Helen Rowe: The Real Yellow Jersey winner who turned a solo comeback into a cycling community

When Helen retired at the age of 60 back in 2016, she decided to return to cycling after 35 years of living a more sedentary lifestyle. 

Her primary goal was to become fitter and improve her health. “For many years, I have been frustrated at the thought of my limbs ceasing up as I get older,” Helen said.

This fear was sparked by a memory from when she used to ride to the shops in the early 80s. One day, riding past an elderly neighbour who was very frail, Helen was encouraged by the neighbour Betty to keep agile as she grew older. When retirement came, those words returned  to the forefront of her mind.
 
To ease back into cycling, which she had only ever done to go to the shops, Helen purchased an electric bike, allowing her to benefit from assisted pedalling. 

However, on her first ride at Hadleigh Park, she got lost. Luckily, she met some dog walkers who directed her to the park’s café, where she discovered information about led rides in the park. This was how her cycling journey began. 
 
Helen began attending the rides with a small but growing group, initially relying on the full power of her electric bike. As her fitness improved, she gradually reduced the assistance level. 

As her enthusiasm grew, Helen also joined Hadleigh Park Mountain Bike Club. Their coach, looking for eight ladies to train for racing, accepted Helen, which meant switching to a conventional mountain bike – within three months of starting to ride. 

After this, she saw her fitness improve rapidly, she gained additional technical skills and increased confidence.

As the eldest racer, Helen says: “I never dreamed that I would ever seriously race, that seemed definitely a no-go for someone of my age.” But she proved herself wrong.

In 2018, Helen completed Cycling UK’s leader training and qualified as a Mountain Bike Trail Leader. She began to lead rides for Cycling UK’s Big Bike Revival in Hadleigh, with her love for cycling growing even more. 

She also attended a number of maintenance sessions, which significantly boosted her confidence, giving her the skills to manage her bike independently. 

It meant she wasn’t dependent on someone helping, but could service her own bike. Only a few days after her maintenance session, Helen ended up helping a group of young lads with a chain that had come off, feeling very pleased and proud of having been able to do that. 
 

Through the help of local bike shop, in 2023 Helen began organising rides for women, founding the club Women on Wheels in Essex (WoWIE). 

She had been missing female riding company, and though there were only a few women at first, the new group began growing soon and is now at 80 members. 

Helen leads rides every Saturday and with another five women trained as ride leaders, she can now take an occasional Saturday off. 

She has also established a Thursday group for more experienced women cyclists, further strengthening the community.   

I love a challenge and will completely focus upon it, to reach perfection or do the best that I can. That’s what I’m doing with the Women on Wheels rides

"Thinking back to Betty, I wish I could tell her, 'I know you're no longer with us, but I took your words to heart to keep myself agile as I aged. Because of this I have gained many new friends of all ages, had great fun and laughter along the way but most importantly I gained my fitness. Very soon I'll be looking to move on from a conventional bike to an up-to-date e-bike, as the WoWIE women are becoming much fitter and faster than me, and I need to keep up with them. So, I will still be pedalling around as long as I’m able! Your few words have changed the lives of me and my new friends. Thank you."

It’s been great—it keeps me fit and keeps me out of the car. If I need to go to the shops or head to the post office, I just jump on my bike  

Helen has participated in races, including the Travers Races in Hockley with her group and they plan to compete again this year. Additionally, she has taken part in film shoots, videos & various charity rides.  

In the world of cycling, the yellow jersey is reserved for elite athletes—the leaders of the Tour de France, cheered on by crowds and cameras. But for Cycling UK, the real champions aren’t on the podium—they’re in our neighbourhoods, riding through our streets, using bikes to tackle some of society’s biggest challenges.

To mark 10 years of the Big Bike Revival, Cycling UK has once more launched The Real Yellow Jersey campaign to celebrate people like Helen Rowe, who returned to cycling to stay fit and healthy for longer, and then ended up sharing the benefits with the people and community around her.  
 
Helen’s future goals remain simple yet impactful: to keep riding, maintain her fitness, and encourage more and more women to experience the joy of cycling.