, particularly when riding on main roads.
Adil said that bicycle rental costs LE35 per hour, while weekly rentals, often used by delivery workers, amount to around LE500.
He also called for greater state support to make bicycles more affordable for people, noting that the price of a suitable bicycle has risen to around LE8,000. “We hope bicycles can be subsidised and that roads will be better adapted for them, as they contribute to saving energy and improving health,” he said.
Asmaa Mohamed, another team leader at Be Biker, said that she has always enjoyed cycling. After trying it herself, she hoped that more women would share the experience, which led her to focus on teaching cycling, particularly to women.
Cycling is an enjoyable activity that helps release energy, lift mood, and serve as a form of exercise, she said, engaging all the body’s muscles while offering enormous psychological and physical benefits, she said.
Events to visit archaeological sites, tourist destinations, and public parks and gardens also have a positive impact on well-being. “This is why we are keen to teach as many people as possible how to ride a bicycle and to promote this culture,” Mohamed said.
She added that spreading cycling in Egypt has a positive impact on society and contributes to tourism by encouraging visits to historical and tourist sites. It is also fuel-efficient, requires no petrol, and can be used for commuting or running daily errands.
On safety, Mohamed stressed the importance of teaching riders how to use gears effectively, including when to slow down and when to accelerate, alongside the use of protective equipment such as helmets and gloves.
“We have encountered many uplifting stories when teaching people to ride. Some people have built new social circles and friendships; others have taken up cycling in their 60s and felt a renewed sense of youth; and others still have managed to lose weight through cycling,” she said.
Moamen El Hakem, marketing manager at Bike Zone, said his group’s primary goal is to promote a cycling culture in Egypt and to establish it as a way of life.
He said that the group provides comprehensive training for anyone wishing to learn how to ride a bicycle and that it has trained people ranging in age from six to 70. “Many people learn in order to work, while others do so to save on transport costs. What matters to us is making a meaningful contribution to embedding a cycling culture that helps preserve the environment,” he said.
Mohamed Elsofy, founder of the Bike Life team, explained that his project aims to spread a cycling culture in Egypt through weekly group events held every Friday. These include visits to archaeological, recreational, religious, and tourist sites by bicycle, offering participants a way to break their routine, overcome apprehensions about engaging in sport, and enjoy a combined recreational and sporting outing.
“We often see entire families joining our rides. For them, it becomes a weekend outing and a chance to escape from the routine of work, the pressures of study, or other daily stresses. Participants range from as young as 10 to well over 60,” he said.
He added that women are the most enthusiastic participants when it comes to learning to cycle, stressing that there is no specific age for learning. “It is a free activity that leads to a sense of freedom, and it is not bound by age,” Elsofy said.
“Since the team was founded in 2019, we have witnessed many stories during training sessions and organised rides. Some young people have met through the team, got married, and now have children. Others, who once lacked friends or social connections and struggled to interact with others, have developed strong social networks,” he said.
Learning to ride a bicycle can transform a person’s life, whether by building social connections, improving health through weight loss, or opening up employment opportunities, while also benefiting the environment and society by reducing pollution and saving fuel.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 23 April, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.
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