Neal Wood first appeared on the UKBMX race scene in 1985 as an unknown rider aboard a Robinson. Racing a limited National schedule in the 13s age group, he still managed to earn a UKBMX National No. 6 plate and shocked the field at the Champion of Champions at Perry Park—taking the win over UKBMX No. 1 and European Champion Anthony Howells.
For the 1986 season, Neal backed it up in a big way. Now riding for Melanie Vauvelle’s Ultra BMX Team, he claimed both UKBMX and NBMXA National No. 1 titles. In 1987, he continued his dominance across both associations, capping the year with a UKBMX Cruiser National title and the Cruiser Champion of Champions win.
By 1988, at just 16 years old and riding for Scorpion/Axo, Neal decided he was done just collecting trophies—so he turned Superclass for the season. By year’s end, he was both UKBMX Superclass and Supercruiser No. 1, defeating World Champion Andy Welsh and two-time Superclass No. 1 Tom Lynch.
Over the next few years, Neal represented top teams including Titan, UGP, S&M, and DK—continuing to win races before making the move to the United States. In 1999, he captured the ESPN Huffy “Road to Glory” Series, taking home a brand-new Kawasaki KX250 motorcycle, and later wrapped up his racing career riding once again for S&M.
Neal went on to compete in AA Pro, reach a World Championship Final in 1997 (Canada), and earn AA Pro National wins in both the ABA and NBL circuits. He also claimed the prestigious NORA Cup.
Beyond racing, Neal became a respected name in the U.S. BMX scene, gracing the covers of BMX Today, BMX Plus!, and Snap Magazine, and appearing regularly in Props Video Magazine.
These days, Neal is one of the main guys behind the scenes at Cult, where he designs products and helps shape the brand into one of the most respected names in BMX today.
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