Austin Tri-Cyclist Blog

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

ATC Turns 20


This summer, Austin Tri-Cyclist is celebrating its 20th year in business. Jon Hill started the shop in 1995 near Koenig Lane and Lamar Boulevard, moving to ATC's current location on Barton Springs Road in 1997. (Fun fact: Soon after the move, the current ATC Saturday ride was born; since then, the 8:30 start time and route of the "ATC world championships" have never changed.) Don and Missy Ruthven, shop customers from the beginning, purchased ATC in 2001, and the rest is history! Meet the current crew of ATC, still going strong after two decades.
 

Missy and Don Ruthven
Co-owners of ATC for 14 years
“In charge of pretty much everything but the bike,” Missy is one of ATC’s friendliest faces. She’s known as ATC’s shop mom (often baking a cake or cookies for employee birthdays) and resident wetsuit expert. Missy competes regularly in endurance events, from marathons to bike races; this is her 26th year of racing triathlons. Don is a triathlete as well and an ATC fixture, always easy to spot—a review once referred to him as “the guy who looks like Mick Jagger.” Don and Missy are the parents of two teenage girls, Taylor and Emily.
Adam Stroobandt
“Presidential Executive Director of Retail Operations”
ATC employee since 2006
Adam came from a running background, turned triathlete, turned cyclist, reverted back to triathlete, and finally came full circle to runner again. He has completed two Ironman races (at 18, he was the youngest competitor in his first one) and currently spends his time chasing two kids, which he says is equally exhausting.
Kaleb West
Store manager/chief director "of something"
ATC employee since May 2011
Kaleb has worked in the bike industry for six years. He's a very-soon-to-be dad. Interesting fact: As a side job, he installs craft brewery systems; he has installed breweries in Canada, North Carolina, and Florida for Premier Stainless. 
Allison Atkinson
Sales
ATC employee since 2012
Allison rides for shop team ATC Racing, teaches spin at Pure Austin Fitness, and is a certified USAC coach and brand ambassador for Castelli Cycling. Her lengthy experience in group fitness training makes her an expert in motivation and coffee consumption.
Andy Newton
Mechanic
ATC employee since March 2015 
Andy studied music at the University of Texas as an opera singer, and can play many instruments. He enjoys racing and riding road bikes.

Benjamin "Big Bo" Killen
Mechanic, Sales 
ATC employee since May 2015
Bo has worked around bikes for “half a decade.” When not riding bikes, he likes to crosstrain, trail run, camp, and watch cartoons. He was once in a Chuck E. Cheese commercial, and he raises two turkeys every year for Thanksgiving (always named Chobegoblin and Faceblast).

Brandon Smith
Mechanic, Sales
ATC employee since 2012
A former bike racer turned adventure cyclist, Brandon has vowed never to own a gas-powered vehicle again and has been using his bike as his primary form of transportation for the past eight years. He recently finished a 1,400 mile ride from Seattle to San Francisco.

Chris Warren
Mechanic
ATC employee since 2012
Chris Warren started riding in Central Florida, splitting his time evenly between road and mountain bikes. He has a long mechanical background, teaching himself automotive maintenance via the restoration of a first-generation Camaro. 
Derek Willms
Key Grip
Started at ATC about 1.5 years ago
Derek's claim to fame is that he has "better hair than Donald Trump" and the second best mustache at ATC.

Jef Cooksey
Mechanic, Sales
ATC employee since 2012
An interesting fact about Jef: Last year, he converted a Dodge Ram 3500 pickup truck to run on vegetable oil and traveled the country, pulling an Airstream on Highway 1 along the California coast. 
Kara Uhl
Sales 
2nd summer working at ATC
A college student, Kara will be the Graduate Assistant for the Union College Cycling team next year to assist with coaching and racing.

Kimble Martin West Esquire
Astronaut Elder (Sales)
ATC employee for 2.5 (thousand) years
Kimble once ventured to the edge of the Universe for breakfast, in 2014 won the Cat 5 Walburg Classic, and has the longest hair at ATC.

Robert "Speedao" Dao
Sales
ATC employee since 2014
Robert is a former Texas A&M triathlete and current triathlon coach. His ATC claim to fame is that he once sold seven bikes on one ticket. For more info on his coaching business Driven Endurance, visit drivenendurance.net or Facebook.com/DrivenEndurance

Tristan Uhl
Mechanic, pro mountain biker
Employee at ATC since 2011
Tristan is ATC’s token pro cyclist, a mustachioed man who has been racing bicycles 23 of the 27 years he has been alive. He says he’s been around so long that he remembers the days when Don would do the ATC ride!

Kat Hunter
Freelance writer
Writing/managing the ATC blog since 2010
Though not officially a staff member, Kat has blogged for ATC since 2010. A longtime member of ATC Racing, this year she rides for national pro team Visit Dallas Cycling p/b Noise4Good


1 comment:

  1. AnonymousJuly 30, 2015

    Congrats guys, well deserved. I raced my first ever Olympic distance triathlon in the circa 1999/2000 ATC Flaming yellow/orange ATC kit, with the de soto shorts and a pair of sunglasses ala Bruce Willis in Moonlighting. Windsor Triathlon in London. I could have never imagined at the time ending up living up the street. Everytime I go to Curras I can't help but remember that Jersey :)

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