Your Story: Theo Kelsey Verdecchia

This past summer I have enjoyed the distinct pleasure of being a part of the team at Sweet Pete’s Bicycle Shop. As you might expect, I’ve met some really strong cyclists and have developed some really strong friendships. There have also been a couple of people who impressed me greatly, people I’ve come to really respect and admire. One of those is Theo Kelsey-Verdecchia. This is Theo’s story.

When I started at Sweet Pete’s earlier this spring I was told about a young guy I’d be working with. “He thinks he’s a mechanic.” I rolled my eyes, knowing exactly what was being described. Now, I’m no mechanical wizard, but I was worried about the prospect of working with some kid who over-estimated his abilities, who thought he was super-cool cuz he can say he’s a bike mechanic. So, I put up my guard. I second guessed his work and to think of it, I likely gave him a bit of a cool reception. He soon proved his worth, however.

Very quickly I softened on Theo. He impressed me daily with his humility and genuine desire to learn. He would immediately take ownership of his actions. He also knew his job. He was our service writer, the guy who greets you at the service department and takes your bike in for repair. It’s essential that the person filling this role be skilled at interpreting what customers describe and technically savvy enough to succinctly describe the situation to the mechanics. That person also needs to be organized and on the ball. Theo did all this, and did it well.

Theo was also a bit of a goofy guy with a good sense of humour who kept things light in the shop, even on the busiest of days. He was tall, thin, kinda pale white with a shock of wild black hair. When he closed his eyes, turning his big smile to a hearty laugh–which he did often–he looked like a Japanese anime character. Perhaps, therefore, it should be of no surprise that last month, Theo embarked on his first ever cycle-touring adventure..to Japan!

When I first went on tour, it was to somewhere easy, somewhere close; America. I reasoned that it would be a good way to decide if I actually enjoyed cycle-touring while figuring out all my gear. Language, cultural norms, the law, everything was pretty much the same as in Canada. Japan, however, not quite the same. It was a huge undertaking and to be honest, I wondered to myself if Theo realized the gravity of the adventure he was set to take. Soon enough, he did.

Theo’s trip was planned for seven weeks. He planned to ride over 2,000 kms, exploring both big cities and remote locations in this foreign land. But as anyone who has ever toured–or lived–will tell you, plans ought not be relied upon, rather, used merely as a rough guide.

Within a couple of weeks, the overwhelming reality of what he’d undertaken started to really sink it. “It was just a lot to tackle for my first trip alone and my first cycle touring endeavor. That and I’m gonna run out of money.” he told me. He did also take a bit of a high speed crash going through a corner, which can certainly un-nerve even the most seasoned cyclists. So, Theo made the very difficult decision to return to Canada about four weeks earlier than planned.

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If those are not the the words of a man who has learned what the road has to teach him, then I don’t know what are. What I do know, however, is this is Theo’s story, still unfolding, with every turn of the pedals.