Ambassador Highlight -
Nick McLeod

Words by Nick McLeod

Becoming a professional mountain biker is a dream shared by many, including myself. I came close to making that dream a reality after a strong 2022 season, earning solid results at both national and international races. But the truth is, I never quite had the track speed required to consistently land at the sharp end of an EDR results sheet. What I've realized, though, is that there's still so much joy to be found in riding flat out, as fast as I can – a specially while building a meaningful career off the bike.  

What turned out to be the real dream, at least for me, has always been a bit different: to ride as much as possible while working on something I find exciting and fulfilling. I started a new job in 2020 and quickly adapted to the new work-ride balance a career at FOX afforded me – learning the ins and outs of e-commerce and web development by day, while still chasing podiums and putting in serious time on the bike off the clock. FOX has been incredibly supportive of that balance, giving me the flexibility to hit the road for races and still show up Monday morning, legs fried, body sore, and brain slightly offline from the weekend.

Participating in FOX's product testing program has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my job. Of course, riding the gear is a privilege in itself, but what's truly special is being part of the process behind the scenes. Understanding the decisions that go into suspension design, tuning, and development has deepened my respect for the engineering that supports every ride. These guys don't cut corners.

I had the opportunity to attend a FOX test camp in Sun Peaks, a six-day sprint of testing laps on the new Podium fork mounted to my SB160. We put the fork through everything: dampers, damper tunes, air shafts, axle configurations, oil volumes, you name it. Every evening, we debriefed over spreadsheets, data logs, and trail notes. I’d fall into bed completely spent, and the engineers were still at the table hashing out the finer points of stiffness versus compliance. Shoutout to Ariel and Damon, two FOX engineers who are not only insanely dedicated but also rip just as hard as they think. It's rare to find people who are that sharp technically and that committed on the trail.

In 2023, I joined Yeti Cycles as an ambassador, a move that felt totally aligned with everything I value about the sport. Yeti has long believed in the value of racing, not just for the competition, but for the insight it provides in product development. FOX, too, shares that philosophy. Both putting trust in riders who push the limits, those who are able to feel the subtleties and nuance in the smallest adjustments, and who share a vested interested in the obsession for development and improvement.  

A notable highlight from last season was racing Trans BC presented by Yeti Cycles, an epic six-day blind stage race. I was up against a stacked field, including fellow Yeti ambassador Jimmy Smith, who is as fast and consistent as they come. I raced on the new Live Valve NEO shock and was able to take the overall win while helping shape what would become the production "Shore" tune. That kind of real-world feedback loop, testing a prototype in race conditions and seeing it evolve into a product riders can buy, is incredibly rewarding.  

At home in Vancouver, we've built a similar ride culture to what Yeti is known for at their headquarters in Golden, Colorado. We share their sacred belief that the lunch hour (and a half) is best spent riding our bike.  The terrain on our local trails is a dream for testing: loamy dirt, tricky corners, and loads of low-speed compressions that challenge how suspension performs in subtle ways. Most weeks I am able to get out at least twice a week for a full-gas 50-minute hammer session on my SB140. Since we continually test new parts, consistency is crucial. Riding the same tracks over and over gives me a reference point to evaluate how a fork is tracking, how a shock is ramping up, or how a new tune feels at speed. And of course, chasing Strava segments with other test riders keeps things spicy. Nothing wrong with a little mid-week competition.  

Through it all, the common thread is this:  a life centered around yet not solely focused on racing. And that's been the right move for me. The engineers I work with at FOX, as well as the product and brand teams at Yeti, are people who love what they do, who obsess over the details, and who show up every day excited to make bikes better. More than that, they all make time to ride. A lot. It's not just work, it's a lifestyle that blends passion, precision, and a deep connection to the trail.

Through it all, I feel incredibly lucky. Lucky to still be progressing on the bike, lucky to be surrounded by smart, driven people who care deeply about their craft, and lucky to have found a way to stay close to the sport I love without having to be at the top of a results sheet to feel like I belong. For me, this is the dream: riding hard, working on things that matter, and always chasing the next great descent.