The Weekly Rider - Sammi Tsegay
Sammi Tsegay is the Weekly Rider! Sammi works as a research scientist at a biotech company, Starpharma Pty Ltd and has a young family... of course he also love to ride.
Cycling is a very important part of his daily life, from the daily commute, to the regular weekday rides with Napier Park Riders and the PeakCycles rides, to the longer weekend rides. Sammi makes the most of every minute to balance riding, family and work!
I have a road bike and I pretty much take it anywhere. A lot of people have the misconception that road bikes are these fragile pieces of machines that should stay on nice smooth roads. With a bit of care and proper preparation you can take your road bike pretty much anywhere you want!
Name: Sammi Tsegay
Lives: Ascot Vale, VIC
Dream bike: I am a big fan of North American bikes (Cervélo and Felt). I love the old fashion geometry. I have been lucky enough to get hold of Felt F1 Blackout (2012) and finished building it late 2013. That is my dream bike.
Favourite local ride: There is nothing like a Sunday morning ride through Warrandyte, the Yarra Glen and Arthurs Creek area. It’s my escape. Me time. Quiet, narrow country roads with some magical views.
My current cycling goal is: The Audax Alpine Classic 2015 (AAC). I did the 2014 edition (250Km) with a couple of mates & I was hooked.
When I am on the bike I... Not sure how to answer this one, because it’s a feeling and sometimes you can’t put into words. A sense of relief. A stress release, especially after a long day at work. I can be mentally exhausted, but once I’m on my bike commuting home, I feel rejuvenated.
How did your love for bikes come about: It started with a way to lose weight (10 years ago) and not sure what happen from then on, simply a joy ride. I did stop cycling for almost 2 years due to work. I jumped back on the bike in 2011 and haven’t looked back since.
Share a cycling memory: My first ever Kinglake solo ride. I was young naive and ill-prepared... I didn’t manage my eating and drinking properly and to top it off it was a really hot day. I can’t remember how many times I had stopped to take a break. I have had all sorts of thoughts, not just the hurt but second thoughts about the sport. I didn’t get home till 3pm, fell asleep and didn’t wake till the next day. I learnt a lot that day.
The 2014 AAC is one for the memories. The whole experience was quite overwhelming at the beginning but once the wheels start rolling it’s just another, really really long, bike ride. A lot of people, who have done the 4am start, talk about the sunrise at Mt Hotham. It’s truly magical, it really is.
I love to ride because... I can go anywhere with my bike & I mean anywhere with mates. Most importantly the coffee and the analysis (trash talk) afterwards.
