Leo Smith aka Lando Steezy is not your average bike rider. Find out more about him in this interview.
When you hear the name Leo Smith, you would probably imagine some caucasian accountant in his mid thirties driving a Prius to the daycare. This is the exact reason why Leo started using Lando Steezy. He is as diverse of a human as they come with one foot deeply rooted in the music industry and the other into bikes, never letting him be labeled or limited in his ways of expressing himself.
Born and bred in Macclesfield, just around the corner of Manchester UK, Lando kicked off his two wheel career riding his BMX. After a detour in photography, music and uni he found himself back on the bike after a few years of not riding. Spots evolved and his switch to MTB was the perfect fuel to the fire. Through Instagram he was able to show his style to the masses and here we are, a few years later with a Nukeproof sponsorship and a pro rider deal.
We sat down with him to chat about how things started, how they are going and what he has planned for the future.
Leo! Thanks for taking the time to do this. Really appreciate it.
Let’s start off at the beginning. Who are you, how long have you been wandering about on this earth, where are you currently based and how did you get into bikes?
Hey guys, first of all, thanks for having me share my story on this platform, I appreciate you guys reaching out!! Currently I’m still in Manchester but also stay at my mum's house throughout the week as she still lives in Macclesfield, not too far from the famous Mac forest trails, mostly known for 90% of 5001 boys stomping ground. As I’ve got older I’ve started to notice the town is a hub for cycling so bikes were always going hand in hand with my lifestyle. If I had to point where it all started I would have to say on the council estate where I grew up. We were lucky enough to have a skatepark so many hours of my youth was spent around there to keep me away from the madness that would be going on around me.
You said you started out as a photographer in the music industry, who did you have in front of your camera until now?
Oh, there’s too many names to mention, Centra Cee, Stormzy, Skepta, Charlie Sloth, D-block Europe, The Streets, Bou, the list goes on!
Do you still do a lot of photography at parties and club nights these days?
This year I took a step back and let my best mate Rick Flicks do the rounds. Me and him grew up together and he’s the dude who filmed all my bmx vids back in the day. It was dope in 2021 to see him back behind a camera and now he’s smashing it flying the flag for what I used to do. I wanted to focus more on riding and staying away from the party lifestyle and as much as I miss it I know it's the right choice for me.
Is it hard to combine that rock and roll lifestyle with riding bikes as a sponsored rider?
It was at the start of the year as social media gave the perception I was funding my lifestyle from MTB but although they helped me out massively with equipment I was funding everything through my photography business. Since signing for Nukeproof it has allowed me to take a step back and focus on what matters to me and having a budget to back me up I can really focus on creating better content.
After getting your basic steez on the BMX, when did you come across mountain bikes and how did you transfer to riding the big wheels?
I started riding MTB on the first week of Covid19 lockdown. To me it felt natural and I was comfortable on the bike almost instantly.
I read you were moving back to Macclesfield after some time away. Why did you leave in the first place and what made you come back?
I’ve only half moved back haha its complex. The riding here is what brought me to decide to live half with my mum again and after 8 months it's paying off with my progression. But this town is toxic. So many drug addicts or drug dealers, half of them are people I went to school with or considered friends in my early days. It’s hard to turn your back on people like that but I always have to tell myself that I’m an athlete at the end of the day and regardless of these people, I can't be seen or associated with them. Some ‘friends’ now call me Stush or would say I’m too famous for them but others understand I can't be around them and accept I don't mean being distant with bad intentions. Hardest part for me is seeing friends have children and I can’t be as present as I would like to be because I can’t be around that world of drugs, money and violence.
You do a lot of street, park and dirt jump riding, but you never really put a limiting label on yourself. I know Mac Forest is home turf for many top riders and it has a wide variety of trails, do you find yourself riding more trails these days?
This town has everything!! I always have someone I can shout for a session so I can’t cancel off that side of riding just to hit some trails, it gets boring just playing on one thing.
You starred in the new Megawatt E-bike launch video. What was your first experience with the E bike like?
Best thing ever! The bike forces you to ride even on lazy days. It brings so much motivation, even on solo rides.
You’ve had the E-bike in the shed for a few weeks now. Has it changed your riding at all?
It’s a game changer, because of the weight it rolls faster so I’ve noticed it made my trail riding so much better. For the first time in my life I’m questioning doing some races next year.
Even though you are a larger rider, it seems it doesn’t hold you back much out on the bike. You’re really pushing the boundaries and show a lot of people out there what’s possible. Do you get a lot of feedback on that?
ALWAYS!! Since January I’ve lost so much weight unintentionally but it's feeling good getting back into old clothes. Although I never felt large within myself so I always tried riding the only way I know how to; flat out, going big and with some steez!
I am sure there are many people out there that can relate to the issues that come with bike and suspension setup. Did you do any special tuning on your bikes and do you have any advice for anyone struggling with these issues?
For me all I know is Marzocchi. Their suspension allows a super simple set up so all I do is max tokens and max air. I’ve got used to it and never blown a shock so I put trust in the brand.
I hear that you have been doing some coaching work too these days. How did that come about and what’s it like putting riding technique into words and explanations to others?
I was naturally helping people anyway so between my friend Morgan and bike mechanic Stu I was kinda forced into it. Now I would say it's the most rewarding side of my job. I love it!
It seems like you are a role model for a big group of people these days and really showing that you don’t need to be a white middle aged guy to be out enjoying mountain bikes. Do you see yourself that way and do you focus on getting more people out on the bike through the riding, coaching and media you are creating?
I will always be the outcast of the industry and I’m ok with that. I’ve had to work 3x as hard as the average rider to be here so now I’ve got the ball rolling. I aint stopping till I get to the top, that’s when you're gonna see the content myself and Noah are sat on. There’s some gold coming!
As for the future, can you share some of the projects you have lined up right now?
If I told you that i'd have to kill you! Only thing I can share is that Sweden with another Nukeproof rider is gonna happen before the end of the year. I'll let you guys put the 2 and 2 together.
Mountain bikes are a great excuse to travel places and meet new people. Which are the best places bikes have taken you so far and are there any spots you are dreaming of visiting in the future?
I went to America this year for the first time and also did some gravel riding. That showed me a whole new world! I was so inspired after that trip.
As for in the UK I’d say Bike Park Wales and A470. I feel so in my element there! And my favorite skatepark has to be Asylum, it's a playground to get creative! So many options and lines.
Without sponsorship it’s very hard to make it all happen. Which brands are supporting you right now?
Nukeproof, Marzocchi, Burgtec, Schwalbe, Halo Wheels, Shimano, Giro, Camelbak and Dirt Factory.
Is there anyone specific you’d like to give a shout out to?
Rob from Nukeproof has changed my life in so many ways. He's let me be myself and never asked anything of me. He always has my best interest in mind and supports me in a way no other brand manager has. I owe a lot to him specifically. But on the whole Shimano and their brand manager always goes above and beyond for me, same with Josh from Halo and Neil from Marzocchi. Olly has helped massively with putting things in place at ZyroFisher. He helped me massively from the moment we met at Ard Rock. Also I can’t forget to mention Dan from the Dirt Factory who was the first to call me one day out of the blue in 2019 and give me the talk to say ‘look you’ve got something, it's now time to use it’. I thank all my sponsors who have helped but there’s some that have gone above and beyond just to make things happen for me. I’m forever grateful.
As for the future, watch out for what’s to come! I’ve got a new perspective for myself and I hope to help and inspire the next generation to show we don’t have to do the generic path in riding to have a MTB career.
Give Lando a follow on the socials: https://www.instagram.com/landosteezy/ or book him as a coach at the Dirt Factory in Manchester! https://www.instagram.com/dirtfactorymcr/
