Jules Verheyen is the founder of the Wollongong Women’s Cycling Club and is also our ‘In Focus’ personality this week. She splits her time between being a personal trainer and womens cycling coach as well as her family and still manages 250km a week on her bike! She is empowering women to get active and share her passion for cycling.
Who is Jules Verheyen?
I grew up in Wollongong in a family of five – myself, two sisters and mum and dad. I have always worked in the fitness industry as a group instructor and personal trainer. After working as a personal trainer at a gym in Sydney, I eventually moved back to Wollongong and trained as a primary teacher. When my children came along I decided to start my own outdoor group training business and opened Jules Fitness Figtree in 2008. I now have three children and an awesome, supportive husband. I run my business; work casually at Simple Cycles Wollongong and am a coach for Cycling Australiaâs She Rides program. I am the womenâs representative for the Illawarra Cycle Club and founder of the Wollongong Womenâs Cycling Club.
What sparked your interest in cycling?
My passion for cycling started when I was five. I rode everywhere as a kid and owned a road bike as a teenager. The passion was fully reignited about a decade ago when I completed my first triathlon. Cycling was always my best leg and I loved that side of it. I got hooked on the adrenaline and the need for speed on the bike so I ditched the triathlons and started racing for the Illawarra Cycling Club on both road and track. We won Womenâs Masters gold in the teams pursuit in 2014 and I raced the inaugural Grand Prix Crit in 2013 with some of the best elite cyclists. Iâve competed in the NSW road titles and national road crit time trial titles. I did it for the experience of competing and to put myself into hard-core situations to learn and grow as a cyclist. I love it and cycling definitely consumes my life.
How many hours a week do you spend in the saddle?
I usually spend around nine to 11 hours a week riding or do about 250km if I can fit it into my schedule. My racing has backed off as the womenâs cycling club and She Rides coaching takes up more of my time.
Some people might recognise you from the ‘She Rides’ women’s cycling program. Can you explain a little about what ‘She Rides’ is and the aims of the program?
She Rides is a women’s cycling initiative run by Cycling Australia to get women back out riding for fun, fitness and friendships. They have two groups â the Confidence program is for ladies on any bike type who want to get back into riding a bike, then the next level up is the Together program for more confident women on road bikes who want to develop the skills to ride safely in a bunch. I teach them bunch etiquette, road and traffic skills and how to improve their riding technique on corners and hills, through effective gearing and hand and foot placement.
You are also the founder of the Wollongong Women’s Cycle Club, Can you briefly explain the initiatives of a female bicycle club?
The Wollongong Womenâs Cycle Club is affiliated with the Illawarra Cycle Club but we are a social group, not a racing club. We are a not-for-profit club that is governed by Cycling Australia. I work with a committee of volunteers to host cycling events designed to be supportive and welcoming to encourage women to get out on their bikes together. We host fully supported challenge rides as well as weekly bunch rides. Weâve introduced women to track riding through Try the Track Day and we have a Try a Race Day coming up. We focus on creating unique, supportive cycling opportunities for women who want to ride but may not want to race. It gives women a network of opportunities to grow as a cyclist. I founded the club after coaching She Rides and seeing the need for a support network to encourage the graduates of the program to keep cycling.
What are some of the key steps to breaking down the barriers between women and cycling?
The biggest barrier for women in cycling is a lack of confidence. There is a fear of traffic and a fear of falling. To overcome these, in She Rides, and at the womenâs cycling club, we focus on skills like gearing, cornering, feet placement and correct braking. We go over traffic road rules and when and where it is safest to ride. By riding more often and getting to know and trust the people they ride with, the women grow in both confidence and skill.
What are your best tips to conquering the 160km Bowral Classic ride?
My biggest tip to get faster and to make your 160km easier is to think about your power to weight ratio. Drop a few kilos to go faster rather than spending a few thousand dollars on a lighter bike!
My next tip would be to use a heart rate monitor and Garmin to evaluate your progress. Set yourself a personal goal you want to achieve and work towards it. I would be doing at least three to five rides a week and ensure that they are varied. They should include flat recovery rides, bunch rides, a harder cardio ride like a race or efforts, and an undulating, longer ride that will mimic the challenge of the Bowral Classic. You will need to build up by starting easy and increase the intensity and distance of rides over time.
Thank you Jules for your time and supportive words. To find out more about the She Rides programs and the Wollongong Women’s Cycling Club follow the links.
