Pete Shuttleworth
Chair.

I think we found out about Riderz back in 2009 via the website.

I then got talked into helping, “you’re here anyway, you might as well help” and then persuaded to coach “You’ll enjoy it! Promise you don’t have to come every week!” (I think they’d heard about my Cycling Proficiency Certificate).

A similar journey led me to being a trustee and now I’m the chair.

Off the back of all of this easily led tomfoolery we really embraced cycling as a family, since joining Riderz we’ve cycle toured the Hebrides and chunks of Europe, we’ve MTB’d in the Alps, most of us have we’ve even raced…


What’s the best bit about being a coach?

I can get quite evangelical about this – it’s an activity with no down side it’s fun, anyone can do it at any age, it’s a great way to get around, and kids do it as equals (or superiors) to adults.
Also, once, a group of kids told me I looked just like James Bond (as played by Daniel Craig). Actually, mainly that (I bear not even a passing resemblance to Mr Craig).

Rachael Halifax
Club Secretary,

How long have you been involved in Glasgow Riderz?
I started coaching with the Riderz in March 2016
What coaching qualifications do you hold?
Level 2 and DSUs in MTB/Track/Road. Level 2 Road Ride Leader and MBLAL2 as well as Cycling Scotland Cycle Trainer. (Which is pretty much the full set. Ed.)
What’s your background in Cycling?
For as long as I can remember I have been able to ride a bike. I use bikes to commute, explore, shred the trails (all guts and no glory), as well as to ride track and road. I developed a passion for endurance/ultra and multi day events and have been lucky enough to participate in rides including John O’Groats to Land’s End and London to Paris Ride24 as well as numerous Sportives often in the hope of raising money for charities along the way.

What’s the best bit about being a coach?
It’s great to be able to share my passion through coaching as it has given me so many opportunities and I know it can do the same for others.Riding my bike always brings a smile to my face, even on the darkest of days, and I love to see others falling under the spell of cycling too. Seeing people develop confidence and skills in their cycling ability is fantastic.Best of all is seeing folk out and about having a blast on their bikes!

Rob Shaw
Treasurer

When did you join Riderz

I joined at the end of 2021.  I’ve been training as a coach since then, working up to becoming a fully qualified MTB coach in early 2023. 

What’s your cycling background

At Uni some time ago I was a really keen white water kayaker and spent all my spare time and money doing that.  One of my friends introduced me to mountain biking about 15 years ago and I discovered I was a better MTBer than I was kayaker.  I love that with MTBing you can go out with a group of friends and each push yourself technically to the level you are happy with, while all having fun together (I mean who doesn’t enjoy playing in the woods).  Lots of my kayaking friends from Uni now mountain bike and before Riderz my weekends involved going off to play on bikes in the woods with friends, either with or without my family.

What’s the best bit about being a coach

PLAYING ON BIKES!  Cheesy as it sounds I love sharing my enthusiasm for bikes with the kids, especially when I see them become more confident and have more fun partly as a result of my coaching.  What I particularly love about Riderz is how nice the kids (and other coaches) are, the older riderz are great role models to the younger kids and the riderz get a chance to make friends outside of school.

Neil MacLeod
Club Performance Coach


Initially involved with the club since 2006 coaching a junior to Scottish Championship medals. I coach track, CX and road.

I also coach at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome and have been team manager of a number of Scottish National Development Teams. I’m a  Physiotherapist by trade and I have worked as Soigneur for Professional teams in Britain and abroad, specialising in bike fit and cycling related injures. 

I first started cycling in a club from the age of 12 the Glenmarnock Wheelers and joined the Glasgow Wheelers in  1981.  Have won Scottish Championship medals in hill climb, TTT , cyclocross (team), road and was once the Glasgow and district road race and hill climb champion . I’ve represented Scotland in a number of races in England and Ireland including the Nissan Classic.
I’ve set up cycle team – Glasgow Cycle Team a junior/ U23 cycle team.
 I currently ride my bike for fun and try keep a level of fitness so when coach the kids they don’t rip my legs off!! The best bit about being a coach at the Riderz is helping young people make the most of their ability, guiding them along a structured pathway, helping them to focus and trying to keep them in the sport.
It’s brilliant seeing the mix of abilities and ages having a fun day

Wendy Hird
Trustee

I found out about Riderz in June 2012 at the Bishopbriggs Cycling Festival and took my son Geoff along the following week to try it out.  He then joined in August 2012.  Back then sign on was organised by Wendy (Lewis and Abbi Stewart’s mum) and Karen (Jack Cruden’s mum) but as their kidz race commitments got more and more I took over and did sign on for the next five years (before Spond!).

Geoff pretty much started racing the year he joined Riderz and since then we’ve visited loads of places in Scotland that we would never have visited if there hadn’t been a bike race taking place.  It’s a great excuse for a weekend away if the venue is more than a couple of hours drive away.  

My daughter Elizabeth became a member of Riderz in 2016 and it was great watching her improve and become more confident on her bike although I missed her helping me with sign on.

I enjoy the social side of the club.  I’ve made loads of great friends within the club while we’ve been standing around waiting on the kids coming back on a Saturday morning and at races.  Being involved in the club has educated me on the different disciplines within cycling and I now enjoy spectating at various cycling events.  Prior to the kids joining Riderz I had owned one bike, a Top Twenty that was bought for me when I was in primary 6.  I used it to pass my cycling proficiency test on. 

The best bit about Riderz for me has been watching my kids’ skills and confidence improve on their bikes and watching them have loads of fun with the friends they’ve made through the club. 

The worst bit is picking muddy clothes up off the bathroom floor on Saturday afternoons. 

Jason Barnes
Trustee

I’ve been hanging about, helping then coaching since Paddy was a wee one (2011?).

  • I’m a Level 2 coach with track and MTB specific qualifications.
  • I like the odd bit of racing here and there, some on the road, some off it, some inside, some outside,
  • I think gears are overrated (but don’t try that at home, kids),
  • I really should train more.

Best bit about coaching is RACING UNDER 10s ROUND THE PARK AND BEATING THEM! YAAASSSS! Or it’s helping a rider try something they don’t believe they can do, doing it, being amazed at themselves, suddenly filling with confidence, then immediately looking to do something more challenging. Either’s good.

Jim Brewer
Trustee

I’ve been a parent helper since 2011 and got a Level 2 coaching qualification a few years ago. I’ve always enjoyed cycling, mostly road cycling for leisure and fitness. Since helping at Glasgow Riderz I’ve become more interested in off-road stuff. I can only think of 2 occasions when going for a bike ride was not a good idea. How many things in your life can you say that about?The best thing about being a coach is the kids.  They are rarely predictable (that’s a good thing, isn’t it?)

Les Thomson
Quartermaster

Described as “the glue that holds the club together” Les can often be spotted on a Saturday morning, head poking out of the container at Bella, being harassed by coaches and parents for bikes, cones and emergency repairs.

Niall Hughes
Coach

I started with Riderz as a volunteer in approx 2016 when my kids joined. Being able to do some volunteering – which basically involved getting in two hours of free road riding – seemed a no-brainer. Though my attempts to use this as ammunition in the constant domestic brownie points trade negotiations with a non-cycling wife were swiftly and scornfully rebuked. 

I’m back doing mainly road and track stuff after a few years detour into the Saturday morning dirt, when we were short of coaches for Pollok/Bella/Cathkin groups. I’ve done road leader, BC level 1 & level 2 qualifications. The support from the club in this regard is first rate. 

Of the many clubs we’ve had involvement with as our kids have grown up, this has comfortably been the most enjoyable to be part of.

It’s immensely rewarding seeing kids develop from barely able to stay upright to strapping teens ripping the legs off you. And feeling you’ve played some small part in that. 

These kids develop amazing skills which I can only dream of having. I’ve managed to learn some bike skills e.g. can now do and  (whisper it) really like riding MTB trails with my kids. All thanks to absorbing knowledge from the exceptionally gifted senior coaches in the club. 

The camaraderie in the club is top notch both amongst coaches but also with the groups of kids you end up spending years coaching. Former Riderz are now cycling pals in my adult club or are regulars on informal bunch rides I go out on. 

Archie McGhee
Coach
(and first youth coach to submit their bio!)

I first joined Riderz about 10 years ago my dad had recently started racing and I also wanted
to give it a go. My Dad knew a coach who said if Dad volunteered I could skip the
waitlist, as even 10 years ago Riderz had one. I remember going to every Saturday session
where me and my friends would ride around driving Jim and the other coaches mad (can confirm. Ed.).
I got really into racing mainly because of Riderz I especially loved cross racing and I would go
to the weekly cross sessions in the winter (A big thanks to my Dad for driving me around).
Racing and Riderz in general let me meet some of my best friends. I remember driving
around the west of Scotland and further to go to races and just in general having a great
time with my friends.
For me cycling now is less about racing and just having fun going out on rides with friends. I
pretty much entirely ride mtb now which 5 years ago I would never have thought would be
the case. One thing hasn’t changed though which is that I still hate going up hills.
I recently got my British Cycling Level one coaching qualification, which was something I had wanted to do
for a while as I want to help young cyclists to make new friends and to improve their riding
skills.
I want to give a big thank you to all coaches I have had at Riderz as without them I
would never have gotten to where I am today. (It’s been a pleasure. Ed.)

Oscar Parker
Coach

When did you join riders?

I joined Riderz in 2015 when I was <young>. I have only recently been trained as a coach ,late 2022, and was volunteering with the club early 2022, helping out with the younger groups and newer riders.

What’s your cycling background?

It all started when I joined riderz back in 2015, and knew instantly that I loved the sport and have been coming back every week to do more and more, I first started racing with the odd parklike race then I tried a cross racing (really didn’t end well). I have currently been racing track, road and MTB which has just been amazing as I can always see myself improving and see what I need to do to get better.

What the part about being a coach?

Getting to ride bikes! And to teach the younger generation about all of the techniques of cycling, and hopefully encourage more and more people to get on their bikes and try it out, whilst I don’t have loads of coaching experience yet I love it so far!
(And hopefully be the coach who makes the next Chris Hoy!)

Jan Dalglish
Coach


I started volunteering in 2018. Like a lot of volunteers I would leave my son in the capable hands of the coaches and have a coffee.  My son was having a great time at the club and I was not having great coffee! I also had FOMO   so I started volunteering. Initially I tried volunteering with the road rides but I couldn’t keep up! So I started helping out with the MTB group.  I was very impressed with the enthusiasm of the coaches and how well behaved the kids were.  The kids picked up the skills quickly and it was so nice to see the big smiles when they achieved what the coach had demonstrated. So much so the time just flew by.

I eventually persuaded myself to become a coach and I have now completed my British Cycling Level 2 coaching qualification. I am loving coaching as it is great to see the reaction of the kids when they learn new skills.  It is sad to see them move up to the next group as it has taken me a long time to learn all their names!!  It is a good feeling to think that I have played a small part in them being ready to move to the next level.  It is also amazing to see them entering events and having a great time.  The club coaches/volunteers have a mountain of knowledge regarding events for the kids to enter.

The club has been very welcoming and has a lot of very talented, knowledgeable and enthusiastic coaches/volunteers.  I also like that it has a mixture of disciplines for the kids to try from BMX, road rides, track, cyclocross and MTB.  I think I will stick to coaching MTB and going out on road rides with people of my own age and ability that I can keep up with!!

Leonard Tedd
Coach

I’ve two children in Glasgow Riderz and I help with coaching some of the junior groups on Saturdays. I grew up in mid-Wales, which has become something of a mecca for mountain biking, but even then was a great place to explore on two wheels. Cycling (from urban commuting, to mountain-bike trail riding, to cross-Africa touring) has given me a lot and it’s a privilege to help, via the club, to giving something back. It’s great helping new riderz grow in confidence and have fun.

Edd Shackley
Coach and Founder

Edd was a founding member of the club way back in 2004. He has a L2 coaching award, with track, cyclocross, road / TT and mountain bike DSU qualifications and last time I persuaded him to fill this bit in he was working towards his L3.
He’s done all types of cycling – a bit of touring, Audax (like sportives but without any of the frills!), road racing, time trialling, track, cyclocross and mountain biking.

Paul Foster
BMX Coach

How long have you been involved in Glasgow Riderz?
Since 2015 when I started as a parent helper with the Riderz before becoming a coach in 2016.
What coaching qualifications do you hold?
MTB and BMX DSUs.
What’s your background in Cycling?
I was a keen/slightly obsessed cyclist as a child and had some unusual bikes including a Tandem made from two Raleigh Grifters welded together (not the best for wheelies but mates without bikes got to join in). During the late 80’s & 90’s i found my passion lay in Mountain Bikes and began Racing for quite a few years until life in general took over and MTB’ing went back to being a weekend blast in the hills as and when i felt like. Thankfully my Wife & Kids also share my passion for Mountain Bikes which always makes for a great day out…..

What’s the best bit about being a coach?I absolutely love watching the progression of the kids…. even over one session when they have learnt a new skill. The look of surprise when they have ridden down a slope for the first time that they would have once been nervous of walking down gives a bit of a buzz.

Coach Foster

Robert Lappin
Coach

I got involved when my son joined in early 2014 and, as cycling was a passion of mine, saw an opportunity to help out and I’m now a MTB leader.
I have always enjoyed cycling but I suppose I only consider it to have been a passion from 2008.  I enjoyed a successful Army career for over 20 years up until then and I spent some of that time on outdoors pursuits including nordic and alpine skiing and overseas mountaineering adventures, a few of which I planned and led.  I took to mountain biking as my main interest when I left the Army and this soon led me to road biking for fitness and to take on longer sportive rides.It’s a bit of a cliche, but seeing the kids grasp new skills and apply them is great. It’s good to see the young ones develop a passion that will hopefully usurp their playstation or TV as their No 1 interest

John (Jok) Everett
Coach

I love the freedom and independence that cycling gives me and have had a bike since I was four. It’s faster than walking, you don’t have to wait on a lift from your parents or a bus, it’s thought to be cheaper than petrol and means you can eat cake. So what’s not to like?
So why coach? I have enjoyed working with kids since I was one and have volunteered at youth clubs, boys brigade & other sports clubs so it made sense to help at the Riderz. The alternative being to walk the dog for two hours in Bellahouston or go to Morrisons & anyway why should my boys have all the fun getting muddy.
I initially started as a parent helper and in 2016 completed my coaching certificates.These courses provide the backbone to the coaching your child receives at the club including the skills and techniques taught (that’s the bits that aren’t winged).
I like to ride on road, off road, in parks, woods, fields, skills loops, velodrome…I just like cycling and I’ve never been much good at competing but enjoy taking part.
My best bit about the Riderz is seeing the kids confidence and skills grow and being able to go down the big hill- something I’m still a bit feart of…

Coach Everett