We’re excited to highlight another local rider in our community who we want to introduce you to here at Leucadia Cyclery. This month, we’re featuring Aaron Hebshi, who uses a bike as his first choice to get around town. Aaron is a big bike advocate and loves being a part of the BOW WOW events at his daughter's school, Paul Ecke Central.
Learn all about him and his passion for cycling below.
Q&A with Aaron Hebshi, Local Cycling Enthusiast
1. How Did You Get Into Mountain Bike Riding/Cycling, and What Keeps You Motivated to Ride?
Bicycling has been a part of my life since junior high school when I used to deliver the San Diego Tribune around my La Mesa, CA neighborhood on my BMX bike!
When I went off to Santa Cruz, CA for college, the strong environmental and outdoor culture solidified cycling as my primary recreational vehicle. It was there that I became an advocate for bike-friendly transportation during my years in Honolulu, HI where I served on the Mayor’s Advisory Committee for Bicycling and organized Critical Mass rides.
Now here in Encinitas, CA with a family, I continue to ride because of what I like to call “the 6 Fs of bicycling”:
1) Friends: It’s easier to say hi to friends and neighbors on a bike versus being stuck in a metal box where you can't interact with anyone.
2) Future: The health of life on this planet is hugely dependent on how we get around. Are we going to continue to sprawl our cities, paving over more habitat and spewing more carbon into the atmosphere, or are we going to live with a little more humility and less impact?
3) Fast: For short distances, I can get around town on bike faster than if I were driving, since I can pull right up to my destination and not worry about parking.
4) Finances: According to AAA, the average cost to own and operate a new car in 2024 is $12,297 per year. Although I definitely spend a lot of money at Leucadia Cyclery, my wife and I save a ton by sharing one car.
But it’s not just personal finances that I worry about. The huge amount of taxpayer money used to keep our roads and sprawled infrastructure in good shape leads to fiscal challenges even in affluent cities like Encinitas, CA.
5) Fitness: I bike about 10 miles per day during the week taking my 4th grader to and from school and commuting to the train station for work. Complementing my other fitness activities, it keeps me in pretty good shape.
6) Fun: On streets that are safe and comfortable for biking, it’s a blast jamming down the road at a pretty good clip under my own power (or sometimes with some e-help, haha!)
2. What’s Your Favorite Local Trail or Road to Ride, and Why?
I live along the 101 in Leucadia, CA. So, when I have to go over to El Camino Real (ECR), I prefer alternate ways other than the mini-highway of La Costa Ave or the crowded roads of Leucadia and Encinitas boulevards. I’ll slip through Tortilla Flats, the Channel Islands development, past the Farm Lab, through Encinitas Ranch, and down the trails to Via Cantebria and ECR.
3. Can You Tell Us About Your Bike Setup? What’s So Special About Your Bike?
I have two bikes, a hybrid-style commuting bike and an electric cargo bike called the Green Machine. The cargo bike is an animal. It’s the first iteration of Yuba’s Spicy Curry. The motor and controller are now obsolete, and when my controller went out last year, all Yuba could offer was a discount on their new model.
But in the deep reaches of internet message boards, I connected with a former distributor who had an old controller in his storage unit in Orange County, CA. The Green Machine is now back in business! I use it for running the 4th grader to and from Paul Ecke Central and Farm Lab, getting groceries, or moving the occasional mini-fridge.
Here's my bike set-up:
4. Do you have a memorable cycling experience or accomplishment you’re especially proud of? Any races you’ve done?
My favorite cycling experience was bike camping over the Sierras from Sacramento to Mono Lake. I only had a week off work, so we had to be pretty efficient. But my cycling buddy taco-ed his front tire coming down a dirt road into Mono Basin, and we lost a day hitch-hiking to Mammoth for repairs.
We made up the time by hitching over Tioga Pass, so I can’t say it was a complete round trip. But traversing the Sierras at a bicycle’s pace meant taking in so many great sights, sounds, and smells, including getting stalked by a mountain lion near snow-covered Carson pass, and loosening up at Eastern Sierra hot springs and the hyper-salinity of Mono Lake.
I’d say 70% of the cars that opened their windows when they passed us cheered us on, while 30% yelled at us to get off the road.
5. What Has Been One Of Your Best Rides Yet?
Regular weekend rides with the family to Buccaneer Cafe in Oceanside, CA. (we love this!).
6. What’s Your Favorite Post-Ride Snack/Activity?
I let my 4th grader answer this questions. She said, “going to the beach because it’s relaxing and I can rinse off. And I like the beach.”
7. What Advice Would You Give to Someone Just Starting Out with Cycling? What Kind of Bike Would You Suggest People Start Out With?
It doesn’t matter what kind of bike you start out with. “You just have to believe in yourself”. Nobody says it better than this kid: Thumbs Up for Rock and Roll!
8. How Has Cycling Impacted Your Life Beyond the Bike?
My doctor ran an EKG on me today and told me that I have a biker’s heart. I’m grateful I can stay in shape just by living. But I love how being on a bike connects me with community, especially when I’m riding with my kids and other families and we’re moving at a Leucadia pace.
9. What Do You Like About Us Here at Leucadia Cyclery and How Have We Supported You?
I can do a lot of my own bike repairs, but usually don’t have much spare time. So I can count on Jeff and Kanyama to work quickly and get my bike back running at a reasonable price.
I love that Leucadia Cyclery is a local business. When it went through an ownership change, our town was lucky that Jeff picked it up and made it into an even more well-run shop. Thanks guys for keeping Leucadia, CA running on two wheels!
10. Can You Give Some Advice to People Wanting to Get More Involved with Cycling? Are There Any Community Groups You’d Suggest Joining?
Encinitas Bike Walk is our local advocacy organization. Our mission is for “walking and biking to serve as a safe, convenient, healthy, and FUN mode of transportation for all ages and abilities”.
We advocate for street design that’s safe for bikes and pedestrians, and we work with city staff on re-striping and design ideas. Safe streets give people the freedom to choose how they get around and can even make driving a car more pleasant because of reduced traffic.
11. If you were a bike part, what would you be and why?
Probably a headlight. Because I always seem to be out of energy when needed.
12. Lastly, what’s one thing you always bring on your rides?
A smile.
