Coronavirus positives may be in short supply, but the way it has inspired millions of Australians to take up or rediscover cycling has been a silver lining.
Locally, you’re certain to have noticed. Cycling was already a popular pastime before the pandemic began, but Noosa and Sunshine Coast roads, pathways and off-road trails are even more awash with cyclists, meaning the likes of Noosaville’s Trilogy Cycles has seen unprecedented demand both on the sales and service fronts.
Keith Maricich, owners of Trilogy Cycles, has recently welcomed Aaron Dobbs to his team, bringing with him over 20 years of bike servicing experience.
Not just any service, either. In Australia those who work on customer bikes need no formal qualifications, unlike in much of Europe, the UK and USA. Born in Bristol, England, Aaron has full CYTECH certification and multiple cycling and engineering qualifications, plus nearly a decade of experience running his own high-end workshop, BS16 Bicycle Solutions, in Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
Freshly relocated to the Sunshine Coast with wife Cara and son Leo, 2, having somebody with Aaron’s experience and expertise is a boon for the region’s substantial cycling community.
Along with his qualifications, the 37-year-old has worked as a mechanic at the Mountain Bike World Cup in Europe, assisted in the build of a World Championship course in Italy and worked closely with suspension companies, including Fox Racing in Sydney.
“These experiences have got me used to the highest requirements of World Cup riders,” he said, “and when racing at the highest level you live the highs of getting things right and the lows when things go wrong.”
While maintaining bikes for the racing elite is one thing, Aaron said he’s equally at home working on a kid’s school commuter or bringing back to life the rusty old clunker you abandoned in the shed a few years ago.
“Everyone should have a bike that works properly and safely for them,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a $500 mountain bike, it should still be set up to be safe and ready to be enjoyed.”
Aaron believes if you have a good-looking bike you want to ride it, and that doesn’t just mean the high-end $20,000+ road and triathlon bikes. “You can build a new bike up from scratch, and we can guide you through that, but you don’t need to buy a brand-new bicycle,” he said.
“It doesn’t cost anything to come in for a free assessment, I can go through things with a customer and have a look at what needs to be done. Things like rusty bolts can be replaced for a small fee. It will not only look better but work better too.”
After a four-year apprenticeship, followed by an assessor overseeing the bike mechanic’s workmanship, Aaron’s qualifications have given him an appreciation for doing things the right way. “You go through all the health and safety and how to deal with chemicals. It’s given me a good understanding or methodical workmanship, which is still what I push today.”
For years he’s pushed for a similar amount of training for Australian bike mechanics, and is grateful a CYTECH course is finally coming to Australia soon, albeit a watered-down version of the UK method.
“I follow certain procedures and protocols to make sure bikes are perfect; and I hope people have the knowledge they’ll be taken care of in a professional manner,” he said.
So what does this mean for Noosa locals? “I’m employed by Keith (at Trilogy Cycles) but we want to work as a partnership and really push being a professional, premium place. Also, work with the general public with basic bikes, all the way through to the super expensive boutique and top-level competition bikes.”
Aaron’s brought an ultrasonic cleaning tank to Trilogy, where he puts dirty bike components in each morning to remove muck and debris. “I’m a big fan of not using a lot of chemicals or heavy degreasers, as we don’t want to wash such things down the drains,” he said.
A typical day involves assessing and assembling bikes – from entry level kids bikes for riding to school to full overhauls of high-end ultra-aero triathlon bikes.
Make no mistake, there are plenty of Sunshine Coast cyclists and triathletes willing and able to spend the price of a new car on a bike. “With boutique stuff and triathlon, you can really spend what you want,” Aaron explained. “You can go ballistic. What scares people is when you hold a small component in your hand and tell them it costs $800; or a powermeter crank that registers the output of your legs, you can spend up to $5000 on one of those.”
A relatively recent phenomenon is electric bikes, which for Trilogy Cycles now makes up a decent chunk of its business. Best of all, these plug-in machines have made the sport more accessible to more people.
“E-bikes are allowing people such as the elderly, those who’ve had knee reconstructions, surgery or difficulty walking to enjoy cycling,” Aaron said. “People are able to go out riding in their 70s or 80s. I’ve had people buy e-bikes and say they haven’t felt like that since they were a teenager. They’re happy, it puts a smile on their face, and it’s a really nice thing to see day-to-day.”
Perhaps Aaron’s greatest passion is his ability and experience in bespoke setting up a bike for a customer. His Sydney workshop was solely focused on servicing and builds. “People would buy a bike from a bike shop and bring it to me pretty much straight away,” he said. “I’d gut it down to nothing, pull it down to a frameset and rebuild it.”
Watching him in action at Trilogy’s workshop, Aaron’s as at ease on the tools removing, replacing and adjusting bike components as a professional sportsman is in their chosen field. There’s a natural speed, accuracy and smoothness that can only come from many years of experience and passion.
Our region’s expansive cycling community is all the better off for Aaron’s arrival here, and the new Queenslander said he was impressed by the local scene, not just on the roads but off them too.
“There’s a great mountain bike community with Tewantin’s mountain bike park and Parklands, and so many people are getting back into it,” he said. “Being in the bush, especially in times of Covid, is what people are enjoying.
Aaron’s no exception. Having just bought a house and with a toddler running around he’s not been able to enjoy our local cycling opportunities as much as he’d like. “Looking at the weather here most days it’s something I want to get into again very quickly!” he said. “Why wouldn’t you want to ride up here?”
As for his work life, Aaron’s eager to help and encourage as many local riders as possible, something that’s always been an appreciated trait of Keith at Trilogy Cycles, ensuring he’s built up loyal and regular customers in a friendly bike shop environment.
In that way, Aaron wants to bring his talents on board to be an extension on Trilogy’s formula. “I hope people will give us a chance to impress,” he said.
