Sumayra Ahmad: The Real Yellow Jersey winner who went from learner to leader
Before joining The Big Bike Revival, Sumayra described herself as an occasional cyclist. Her riding was mostly dependent on nice weather and chances to go out with her daughters.
Even though she had been cycling for years, she had no idea about cycling communities and never thought of cycling as something she could do regularly or use for getting around.
This all changed when she met Anna Smith, the community coordinator for Manchester South, who encouraged her to join one of The Big Bike Revival’s Learn to Fix events; basic bike maintenance delivered by women, for women.
This experience became a turning point in her cycling journey. Learning how to take care of her bike not only built her confidence but also eased her worries about cycle maintenance.
When I learned how to do it myself, it gave me so much confidence and it debunked the idea that it’s complicated or something I can’t do myself. Amongst many things, I learned to inflate my tyre, remove the wheels and inner tubes and fix a puncture. This was both liberating and empowering.
Sumayra still loves riding with her family, but now she has the stamina and confidence to tackle longer rides. She has started cycling instead of driving for some short trips and has discovered routes to parks and biking paths.
Sumayra even volunteered on the Manchester Lights Up ride in November 2024 as a marshal, where she rode with more than 140 riders.
Organised by Belinda Everette from Bee Pedal Ready and Anna Smith, it was described by some as a ‘disco on wheels’ – the event had a carnival atmosphere and quite literally lit up the night.
Riders had gone to huge efforts to decorate themselves and their bikes with lights, reflectors, glitter, flags, banners and loud colours.
The aim was to celebrate women taking up space on the streets on their bikes and to empower more women to keep riding through the darker months. But behind the joy and the celebration lies a more serious message and a call to action.
The route deliberately took on spaces that women might feel unsafe riding alone at night: unlit parks, backstreets and alleyways. The ride itself gave a feeling of safety in numbers, but these are spaces few women would feel safe venturing into alone at night.
Since that first workshop back in 2022, Sumayra has taken her passion further. She has trained and qualified as a cycling instructor, a ride leader, completed a course on bike mechanics, and successfully secured funding to run her own cycling sessions.
In the world of cycling, the yellow jersey is an iconic symbol of excellence. Traditionally worn by the leader of the Tour de France, it represents athletic dominance, endurance, and determination.
But for Cycling UK, true cycling excellence goes beyond professional sport—it lives in communities, on everyday streets, and in people like Sumayra. That’s why Cycling UK has chosen to honour her a Real Yellow Jersey winner, launched to mark 10 years of The Big Bike Revival.
The sessions Sumayra facilitates as a freelance instructor under the name ‘Cycle with Sumayra’ help women from all backgrounds and abilities, but particularly the South Asian community explore the joys of cycling and overcome barriers they face. Sumayra has become an inspiring role model in her community.
As a Muslim woman, who wears a headscarf and adheres to a modest Islamic dress code, and a mother who cycles with her kids, she shows others that cycling is for everyone, no matter their background.
She has seen how important representation can be, proving that cycling is accessible to all. What keeps her going is the overwhelmingly positive response from the women in her group.
The confidence, the increased self-esteem, the smiles, and the joy that the women have shared on our sessions and rides have left me feeling incredibly motivated and inspired. It’s such a lovely community and I couldn’t be more grateful for finding these beautiful women
