Name: Vega Brhely
Age: 43
Hometown: Basalt, Colorado
Occupation: Acupuncturist and Professional Bike Fitter
Time Cycling: 39 years
Reason for Cycling: Ultimately, cycling gives me a sense of freedom and joy. Cycling allows connection to the world around me through a multi-sensory experience.
I fell in love with bikes when I learned to ride at 4 years old. My bike has always seemed to be an extension of myself that is a catalyst for exploration and adventure. Whether I was riding around the neighborhood on my banana seat bike or exploring the forest behind my house on my fully rigid Schwinn High Plains, riding was always my favorite thing to do.
I grew up in a small town, and even though I rode my bike everywhere, I didn’t consider myself a cyclist. I didn’t get really serious about cycling until I went to graduate school in 2010 at the Pacific College of Health and Science in Chicago. I sold my car and bike commuted to school, even in the Chicago winter. Cycling quickly became my best source of stress relief and much needed social connection that provided a balance to my intense studies.
More From Bicycling
I joined Team to End AIDS (T2EA) and followed their training plan for my first century ride in 2011. Not only did I meet people who offered emotional support throughout a challenging academic program, but I found motivation in raising money for a good cause. And I got satisfaction from my strength and fitness growth.
When I moved to Boulder, Colorado in 2012, I found an even larger cycling community that welcomed me with open arms. I began working with a coach and competed in my first race in 2016. However, I always found the charitable rides more fulfilling because I could combine my passions of cycling and helping others. I’ve been a top 100 fundraiser in Bike MS Colorado for the past eight years.
I left Boulder in 2017, and I immediately felt the loss of my cycling community. I had been riding with a club there called Petunia Mafia and met some of my best friends through that organization. The first thing I noticed about the Roaring Fork Valley, a region in western Colorado, was that there was a lack of group rides and no real cohesion to the cycling community. It’s a resort town, so there are a lot of visitors and seasonal residents; it’s tough to forge lasting, meaningful friendships. The women’s cycling collective I founded, Inspire Cycling, was born out of a desire to connect with other women in my community.
I heard from numerous bike fit clients who felt like they didn’t have other women to ride with and were intimidated by the race club. Or, they only rode with their partners who dropped them. I heard women tell me they were too slow or were afraid they weren’t good enough to ride with others. I was in a unique position to gather them all and start a collective focused on accepting members where they are. I believe inclusivity is important for cycling to grow as a sport, and Inspire excels at welcoming and supporting those who are newer to the sport.
Our number-one rule is “no slow shaming.” We also provide opportunities for members to join maintenance and skills clinics, and educate everyone on safety and etiquette in order to boost confidence and ultimately, make their cycling experience more enjoyable.
We launched in May 2022 and ended the season with 80 members. The number of members in our inaugural season speaks volumes about how Inspire Cycling is filling a void in the community. With the support of a new board of directors, I hope to be able to expand our reach to nearby communities where women may feel isolated or intimidated. In the end, it’s all about making friends and riding bikes!
I’m also an acupuncturist and professional bike fitter, and founded Hill Climb Acupuncture and Bike Fit, specifically for cyclists. Early on in my acupuncture education, I realized that I wanted to combine my love of cycling and my career. I worked in bike shops while putting myself through graduate school and learned basic bike fitting skills. I saw the need for cyclists to address positional issues prior to injury, but also observed how acupuncture can assist the speed of recovery once an injury has occurred.
The combination of understanding the human body, physiology, and biomechanics with my knowledge of bike fitting puts me in a unique position to help athletes find a balance of comfort and efficiency.
Las year, I led 42 group rides last year on top of doing more than 250 bike fits, and training for the FoCo Fondo where I secured an age-group win!
I didn’t start mountain biking until I was 33 years old, and I’m doing my first enduro race at 43. We had 60-year-old women racing the local bike park downhill series with Inspire Cycling last summer. We were the bottom of the race roster but we had fun, and that’s the most important part.
I would not be who I am today without bikes. Riding still gives me a sense of freedom and adventure like it did when I was a kid. It’s a source of pure unadulterated joy, where I feel most alive. To feel the sun on my skin, the breeze on my face, and the air in my lungs as I use my own muscles to power the revolutions of the pedals is something that engages every cell in my body. I can’t think of a better way to spend my time.
I met my partner of seven years because of bikes. I’ve made countless friendships through charity rides and races and now hope to connect others with Inspire Cycling. I can’t think of anything in my life that is more fulfilling than cycling.
These three tips have made my cycling journey a success:
1. Get a professional bike fit
You’d be shocked at what a few millimeters of adjustments can do to improve your position on the bike. A good bike fit puts you in a position that can generate more power, and increase comfort and efficiency.
2. Hire a coach or find a buddy
If you’re training for something specific, a coach is always a good idea. I have trouble with overtraining when left to my own devices (remember more is not always better), and my coach kept me from running myself into the ground. If you can’t afford a coach, or struggle with staying motivated, find a training partner to ride with and keep your commitments.
3. Don't underestimate rest
Rest is equally, if not more, important than actual training. Riding every day is not the best way to see improvements in your fitness. Find ways to let your nervous system relax and recover after intense training days. Your body will thank you.
Vega’s Must-Have Gear
→ Wahoo ELEMNT Roam Wireless GPS Cycle Computer: I like to go on long gravel adventures or explore mountain bike trails in areas where there isn’t any cell reception. The ROAM has an interactive mapping feature that can navigate you back to your starting point and give you turn-by-turn instructions when you upload a route.
→ Incredibell: I know it sounds silly, but having a crisp, clean bell to announce yourself is easier than shouting “on your left” at runners with earbuds in their ears. I’ve got this bell on my commuter, road, and even mountain bikes.
→ Camelbak Podium Dirt Series Chill Bike Bottle: The dust caps on these bottles are an absolute life saver. I have been riding mountain bikes with the dust cap for years and just added two bottles to my gravel bike. (Turns out, gravel dust is even worse than trail dirt!)
→ Skratch Labs Sport Crispy Rice Cake and Peanut Butter and Chocolate Energy Bar: When I’m not packing peanut M&Ms, I have these with me. The rice cakes are not too sweet and easy on the digestion when I’m mountain biking and the energy bars are plain delicious.
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Emily Shiffer is a freelance health and wellness writer living in Pennsylvania.
