Ollie Davis: ‘I take my Nan to coffee every week’

Ollie Davis is friendly. He’s wickedly fast. And every week he takes his grandma out for coffee. Sometimes twice. What’s not to love?

But beneath that humble exterior is one of the hungriest riders on the circuit. Even one of the highlight performances of his career — an eighth place finish at World Championships last year, in which he was less than two seconds off the winning time — is a bittersweet memory to him. 

“I was happy to put down the run and be where I know I should be,” Davis said. “But to be honest, the way I was feeling on track that week, and the way I was riding, I think it should have been a bit more.”

Davis is joining Trek Factory Racing DH with a lot he wants to prove to himself, and he’s stoked on the environment around him. He’s feeling comfy on the prototype bike, and he’s got one of his best friends by his side in Lachie Stevens-McNab. With TFR, he’s also been working with a crew of Trek and RockShox engineers to dial in the perfect setup for the World Cup opener.

“I think the thing that separates Trek is the development of the bike, and that they’re eager to make the bike the best,” Davis said. “[Racing] is so tight, you have to be working on your bike and making it the best. And then with RockShox coming along and working with the team, and the team getting RockShox to work with them closely, I think it’s so important.”

Overlook Ollie at your peril. He may be the nicest man on the hill, but he’s got big ambitions for 2025.

Ollie spoke with the Race Shop about learning to appreciate how far he’s come as a rider, fulfilling his dream of racing for a factory team alongside Lachie, and (of course) how much he loves spending time with his Nan. The following conversation has been edited for clarity and length.

You’ve done two team camps with the team so far. What has the vibe been like?

Ollie Davis: So the first team camp in Wisconsin, it was straight after Mont-Sainte-Anne, and I didn’t really know what to expect. Turned up in Wisconsin. That’s quite a nice place. Got put up in this mansion, which was quite insane. As soon as I saw that, I’m like, ‘Oh my goodness.’ And then went to the HQ, and we hopped out of the van, and the place was massive. 

We had a meet and greet day and tour around the office, and everyone was so polite. Honestly, like everyone was stoked. Every group we went into was so nice. They’re just saying hello.

And then we roll around to team camp in California, and I think from the get go, we already know each other, the riders and everything. So that was pretty easy. We all got on straight away and super well, and with Shandro and [team support manager Ryan Gaul].

The vibes were good. We’re all cracking jokes. It was all fun.

And then when it comes down to testing, everyone’s right into it. The riders are really focused on the testing, same with the mechanics. But then also it’s still fun, which is so important. It was good with the RockShox guys. They’re all nice, and they’re good to work with, and they listen to you. But when we need to get the work done, everyone’s on the straight and narrow. 

What was it like working with the testing and RockShox crew, and how has it been adjusting to the new bike?

Davis: So I haven’t ran RockShox in like five years, so everything’s new. I didn’t yet know how the suspension works and what direction to go in. But the RockShox guys, they gave me tunes to try, and they work a lot on rebound. I would just tell them, ‘Yes, I like this, no, I don’t like that,’ and what I like about it, and it was easy.

We started on the current bikes, did a day on them, and then the second day jumped on the new ones. It took me a bit of adjusting to get it in the spot I wanted, but by the second day, I was pretty stoked on how it felt. It felt mint.

It is very similar to the current one, which I like. Because the current one is so sick. I was glad it carried some characteristics over to the new one.

What were the biggest differences you felt going from the old bike to the prototype?

Davis: I’d say, just in the rear end and the growth. It was easier to turn, and you had that mid pivot change, but I liked it in the high position, which is the most similar to the old one. It was just that little bit easier to turn. And then I had the suspension in the more progressive setting, so it felt just a bit softer through the top and middle and then ramped up, so it was a bit less harsh.

Going back to your new teammates, what’s it like having such a close mate with you in Lachie Stevens-McNab?

Davis: Lachie and I were teammates for two years on The Union, and we met our first year as juniors, so we’ve known each other for a while now. It was always our dream to be on a factory team together like Trek. So it was honestly a dream come true when we both signed. 

We are so similar, but then so unsimilar. So we help each other a lot, I think, especially when it comes to racing. 

Explain that a little bit more. You really talked about being on a factory team together?

Davis: When we were little kids our dream was to be professional. And we’re like, imagine one day we can be on one of the big teams together. We’re like, ‘We’ve got to make that happen.’ So Lachie killed it, and I did well, and then we earned our way and got a ride on Trek. I think it’s pretty special to look back on and see how we got here.

Especially coming from The Union. It was a non-profit team, and the budget isn’t that big, so you gotta make it work. A lot of the time it could be a bit rough around the edges, but it made racing so fun and it kept you humble, and it makes you appreciate all the small things and big things. 

You mentioned how you two complement each other, and help each other out on the course. Can you explain that a little bit more? 

Davis: We’ll be hanging out as a race week starts on track walk day, and we’ll go for spins together after track walk, and then take a swim in the river, and we’ll be talking about the track. And we can talk about it from last year, if one of us raced it and did well — things like that. So I think that’s a huge one. 

And then when it comes to practice throughout the week, we don’t necessarily always ride together, but we share all our information. Same with timed training, we’ll share where we did well and where we didn’t. We’re different in the way we prepare. Like he’ll want to do 10 runs on the first practice day, and I’ll only want to do seven. 

It’s not like we sit down and express everything. It just happens. We’re just good mates and talk about things. 

You had a major result at World Championships, taking eighth. Walk us through that. What was that experience like? 

Davis: So it was a weird season. I had a lot of pace all season, but I didn’t quite put it together. Maybe just a little bit of inconsistency, which kind of hurts, but it’s all a part of the learning.

So going to my good result in Andorra, I qualified eighth and came in eighth. I was pretty happy with that, because I put down a run where I know I should be. So that felt good. 

But to be honest, the way I was feeling on track that week, and the way I was riding, I thought it should have been a bit more than eighth. I didn’t feel my run was all that great. So it was bittersweet. I was more happy than sad, obviously, but the way I was riding that week, I feel like I could have been properly up there. 

It was a solid run, there were just a few things that could have been better. And when it’s that tight, a few things can get you a few positions.

No one holds you to a higher standard than yourself. So you mentioned feeling you had some inconsistency last season. What do you do to try to achieve that consistency this season?

Davis: I had really high expectations when I joined the team, and my mindset was always just, ‘Better, better, better,’ which I think is a mindset you need if you want to be a good racer, but I think there’s a fine balance. And I think I needed to let myself see the good in what I was doing a bit more. That changes a lot of things. That helps you have a bit more fun while riding, it lets your confidence go up, and I think confidence is absolutely everything. So I think the expectation, it can still be there in the results, but I’ve got to be a little less harsh on myself. 

Plus, I think with all the work we’re doing with Trek and RockShox, I can get a quite comfortable setup. That was a big thing I struggled with last year hopping on a bike super early in the season, and I just couldn’t get comfortable on it. I was struggling with a few things and I just think it all adds up. Working with RockShox and [Trek Senior MTB Engineer] Dylan [Howes], I think it’s going to be huge.

That’s a great perspective to have overall, and something you hear from a lot of athletes, that it can be hard to appreciate where they are because they’re always thinking about going faster.

Davis: Yeah, it’s a funny one. Sometimes when you do get a good result, it almost doesn’t feel as good, because you’re so at yourself on working and getting better, better, better. It’s just something you have to control and manage well.

Being in a new team environment, what makes Trek stand out so far? 

Davis: I think the thing that separates Trek is the development of the bike and that they’re eager to make the bike the best. And there’s no limits. Like talking with Dylan, they’re making a whole new bike, I think it’s insane. And I think that’s what you’ve got to do in this day and age in racing. Everything is so tight, you have to be working on your bike and making it the best. And then with RockShox coming along and working with the team, and the team getting RockShox to work with them closely, I think it’s so important.

Have you done this sort of iterative testing and retesting before, or is it a new skill for you? 

Davis: This is new to me. Obviously, I’ve tried little proto things in the past, but not on this scale. I’m still learning about it and having fun on the way. And it’s something I’ve dreamed of, to develop and work on a bike. It’s pretty special that we get to do this and race it for a brand like Trek.

What’s something the world doesn’t know about Ollie Davis off the bike?

Davis: I do love a lot of things outside of racing. I love moto riding, like dirt bikes. I like skating. And I love traveling around and just living a simple life, which is quite funny for a mountain biker. 

A big one is I take my Nan to coffee every week. OK, that’s a funny one. Sometimes we get breakfast. If not, we just sit down by the river and have a coffee. I love doing that. That’s one of my favorite things.

That’s amazing. When did that tradition start?

Davis: I think maybe two years ago. I came back from overseas, and I’m like, ‘Hey Nan, want to get a coffee?’ And it was so good. So we just kept doing it. And then all of a sudden it became a tradition, and we’ve been doing it ever since. Sometimes it’s twice a week.

So yeah, what else do I do?

I still help my dad out and the job he does, just to repay the favor. So he works in construction. And my family’s helped me out, so I think it’s only right to go help dad, even when it’s just him at work and I’m there as a bit of company. 

Last question: What are you looking forward to this year? You can answer however you like, whether it is racing at a specific venue, a result you want, a vibe for the team or the season, etc.

Davis: I think just this insane opportunity. We get to travel and do the things I love. So that is one, just going to races and racing my bike is what I love to do, and hanging out with an awesome team. 

We’re lucky, we get to go to some insane places and insane venues, and the places we see on the way as well. It’s pretty special. 

And then I am looking forward to seeing what results we can do and hopefully get a few new best ones. And my goal would be a few podiums. That would be unreal. I still haven’t got a podium yet, and that’s a big goal of mine. I’d love to tick that one off with Trek this year.