PEDALLING IS MY PET PASSION
DANNY Frumenzi has been cycling since he was a little boy and loves nothing more than taking his pooch pal Billy for a ride. Photographer and bike lover Fiona Harding asked local cyclists to share their love of pedalling.
There is an underground biker gang emerging in the Ville as more and more locals are using the great weather, wide open roads and optimal terrain and commuting on their sweet rides.
Good for the environment and your health, a bike represents freedom, fun and fitness. Reflecting a person’s identity and personality, it’s not just a way to get from A to B but so much more.
Seven local commuters share their love of riding and their personalised bicycles.
ANDREW D’ARCY, 45 Wulguru // Specialized Sequoia
The thing I like most about my bike is it’s a bike that doubles as a road and gravel touring bike. I love that it gives me so much versatility. It’s a bike that you can literally just get on it and go anywhere. I love the freedom and selfsufficiency that bike touring gives you.
DAVID MCKINNON, 63 City // National fixie
I bought this back in the ’ 80s to commute around Melbourne. I decided it was time to give it a new lease on life and had it resprayed, put on new wheels, chain, brakes and now it’s ready to roll again. I love being in the fresh air and the health and vitality you feel when you ride.
JOSEPH WATTIE, 33 Gulliver // assisted trike
I love my bike as it has a built- in coffee machine run on solar panels and gas. I can take my work wherever I go. The best thing about my bike is the freedom, wind in my hair and the smell of coffee.
MICK, 55, & JENNY HARRIS, 41 Pimlico // Pegasus tandem Duet 2
We love this bike as we can travel together. Riding is more efficient into a headwind and we go faster on the downhills. It’s a great way to be active and you see more from a bike than you do in a car. It’s such a fun way to travel. It’s the ultimate adventure travel.
DANNY FRUMENZI, 46 Hermit Park // Downtown Uptown with buddy rider ( for Billy the dog)
My favourite accessories on my bike are my buddy rider custom dog carrier, dynamo lights, the style and comfort of the Brooks saddle. I love that I learnt to ride a bike when I was five or six and now, 40 years on, it is still something that I can do. It’s a childhood thing that you can continue doing as an adult. You see other parts of the city you don’t normally notice on foot or in a car. I love having Billy ( my dog) with me and seeing people’s reactions to him when he is sitting in the buddy rider.
ANN BARTHOLOMEUSZ, 50 Hermit Park // Downtown 8 Breezer
I have had so many different types of bikes before this and this is the most comfortable for my back issues, plus it is a lot of fun to ride. Being outside is what I love most about riding my bike – it keeps you fit. The smells, sound and being outdoors is why you cycle.