Clad in mismatched gloves, baggy T-shirts and cycling shorts from the racks of a thrift store, Makiah Pickett, Mia Behringer and Bell Pastore rolled up to the gates of Bill Armstrong Stadium aiming to learn the sport at the Little 500’s fall 2023 skill clinics.
The impromptu idea to create a Little 500 team following the 2023 race bloomed into something real.
“It started as a joke,” Alpha Fasta Bika captain Bell Pastore said April 6. “We thought, ‘It would be so funny if we started a Little 500 team.’”
Pastore, a senior at IU, contacted Pickett and Behringer as the trio attended North Central High School together in Indianapolis. Lauren Frank, a junior at IU, later joined to make up the current roster.
Last summer, they accumulated miles by commuting to work or for food, and after coming back to campus in the fall, they decided to fulfill the requirements necessary to race: 17 hours riding at the track, road rides required by the Indiana University Student Foundation and passing a skills test.
The team trained outside of track hours, riding the roads surrounding Bloomington and learning new routes.
“At first, we didn’t know any routes,” Pickett said. “The way we figured things out was by looking at other peoples’ rides on Strava. We tried to figure out new routes with each other, but we had no idea where we were or how far we’d gone.”
Not only did the team have to overcome necessary skills for road cycling and riding around Bill Armstrong Stadium, but they also had to find coaches, equipment and sponsors.
“At the beginning, it was very ‘Learn as you go,’” Pastore said. “We legitimately had nothing, but then we got really fortunate.”
Behringer’s dad bought her a road bike for training while SKI cycling, another team in the women’s field, donated three Little 500 bikes to the squad. Co-coach Tom Schwoegler gave Pickett a road bike after hers was damaged in a collision with a vehicle.
Alpha Fasta Bika enlisted the help of Schwoegler after a referral by Behringer’s uncle. Schwoegler has been in and around the track for many years. He was a member of the Indiana University Student Foundation’s Steering Committee in 1975 and coached teams like Alpha Xi Delta, Acacia and Wing It.
Schwoegler helped Alpha Fasta Bika with training and mechanical skills through his extensive knowledge of the race, but he’s also brought an uplifting spirit to the team.
“Tom helped push the team, like ‘Yes, you can have fun, but here are the tools you need,’” Pickett said.
The team was looking for another coach to help them, and co-coach Michelle Volz added further depth of knowledge to the team’s leadership.
“When we got into cycling, we were brainstorming for someone who knows a thing or two about biking,” Pickett said. “And Michelle came to mind.”
During the fall semester, Alpha Fasta Bika prioritized gaining sponsors for the cycling season and the race. Initially, they encountered challenges.
“I probably sent personal emails to over 100 Bloomington companies,” Pastore said. “I think I got two responses.”
The team’s persistence in finding support secured several sponsors for race day and donations from alumni riders Schwoegler coached.
“Cycling is very much not an accessible sport,” Pickett said. “It’s very hard to fit into, but after being on Alpha Fasta Bika, I’ve really been getting into cycling. It’s a team that’s easy for people without cycling experience to join.”
The team placed sixth at Qualifications, following big hitters Teter, Kappa Alpha Theta, Alpha Chi Omega, Novus and Delta Gamma. Their success aided them in finding last-minute race day sponsors.
“Our placing gave us a boost,” Pickett said. “But there are teams that don’t place as high and don’t get as much help.”
Despite their improbable success, the team just wants to continue having fun.
“Our goal is to just ride our hearts out on race day and remember who we’re doing it for,” Pickett said. “We’re there for each other.”
Pastore, the lone senior, will graduate in May, moving on from the young team.
“I hope the team stays,” Pastore said. “I think we have a very cool team dynamic that brings people in. We have a very big emphasis on having fun and being friends.”
Pastore, Pickett, Behringer and Frank will round the turns of cinder among 32 other teams on race day, now firmly established with their hard work and the help of others.
