Within every vibrant cycling community, there exists a core group of dedicated volunteer coaches who generously contribute their time and expertise to nurture cyclists of all skill levels. Coaches not only enrich the lives of others but also offer invaluable opportunities to make a meaningful impact at grassroots, performance levels, and everything in the middle. Whether you aim to share your passion for cycling with beginners or guide elite athletes towards realising their full potential, a rewarding volunteer opportunity awaits you here.

Helper

During busy coaching sessions, it is crucial for clubs to have dedicated individuals available to provide assistance. While these helpers may not be directly involved in coaching, they play a vital role in ensuring the smooth operation of sessions, prioritising rider safety, and fostering engagement throughout. Enthusiastic volunteers with varying levels of experience can excel in this supportive role.

Ideal Candidates: Parents of riders, young riders, emerging leaders, and individuals with a passion for cycle sport.

Coach

Coaches serve as the lifeblood of numerous cycling clubs across Scotland, guiding riders on their developmental journey to becoming the best versions of themselves, both on and off the bike. By diagnosing issues, sharing best practices, and empowering riders to progress at their own pace, coaches play a pivotal role in enhancing performance. At different levels, coaches can utilize data analysis to track progress, identify areas for improvement, and customise training programmes to cater to the unique needs of each session and cyclist.

In addition to their analytical skills, coaches excel in fostering communication and collaboration among peers and riders within clubs. From organising training schedules to creating session plans and sharing resources, coaches play a multifaceted role in ensuring the success and growth of the cycling community.

The role of a cycling coach is dynamic and ever-evolving, offering endless opportunities for knowledge acquisition and dissemination to riders. The journey as a coach is characterised by adaptability and a dedication to continuous improvement.

Ideal Candidates: Experienced riders, young cyclists, young leaders in the sport, certified coaches from other disciplines or sports, individuals passionate about cycle sport, and those committed to sharing knowledge and developing others.

Find out more here

Ride Leadership involves leading group bike rides on roads or trails, delivering safe, enjoyable, and inclusive experiences for participants. Ride leaders are usually confident bike riders, good with people and keen to share their passion for cycling.

There are a range of qualifications available to support the delivery of led rides in road and off-road environments; Ride Leader and Mountain Bike Leadership.   

Ride Leader

The Ride Leadership award has two levels: 

• Level 1: qualifies learners to deliver guided bike rides for groups of beginner and intermediate level adults and accompanied children on roads and cycle paths. 
• Level 2: qualifies leaders to deliver guided bike rides for groups of intermediate and advanced level adults, providing you with an understanding of the processes involved with a longer and more challenging ride. 

Find out more – Ride Leadership 

Mountain Bike Leader (off-road).

Mountain bike leadership is about sharing your favourite tracks and trails with others, improving access to the outdoors for everyone. There are awards levels for all from mixed road, off-road and gravel environments, leading on terrain that ranges from the urban fringe and gravel tracks through to open countryside, woodland and trail centre blue routes through to riding and leading in the remotest and wildest mountains and hills of Scotland and the rest of the UK

Find out more about Mountain Bike Leadership here.

Club Rides 

Club rides are the mainstay of club activity, supporting new and seasoned riders to enjoy cycling all-year round. Rides vary from tightly organised chain-gang formations, to Sunday café runs and fun gravel and trail rides, and require support from club members to make sure they happen. Search for your local club here.  

Breeze 

Breeze offers fun, free, and friendly led bike rides for women of all abilities across the UK. Breeze is for women, led by women.  

We’re looking for women who love cycling to help us support more women to fall in love with cycling to train as volunteer ride leaders, to lead Breeze rides in their local communities. Volunteers don’t need to be super-fast or fit, just confident riding their bike and happy to share their passion for cycling with other women.  

We ask our volunteers to lead a minimum of eight rides per year, and they decide when, where and duration of their rides, to balance this commitment around family/work/other commitments. 

In addition to gaining a level 1 Ride Leader award, volunteers receive exclusive Breeze Champion kit, British Cycling Membership and on-going support from Scottish Cycling and British Cycling to support their involvement. Volunteers are linked into a network of Breeze Champions in Scotland and across Britain, with Breeze rides bringing women together for fun times, friendship and exploring their local area by bike.  

For more information visit here

Guided Rides

Free and friendly local rides, led by knowledgeable Ride Leaders. We don’t need our volunteers to be a cycling expert or competitive racer, just be confident riding in a group and have a good level of cycling fitness. We welcome all kinds of cyclists as long as you have heaps of enthusiasm and you’re happy to support beginner bike riders and families.

The assessed one-day course qualifies volunteers to deliver guided bike rides for groups of beginner and intermediate level adults and accompanied children on roads and cycle paths. Volunteers receive with branded kit, British Cycling Ride membership and ongoing support.

For more information visit here

If you would like to discuss your interest in volunteering with either Breeze or Guided Rides, please email [email protected]