Teenage Angst & Parental Persistence
Yesterday was a quiet Sunday in the shop. We had very few reservations and a few walk-ins showed up, but it was clear it would be a lot of catching up on project work and waiting for the returns at the end of the day. That was until I got a call from a Texan named Dave. “We just took the ferry over from Menaggio and my son and I are looking for some e-bikes and a guided tour.” I encouraged him to come on up to the shop and we could get them setup. Dave asked about the distance and when I said it was a 20 minute walk, he said he would need to grab a taxi. I told him I’d come down to get him, asked him to wait in front of Banca Intesa, and asked what color shirt he had on. “Well, my cane is probably what makes me stand out the most.” I picked Dave and Logan up, got them setup on e-mtbs, and we drove up the first 4km since it was already 11:30 and the heat was hitting hard.
We did some off roading, heading to the waterfall, and climbing some wooded areas to get to the Melzi’s tea table. David has a degenerative muscular disease and lacks strength in his arms and legs, but he was all positivity and had no problem sticking with my and Logan. Logan is 15 and a fierce tennis player - clearly a competitor who likes to test his physical abilities. First he opted to see how far he could get with no battery at all. He got way farther than I would have, then how long could he make it on level 1/Eco. We hit some bumpy trails, climbed into a creepy cave and cruised up and down Super Ghisallo with positivity, some teenage sarcasm, and some great observations of the world around us.
It was fun to see the dynamic between father and son. Dad calls upon his son for help from time to time. He offers it generously, but also with some heckling and humor. “If you fall, first I’ll take a picture for evidence, then I’ll be there to pick you up.” … that kind of silly stuff.
We had such a great day. They even cruised down the final 4km of the ghisallo to get to the shop while I picked up the van. They clearly love the speed of the downhill and had a blast. What a fun day and what an inspiration to see the camaraderie and determination between these two and their common love for challenge and the outdoors.
