General News
6 February, 2025
A cure for loneliness: ride around the world as often as you can
Seven times around the world and no stopping in sight for intrepid rider.
According to Armando Basile, the best cure for loneliness is to hop on your bike and ride around the world as many times as you can. When he visited Horsham this week, he was on his seventh trip.
Carrying all his possessions on his back or his bike, he pedalled into Horsham Monday.
After a few days to rest and recuperate, he set off Wednesday morning for Melbourne, where he'll visit with friends and then head to Tasmania, where he'll spend a few weeks.
Armando is Italian but resides in Germany, where his son lives and through the kindness of strangers he meets on his travels who email his son and let him know he is safe and well.
His reason for this fantastic feat is simply loneliness.
"When my wife died in 2005, I was lonely," he said.
"So I decided to go for a ride."
He credits his fitness to exercise, no alcohol, no cigarettes, no car or phone, just his bike and the open spaces.
He rode from Keith to Horsham on Sunday, February 2, in 43-degree heat.
He keeps diaries about his travels and names and contact details of people he has met along the way and maintains detailed maps of the distances he has travelled each day.
He said he has met terrific people, and some of those were in Horsham.
He was given a new bike tyre by a local business, a haircut at the barbershop and dinner at a hotel before setting off again.
"I sleep on the side of the road or at rest stops and gas stations, and I talk to travellers who are always very kind and offer me water if I am low on that," he said.
Australians are very friendly. He tells us.
"On my way from Darwin to Melbourne via Horsham, I met with some of the Aboriginal community at Dunmurra, and they offered me Christmas lunch last year," he said.
"I had a lovely time with them. I feel safe in Australia."
He said he is never without a friendly wave from road workers, truck drivers and travellers.
"I've ridden through 80 countries, and even though I will be 78 tomorrow [Wednesday, February 6]. I am not thinking of stopping," he said.
He plans to fly home to Germany to be with his son and family after Tasmania.