Teagan Heap Is Finding Her Pace!

For Teagan, the speed has never been the question. This season has been about finding her rhythm, rebuilding confidence, and getting back to the pace she knows is there. Teagan started out racing BMX as a kid before making the switch to mountain biking. Growing up in Henderson, Nevada, near Bootleg Canyon helped shape a riding style that feels most at home when things get steep, loose, technical, and rough. That early BMX foundation is still there too, the bike skills have become second nature, and the willingness to commit has followed her into downhill.

Since joining the team, though, finding consistency hasn’t come easy. A knee injury during preseason training took away a chunk of what should have been her first full year, and this season has continued to test her. She opened with a 12th-place finish at Rock Creek, was forced to sit out Mountain Creek with an ankle issue, and took another hard hit at National Champs in Big Bear. But there have also been moments when everything started to click.

At Solitude, Teagan was putting together what Team Manager John Hall believed could have been a podium, or even winning, run before a crash brought it to an early end. When she got to the bottom and saw green splits, the frustration was real. So was the confirmation that her pace was coming back.

“That was the best and strongest I had felt on my bike in a really long time,” Teagan says. “A run like that definitely gave me confidence to know that I can be back in the top five after injuries, and that if all goes well, I do have the potential to win.”

For Hall, results only tell part of the story.

“What I appreciate about Teagan is that none of that has changed how she shows up. When she was sidelined, she was still at the races, still in the pits, still supporting everyone else on the team. She is competitive as hell and she does not sugarcoat a bad run, but she is also one of the easiest people to have around on a race weekend.”

The pieces are there. The speed is there. And as Teagan continues to get stronger and more confident on the bike, finding her pace is about more than one result.

We caught up with her to talk about where that speed started, the terrain that brings out her best, what she’s working on now, and what she’s chasing next.

You came up racing BMX. How much of that background still shapes the way you ride a downhill bike?

I raced BMX for about two years before deciding to switch over to mountain biking. My goal has always been to go out and race world cups, so my dad started me off in BMX to build a solid skill base on a bike. All the skills I’ve learned from back then just feel like second nature to me now.

What kind of track brings out the best in you, and what is it about that style of riding that clicks?

I would say a rough, steep, technical, and dry track brings out the best in me! I grew up riding super exposed rock gardens on loose terrain so I feel most at home on a gnarly bone dry track.

You’ve raced at a lot of different levels already. What’s one thing you know now that you wish you knew when you first started racing downhill?

Since I’ve been racing for almost as long as I can remember I can’t really think of anything I wish I’d knew, I’ve always just went with the flow and had fun racing, I try not to think too much. 

At Solitude, the splits showed the pace was there before you went down. Does a run like that give you confidence, or just make you want the next one even more?

Solitude was an interesting race for me! My confidence was up and down throughout the weekend, but I was ready to put down a lap I would feel proud of. That was the best and strongest I had felt on my bike in a really long time before crashing, then getting to the bottom and seeing green splits was definitely frustrating. A run like that one definitely gave me confidence to know that I can be back in the top five after injuries, and that if all goes well I do have the potential to win.

What’s something you’re working on in your riding right now that most people watching from the outside probably wouldn’t notice?

Something I’m working on in my riding is having a more attacked and strong position on the bike. I feel that sometimes I am too upright, so when things inevitably get a bit sketchy on the hill I get fatigued trying to reel it back in or end up crashing.

Who has had the biggest influence on you, both on and off the bike?

I’ve been influenced by many riders/mentors, but for on and off the bike I’d have to say my dad has had the biggest influence on me. He introduced me to the sport and is always so supportive of what I want to achieve, I’m very grateful for that!

Looking ahead, what are you chasing—not just in racing, but for yourself over the next few years?

Looking ahead my main goal that I’m chasing is to be healthy and happy over the next few years. I think the healthier, stronger, happier, and more confident I am will really show up in my racing and life in general!

When the helmet comes off and you’re away from the track, what does a day in your life look like?

A day in my life outside of riding normally consists of going to the gym or doing something active like hiking or yoga. I also like to work on my video editing skills when I can.

Is there a quote, saying, or piece of advice you keep coming back to throughout the season? 

There is a piece of advice that Mike Kelly “Old Dog” told me when I was younger, I don’t remember his exact words but it was something like, “You can’t win if you don’t make it to the start gate, and you can’t win if you don’t cross the finish line.” It’s pretty straight up but it really aligns with my goals and the kind of racer I want to be moving forward.