I’m Jodie Brumhead, a lifelong cyclist, endlessly enthused by encouraging more women to cycle more! I’ve only been coaching officially for the last 6 months for the wonderful Hervelo Cycling. But I’ve been a qualified trail leader for over 3 years now so I’ve plenty of experience helping folks with tips and tricks while out on rides to grow their confidence!
I started coaching by leading Edinburgh School of Rocks, a community that delivers introductory off road cycling rides for women. It gave me the confidence that I had knowledge worth sharing and the impact you can have on people’s cycling journeys having given a little bit of your time.
The final push into coaching came from the wonderful world of cyclocross, having seen more Hervelos take on the races the past few years, we wondered how we could repeat what we’ve done inside the club to encourage women to race. A big part of this was informal cyclocross sessions that allowed people to get a taste of cyclocross without signing up to a race. We wanted to be able to do this for a wider group of women so it was time to get qualified!
I absolutely love delivering any intro to off-road sessions. There’s a fantastic progression when you take a group of women who might feel a bit nervous about rough terrain or mud, and give them the skills to ride it safely and with confidence. Watching that moment where the nerves vanish and everyone starts cheering each other on through a muddy section or a tricky corner is incredibly rewarding.
The women I ride and race with every week are my biggest inspiration. It takes a lot of guts to step out of your comfort zone, whether that’s a beginner tackling their first gravel trail in the School of Rocks or my clubmates convincing me to jump back into CX racing after ten years away. Equally the vets that beat me every race who I hope to be as fast as when I’m older and the many many women who are all fighting to make cycling a better place for women however they can.
I love riding around the local Pentland hills in the dark. Those trails you know like the back of your hand and the peace and quiet of them after sunset can’t be beaten in my head. Even when it’s wild out, there’s no greater feeling than getting a wee adventure in while everyone else is at home”
I’d advise anyone thinking about coaching, that they don’t have to wait until you feel like you know absolutely everything, you probably already know more than you think. The cycling world doesn’t just need technical experts; it needs empathetic people who build community, listen, and make beginners feel like they belong too. The only real requirement is that you enjoy doing it because that will be the thing that makes it worthwhile.
I’m Lettie and I’m a coach with the Wallace Warriors (Stirling Bike Club’s junior club). I’ve been taking our kids along to the club for 3 years or so and I started ‘officially’ coaching just over a year ago. I’ve been riding and racing bikes for over 20 years and love every aspect of the sport from cycle touring to cyclocross, road racing to MTB.
When I first started taking the kids along to the Warriors we were welcomed as parents to join social rides. I really enjoyed the vibe of the Wallace Warriors community and was struck by how positive the coaches were. Riding with a kids club felt quite different to the riding we did as a family and the kids really enjoyed their time there. The more I rode with the Warriors the more I realised how much I enjoyed spending time with kids on bikes and thought it was probably time for me to start my own coaching qualifications and begin to take sessions myself.
Another draw to step up to coaching was the fact that all of the coaches within the club at that time were male. I’m very conscious of the inequity of representation of females with our sport and I’d seen an advert that suggested Scottish Cycling would part fund a coaching qualification for female coaches, this gave me a bit of a shove to sign up
At the minute, I currently lend a hand at the Thursday night Linlithgow ‘Co-lab’ road sessions with ERC, Warriors, FJBC and West Lothian Clarion. It’s such a lovely venue and such a lovely bunch of kids and coaches. We do a mixture of games and exercises more focused on developing the kids to have the skills to function as a peloton and within road racing. The kids’ particular favourites are ‘mystery sprinter’ or ‘choppy choppy chop chop’ (square of doom). I particularly have enjoyed seeing some riders progress from being coached to coaching and watching them grow into the role which I have no doubt they manage better than I do!
More recently I did my Mountain Bike Leader award and enthusiastically put on a Warriors girls’ ride. 6 girls and another mum (my gravel bike adventure partner in crime) rode around the back of Dumyat. We all had a great time and the plan is to run moresessions over the summer in an attempt to offer the girls their own space to socialise and progress in a supportive environment.
I definitely have been inspired by one particular coach at our club, Richard Barton, who has always shown the most positive and caring attitude combined with a real passion for riding bikes. I actually met Richard years ago when I first moved to the Stirling area, he took me for a bike ride with the MTB club and I felt very welcome. Every Thursday night at MTB coaching he’ll ask the kids what they had for their tea and generally share some nonsense banter. Watching how kids respond to his positive attitude really made me want to emulate that in my coaching. Now when I’m coaching I’ll try and channel my ‘inner Barton’ although I don’t think my jokes could ever match his talent.
If you’re considering coaching I’d say go for it! It’s a genuine joy to share something you have a passion for with others.
Hello, I’m Caroline Wallace. I am a teacher at Peebles High School and have been coaching now for over 25 years. Initially I coached triathlon and was fortunate to be the Scottish youth/junior coach for a few years.
I loved the sport and had been mostly road cycling. Once I stopped racing triathlon I found mountain bikes and when I moved to Peebles for work I began riding and racing more and more. It felt natural to start a mountain bike club at the school I worked in, The club is for students of all secondary ages and abilities. Alongside the club the school now has S2, S3 and level 5 curriculum mountain bike classes.
I really do it because I understand and know how much an individual can get from sport. The sport can provide a passion, introduce you to many like minded people and take you to many amazing places in the world. I wanted to provide kids with the foundation to enjoy the sport and get as much from it as possible.
Personally, I love introducing students to new mountain bike trails. In particular to steep chutes where I try to provide the encouragement and knowledge to ride it. There is nothing better than seeing the sense of achievement when a student rides something they have not managed to in the past.
Many people have inspired me with my coaching. From my PE teachers through to all of the coaches I had in the various sports I pursued. Each provided me with a varying set of skills and enhanced my confidence so that I continued in the respective sports for very a long period of time.
One coach that really pushed me to achieve my best was Darren Smith the Scottish triathlon coach when I was competing. He is a straight talking Australian who believed in me and provided that belief to take the next step in the sport. Someone believing you have potential is sometimes all you need to progress.
I’d say to anyone considering coaching, to firstly, go for it, it’s very rewarding. Secondly, try to always finish a session with the positives. Where did they come from and what did they achieve today.