At the Spid Werkz Foundation, we know that reaching the elite level of amateur sports requires an athlete to wear many hats. But very few wear as many as Abi Snyder.
In Season 1, Episode 7 of the Spidcast, hosts Peter Swiek and Stephen Schaefer sit down with the newest member of our 2026 Zøn 6 athlete roster. Abi isn’t just a powerhouse on the bike—she’s a former English teacher turned data scientist, a junior mountain bike coach, and the founder of Ride Fierce Racing. She also joined us fresh off a massive victory: winning the Single Speed XCO National Championship on her home trails in Roanoke, Virginia.
In this episode, we take a deep dive into the woods to explore the complex, adrenaline-fueled world of elite mountain biking. Abi competes in a rare mix of disciplines—Cross-Country Marathon (XCM) and Enduro—meaning she has to balance the grueling physical endurance needed for 50-mile sufferfests with the highly technical, gravity-fed skill required to huck herself down a mountain.
But this conversation goes far beyond watts and race tactics. Abi brings an incredibly raw and honest perspective to the realities of the sport, discussing:
- The Mental Game of Gravity: Abi opens up about the very real fear that comes with racing Enduro, dealing with high-speed crashes, and how she works with a sports psychologist to rebuild confidence and overcome mid-trail panic.
- Winning on Home Turf: The tactical chaos, the physical toll of pushing a single gear to the verge of throwing up, and the surreal feeling of taking home a Stars and Stripes jersey in her own backyard.
- Ride Fierce Racing: After looking around and realizing how few women were at the start line, Abi founded Ride Fierce Racing to provide scholarships, entry fees, and coaching to help more women break into the enduro and gravity mountain bike scenes.
- Juggling it All: How she manages the relentless schedule of a full-time tech career, coaching obligations, and training for multiple high-level cycling disciplines.
Abi’s approach to racing perfectly embodies the Spid Werkz ethos: she is pushing her own absolute limits while actively lifting up the community around her. Whether you are navigating technical singletrack or just trying to overcome a mental block in your own life, Abi’s insights on letting go of outcome-based goals and focusing on the reps will resonate with you.
Listen to Episode 7 of the Spidcast now:
Follow Abi’s continued racing journey, including her recent podium at the Shed Enduro in Frederick, MD, on Instagram at @abi.ridefierce. To learn more about our 2026 Zøn 6 athlete roster and how the Spid Werkz Foundation is supporting the next generation of champions, explore spidwerkz.com.