Athens Bicycle Announces 2007 Mountain Bike Team Sponsors

Athens Bicycle and Kerr Distributing will co-sponsor a mountain bike racing team in 2007. Other local sponsors are Global Cooling, the Cats Den, and Thyme and Again Gardening. Bicycle industry sponsors are Trek Bicycles and Oury Grip. The team will participate in races in Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania and other nearby states.

Athens Bicycle's 2006 team was a success both on and off the racecourse, and the shop looks forward to another productive season. The goals of the team are to support grassroots mountain bike racing, to build camaraderie, to encourage people to challenge themselves and to contribute to bicycle advocacy efforts.

In 2006, the shop's 19 team members participated in a total of 16 events, with an average of 8 team members at each event. Additionally, team members contributed more than 180 hours of volunteer trail maintenance at Strouds Run State Park and Lake Hope State Park, assisted with the Athens Bike Rodeo, and helped to host several local races. For a recap of the team's 2006 accomplishments, click here.

At first glance the local businesses in the 2007 sponsor lineup – a beverage distributor, a maker of innovative refrigeration systems, a bar and a gardening service – might appear to be unlikely sponsors of a bike team. But they all have something in common: Each local business is led by a cyclist who wants to promote cycling as a great way to stay in shape and have fun.

Kerr Distributing Market Manager Kurt Strickmaker is an avid road and mountain biker, and several full-time employees of Global Cooling are dedicated bike commuters, including company president Dale Kikka. Cat’s Den owner A.W. Matters enjoys mountain biking and mountain bike racing, and Thyme and Again Gardening owner Christina Deshaies grew up pedaling the hills of Hocking County and now enjoys riding trails in her own backyard in The Plains.

Blue Moon Belgian White Ale, one of the brands available at Kerr Distributing, will be featured on the racers’ jerseys for the 2007 season. Columbus artist Michelle Maguire is designing a custom jersey that the team will wear at races, and the jerseys also will be available for purchase at Athens Bicycle.

The 2007 team roster, to be announced later this winter, is expected to again include about 20 riders who will be involved both in racing and volunteer work.

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