Vienna's 'Velocity Vixens' Ride Against Cancer

Call them the pink machine or the Velocity Vixens.

Either way, if you’re an early riser, it’s hard to miss the group of eight women in pink jerseys who power their way up the occasional hills of the W&OD Trail.

The group of women, ranging from ages 27-42, are training for this Sunday’s Back Roads century in Berryville, Va.

The Octet, some with years of cycling experience, some with months, will be cruising through the Shenandoah Valley on Sunday in the culmination of two months of riding together and raising money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Ticia Berg, 36, of Vienna is the group’s de facto leader, who came up with the idea of raising money while training for the event. To this point, the group has brought in more than $5,000.

“During a ride I said, ‘if we’re going to do this Back Roads Century, why don’t we do it for a cause?,” she said.

Since the event is a fundraiser for the D.C.-area’s biggest cycling club, the Potomac Pedalers, the local women will be supporting two organizations at once.

Berg, who has been riding her bike regularly for about a year and training for the event for the last two months, said she was inspired to raise money for cancer research because of her sister’s recent surgery and chemotherapy for breast cancer.

“My sister (Laura Scott, 34, of Arlington) was diagnosed with breast cancer last year,” Berg said. “She had a double mastectomy and went through 100 days of chemo, so for her 100 days, we’re doing 100 miles.”

So far, even though Berg has done a “metric century” of 100 kilometers, she has yet to cover the full 100 miles in one day.

“I think you just get that second wind. I’m excited to conquer it and say I did it,” she said.

The event begins at 7 a.m. at Clarke County High School and includes 4500 feet of climbing over 100 miles.

“I’m a little nervous about the hills, because it’s a lot flatter here than it is in Berryville, but I think we’ll be OK,” said Berg’s cousin, Leila Macfarlan, 31.

Liz Burg, 27, who knew Macfarlan when they each lived in Mississippi about a year ago, joined the group when she moved to Northern Va.

“It’s a great way to get outside and do something,” she said. “It’s definitely more fun to ride as a group, it makes it go a lot faster.”

But that’s not the only reason Burg has been an active fundraiser. Her mother, Chris, died of breast cancer six years ago.

“It was easy for me to say ‘this is something I want to do,’” she said of the fundraising. “She was a great mom, I loved her a lot. And she fought very hard. Sometimes it just doesn’t turn out the way you want it to.”

Burg is another “Vixen” who has yet to complete a 100-mile ride. But with a number of rest stations along the way, she said she doesn’t anticipate see finishing as a problem.  Helping the women out along the way will be some energy bars donated by the Whole Foods in Vienna.

Amy Bartram, 37, may be the most experienced cyclist of the group. Before she moved to Virginia, she participated in a few multi-day rides, including a Seattle to Portland ride, and then another ride that went down the Oregon coastline towards Haystack Rock in Pacific City, Ore.

“Everyone goes about their life trying to avoid cancer,” said Bartram, a nurse. “Some people are vegetarians, some try to live a healthy lifestyle, but my take on it is just exercise. I feel it constantly keeps your body in check.”

She said the key to being successful in a long bike ride is preparation.

“A lot of people who haven’t trained more make it about 40 miles and then die off.  You have to be biking on a regular basis and then put in the two or three-hour rides on the weekends,” Bartram said. “Otherwise your body’s going to fatigue.”

Dave Bartram, Amy’s husband, helped move his wife from teaching spinning classes to actually riding outdoors. She was able to quickly adapt, and found that the indoor classes gave her a fitness base that helped on the road.

“It’s very noble what they’re doing,” Dave Bartram said. “And there are so many people who have been affected by cancer in our neighborhood in just this past year. I think for them to ride together and show solidarity, that’s great.”

He said he doesn’t mind taking care of his children while his wife is exercising.

“It’s her passion, and I’m happy to do it while she’s training for cycling; this ride and other rides she’s done. It’s a team effort for us.” he said.

The other members of the group are Kristen Day, 42; Kelly Breedlove, 39; Wendy Schmitz, 30; and Karen Viani, 40. If you are interested in learning more about the “Velocity Vixens,” visit their page at: http://www.info-komen.org/goto/velocityvixens.

The group hopes to stay together after Sunday’s ride.

“We don’t want to have worked so hard for the Back Roads Century and then let it peter out,” Berg said.