‘It Makes Their Day’: Boise Seniors Experience the Joy of Bike Rides Again

May 26, 2026

A Boise senior living director is turning ordinary bike rides into unforgettable moments for his residents, thanks to a special passenger bike that’s helping seniors feel the wind in their hair again.

Credit: @theblessingbike on Facebook

At Table Rock Senior Living, residents are soaking up sunny days along the Boise River Greenbelt aboard “The Blessing Bike,” a three wheeled passenger bike designed for people who can no longer ride on their own. And the person pedaling is none other than executive director Joel Freston.

For 90-year-old Carol Montgomery, the rides have brought back memories from a lifetime of cycling.

“I love riding a bike,” Carol told KTVB 7 with a smile.

Carol and her husband moved into the community several months ago, and when she first spotted the bike sitting in the lobby, she immediately lit up. An avid bicyclist in her younger years, she had deeply missed the simple joy of riding.

The Blessing Bike program first arrived in Idaho in 2018 after Boise couple Wade and Jill Houser were inspired by Jill’s 92-year-old mother, Rosemary. Wanting to continue taking her out into the community, they helped launch the idea locally, which later grew into a nonprofit that now provides passenger bikes to people who otherwise would not be able to ride.

At Table Rock Senior Living, the bike has become much more than just an activity.

“Sometimes, I just take it out and put it in the lobby,” Joel said. “And they’ll come and ask me, ‘Are we ready? Can we do it today?’”

Located near the river and greenbelt in southeast Boise, the facility offers the perfect setting for the outings. Residents with limited mobility can still experience the sights, fresh air, and freedom of being outdoors.

“Here at Barber Station we have a lot of residents with limited mobility but still want to get out, and we are right here by the river and the greenbelt,” Joel explained. “They hop on and we go around the river.”

Even during colder weather, Joel finds ways to keep the joy rolling by taking residents on rides around the building itself.

While overseeing the health and safety of residents is part of his daily job, Joel says these bike rides give him something even deeper.

“I know that taking them out, I’m just making their day,” he said. “It brings a lot of meaning to the work I do day after day, and it takes me out of the grind and into the real feelings that our residents have and the joy that we can bring them.”

And for Joel, the reward is simple.

“Oh, it’s an honor,” he said. “Just to see the smiles and stuff, it just makes my day, and it makes their day and everyone wins.”

Now, he hopes other senior care facilities across Idaho will be inspired to start their own blessing bike programs, giving even more seniors the chance to enjoy a ride they may have thought they’d never experience again.