Meet Our Ride Leaders

Ride Leaders

All our ride leaders are VOLUNTEERS and have completed their British Cycling Ride Leadership Award Level 1 and Level 2 this ensures that your ride will be well planned, safe and enjoyable.

Sometimes you will hear us talking about Breeze, as the majority of us are Breeze Champions too, but Ride Leader/Breeze Champion, it’s all the same thing just a slightly different way of delivering rides.

All our ride leaders previously joined WOW as riders and gained so much confidence from our rides that they wanted to give something back.

If you’re considering becoming a leader yourself, check out this information here.

Find out a bit more about us below and look for suitable rides on Let’s Ride when you can get to know us better!

Rachel

I started cycling when I was 16, because I was extremely overweight, had low self esteem and felt I needed to do something positive for me.  I started riding to sixth form, which helped me lose weight, build my confidence and give me independence.  My passion for cycling was definitely born.  

In 2009, over a social coffee and cake, my lovely friend Amy and I had a lightbulb moment. We were fed up of being made to feel too slow on rides and inadequate.  We wanted to create social rides for women, where we get to chat, enjoy the scenery, fresh air and of course share coffee and cake too.  And that’s when Women on Wheels was born.  

We had absolutely no idea what we would create.  It’s been heart warming and incredible watching our once small social cycling group grow into a British Cycling affiliated all female cycling club with over 100 members.  As Chair of this amazing award winning community, I’m immensely proud.  

 I also now run a local business which aims to inspire and empower women over 40 with annual cycling programmes, activities and holidays.  Check out our links pages for more details.  

Mel

I’ve  been cycling since I was 12 years old and had  big gap when I had my children. 

In 2014 I was recommended to join Women on Wheels and so the cycling began.  I was hooked and after a while became a Breeze Champion. 

I have really enjoyed encouraging others to get out on their bikes and it’s a real pleasure to see them get confident enough to ride on their own too. 

The added bonus has been meeting so many interesting ladies which has led me to experience different sports too such as climbing, running and outdoor swimming and I’ll continue to find and enjoy more.  This is all thanks to being a part of Women on Wheels. 

Sheena

Hello, my name is Sheena and I love riding bikes with friends and making new friends on bikes!

My favourite riding is early on a summers day when it’s fresh and quiet – sometimes road biking, sometimes mountain biking, or touring. The variation of bike riding keeps it exciting.

I’ve been a WOW leader for quite a few years and it’s great to see people go from nervous to brave in just a few rides. It’s amazing. But I think it’s the nature of WOW to nurture and encourage. It’s a great club because we chat, have fun, support each other, always have a coffee stop and we love riding our bikes! 

Simone

In 2013 I asked for a bike for my birthday as an attempt to try and get fitter. After riding with friends, I realised that cycling was something I really enjoyed and wanted to do more, but I didn’t have the confidence to go out on my own and found the male cycling groups too intimidating.

Someone told me about Women on Wheels so, nervously, I set out on a rainy Sunday morning in June for the Beginner’s ride. The leaders were so welcoming and I felt at home straight away.

WOW gave me the confidence, advice and support to be out on the roads and it has opened up a new social family for me (as well as introducing me to many new places to get delicious cake throughout the county). I love being a leader as it allows me to give that same encouraging start to new riders that I was given. 

Jo

I have always cycled with friends and family, however, when we moved to Worcestershire I found myself with very few friends and no cycling buddies. Although I continued to cycle on my own it wasn’t the same as cycling with friends!  

I joined WOW in 2016, having watched the Facebook page for a long time (two years) trying to pluck up the courage to attend a ride; I shouldn’t have worried – I was made so welcome on my first ride, and WOW soon became an integral part of my life and I’ve gained so many like-minded friends.

I became a leader in 2017, as I wanted to the opportunity to give some of the support I’d been given to others; there is nothing better than watching people settle and become part of the club . My advice to anybody would be, do not hesitate, join us, you absolutely will not regret your decision.

Nikki

After many years riding horses I switched to bikes. I found it a challenge at first and was very nervous.

In 2015 I started to ride with Women on Wheels under the British Cycling Breeze Programme. I found the group supportive, encouraging, very friendly and they made me feel totally safe.

In a matter of months I developed my cycling and gained confidence. Thanks to WOW, I can now handle my bike better and ride with confidence, I have even ridden 100 miles in a day, ridden abroad (including up and down Cols in the French Pyrenees) and completed several sportives including the very busy London to Brighton event.

I wanted to help others experience and share this wonderful journey and also find pleasure from riding a bike, so in 2017 I trained to became a ride leader. I particularly enjoy leading  Easy and Steady rides as I love meeting new people and getting them started on this exciting journey. 

Sally

I joined WOW in September 2021 after retiring from teaching and wanting to spend more time in the fresh air. I also needed some advice on how to ride my newly acquired carbon road bike and have been so grateful to other riders and leaders for guidance on how to ride with drop handlebars and also managing gears on climbs. I’m no longer a Big Berther as I really enjoy the huge dinner plates of gears on my new MTB bikes.

I live near the Wyre Forest, so mountain biking has always been my first love but having the opportunity to do both road and off-road riding in WoW is wonderful.  Together with my fellow Breeze leader Sandra Pedersen, we love showing riders the delights of the Wyre Forest. I’m always amazed at the peace and quiet and the ever-changing seasons. The flora and fauna are captivating we have been halted in our tracks by huge stags in the rutting season, seen majestic buzzards and admired beautiful orchids and colourful fungi.

Cathy

I joined WoW back in 2018 (riding on an old hybrid bike) after a friend recommended the club to me. I found a fun and supportive group of encouraging ladies and haven’t looked back since.

I soon bought my first road bike and qualified as a leader just before the start of the first Lockdown. I love exploring new lanes and new areas. I enjoy all levels of rides; from introducing new members to the joys of two wheels at a gentle pace, to trying to increase my fitness on our summer fitness rides.

WoW has given me some very special friends and together we have enjoyed many crazy adventures, from cycling around Scotland to cycling the length of Portugal! I have camped in a field (something I haven’t done since I was a child) and even taken up open water swimming. But most importantly I have explored and found many lovely coffee shops and know where to get the best coffee and cheese scones when out on my bike!

Sandra

I’m Sandra and I’m a Breeze Champion. I mainly lead rides jointly with Sally.

I started with British Cycling’s ‘Breeze into the Forest’ programme at The Wyre Forest. That was quite appropriate as I seem to spend most of my time there, walking dogs or running!

I was previously a Bikeability instructor and have always been a keen cyclist.

I mainly like off road routes such as forest paths and canal towpaths. I’m keen to improve my MTB skills and recently completed a course at the Forest of Dean with some other WOW members.

Sue

I joined WOW in 2022 shortly after retiring. One day I passed by a group of female cyclists who were chatting, laughing and taking photos of themselves and decided I wanted to be part of that too!

I would have described myself as a leisure cyclist then, but soon realised how much more I could achieve with WOW. I’m learning so much from these brilliant generous women and after a very sedentary lifestyle I’ve amazed myself at how fit I can be.

When I hit 60 I cycled across Scotland coast to coast with WOW friends, something I never imagined I could do, and now I’m planning my next adventure with likeminded cycling buddies. I trained as a leader in 2023 to help other women like me achieve their goals – and to have fun while we’re on the journey.

WOW is such an important part of my new retired life, providing friendship, fun, fitness and the chance to be outdoors all year round.

Meg

I started riding in May 2017 when I completed a Couch to 50k cycling course. Shortly after that I joined WOW.

I love cycling and helping other ladies along the way where I can. I am a slow cyclist but that doesn’t get in the way of being able to take part in, and lead, the Easy WOW rides. Everyone is always made welcome and no one is left behind!

Laura

I have enjoyed cycling since I received a bike for Christmas when I was three years old (I’ve since taken the stabilisers off!)

Cycling with Women on Wheels has helped me train for several ‘big’ events and cycling holidays, which I’m always happy to discuss enthusiastically if you happen to also be training for something specific! 

Equally, most years I’m happy if I manage to build up to a 50 mile ride with two cake stops in the summer.

Hilary

I went on my first WOW ride as a ‘youthful’ 61 year-old in 2015 after getting a road bike for my birthday. What a good move that was! 

Fast forward to the present and I’m still cycling, have become a WOW leader and love it. 

I’m not the fastest, often at the back of the group, find hills a challenge and do a fair amount of puffing and gasping. None of that matters. WOW is such a friendly club where everyone is made to feel welcome whatever their ability, with plenty of laughs along the way and many opportunities for eating cake. 

No time to lose – come and give it a go.

Barbara

I heard about WOW when I met a member while on holiday in Austria and joined after a couple of years of deliberation.

My first few rides were on my son’s old mountain bike with my handbag tucked inside the saddlebags. The friendliness of the group, fun and laughter have been a big part of my life ever since.

I became a leader after 18 months – a long career in teaching gave me skills in organising groups of children, not much different to WOW ladies really!

WoW is so much more than a cycling club; it is a group of ladies who love life, embrace challenges and have fun together both on and off the bike. I have enjoyed cycling trips in this country and abroad. For a significant birthday I cycled Portugal End to End, something I would never have dreamed of a few years earlier. We’ve tackled high ropes courses together, been bell boating, paddle boarding, dressed in many silly outfits, camped in fields and got to know many cafes near and far!

Jenny

I used to enjoy cycling as a child but hadn’t cycled for probably 30+ years.

I started cycling again a few years ago when I did a few Sprint Triathlons (just for the fun of it). A friend told me about WOW so I joined and all of the WOW rides I went on helped me grow in confidence enough to become a ride leader.

I enjoy the WOW rides because we don’t take them too seriously, we’re just about having fun, looking after each other and enjoying our rides.

It’s great to meet new women on our rides and to encourage them to enjoy the fresh air and cycling and the coffee stops along the way!

Mel

Being an absolute beginner to ‘road’ cycling I signed up for a Couch to 50K course in 2021.

Having completed this I finally plucked up the courage to join a WOW Easy ride led by Hils and Sheena. They made me feel so welcome and before long I was hooked!

Within a year, to raise money for charity, I had cycled up Britain’s toughest and wildest climb – Bealach-na-Ba in Scotland. Since then I’ve had numerous adventures with my bike and am always looking forward to the next one.

The club is so friendly and everyone is so welcoming – there is nothing better than a great bike ride followed by tea and cake with friends!

Paula

I’m Paula and I’ve been riding with WOW for about eight years, a leader for about two years and I have been a cyclist for most of my life.

I live in Droitwich so I tend to lead or assist rides from that area, starting from places such as Churchfields. I (with many others) lead rides from 12 mile Breeze rides to the more demanding Wednesday evening fitness rides and longer club rides.

I love the WOW community and how we all help and support each other. As much as riding is “what we do” some of the other shenanigans make us more than just a cycling club. My favourite event is the WOW festival where we do anything from line dancing and yoga to open water swimming and paddle boarding. Visiting cafes is definitely encouraged and sometimes we even get on our bikes! If you want an adventure, what are you waiting for?

Hazel

Never having having shown an aptitude for any kind of sport in the past, and not having had a bike as a child, I was totally amazed to learn how much I loved cycling when in 2017 I joined the second ‘Couch to 50k’ course set up by Rachel Nicholls.

After a wobbly start, I gradually improved and upon completion joined Women on Wheels, slowly moving up from tackling Easy Rides, to Steady, Intermediate and eventually Advanced rides. 

In February 2022 I decided it was time to give something back and qualified as a British Cycling Level One Ride Leader.

WOW has enhanced my life considerably, building my confidence, making me fitter, but most of all through the  friendship and camaraderie of its members. I only wish I had found cycling when I was much younger.

Debbie

I’m Debbie and I have been cycling with WOW since 2015.

On my first ride I was cycling on my old mountain bike and I was very nervous. I needn’t have worried as everyone was so welcoming and encouraging . After a few rides I eventually upgraded to a road bike.

I love our rides, and the friendships that I have formed through cycling. I didn’t start with the idea of being a leader, but have been encouraged to do so by the group and have been a leader for about two years.

Our rides are always great fun , very social and include a cafe stop for cake, so come and join us. It’s always great to meet new people.