Origin
ACT was founded by Mark Laughery, Xiaohan Zhang, and Matthew Dann. Upon reflecting on our early racing experience, a couple patterns emerged:
Overemphasis on ego
Despite the size and diversity of lower categories, established teams often focus on shepherding individual riders into P/1/2 as quickly as possible. Podiums celebrate individuals, teams have special kits for their elite team, training camps are selective, etc. We felt this ‘hero’ mentality created an exclusive racing community with insufficient focus on fun and respect.
Chaos in amateur racing
Lower category racing is notoriously dangerous and absent of strategy. While we were inspired by the success of teams on YouTube (e.g. Legion and Mikes Bikes), we found insufficient investment in rider safety and tactics in lower categories
Our mission is to inspire and support amateur riders to join and succeed at the sport of cycling. We’re committed to supporting team members through race kits, race reimbursements, and a cohesive team strategy. Our belief is that cycling is more fulfilling as a team sport and the better we’re at removing barriers to entry, the more positive impact we can have for our community.
Values
People over results
Our passion for cycling transcends Thursdays at Seward and weekends East of the mountains. Mutual respect - both within the team and with others - is our main priority. We celebrate victories as a team, and admire and learn from faster riders around us.
Equitable racing
We do our best to do more than we say when it comes to accessibility and diversity. We provide each member with generous sponsorship regardless of level, and aim to build a team with diverse backgrounds through ongoing community involvement.
Gratitude and patience
Road racing and training is stressful! Vehicles and other riders can be aggressive, which is a serious test of patience. We do our best to diffuse, acknowledge our faults, and promote respect with everyone around us. We work hard to reshape the muddled reputation carried by road cyclists.
