The Weekly Rider - Aaron DeBono
Aaron DeBono is the Weekly Rider! When on the bike, Aaron enjoys heading into unfamiliar terrain whether its on a the track, mtb, cross or road bike. The thing he enjoys most about cycling is the camaraderie riders have towards helping each other reach their goals and seeing friends advance in their ability and agility.
Aaron has traveled extensively with his bike and has some great stories to tell, he's also just been signed up to the Rapha Cycle Club... so surely more adventures are ahead!
Aaron has a PhD in medicinal chemistry, working as a researcher working on a number of projects spanning Cancer, Malaria, Heart disease and Antibiotics.
Finding time to get on the bike and do decent training hours can be quite difficult, but a balance of work and leisure has been crucial to success in his career.
Name: Aaron DeBono
Lives: Pascoe Vale
Dream Bike: I've got a fair few, even though I think I own my dream bike at this present moment; a BH ultralight.
My dream carbon models would be: Canyon Aeroad CF SLX, Argonaut Spacebike 2.0, Fetska Dazzle and ive got a significant soft spot of titaniums: Firefly and Vandeyk.
Favourite Local Ride: When you start riding, circling the block is usually your best achievement, these days every ride I do could be considered my local loop.
I seriously enjoy heading out towards my parents property in Hillside which provides some awesome gravel roads, a beautiful windmill, a couple wineries, the odd kangaroo, wallaby, koala or black cockatoo. With the choice of three challenging climbs towards Gisborne it's a great ride. I also enjoy heading out with some of the local gangs around just to name a few NPR, MPATS and EC.
Current cycling goal: I dont have any goals set in concrete just yet for 2015. I have lessened the competitive aspect of my riding recently and have regained my love of riding non-competitively. Sometimes the easiest rides are the most rewarding.
I spent most of last summer racing 3 or more crits a week but have not raced road in over eight months. Recently I raced in a number of cyclocross races in Victoria and South Australia. 2015 will see me return to the racing peloton as a RaphaCycleClub rider and I'll focus on a mix of crits and enduro races like melbourne-ballarat/warnie.
When i am on the bike... all i notice is the wind passing my ears and hum of my tires on the tarmac. All my problems and concerns become non existent. Cycling facilitates one to find tranquility with oneself.
Although many enjoy cycling in groups sometimes I really enjoy hitting the road on my own and battling the pain of facing the wind on my own. Riding in pure solitude is something I have come to love and enjoy, it provides the opportunity time to reminisce on life, work and family. In my case my best thoughts and ideas arise whilst I'm out riding.
How did your love of bike riding come about: I led and active upbringing. As a youngster I swam squad and also played section 1 tennis and use to ride one of my numerous bikes to training and doing blockies (the under 18 equivalent of chap laps).
I have always been an aficionado of bikes in my younger years I owned a Mongoose Pro MTB, a Haro Revo and a Raleigh Chopper with exhaust pipes which I used to fill up with sparklers and light them up like a drag car. The bike was also fitted out with skyway II tuffs. It was mint!
Share a cycling memory: In 2014 I traveled extensively with my bike. My most memorable days on the bike were encountered during this trip. I rode in Singapore with ANZA bunch who took me on their RTI (round the island rides). The ride was stifling but we got to ride up Mt Faber (more like a hill) and watched the sunrise to the backdrop of Singaporeans doing Tai Chi.
I also visited The Tour and rode the scenic coastline of the French Riviera over the Col de la Madone and Eze from Nice to Menton and back. The scenery is just majestic from the top of Eze. You can see from St Tropez to Menton and all the beautiful boats in the bays.
I've ridden through the Pyrenees and through the Alps, riding from Grenoble to L'alpe d'huez in a thunderstorm with clouds lingering at head height was awesome.
If you are ever in Belgium head out with the Scheldepeleton (Ghent). I had to chance to ride with these guys in a full blown training rides with the likes of Thomas Degent, Bart De Clercq and Andre Griepel in the group, just riding with these guys is a privilege. Along the route there is also a memorial for three fallen belgian riders Wouter Weylandt, Dimitri De Fauw and Frederiek Nolf and in their honor a Beach road BP like sprint more then often takes place.
In Prague i rode a small part of the Greenways cycle path with traverses Czech Republic all the way to Vienna and lastly Switzerland by far one of the most beautiful places to ride.
Riding from Zurich to Lucerne is a must for any cyclist the scenery is just utter beautiful.
I like to ride because: It makes me happy, I feel free of the worlds grasp, all my stresses become non existent. I enjoy strumming up technical voyages to travel on with mates and together we have created a riding series we all have come to enjoy and cherish known as EGR.
If anyone reading is ever interested in joining we are all pretty cool social people and enjoy every bodies company. I wish everyone all the best in their cycling endeavors, catch you on the road.
