Aaron Rosenblum has been riding bikes for as long as he can remember, and his love of discovering new places has followed him through every city he’s called home. What began as a childhood fascination grew into a lifelong way of moving through the world, carrying him from the birthplace of California’s mountain biking culture all the way to the coastal trails of Portland, Maine, where he lives today. His path to becoming a Super Commuter is a story of curiosity, adventure, and the simple joy of exploring by bike.

According to family lore, he taught himself to ride when he was five or six. With his “perfectly present” parents and older brother preoccupied with other things, Aaron was impatient to learn to ride a bike. So, one day, as the story goes, young Aaron marched into the garage, grabbed a bike, and headed straight for the asphalt basketball court across the street. No training wheels, no coaching, no waiting around – just a determined kid ready to ride.

That early spark grew into a lifelong love of two wheels, and a family move to Petaluma, California, fanned the flame. Suddenly, Aaron found himself in the shadow of Mount Tam and the Marin Highlands, one of the cradles of mountain biking. An older family friend took him under his wing, guiding him through the trails where the sport was born. For a kid already obsessed with bikes, it was like stepping into a living museum. He and his friends would pedal over to Salsa Cycles and Bruce Gordon Cycles, pestering the builders for swag. “The bike shops, magazines, and early mail-order catalogs were full of a whole rainbow of colorfully-anodized boutique parts,” he fondly recalls, “Just a dizzying array of cool stuff.”

Through college, bikes were Aaron’s go‑to for errands and weekend adventures, but everything shifted when he moved to Louisville in the early 2000s. His life was full of making music, performing, and traveling, and he realized he “just wanted to spend less time in a car.” Riding quickly flipped from something recreational to his primary mode of transportation. “Commuting was a great way to get exercise during the week and indulge in a fun activity on a daily basis,” he says. Later moves to Montreal and New York sealed the deal. A car didn’t make sense, but a bike always did. It was reliable, affordable, and, most importantly, fun

Aaron adores bikes that he can modify to suit his changing requirements and travels. His “good weather” commuter is a 1980s Trek road bike outfitted with a rear rack, bike fenders, lights, and backswept bars for comfort and visibility.  When the skies open up or the snow piles high, he switches to his 1990s Marin mountain bike, a rugged workhorse that can run studded tires and even pull a trailer for heavier loads. “I’ve managed to bring all the materials I need to table at community events for work, including the table!” he laughs.

His gear philosophy is simple: experiment until something works. His favorite discovery came not from a bike shop, but from a thrift store. After trying all kinds of technical apparel, Aaron eventually realized that, despite all the hype around waterproof shells and softshells, what he really needed for year‑round commuting wasn’t a sealed‑up jacket at all but a layer that let him breathe while pedaling and still kept him warm when he stopped. Aaron says he eventually discovered that “the perfect solution had been around longer than the bicycle,” and that finding a “big, dumpy, 100% wool sweater” to wear as his top layer “changed my cold‑weather commutes, entirely.”

When Aaron moved to Portland, Maine, it took more than a year to find a commute that felt right. “Portland has some odd geography that makes pinch points,” he explains. This resulted in him getting dumped back onto main streets with awful intersections. But Aaron is nothing if not persistent. He started noticing trailheads and began exploring Portland Trails’ urban trail network. With a little effort, he stitched together a route that now feels like a daily gift. It’s a blend of quiet paths, scenic stretches, and just enough challenge to keep things interesting. His advice for new riders is delivered with the enthusiasm of someone who has spent years exploring. “Don’t be afraid to trade a little more mileage and time for a safer commute - it’s worth it. Seek out local advocates and see if they know a secret trail, a hidden short-cut…And get a sweater!”

Late summer into fall, and then deep into winter, are Aaron’s favorite times to ride. “In Maine, late summer is when the tourists leave and we get our breathing room back,” he says. Pedaling on those cool, clear September days with changing leaves is pretty amazing! Winter brings its own magic. He loves having the trails to himself. He admits that trudging through snow with a heavy bike “doesn’t always bring out the best in me in the moment.” But even then, the joy outweighs the struggle. There’s something about the quiet of a snowy trail that feels like a secret shared only with those willing to brave it.

Aaron considers himself lucky to have been surrounded by such a wonderful cycling community in all the places he has been. The 1990s California, it was the frame builders and the mechanic who fixed his childhood bike in exchange for Seven-Eleven Double Gulps, and the magazines that fueled his cycling imagination. Today, he pays that forward by supporting Portland Trails, Portland Gear Hub, the Portland Bicycle‑Pedestrian Advisory Committee, and the Bicycle Coalition of Maine. He is involved in programming and volunteering with these organizations. Additionally, with his full‑time nonprofit job, he’s partnered with most of them through work projects too.

Aaron’s lifelong curiosity, his willingness to explore, and his commitment to community make him a standout. From teaching himself to ride to navigating snowy Maine trails with a wool sweater and a smile, he embodies the spirit of joyful, everyday cycling. Congratulations to Aaron Rosenblum who is a Planet Bike Super Commuter who reminds us that the best rides are the ones that keep opening new doors.