Feb 12th BBBBRRRrrrrrrr It's COLD!!!
The foundation of our team has been Counterbalance Bicycles who has helped non-traditional cyclists enter competitive racing for about six years. The first Team Counterbalance was a group of five messengers, Mike Dodge, Tim Mason, Jake Jewett, Jason "Squirrel" Calderwood , and Matt "Mess man" Messenger, who participated and won their category in the 2000 24-Hour Round-the-Clock mountain bike race in Spokane, WA.
Counterbalance Bicycles then helped other racers get involved in racing over the next four years. In '02-'03, the shop sponsored me in cross country mountain biking, track, and cyclocross. I was able to get a few friends from work to come out to the track in 2004 and asked Adam Smith & Peter Clark, Counterbalance co-owners, if they would sponsor a “team”. The formal USCF licensed team came together in the 2004-2005 racing season, and Team Counterbalance Bicycles was born. Starting teammates were Jeff Middlewood, Todd McMeen, Will Johnson, Drew Arce, and myself, all of whom were either actively working messengers or former messengers. During the '05 season the team competed as Cat 4/5’s in various road races around the state, Cat 3 and 4’s at the track, in the Singlespeed category in cyclocross, and in a few mountain bike races.
For the 2006 racing season (and the 2005 cyclocross season) Counterbalance Bicycles decided to merge with another small messenger based team from the 2005 racing season, AVA Racing, to form the new AVA/Counterbalance Bicycles racing team. Anthony Vega, a messenger in Seattle back in the mid nineties with MDR Pro Process, then he went on to Elliott Bay messengers for a year or two then started a "collective" which eventually turned into Mercury Couriers, which is now owned by US Dispatch Corp/Fleetfoot. He was the guy on the pink bike! Anthony went on to become a successful realtor but continued to have an interest in the cycling community. Anthony Vega and Associates (AVA) Real Estate (http://www.avaseattle.com) is a newly formed real estate company that sponsored two messengers in 2005, Forrest Hoag and Craig Ethridge. Anthony decided he wanted to invest in a cycling team and pledged to help financially sponsor the new AVA/Counterbalance Bicycles racing team. The team is sponsored by AVA Real Estate, Counterbalance Bicycles, Desalvo Custom Cycles, Tifosi Optics, Schwalbe Tires, Full Speed Ahead, and Indy/Stealth Messenger Systems. Our new team jerseys are in production and will soon be on the backs of team members as they compete in 2006.
Watch out for the red and white!!
Watch out for the red and white!! With the addition of the two members from AVA Racing the team has grown into what is now a strong 19-member squad, including a 5 person women’s team! This newly formed team will keep Track racing as it’s main focus, competing at Marymoor Velodrome on Wednesday nights starting at 7:30pm May 17th - August 30th, but will also race on the road, mountain bike, cyclocross, and even a few triathlons.
We would like to invite any messenger who feels fast to find out for sure.
Our team will be sponsoring a HUGE indoor “Goldsprints” event/party this summer. We are in the planning phases of this event. The Goldsprints will be USCF licensed and we are billing it as a “Messengers vs. Racers” event. The local road and track racing community will be invited as well as the entire messenger community. This will be head-to-head 500-meter time trial with best times advancing to a final. A similar event was given by the NYBMA at the 2005 CMWC in New York with resounding success!! We are planning to have DJs spinning and beer and food flowing! With awesome schwag and prizes for the winners!We look forward to the years to come growing this team into a competitive force within WA state racing. We welcome all newcomers and veterans alike who might not feel like they fit into a traditional cycling team. Check us out and join the forum to get the latest news at www.counterbalancebicycles.com
The team roster (with forum names in parenthesis) and a brief who they are or where they have worked:
Men’s Team
Brandon Lockwood, Team Capt. (Brandon448)
ABC, SeaLeg, and Fleetfoot, this season on the Disabled List
Jeff Middlewood, Ride Leader (Money)
Fleetfoot forever!!
Forrest Houg, (forest)
Sealeg, HALO
Matt Messenger, Transportation Organizer (mattmessenger)
What can ya say it’s Mess Man.
Todd McMeen (MCMEEN)
Elliot Bay Messengers, McMeen Couriers, KNR
Craig Ethridge (Craig)
ABC, KNR, Fast, very fast
Will Johnson (willis26)
ABC, Fleetfoot, Indy/Stealth
Kris Lepine (krislepine)
Messenger male Groupie, former cross-country mt. biker
Jose Sandoval (Brujo)
Elliot Bay, Fleetfoot, Jetcity, PM Legal, PNP, ABC, MAC’s cousin
Sam Sawyer, Ride Leader (dontkillsam)
ABC, Fleetfoot, former Cat 6 Racing Squad
Kelsey Wood (3Dbuddha)
ABC, WEB GURU
Rob Kittilson (Bobby B.)
Fleetfoot, Photog
Matt Case (lug_junkie)
Stealth, Raleigh Rep
Addison Linville (radicalad)
Youngest rider, student, former junior Olympic track and cross country runner
Women’s Team
Lara Thoreson, Women's Team Captain (blings)
Bucky’s, Fleetfoot, Stealth, got smart, works in an office now
Molly Foster (Molly)
New to the world of messengers, but loves to ride her bike, very strong
Jenny Daily (jenny d.)
Resident EVIL chick, best receptionist downtown
Sharon Anderson (Sharky)
Jose’s wife, women’s team motivationist, team’s resident Triathlete
Karli Koreski (pinky)
ABC, full-on Attitude
Support Staff
Adam Smith, Club President (bikewrench)
Unibomber, Bike Shop GURU, PM Legal
Peter Clark, Mechanic (wheeliepop)
Wrench, Organizer, SeaLeg, Via Messenger
Todd Gallaher, Coaching Advisor (ToddG)
Not on our team but we wish he was, trainer, coach, Cat 2 Master A, Ex-Messenger
Anthony Vega, Sponsor (avega)
MDR Pro Process, Elliot Bay, Mercury Couriers and $$$$$$$
Christie Lockwood, Go-to-girl/Cheerleader, Club Secretary
What can I say? Wouldn’t be here without her, Mother of my beautiful child
Like a pig in mud! That's what cyclocross is all about!
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