Cory Wallace is the reigning, six-time World Solo 24 Hour Mountain Bike Champion and the Head Organizer for the Rockies 24 race in Canmore, Alberta. His mountain bike adventures have taken him all over the world, inspiring riders and raising funds for various humanitarian causes along the way.
- How did you get interested in endurance mountain bike racing, and 24 solo racing?
- What happened to 24-hour racing? Is it making a comeback in terms of interest and participation?
- The race you organize, Rockies 24, started in 2022. Why did you decide to start up a new 24 Hour race at Canmore?
- How do prepare for a 24-hour solo race? Is it different than preparing for a stage race or an XC marathon race? Do you have a team at the race supporting you in terms of nutrition and bike repair? What is your strategy for such a long race? Is the strategy different for teams?
- Are you excited about pursuing a record-breaking seventh title this year? Where and when is the championship race being held? Which bike are you planning to ride?
- I saw that you were recently training in Nepal. What’s the riding like there?
- As someone who has mountain biked all around the world, what is your favorite place to ride?
- What are some of the humanitarian projects you’ve supported through your rides and advocacy, and why did you choose them?
- Which projects and rides are you stoked for in 2025?
You can follow Cory @wallacesworld on Instagram.
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Automated transcript
Jeff Barber 0:00
Hey everybody, welcome to the Singletracks podcast. My name is Jeff, and today my guest is Cory Wallace. Cory is the reigning six-time World Solo 24 hour Mountain Bike Champion, and is the head organizer for the Rockies 24 race in Canmore, Alberta. His mountain bike adventures have taken him all over the world, inspiring writers and raising funds for various humanitarian causes along the way. Thanks for joining me. Cory.
Cory Wallace
Yes, it’s my pleasure to connect you finally.
Jeff Barber
Yeah from like, pretty far away. You’re in Colombia right now, right?
Cory Wallace
Yeah, I just arrived here a couple days ago to get ready for eight-day bikepacking race.
Jeff Barber
So, how did you first get interested in endurance mountain bike racing?
Cory Wallace 0:49
Um, well, growing up in Jasper, Alberta, we had access to all the rocky mountain trails and good fishing spots, and I would just ride my bike, um, basically stay in shape for hockey and, yeah, holes, yeah. And I just enjoyed it. The freedom I had in my on my bike, and as a hockey aspirations kind of faded away. I saw an opportunity in cycling, and it seemed like my My specialty was a longer. The longer it went, the better it was for me. So, yeah, interesting national progression. And so did a bunch of short races when I was younger, like in my late teens, and then took a break to go tree planting and go to school. But I want to come back as an endurance mountain bike racer, and I messaged my friend Dick Cox from Kona. I knew him from all his bike shops, shop visits in Jasper, and I just messaged him saying, like, Hey, does Kona have a spot for like, an endurance rider at that point, Marathon racing wasn’t very big. And he said, like, not now, but we’ll keep an eye on you and and, like, nothing changes, and there’s kind of good motivation to go down to the 24 hours of adrenaline. And so raced out a couple years then la ruta da con keystor in Costa Rica, and both those events had good results. And then, yeah, kona called me up and asked if I wanted to come join the team for for the season, um, just joining for like, BC bike race. And so I think that year I got like, a bike and some clothes off them, okay, but I was just like, super stoked to hang out with the team guys. Then it was like, Chris Sten and Barry wicks, they were owning the BC bike race back then. And, yeah, it’s just like, super cool. Is like a dream come true. And then yeah, kind of took off from there.
Jeff Barber 2:49
Yeah, that’s pretty wild. I mean, you like, you were just like, I want to do this endurance biking thing. Like, does anybody want to sponsor me? And they actually responded to you and were like, well, yeah, you just gotta, gotta do some races. Is that kind of how it went?
Cory Wallace 3:03
Kind of like I had a kind of long lasting relationship with with Dick from Kona bikes, um, this one was visits to Jasper, and I had a few good results when I was in my junior years. Just kind of on the radar, I guess, for Okay, for being Alright, yeah, but it’s really the marathon side that which helped me get get into the scene and and, yeah, when I decided I want to get back into it, I’ve been off my bike for a couple years, like full time. So I took my bike to the tip of chili Puntarenas with a bob trailer, and it started biking north. I figured a couple months bike packing down, they would get me. I saw a base for that season. And yeah, and that, that trip was full of adventures and chaos, but it seemed to work.
Jeff Barber 3:55
Yeah, wow. How much ground did you end up covering on that trip?
Cory Wallace 4:00
I ended up in Lima, Peru eventually, but it it did involve a few bus rides as my first route up the west coast of Chile. I couldn’t get over a snowman pass, so I had to go east across in Argentina. And then I actually caught a bus up a ways to the lakes district like very low che, and then crossed back into Chile. And yeah, I kept going north, and eventually I caught a bus through the Atacama Desert to finish it off to Lima. Wow. I remember my last two days. I must have ridden like, 50k a day into this massive headwind, about 45 degrees out, and I was just like, I’m never gonna make it. Like I had to. I had a flight to catch, so I I flipped the bike around, and what took me two days to do, I went back in like four hours to some town, caught a bus, and then bust eight or two. 10 hours to weema.
Jeff Barber 5:00
Yeah, wow, that’s that was quick thinking. I wouldn’t have thought to do that. I would have just been, like, frustrated, and then missed the missed the flight.
Cory Wallace 5:10
Yeah, I was trying to catch busses up on the way, but it was right on Christmas time. They’re all jam packed. The only way was it at the station if someone didn’t show up. So it’s like, on standby, yeah, so I lucked out and got on there and made my flight.
Jeff Barber 5:25
So you mentioned that you did a couple of 24-hour races. Did you start doing those only as solo, or were you ever like, part of a team?
Cory Wallace 5:35
No, my buddy Dave McDowell, who ran the bike shop in Jasper free wheel cycle. He was doing solo, and he’s like, You should come do it. And I just, I just came off two months of tree planting in May and June, and I was like, in this race is end of July. So I thought, yeah, you know what? Why not? Like, I’ve endurance right now. So I went on a bike tour for a couple what was it? A couple weeks like, down nice fields, Parkway, big loop up to Hinton dot, Jasper, and then straight into the 24 and I thought I might last like 12 hours. And then, I mean, I never run longer than like eight hours at that point in my life. So to me, it’s just like, yeah, I probably wouldn’t finish. Um, but yeah, no, I I had a good race that year, and I made a lot of mistakes in it, but I got it done, and it’s just kind of lit the fire. Um, yeah, I think that he was actually the world championships, and I was, I was like, in the top, I was probably 20th, and then massive rainstorm came in, and it knocked a bunch of the foreign riders out, bunch of the Australians and those that weren’t really prepared for the cold, wet conditions. And just by default, I moved up bunch of positions. And then the last couple laps, fifth places and in sights. And I remember in the last lap, I’d make up, like, 20 minutes, and they could do my second fastest lap the whole race. Oh, wow. And meanwhile, the guy in fifth had like, a complete meltdown, and and I actually passed him to get the last podium spot. That was a good finish. But I remember I was like, I was laid out for three weeks after that one,
Jeff Barber 7:25
Wow, yeah, it seems like that’s, that’s what’s required in 24 solo racing. We’ve seen that from a lot of people. And, you know, 10 years ago, it seemed like there were these 24 hour mountain bike races everywhere. And here in the US, you mentioned 24 Hours of Adrenaline like that was, that was kind of the name that was associated with 24-hour racing. I recently came across a Wikipedia article about the series that says, “It appears 24 Hours of Adrenaline went out of business after their last 2017 event with venue fees at Canmore Nordic center being blamed as the cause.”
As someone who lives, kind of, in the area nearby. Is there any truth to this? I mean, what happened to 24 Hours of Adrenaline and, kind of, by extension, 24-hour racing in general?
Cory Wallace 8:21
Yeah, I don’t know, because 24 Hours of Adrenaline had, I think, eight races at its peak, yeah, and then cam was the last one they had, and it was still selling out, like over 1,000 people, and very profitable, I imagine, um, but yeah, I think there was some internal conflicts, possibly, um, which might have played to the downfall of it, because, yeah, it started to lose traction. Less and less Rogers would show up. And, I mean, the Nordic center, it’s a world class venue, so you have to pay some money to rent it. But with the number of riders I had, I imagined they would have been fine with that.
Jeff Barber 8:59
I remember hearing that Canmore was kind of the last one that they were holding on to, and that it was wildly popular. And yeah, I guess a lot of us just wonder, like, why it went away in all the other cities. I mean, I guess, like, you’re saying maybe the races weren’t as well attended over the years, fewer people were interested. But it does seem like there’s kind of a resurgence going on right now. Are you seeing that at all based on the people you talk to or the races that that you’re entering?
Cory Wallace 9:30
Yeah, totally. I think, I think all of cycling took you hit during COVID, and that really didn’t help 24 hour racing out. Yeah. And the thing about 24 hour events is that you need the numbers to make it what it is. So as soon as you enter the numbers, it’s not super cool, and it just doesn’t have that atmosphere, right? But the race which has kept that atmosphere is 24 hours of old Pueblo in Arizona. It’s in your 25th year. You. And they sell out in like an hour or two every year. Yeah, wow. And 2000 racers. And, I mean, the course is nothing special. It’s, it’s cool out in desert, but nothing amazing. The venue is just like, a bunch of tents set up like they do a good job setting up a little village in the desert.
Jeff Barber 10:16
It’s like Burning Man for bikes.
Cory Wallace 10:21
It is, and what makes it is the riders and the atmosphere. Um, so, I mean, 24-hour racing is live and, well, they’re in the Le Mans start. There must have been four or 500 people charging down the road, and it was, it’s just a cool event to be part of. 24-hour racing, I think, has a bright future, wishing to have the numbers at the race and create the right atmosphere.
Jeff Barber 10:46
Yeah, it’s interesting. You mentioned COVID Because, I mean, now I wonder if that was kind of a good reset for it, you know. I mean, like 24 hour racing had been around, and, like, there were plenty of races if you wanted to do one. And I guess people kind of, like, took that for granted. And then, you know, once we were all kind of stuck inside and stuck with these, like, solo rides and stuff, yeah, maybe now is the time that people are like, You know what? That was a lot of fun. Like, this is a good way for me to get out and and ride with a bunch of friends.
Cory Wallace 11:20
Yes and no. And that’s kind of what we see it like the Rockies 24 is the people that show up have a blast, and kind of, they’re starting to remember how much fun it is, where, if you haven’t done it, 24 in quite a few years, it’s like, you just think of the night lapse, how hard it’s going to be and but no, like, once you’re there, it’s just, you know, you’re with your buddies, you hammer out a few hot laps, drinks, a beer or whatever you want to drink. And, yeah, it’s supposed to be good time. Nothing too serious.
Jeff Barber 11:48
Yeah. Well, the race that you organized, the Rockies 24, started in 2022 so yeah, that was kind of the tail end of COVID. But I’m curious, why did you decide to start up a new 24 hour race at Canmore, like how long? I guess it had been, like five years since it went away. So what made you decide or take that risk to bring it back?
Cory Wallace 12:12
My business partner and I at the time, Layton, we both had such a good time 24 hour racing, and had good memories of 24 hours of adrenaline. So it disappeared. I mean, it kind of left a hole in the in the western Canadian race team. So I think in 29 we approached 2019 we approached the Nordic center about hosting it. But at that point, they were still not doing overnight events like once the 24 hours of adrenaline shut down. They kind of said that’s enough for now. Yeah, so we went to the open nog, and then set up a 24 hour race at Silver Star, and ran that in 2019 and then 2020 it got canceled. And then 2021 or 2022 we got permission to host one in Canmore, 2022, so that year we’re going to host both the races. We just didn’t have the numbers to in silver star. So cancel that one. Just focused on Canmore. And, yeah, it’s been so yeah, we ran it together for two years, and we we kind of scraped by, yeah, and my buddy, like, he has way better ways to make money. So he just said, You know what, I It’s too much work to not, you know, to not be, to be losing money pretty much. Yeah,
I was a bike racer, I was like, yeah, he’s probably right, but I do have a bit of time in my hands and the connections and the bike industries. So I’m going to push on. I think it can. I think can succeed. So last year was a fair bit better. Had over 215 riders. Okay, nice. The numbers are starting to creep up. And this year, the goal is to really hit 350, 400 at that point, it’s sustainable, and we have a good atmosphere showing on Yeah. Um, so yeah, it’s starting to build. I’ve had great support from my from the community, and the races that have done it have come back. So I, I think we’re on the right path.
Jeff Barber 14:19
Yeah, right. There is such a history of the race being there and, and, yeah, it was, was one of the last big ones. So it seems likely that it’s gonna, it’s gonna take back off again and maybe again. It’s like kind of portending what’s gonna happen for the rest of the race scene, as people get more excited and re engage with 24 hour racing. You know, last year, you won your Sixth World solo 24 hour mountain bike championship and so. And then this year obviously sounds like you’re gonna go for your seventh. How do you prepare for a 24 hour solo race?
Cory Wallace 14:59
Well, it’s kind of like a 12-month preparation. It kind of starts in the well, it started over in Himalayas in November with some big adventures and exploring around the country. So like November, December is just like huge days in the bike going all over the place. What’s a well, Christoph sozer joined me for a couple weeks. We went to the west side of Nepal and started cycling across. And he had, I think, 13 days. We’re on a bit of a schedule, and we really wanted to hit over half the country and do that in a printer circuit at the end. Whoa. So we were riding basically from when we woke up till an hour tuned to the dark. Wow. So basically, 12 hour days, eight to 10 hours with the wheels moving. Yeah. We did that non stop for 13 days and then and he had to fly home, and then I continued on the same thing for basically five weeks, wow. And then as a season gets closer, I try and dial it back a little bit. It focus a bit more in intensity. So now I’m kind of doing 20 to 25 hour weeks with some racing tied in okay. And then I love racing fast. So I like doing these stage races and marathons, and I find that gives me the top end I need to to win these 20 fours, yeah. And then the endurance is, is there from all these big, big adventures.
Jeff Barber 16:36
Yeah, wow. I was going to ask how your training is different than preparing for, say, a stage race or XC marathon race, but it sounds like, I mean, you’re obviously, you’re not training for those races, but those races are a part of your training. Is that? Is that kind of how it works?
Cory Wallace 16:56
Yeah, I guess so. I mean, to be fast at 24 hours, you just need to have a you need to put the miles in, and then you need the top end speed, and you need to rest the kind of the months leading up to it, make sure you’re you’re ready to dig deep, because if you go into 24 hour tired, it’s going to show it at midnight. So I mean, the weeks before 24 hour, I’ll make sure I get a good volume session in, and then dial it back to make sure I show up rested and ready to pin it.
Jeff Barber 17:32
Do you look forward to those races, or do you get nervous? Like, I don’t know it sounds like the amount of effort you have to put into it. It, it doesn’t sound pleasant to race itself. But is that how it is or or is it okay because you’re able to prepare enough for it?
Cory Wallace 17:53
Well, I used to only ever race one a year, because I found I forget how hard it was. So I only did one year. I told forget how hard it was. I’m going to the next one, kind of oblivious to it. I’m racing a few more now, and I think, yeah, mentally, it’s hard to prepare for one, because you know how far you gonna have to bury yourself and but if you can block that out and just get to the start line with the with good health and good fitness, and it looks after itself, yeah, um, so yeah, try not to overthink it until the race starts and then then engage, yeah? Because, yeah, it’s easy to psych yourself out from these big missions if you, if you think too much.
Jeff Barber 18:37
What is your strategy if you’re willing to share it? I mean, is this, is it, like a big secret, like you have a strategy you think that helps you do so well at 24-hour racing? Or is it, is it something pretty simple?
Cory Wallace 18:53
I mean, every every race plays out differently, and I just have it so set my mind that then I’m going to win that I just make sure I do. I think it’s just a mental I think the mental strength is a huge part of it, and I’m guessing it’s been built up over the years, because the body can handle it as long as you feel it right. And that used to be an issue, but I switched to FTC nutrition, and now the feeling’s not an issue, okay? And then mentally, if I can, just tell myself I’m not going to lose and I’m pretty confident the start line. Because the thing in 24 hour racing is that there’s so many ways to improve. Every time the xCO race is so fine line, like it’s within seconds, but 24 hour races, so many ways get faster, they just have to be ready to make the sacrifices to to get those extra minutes on the guys.
Jeff Barber 19:51
Well, obviously you’re focused on solo racing and you know, you. Very few of our listeners, I’m sure, are gonna ever do a solo, 24-hour race, but a lot of us have done these longer races as a part of a team. So I’m curious like, Have you thought about what your strategy would look like if you were on a team? Have you seen strategies that teams use, that that maybe is effective in a race like that?
Cory Wallace 20:22
Yeah. I actually raised two on a team, one with the local Jasper crew one year, and then one with buddy Steve Gaffney, who did a duo, okay? And in both those races, the strategy was like, I do six hours at the start and then we’d go into more of a rotation.
I think teams seem to go well if they just do one lap at a time, full gas. If you have real strong routers, I could do two laps at a time, kind of getting a bit of a rhythm, then other guys get more of a break. But I think it’s just really depends on who’s on your team and and what they want to do. Like for me, going lap to lap is so hard, because you gotta psych itself up for one lap, then you only have three or four hours break, and you gotta do it again, right? Where I’d rather lace them up and do a couple laps, and then have a six or eight hour break after is other guys do a couple as well each Right, right? But that being said, I haven’t really thought too much about it. I more in the solar realm, but yeah, I mean that being said, I think 90% of teams that COVID 24 hours just started to have a good time. So they’re happiest going lap by lap and and if you’re super serious, then I think you you gotta make a real plan based on everyone’s skill levels.
Jeff Barber 21:46
When you’re at these races, racing by yourself, do you have like, a support team, or somebody who’s there supporting you during the ride, in terms of, like, nutrition and bike repair and that stuff?
Cory Wallace 21:58
Yeah, that’s a huge part just having the right pit crew the first like six or 824, hours, I did always had a different crew, which was awesome, but it’s a as a race go on, you become pretty incompetent, and you need your pit crew to think for you. It really helps having someone there that knows you. So my buddy Leighton, after he saw me almost win the world so many times, he finally said, like, Okay, I’m coming to Italy with you. We’re gonna make sure you win it. And that made all the difference just having him the pit, because I raced against him. He’s done a pile of 24 hours, and now you come to the pit mill the night, and he would just hand me what I did. I didn’t have to say where. He just knew. And he knew what to say, when, and and then, yeah, we went on to win three in a row together, four in a row with him on my pit crew. Um, yeah, it was awesome. And then recently found my coach, Luke way come into the pit, and he’s been awesome as well. He just, he’s raised 24 hours, and he knows my body and how to how to get, get me to win. So yeah, I’ve been lucky, and I’ve had friends like as well helped me out over the years. That one of my good friends, Taryn, helped me for number 24 hours. She was there for the fifth world title. And just having people there that just know you and what you need, it helps so much the last few hours. So, yeah, I mean, I learned that from Jason English just watching him when so many I think he won, like 3024, hours in a row at one point, whoa. And he had his wife there for a lot of them, but he has had the pit so dialed in, like he doesn’t even stop, if, unless they make him stop. So once, yeah, I remember one 24 hour in Australia, the first time I thought I could win. Jason won. I am up second. He won by like 45 minutes. And we looked at the pit stops in the end, and he had seven minutes of downtime the whole 24 hours. And I had about an hour. So, I mean, that was basically a difference, that opened my eyes. Like, okay, shoot, like, we can’t stop, right?
Jeff Barber 24:18
Yeah, well, like, I, as you’re describing this, you know, I’m thinking of Chris Eatough, who was the six-time world champion back, I think, in the early 2000s and there was, there was a documentary made about his quest for number seven, the 24 Solo film. And right, I just remember seeing not just him, but all of the solo riders just, you know, after many, many hours on the bike, they were all just kind of like out of it, you know, like, and you could tell that their pit crew, that was what was like, keeping them on the bike, and like making sure that they knew what they’re doing. And, yeah, clearly that’s a big part of. It. And so I’m curious to ask you about about your seventh title that you’re pursuing. When is the race and where is it being held, and what’s, what are you thinking about that race?
Cory Wallace 25:14
Um, well, actually, the date and location haven’t been set at the moment. Okay, they’ve had a few venues lined up. But because of the war, the Ukrainian war, they couldn’t host in Eastern Europe, obviously. And there’s another spot that’s going to host it, but that organizers fighting in the war, oh geez, it was kind of like bad bad luck in that sense. So we’re not sure where it’s going to be yet, but, uh, yeah, it’ll probably be in Europe. It makes
Jeff Barber 25:40
it hard to plan for sure for your training and stuff, right?
Cory Wallace 25:44
It does, in a way, but the winter miles is still the same. So like right now, I’m just piling on the racing and making sure I get all the depth in there, and then once the dates get announced, I can just adjust the schedule and make sure I fine tuned before then, right? So, but yeah, once they announced it’s gonna be the focus to get number seven, and yeah, I’ll just approach as any other one. Yeah, I still have the fitness and the bikes and the support, and I’m looking forward to it. Yeah,
Jeff Barber 26:18
Tell us a little bit about your bike setup. Has it changed over the years? Like, what do you what are you riding right now? And what are you currently planning to use for the race?
Cory Wallace 26:30
Well, I’ve been super lucky to be riding with Kona for over a decade now, like probably 15 plus years. So I’ve been grinding Kona, Hei Hei bikes at all the 24 hours. And they’ve just been awesome. They have a new one coming out, which I rode in Australia last year, tested out. And, yeah, it was super, super awesome. So I’ll be running that again. And, yeah, I mean, you don’t mess with the working formula, I guess.
Jeff Barber 27:01
Yeah. I mean, do most people ride full suspension bikes in these?
Cory Wallace 27:05
Yeah, yeah, full suspension, especially now they’re still lightning, lock them out, and over the course of 24 hours of body just get speed up a bit. So I think there’s a few exceptions, like 24 hours of old Pueblo is a super fast course, and I actually rode my Kona gravel bike. Is my, I thought backup bike, but it all it turned to almost my main bike. Yeah, the Kona Orobouros. I put 2.25 Maxxis tires on it, little suspension fork, and it was awesome, super fast. And yeah, go to for six out of 10 laps. The Hei Hei, for four.
Jeff Barber 27:46
And that’s interesting. You’re allowed to switch bikes during the race?
Cory Wallace 27:51
Yeah, everyone shows up… well, most people show up with two bikes, just for mechanicals, and we got to swap lights and all kinds of stuff like that. And, yeah, it was interesting. Like, the Hey, hey, was way comfy to ride, but the ouroborus was faster in sections, and it’s just more engaging than that course with a the Hey, hey, was like, almost too much bike for such a smooth course. Yeah, you only have to think, yes, like, point and shoot with a gravel bike. Actually had to, like, pick lines and stuff a little bit. So just for engaging, I engaging the mind around it a bit more. Yeah, but that’s a one off. Um, I’m pretty sure that worlds will be racing two Hei Heis.
Jeff Barber 28:35
Interesting. Well, yeah, before we were recording too, you were mentioning that you weren’t feeling well during the race at Old Pueblo. I mean, what does it take to do that like to race where you’re not feeling well? I mean, is that something that you’ve had to do in the past, like you have experience with or or is that just kind of like a one-off thing?
Cory Wallace 28:58
Um, no, one of the first 24 hours I did in Canmore, I was sick, leaning into it, and I tried to fake it, but at hour 10 or 12, I mean, you can’t really fake being sick. And I went from doing like one hour laps to a three hour lap. Wow, one of the local riders, Dallas Morris, he passed me twice out on my one lap, and he kept telling me pick crew that was coming. And then I got to the pit, and there’s, like, no question. Like, yeah, lights out. I’m shutting it down, yeah. So leading the old pueblo. I was sick for a week in Canada, but starting to get healthier. So I hopped in a plane down to Tucson, and then it re it came back again a bit. So I was, I wasn’t fully healthy, and those close to me said, Look, you know, don’t risk like, there’s no point with all the racism coming up, yeah, but, I mean, I was camped there on race site, and woke up race morning, I was like, You know what I gotta, I gotta do a couple hot laps. Anyways, I. Yeah, um, test out the gravel bike and hey, hey, and just like, get some race racing going. So planning do three or six hours. Three to six hours, yeah, just to kind of pride myself for this next bunch of racing. And I was actually feeling pretty good, so I did, I think I wrote 12 hours and had a decent lead, but at that point, I mean, I wasn’t offering that 100% and my pet crew is just like, You know what? There’s no point, because you’re going to bury yourself and be out for probably a month. Yeah. And I was like, You know what? They might be, right? I’m going to dig a big hole, and I won’t be ready for this eight day race in Columbia, and then maybe not Cape epic. So it was a hard call to pull out when you still feel okay. But yeah, I shut it down and got some rest that night. And here I am in Colombia, and I feel ready to go, so I think it’s the right call. But yeah, no, for 24 hours is going to find your weakest link. And if you’re sick, it’s it’s going to find it quicker.
Jeff Barber 31:03
Yeah, well, you mentioned that, like, the mental aspect of racing 24 hours is such a big part of it. And so I imagine you have a lot of, like, internal dialog around this, of saying, like, should I keep going? Should I not like, I really probably should quit. But, I mean, I imagine you’re not a quitter, so is that tough for you to have to tell yourself, you know, I need to pull it?
Cory Wallace 31:28
I mean, I probably would have just kept cruising around because I had a nice lead, and I could have just cruised around, probably gotten the W but my pit crew is just like you look, you’re way off last year’s time. You’re not even close to the course record that you’re like, trying to get. And you’re, yeah, you’re just, like, offering 80% like you’re not getting faster doing this. And yeah, so it was a tough call. I didn’t want to really quit, but I knew deep down I should, because the last 12 hours is really it’s really hard, and I’m sure I would have dug a hole. It’d still be enough. I did that.
Jeff Barber 32:06
Right, right, yeah. And again, it sounds like having a good crew makes a huge difference, and having them be able to tell you that, and you’d be able to trust them, sounds like that’s huge. Yeah, we talked about your training recently in the Himalayas. What’s the writing like there? I mean, is it? Is it like we’ve seen in pictures and stuff, or like, what’s, what’s kind of the draw of writing in the Himalayas?
Cory Wallace 32:37
Oh, man, Nepal is just a cyclist paradise. I mean, you have three layers, like the Terai, which is flat, the mid hills, which is kind of rolling, 3000 meter hills, and then the Himalayas, which is like the big ones. So the mid hills is, like awesome for the gravel bike. It’s like some pavement, some gravel roads, almost no traffic. Always a place to stay warm temperatures, and Himalayas is next level. There you want to have your probably full suspension. It’s like pretty rugged riding.
Jeff Barber 33:12
Are these trails or still gravel roads?
Cory Wallace 33:15
It’s a mix. I mean, there’s gravel roads everywhere. There’s also trails everywhere, and no one’s really ridden them, so you have to know yourself if it’s ridable or not. Yeah, like, I’d say 90% of the riders do like Annapurna Circuit Mustang, like the that’s the circuit they do. So that riding is, is mostly dirt roads, like rough dirt roads, and mixed in a single track. This past winter, my goal was to find a new route, staying as high as I couldn’t Himalayas, and not having to hike a bike. Though it was pretty cool, like I found some new dirt roads connecting valleys, and I’d say most of those dirt roads, but there was some trail, maybe 10% but most of trails pretty gnarly, I’d say, like, you gotta really be on your toes. There’s big drop offs and big rocks, like they’re made for hiking and donkeys and stuff. Yeah. So it’s reliable. You gotta be fully on it and have the right setup, like 2.4 tires, dropper post.
Jeff Barber 34:24
And you’re ridig fully loaded, I imagine too, right? You’re carrying everything you need, food and water and sleep gear and all that stuff?
Cory Wallace 34:32
I mean, the beauty of the Himalayas is that there’s tea houses like everywhere, though, we just packed clothes, bit of nutrition, and yeah, that’s basically it, just counting on uh, getting somewhere every night. And we had emergency babies just in case. But yeah, so I we packed it in like, 20 liter backpacks and then a handlebar bag, no seat bags you want to be able to get behind. Your seat for the trails. So, but, yeah, you can pack pretty light, and you have to in Himalayas because you often climb up these 2000 meter vertical passes, and it’s like tough terrain, like you’ll be climbing for four to five hours sometimes. Yeah, wow. So it’s you really feel every extra pound that you pack.
Jeff Barber 35:21
Yeah, yeah. And I imagine you’re at high altitudes there too, right? Like, what are some of these rides top out at?
Cory Wallace 35:30
Selzer and I topped out at 5400 meters on the last trip. Okay, wow. But it seemed like most of passes were topped out around three to three and a half 1000 meters. Okay, then you drop down, sometimes down to 500 meters, and start the next one. Oh, wow. Like, yeah, because basically, when you go across the Himalayas, you’re just going across river valleys. So you go over one valley, dropping the next one out of that one, and then the next one. Yeah, it’s really tough riding, to be honest.
Jeff Barber 36:04
Yeah, my goodness. Well, as someone who’s biked around the world what is your favorite place to ride? Where do you keep going back to? Or where do you want to go back to?
Cory Wallace 36:16
Nepal, for sure. There’s just so much to explore. I mean, I used to always do the Annapurna Circuit and kind of the go to places, but the last few years, I’ve started to explore every side of the country, and the more I explore, the more that opens up. And there’s just endless potential there. The solokumbu Valley near Everest, is an actual bike park there, and a lot of good trails, oh, wow, yeah, it’s all at altitude, like 24 to 4000 meters, okay? And you can stay with you, stay at monasteries, if you want, or tea houses, or nice hotels. Like it’s a training paradise. Yeah, it’s, yeah, it’s kind of like it’s one of the best kept secrets of Nepal, actually.
Jeff Barber 37:02
And do you see a lot of riders, foreign riders there when you go?
Cory Wallace 37:06
No, you don’t see any. There’s one guy, a French guy, Tangy, that lives there, and he brings in riders on guided trips. And they’ve actually had an enduro race there the last couple years. We’ve just brought in some foreign riders, just starting to get some recognition, but it’s just kind of an isolated area. It’s about a 10 to 12 hour drive in Kathmandu, and it’s just tough access. Um, so yeah, it’s not that well known, but it’s so cool. There’s one mountain, PK peak, you can ride up it, and there’s like a 2500 meter descent, and there must be like five different trails you can take off of it. So it’s, it’s amazing. So there’s just endless potential.
Jeff Barber 37:56
Yeah, that sounds incredible. So a lot of your rides, it sounds like and challenges are set up to benefit humanitarian efforts around the world. What are some of the projects you’ve supported, and why did you choose them?
Cory Wallace 38:09
Well, one of the first ones was to set up a training center in Kathmandu for their local Nepali riders, as the pollution in the city is pretty bad. And in the monsoon, it it rains a lot, and it’s super muddy. So it just seemed like the riders need a place to get away from the traffic and just be able to focus on riding their bikes. But we did a couple fundraisers to get get that open. And so basically it’s, it’s a small center. It has a little gym in it, maybe four indoor trainers, couple bikes set up. And, yeah, it’s just a spot riders can go before, after the rides or or for their workout and, and, yeah, just give them because all the riders based out of Kathmandu, pretty much it’s pretty central, and the governing body doesn’t really support the riders of cycling centers over there, it just seemed like a missing link. And then we also hosted a bunch of training camps up at high altitude, because obviously the Nepalis live in one of the best countries in the world to ride, but they only have access to the best training grounds, partly because of support, and partly because of the funding. So the deal was to take these riders, I think we took eight to 10 up and take them on a 10 day training camp up in Himalayas. Just train an altitude, do some gym sessions, talk with nutrition. Just give these guys, kind of an eye opener to where they live. And just some training tips too, from from US foreign riders. So we, I think we hosted four of those camps, and, yeah, just, it’s cool. I could open up these gofundmes, and there’s so much support from my friends. Family and sponsors, is that, yeah, just so cool, and money goes such a long ways over there. But I think for the training center, we were paying $200 a month for it, and now it’s we found a better spot for like, 60, wow, yeah, $60 a month, and these guys can have a training center. So it’s like, yeah, let’s do it.
Jeff Barber 40:22
Wow. It sounds like in your past, you were, you were planting trees, right? Which is, sounds like a really great thing to do. I mean, are you looking for these opportunities to give back, or was this a situation just kind of where you saw a need and you’re like, Oh, wow. Like, I can help.
Cory Wallace 40:44
It kind of stemmed from a project to do the Annapurna Circuit in under 24 hours. It’s kind of a typical bike tour in Nepal, which normally it’s like a, I guess, a seven day, 10 day trip, as your riders acclimate, and just like, enjoy the scenery. And I just looked at I was like, you can probably do this in a day if you wanted. So that was a challenge, just doing 24 hours and and we thought, yeah, let’s just do a fundraiser too, Steve, and get some funds for the Nepalis. And the consensus was that a training center would be the most beneficial to them. So yeah, that’s what we did the first year. And I think we raised like 5000 US, and then the next year we raised even a bit more, which allowed us to keep their center going and host a few else, two camps. And yeah, I guess that’s where it started, and then it carried on in during COVID. I spent eight months in Nepal, and the first few months as of the lockdown is staying up in solo kuana Monastery, the chiwon Monastery, and the monks just gave me a place to stay while the world was locked down. And, yeah, it was awesome. And I just thought, like, you know what I got all this time in my hands, we should probably do something. And it seemed like a lot of Rogers getting an ever stings. I thought, yeah, let’s do an ever sting here. It’s like on the footsteps to Everest and, yeah, the access road to the monastery was like 300 vertical meters. It was like, Okay, if I do this, whatever, like 30 times will be an ever sting. So I set out to do it. And I thought, like these monks, they’re not even asking for money for me to stay here, so I’ll fundraise to make them a dry house. Because what I realized while staying here is that, like, I’ve got my bike rides, come back, wash my clothes, and there’s no place to dry your clothes. Oh, kind of a humid, cold climate, yeah, but a dry house is a solution to this. And okay, I mean, the monks have one or two sets of clothes, and they had nowhere to dry them. So, so yeah, we figured out it cost about three or $4,000 filled with dry house with a hot shower attached to it, solar hot shower. So, yeah, that was the goal, was to fundraise for that during the by doing an ever sting. And that everything almost killed me because I only had, like, the local food to eat. It’s like Bucha potatoes. And I remember I thought it was gonna take me like 10 or 12 hours, and it took me 18. The monks were so confused just watching me go up and down this road, they like came out with lunch at one point to feed me, and there was a little tap at the top where I could fill my bottle, yeah, but it was just a brutal ride, all cobblestones, even the descent was super rough. Um, yeah, wow. But yeah, I finished it off. Yeah, that was cool. And then eventually I got back to Kathmandu, and was there for another four months in the pandemic. And it was amazing. The whole city was locked down, so there’s, like, no traffic, no pollution. You know, we just ride everywhere. And, but yeah, there’s a food issue. A lot of the locals just regarding all the food, because they live day to day, and a lot of them make their money off of, like, street stalls. And obviously couldn’t do that in COVID. So we started doing these food drives where we’d give away packages of like, the basics, like rice, beans, soya, soy protein, and few other things. And we do it by region. My buddy snow monkey, he’s a local and Kathmandu, and he knew where the people needed help. So we got permission from the the police to go out with it, with support and drop off these food food bags. And it was, it was kind of sad, like we dropped we’d have like, 50 bags to drop off, and as we’re dropping them off, there’d be so many people asking for, like, we need one too. And it’s like, you never had enough. Yeah. So I think we did two or three of these food drives. Oh. Um, but yeah, it’s just, again, it’s something to just to do. All we had all this time on our hands and and again, it was just like, I put up these gofundmes, and there’s so much support coming from around the world to do it. It was, it was easy for us, like I had the local connection, and it was just, I mean, everyone that supported that made it happen.
Jeff Barber 45:20
Yeah, well, it sounds like such a great way to, like, really connect with the places that you’re riding. And, you know, I mean, a lot of us, we don’t, we may not travel around the world, but, you know, we may take a trip or two to ride mountain bikes during the year. And, you know, it’s great, like the tourism economy is is wonderful thing. But I feel like some some of us, like, maybe, maybe that would be a fun way to get to know the community better and to give back more. Like, do you think, is that something that that all of us could do? Maybe, like, you know, there’s this idea of volunteerism. Are bikes and volunteering connected, kind of, in your mind?
Cory Wallace 46:11
I mean, biking is, I guess, yeah, so connected. You connect the community pretty easy. And you see so many parts of the countries that you’re in that you get away from the tourist areas, like you see where people are suffering, like you see where you can help out. And I think as psych like, as, if you’re a cyclist, travel in the world, you’re privileged and and it just puts you in the spot to be able to help people out. And and I think a lot of us just, there’s a lot of people back home that want to help out, and they just don’t know, like, where to put money, where it’s going to really help the locals. And I think when you can go there first hand and be like, hey, like, look, I’m here in Nepal, in this spot, like, this money is going to go here to these people. I think, I think it helps. Yeah, it’s not like a broad foundation. It’s like, yeah, donate here and we’ll put the money somewhere. It’s like, No, this is like, directly where it’s going.
Jeff Barber 47:13
Right, you’re not getting a tax write-off necessarily. This is just, you’re doing it because there’s a need.
Cory Wallace 47:19
Yeah, no, exactly. Um, and I think it’s just, I guess one time I was in Kenya training in E 10, where all the marathon runners trained, and a few of my friends like, hey, there’s all these runners that have so much potential, they don’t have shoes. And to me, it’s like shoes is such a basic thing, right? But you know these world class, well, potential world class runners running around, and they’re like, bare feet or sandals, and it’s like, you know, what, if you you get a set of good shoes there for like, 50 bucks, and might, might start their career, you know? So that was another fundraiser. It just kind of like fell into my lap. It was like, Okay, it’s just pretty easy to pull off. It’s pretty cheap. The fundraiser is like, you donate 50 bucks. It’s gonna buy a set of shoes for this runner. And I had a lot of support for that. And, yeah, I guess that’s just being the right place at the right time and having the right support.
Jeff Barber 48:20
Yeah, I think you’re right that that when we’re on a bike, we’re able to see a lot more in the communities we visit. And yeah, it sounds like you’re using that as just not even on purpose. You’re just identifying these needs and doing what you can to help out, which is awesome. So finally, I’d like to ask you about some of the projects and rides that you’re stoked for this year. Sounds like, obviously, worlds is a big focus for you, and you’ve got some other races planned. What’s what’s going on this year?
Cory Wallace 48:55
I’m back on Kona bikes full time, as they had a transition last year with Right, yeah. But anyways, the old owners re bought Kona. I got my job back full time, so I’m super stoked to be back on Kona race bikes.
And, yeah, I can’t wait. It’s like, yeah, deja vu part two. It’s um, so yeah, I mean, I was looking forward to 24 hours. To 24 hours old Pueblo, uh, kind of a rough start to the season, but, um, the next two races, trans crides, eight days, Mike packing across Columbia. I’m super stoked to be doing this. There’s a big line of progress like Lachlan Morton, and it’s just going to be, yeah, seeing a new country going full gas with some cool little guys and girls, and then that’s going to be based on, like, boot camp as well. Head over to South Africa right after and race Cape epic with Christoph sozer. Okay, so that’s super exciting. Yeah. We had a great time riding Nepal the last couple winters, and he asked for one to join him in the epic this year, and couldn’t pass that opportunity up. So we’ll be going full gas there. And then, then, yeah, a bit of a break, come back, come back for sea otter.
Jeff Barber 50:20
Wow, we’re only through April!
Cory Wallace 50:21
It’s only April. Yeah, jeez, yeah. So it’s, you could kick off the year, and then it’ll be kind of the normal local Canadian races, hopefully tie in, like, BC bike race, Breck epic, Oregon Trail, and then really focus on 24-hour worlds whenever it’s announced. Yeah,
Jeff Barber 50:43
Well, Corey, it’s been excellent talking to you. You’ve got such an amazing story written everywhere. And, yeah, you’re just a huge inspiration, though. Thanks so much for taking the time to talk.
Cory Wallace 50:56
Yeah, thank you for taking the time and making it work.
Jeff Barber 51:01
Awesome. Well, you can follow Corey at Wallace’s world on Instagram, and we’ll have a link to that in the show notes.
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