Lou Ferguson On Fear, Doubt and Breaking New Ground

Hardline has always been one of the most intimidating races in mountain biking, but at Hardline Wales in 2025, Lou Ferguson delivered a full top-to-bottom race run that showed just how far the women’s scene has progressed. But that run was only part of the story. Because Lou is also heading into a new chapter of her career, returning to Nukeproof bikes and RockShox for 2026, racing alongside teammate Millie Johnset and building towards what could be her biggest season yet. So today we’re catching up with Lou to talk about that Hardline run, what it meant to her and to women’s progression in the sport, how the Nukeproof move came together, and what the future might hold. So sit back, hit play and check out this episode with Lou Ferguson. You can also watch this episode on YouTube here . You can follow Lou on Instagram @fergyferg__ . Podcast Stuff Sponsoring Partner This episode is sponsored by PNW Components . I’ve been riding their Loam Carbon Handlebar and have been impressed with the ride quality, maintaining a positive steering feel, while reducing the vibration you feel through the bar. Tested to the highest standards, shaped to give you all day comfort with modern bike geo and with a lifetime warranty. It’s no surprise that it’s fast become PNW’s best selling product. Check them out at pnwcomponents.com . Patreon I would love it if you were able to support the podcast via a regular  Patreon  donation. Donations start from as little as £3 per month. That’s less than £1 per episode and less than the price of a take away coffee. Every little counts and these donations will really help me keep the podcast going and hopefully take it to the next level. To help out, head  here . Merch If you want to support the podcast and represent, then my webstore is the place to head. All products are 100% organic, shipped without plastics, and made with a supply chain that’s using renewable energy. We now also have local manufacture for most products in the US as well as the UK. So check it out now over at  downtimepodcast.com/shop . Newsletter If you want a bit more Downtime in your life, then you can join my newsletter where I’ll provide you with a bit of behind the scenes info on the podcast, interesting bits and pieces from around the mountain bike world, some mini-reviews of products that I’ve been using and like, partner offers and more. You can do that over at  downtimepodcast.com/newsletter .

You can listen to Lou Ferguson On Fear, Doubt and Breaking New Ground online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Lou Ferguson On Fear, Doubt and Breaking New Ground is an episode from Downtime - The Mountain Bike Podcast by Downtime MTB.

This episode is 1:30:51 long.

This episode was published on Mar 17, 2026.

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