Founded with the goal of fostering fitness and confidence in women, Hervelo offers more than just cycling—it’s a place to build friendships, share knowledge, and enjoy the journey, whether on scenic road rides or adventurous mountain bike trails. While not exclusively female, Hervelo places a strong emphasis on creating a welcoming space for women, blending the joy of cycling with a focus on community and those all-important cafe stops.
2025 marks the 15th anniversary of Hervelo Cycling! Since 2010, Hervelo has been a driving force in promoting fitness among women by providing the support, knowledge, and confidence to cycle at all levels. As a multidisciplinary club, Hervelo celebrates cycling in all its forms—combining the thrill of mountain biking, road rides, and everything in between, while fostering a sense of community and camaraderie.
Sandy Scally, one of the founding members, shares her experience setting up the club:
“I have ridden a bike since I was 5 but I didn’t start riding it intensely, or for fun, until I was about 27. It started with regular commuting which soon extended to venturing into the Pentland hills. I started riding with my ex-husband, then a cycling club at work and then a cycling club in the city but I was regularly the only female on the mountain bike rides.
I used to see other women riding around on their own. I wondered if that was what they preferred or if they too couldn’t find others to ride with.
At work, I started to meet other active women in the locker room – these were people who regularly ran or rode to work. It is here that I met many of my lifelong adventure friends, but also where I met all the influential people who made Hervelo come to life. We envisioned the club being a place where you could attend a ride and know that other women would be there too. Where we could encourage each other, stretch ourselves and share knowledge.”
While many clubs in the area focus solely on either road or off-road cycling, Hervelo embraces both. Our rides cover a wide range of disciplines, from tackling Enduro trails at Golfie to Cyclocross “Smashfest” sessions and relaxed café-stop road rides.
No matter the speed or style of the ride, our goal is to help members step outside their comfort zones, develop new skills, and, most importantly, enjoy the journey.
At the heart of our community is the belief that cycling should be fun and inclusive, fostering real connections beyond the bike. Our ride coordinators play a crucial role in making this possible, and without their dedication, our calendar of activities wouldn’t be the same!
To support our volunteers, we are partially funding Mountain Bike Leader Qualifications, equipping ride coordinators with the skills to lead safely and confidently—benefiting both the club and individual riders.
Beyond riding, our members are making a difference in the wider cycling community. We’ve teamed up with the Tweed Valley Trail Association for dig days to maintain the trails we love, and we’ve recently joined the West Lothian Cycle Circuit Cycling Association (WLCCCA). This summer, Hervelo will host its first-ever race—a milestone moment for the club!
Many of our ride coordinators and members don’t just organise rides for Hervelo but are also Breeze Champions and School of Rocks “Rockstars”, organising rides that are aimed at those new or returning to cycling. We have members inspiring the next generation and leading rides for the Edinburgh Road Club Youth section and Kids Innerleithen Cycle Club too. Our members being active within the wider Edinburgh and Lothian cycling community, puts them in a great position to be ambassadors and role models for the sport, showcasing that cycling is for everyone and not just the stereotypical image of a cyclist.
With so much happening within our club, it’s important to make sure that people know we’re out here. The cycling community can be a bit of an echo chamber, only known to people already in the know. We’ve had a big push in the last couple of years to revamp our website and increase our social media presence. This helps to increase our visibility as a club and demystifies the world of cycling, making it more accessible. Posting regularly on social media gives us lots of opportunities to shout about our members and celebrate their successes too.
It’s incredible to reflect on how far we’ve come. The COVID-19 lockdowns hit the club hard, shifting priorities for many of our members. But in 2018, Jodie Brumhead joined Hervelo and brought fresh energy and determination to keep the club thriving.
“Growing up in the cycling world has meant I have always felt cycling was intrinsically a part of me, but I never really felt like I was part of it. Strangely, as a teenage girl I didn’t fit in with the middle aged and upwards men I was regularly riding with and racing against.
When I moved to Edinburgh, I was looking for a group to ride with so I could get to know the local roads with no fear of being dropped and also wanted to get a bit more into mountain biking as someone who had only ever dabbled. And Hervelo was the club I found that really seemed to fit the bill.
Hervelo was the first cycling club I’ve ever joined where I didn’t just have club mates but had actual friends, because we had things in common besides cycling.
The club hadn’t been able to operate in the same way during Covid and many of those who’d been most active in organising pre-covid had changing commitments and were no longer able to. But I was determined that others who were new to the area, cycling or returning after time away would have a group where they could go on rides, have nice chats, develop new skills and find friends. That, and I wanted to ride regularly, including in the evenings, year-round. In Scotland, that means riding in the dark which I wasn’t going to do on my own.
Now I get so much joy out of riding my bike, whether it’s in the dark around the local hills, in wild winds and rain at cyclocross, steep and techy trails at the edge of my comfort zone, or the odd days it’s nice enough to road ride in Scotland on the potholey roads, because I’m doing it all with a whole bunch of pals by my side.”
As Hervelo celebrates its 15th anniversary, Sandy reflects on the journey of the club:
“I regularly ask myself whether this club and its original intent are still relevant. Women’s participation has increased in cycling clubs, communities and the media. Do we still need a space for a club open to all which has predominantly women led and attended rides? The ongoing committed membership of the club shows that it is still valuable to have a space where you can find a friend who has similar interests. Someone who will push you on, encourage confidence and share in your achievements.
This is why I am still a member 15 years on. I love this club and all the amazing friends and experiences I have gained through it.”
A big thank you to Hervelo for sharing the story of your inspiring cycling club!
Interested in finding a club near you? Click here to search for a club in your area.
For any Club Development questions or enquiries, please email: [email protected]
For enquiries related to our work with women and girls in cycling, please email: [email protected]