A.K.A "NO BRAKES" Wellington

Name: Anson Wellington, aka Welli

Age: 24 years old

Location: Brooklyn, NY

I started riding at the age of 16 years and never stopped. A few months into riding, I came across a bike company named Brooklyn Machine Works through a kid I used to ride with in Forrest Park. He owned one himself and bragged about it all the time.

I liked the setup he had, and I thought it would be a nice upgrade from my Huffy Ironman (even though I had XT and LX components on it). But a front shock and a frame that carried my borough’s name on it was too sweet to pass up. I couldn’t afford to buy the frame on my $20 weekly allowance, so I had to figure out a smooth way to cop it. So I went to the shop, but I didn’t know what to expect. But when I got there, I was blown away by all the bikes they had--Park Bikes, Cruisers, BMX bikes, Full Suspension BMX bikes and Downhill bikes. WOW!

Joe was mad cool, showed me around, and we spoke about bikes. He treated me like I didn’t just show up on a Huffy. After a few visits to the shop, I asked Joe is I could help them in exchange for a discount on a Park Bike. He said yes, and the rest is history.

Austin Horse on the Gangster

Name: Austin Horse

Ride: Gangsta Track

CLICK HERE FOR A RECENT UPDATE FROM THE A MAN HIMSELF

Brooklyn's newest rider and Alley Cat Champ Austin began cycling before the age of 15. At 16 he started working as a bike mechanic in Houston, and now uses his shop expertise by volunteering with Times Up!, an environmental nonprofit in the Lower East Side of Manhattan (www.times-up.org).

He is also active with the New York Bike Messenger Association and participates in the New York City Bicycle Coalition as a rep for messengers and Times Up! Though he volunteers a great deal of time as a bicycle activist, he pays the bills as a bike messenger and food delivery person.

It's not uncommon to find him working 14-hour days on the bike. While he started his cycling career mountain biking, he is now one of the top contenders for Alleycat races. For those of you who don't know, these are courier style street races.

They are a true measure of riding ability, testing endurance, speed, wits, and skill, and Austin has quickly risen to the top of Alley Cats in New York. Since his BMW sponsorship, he has finished 2nd out-of-town at the MInneapolis Stuporbowl. He finished 3rd in Monster Track, even after wiping out crossing the Williamsburg Bridge. In Boston, he placed 4th overall and 1st out of town at the Dude Abides race. In Philly, he placed second overall and 1st out of town again. He has held his own against the locals in these and other cities.

As the North American Cycle Courier Champion, King of the Bridges, King of the Mountains look for him defending his titles at this 2007 season. He is planning to enter races all along the East Coast, but Brooklyn hopes to send him to races throughout the country and possibly Europe before the end of the year. You can check out some of his race wins on the following website: 4916.com or track him down on youtube. North American Cycle Courier Champion King of the Bridges King of the Mountains And he has his sights set high for the 2007 season. He is planning to enter races all along the East Coast, but Brooklyn hopes to send him to races throughout the country and possibly Europe before the end of the year. You can check out some of his race wins on the following website: 4916.com or track him down on youtube. CLICK HERE FOR A RECENT UPDATE FROM THE A MAN HIMSELF

He likes the SR6 but really wants 9 inches in the rear... More Soon.