About Cutlass

Hi! I’m Tommy Barse, owner of Cutlass Velo. Building on 18 years of industry experience, I have amassed a variety of skillsets in technical service, communication, and collaboration. I’ve been described as a bloodhound for trouble with the ability to sniff out and resolve even the most complex mechanical issues.

Behind the name cutlass

Working as a bike messenger on January 6th, 2012, I was making my final SDAT delivery for the day to a client in Camden Yards when a 1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass right-hooked me. Suddenly I was staring at its undercarriage, pinned and fearing for my life. The panicked driver accelerated, dragging me several feet and crushing my head and helmet under the rear differential. I spent four days in the University of Maryland Shock Trauma unit with six fractured vertebrae, a fractured sternum, a punctured lung, broken ribs, and extensive tears and bruising. During recovery, I resolved to channel the ordeal into my work—and that’s how Cutlass Velo was born.