Cory Wallace and his well-abused Kona King Kahuna 29(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Wallace often picks the Maxxis Ikon 3C EXO TR rubber in a generous 2.2" width(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
The head-badge on the King Kahuna 29 is typical Kona style(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
A 36T SRAM XX1 chainring is used - impressive considering Wallace often tackles extremely steep and long climbs(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
The RockShox SID XX World Cup fork features a remote hydraulic lockout that sits near his left-hand(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
A short-travel RockShox SID XX World Cup keeps Wallace tracking for hours on end(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Wallace's nickname 'Wally' is engraved into the lockrings of these ODI Ruffian MX grips(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Cory Wallace is sponsored by SRAM/Truvativ and so he uses a mix of Noir and Stylo components(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
The Kona King Kahuna 29 – a lightweight carbon frame with all the latest trends including a 142 x 12mm rear axle, tapered steerer and press-fit bottom bracket(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Wallace's 2013 has definitely seen better days: this WTB Silverado saddle is begging to be retired(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Cory Wallace’s Kona King Kahuna 29 has thru-axles front and rear, here a RockShox Maxle takes care of the 142x12mm rear axle(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Cory Wallace loves his XX1 groupset(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Cory Wallace's hardtail of choice - the Kona King Kahuna 29(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Cory Wallace had an amazing 2013 season and he's hungry for an even better one in 2014(Image credit: David Rome / Future Publishing)
Cory Wallace, from Jasper in Alberta, Canada, is an unassuming figure in endurance mountain biking. But when the races get painfully long and hard, he tends to shine. As an endurance specialist, Wallace travels the globe competing in the world's toughest mountain bike stage races, single day marathon (XCM) and even the occasional Olympic discipline (XCO) race – such as the upcoming World Cup round in Cairns.
While Wallace was staying in Sydney, BikeRadar was able to take a look at his 2013 race bike. Wallace says the machine has over 70 days of racing in it, and judging by it's appearance we're inclined to believe him!
The bike was ridden in 2013 to overall first place finishes at the Mongolia Bike Challenge and Canadian national marathon championships; and second place finishes at the Crocodile Trophy and TransRockies. Wallace says his 2014 bike – sitting safety at home in Canada – is basically the same but with a Stan's No Tubes wheelset.
As part of the Kona team, Wallace has access to both carbon hardtails and dual suspension bikes. Even though he tends to be on his bike for hours on end, a hardtail is the usual choice because of its all-out reliability and the fact that many marathon races end in sprint finishes.
Wallace picks the King Kahuna for most races. He uses this carbon 29er with large 2.2" tubeless tyres to help soothe the miles
Wallace admits a dual-suspension is the more comfortable option, especially for events such as solo 24-hour races, but between the carbon frame and large volume 2.2" 29er tyres, there's still enough to take the sting away.
Wallace doesn't travel with a mechanic and so the bike needs to be as servicing-free as possible: at 9.7kg (21.34lb), his setup sits on the obvious side of reliability.
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It features a near-full SRAM XX1 drivetrain and, Wallace tells BikeRadar, "you couldn't pay me to ride anything else. The single ring setup with a wide range cassette is perfect for everything I do and the reliability is by far and away the biggest selling point". At the time of photographing, Wallace was riding with an XO1 rear derailleur – according to him, "a rock stole my XX1."
Imagine riding more than 850km, with 14,000m of climbing in just seven stages. Now imagine doing all that with just a 36T chainring. That's exactly what Wallace did to win the Mongolia Bike Challenge in 2013
Matching up with the 10-42T 11-speed rear cassette, Wallace pushes a rather large 36T front chainring – something he claims is well suited to the longer road and open sections found in most marathon races.
This Kona has thru-axles both front and rear – something that's quickly becoming a standard of even the lightest hardtails – with RockShox's Maxle system making an appearance at either end.
Wallace's nickname 'Wally' is engraved into his grip lockrings
A few other pieces standout to add some character to this borderline-abused Kona, including some custom engraved ODI lock-on grips, which feature Wallace's nickname 'Wally' and a WTB Silverado saddle that is begging for retirement.
Wallace's upright bike setup features a handlebar height higher than his seat; something he chooses for both XCO and multi-day stage racing.
Compared with many of his elite competitors, Wallace's setup is very upright
While some riders may change setup and even bikes depending on the style of race, Wallace told us that his bike setup doesn't change one bit – except for an additional bottle cage in races such as the Crocodile Trophy.
"Making sure your bike is set up efficiently is seriously important: I see the guys at Balance Point Racing at least once a year. When you're spending lots of time on the bike, you need to be confident your position is exact."
Complete bike specifications Frame: Kona King Kahuna 29 – size 18" Fork: RockShox SID XX World Cup 29, remote lockout – 80mm Headset: FSA sealed Stem: Truvativ Stylo T40, 100mm Handlebar: Truvativ Noir T40 low-riser, 720mm width Grips: ODI Ruffian MX – custom engraved lockrings Front brake: Avid XX, 160mm rotor Rear brake: Avid XX, 160mm rotor Brake levers: Avid XX Front derailleur: N/A Rear derailleur: SRAM XO1 Shift levers: SRAM XX1 trigger Cassette: SRAM XX1 10-42T Chain: SRAM XX1 Crankset: SRAM XX1, 175mm, 36T Bottom bracket: press-fit Pedals: Crank Brothers Candy 3 Wheelset: Easton EC90 XC 29" Front tyre: Maxxis Ikon 3C EXO TR 29 x 2.2" – 22psi Rear tyre: Maxxis Ikon 3C EXO TR 29 x 2.2" – 24psi Saddle: WTB Silverado Team Seatpost: Truvative Noir Carbon zero-offset Bottle cages: Blackburn Carbon (1) Computer: Garmin Edge 500
Critical measurements Rider's height: 1.75m (5'9") Rider's weight: 70.4kg (155lb) Saddle height from BB, c-t: 700mm Saddle setback: 8mm Seat tube length (c-c): 457mm Tip of saddle to center of bar: 520mm Saddle-to-bar drop: Positive 35mm Head tube length: 120mm Top tube length (effective): 597mm Total bicycle weight: 9.7kg (21.34lb) (includes one bottle cage, no computer)
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