Setbacks do not always stop the story. If we have the grit, they become the path to become better than ever. For downhill phenom Finn Iles, the past couple seasons have been painful, frustrating, and shaped by an invisible back injury that forced him to rethink how he trains, prepares, races, and lives. And that is exactly what makes this moment so compelling. He is healthier, hungrier, and faster than ever and ready to send it in 2026 with purpose. In this episode of the Specialized Bicycles Podcast, Ben Capron sits down with Iles for a direct conversation about the love of riding, freedom, flow, the long road back, and why he enters 2026 humble, hungry, and ready to win. The story moves from growing up in British Columbia, chasing his brother through some of the best riding on earth, to becoming a Junior World Champion, a World Cup winner, and one of the most thoughtful riders in downhill racing. But more than results, this conversation reveals what drives him. Riding is where the noise disappears. It is where the mind clears and the feeling of freedom takes over. But this is not just about talent. It is about devotion to process. Finn makes it clear that process is everything. The work behind the scenes. The routine. The repetition. The discipline to check every box so that when the gate drops, the mind is free. For him, preparation is not separate from performance. It is the thing that makes performance possible. That is what makes this episode hit harder. The obstacle became the path. Injury forced patience. Pain forced awareness. And the comeback has been built the same way Finn approaches racing itself: deliberately, honestly, and one step at a time. He talks openly about learning to trust the process, trust the people around him, and rebuild without rushing, all so he can come back stronger. The conversation also goes inside the development of the new Demo 11, a project Finn has helped shape over multiple seasons. From prototype bikes to production bike, from endless testing to finally having a stable platform to build from, he describes the process as one of the most amazing things he’s done in his career. That matters here, too. It is another expression of the same mindset: keep building, keep refining, keep earning speed. And now the focus sharpens. Val di Sole. A decade after winning Junior Worlds there, Finn heads toward 2026 motivated, healthier, and with a track that suits him in his sights. After everything he dealt with in 2025, he sounds like a rider who has done the work, learned from the setback, and is ready to win. This episode goes beyond racing, covering: Why downhill feels like freedomHow to clear the mind for ultimate performanceWhy preparation is the foundation of speedWhat really happens in the start gateHow injury changed his body, mindset, and processWhy the obstacle became the pathWhat 2025 taught him through pain and setbacksWhy Val di Sole matters so much in 2026The role Finn has played in developing Demo 11Why redemption is earned through the workIt is a conversation about freedom, preparation, resilience, and the road back to winning. Get More from Specialized TikTok: @specializedbicycles Instagram: @iamspecialized Specialized MTB Instagram @iamspecialized_mtb Specialized Factory Racing Instagram: @specialized_factoryxc Facebook: specializedbicycles Outride: @outride
