Tassie native Annie Ford recently garnered international notoriety after descending an absurd 55,727 meters on a bike in a single 24 hour period at Coronet Peak in New Zealand. Annie's unyielding predisposition to shatter records is matched only by her determination to use her newfound platform to help protect all the things about bike culture she holds dear; the people and of course the wild, natural places from which she draws much of her inspiration and purpose.
We grabbed a few minutes with the intrepid Annie to ask her about her journey from surfer to world record downhiller, the process by which she came to be in possession of her record, her philosophy on life and her plans for the future.
Reserve. How did you first get into mountain biking? What initially drew you to the sport?
Annie Ford. Growing up in Tasmania, I always enjoyed the outdoors. However, it wasn’t until Maydena Bike Park was built in the backyard in early 2018, that I discovered mountain biking. I dropped the surfboard for a couple of years because I couldn’t get off the bike. We had some of the best riding on the planet on our doorstep, plus the bike community was so welcoming!
Growing up, did you always have an adventurous spirit or did yours develop over time?
I grew up with a picture of Ernest Shackleton on my wall; dreamt of going to Antarctica; and wanted to explore the world as early as I can remember. I’ve always wanted to climb over the next hill, just to see what’s there. I think there are a few of us that have deeply ingrained adventurous spirits, and the more I fed mine, the bigger and braver the plans became, so a combination of both!
What do you love most about riding, and what keeps you coming back for more?
I love that that riding takes you on a journey, both internally and externally. The big missions mirror life itself, with all their raw, indiscriminate beauty and suffering. Before beginning you make a pact with nature and uncontrollables, that whatever will be, will be. What follows is a spiritual negotiation with the elements and experiences. If you resist, the rain feels heavier and the flat tyres take longer. The only way to master those kinds of beasts is to understand that there’s nothing to master, to enjoy the process and what a privilege it is to be out there.
Although there are many ways to access this growth, I keep coming back to riding because of the people. The community is warm, welcoming, encouraging, helpful, and outgoing. Bikes level us, and bring people from all walks of life together. I love everything about it.
Do you consider yourself a competitive person; in competition with other athletes, or is it more about personal challenges and pushing your own limits?
Most definitely competitive with myself. Every mission attempted is designed to challenge my own limiting beliefs and comfort zones. To explore my psychology, and see whether I can push past all the physiological handbreaks; find joy in the simplest things; observe and change the voice in my head that gets louder when it’s painful, and knows every one of my weaknesses; and use all I learn along the way to hopefully make the world a better place.
Although I enjoy racing and competing, it’s only for the social element! It’s really fun being in the thick of competition.
How do you handle setbacks, whether in training, competition, or life in general?
I’m not afraid of trying and failing, but I am afraid of living life with only half my heart. Setbacks are where most of the learning is, where resilience is developed, and where we learn what we’re made of. Most of the highlights from my missions are the result of setbacks. If we’re scared of setbacks, we won’t take risks or put ourselves out there. I’ve learnt that I’m definitely going to mess up, I will definitely make bad decisions, but I’ll own them, grow from them, and try again. The bad times are what wakes us up to the good things we weren’t paying attention to.
If you could describe yourself in three words, what would they be?
Adventurous, curious, kind.
Who are some of your biggest inspirations in cycling or endurance sports?
Ross Edgley, Lachlan Morton, Erice Van Leuven
What inspired you to take on this challenge and attempt the world record for the most vertical descents on a bicycle?
For a while I’ve been dreaming up new versions of what’s impossible to me, and then going and doing it. After pedaling 10,000m vertical on the Nomad (accidentally becoming the first female to do so on a mountain bike), I watched a couple of friends - Rhys Ellis and Simon French - ride downhill for 24 hours at Maydena for charity. This kickstarted the thought process: “I wonder what the world record is…”. I soon learnt the 24 hour downhill Guinness World Record was 40,840m, however there was no female record.
I applied for the female record, and had to do a minimum of 30,000m (or 72 laps of Coronet DH Track) to be officially recognised by Guinness… Luckily we surpassed 30,000m in 13 hours, and continued on to break the male record in 18 hours.
Light work? Amazing. How did you prepare physically and mentally for such a demanding ride?
With lots… and lots… and looots of riding. Structured training started about 3 months before the world record attempt, with 1000m descent minimum days for 4-5 days a week. We then added an Apogee gym program 3 days a week, and increased to a few 5,000m days, then 10,000m days in the final month leading into the record.
Diet is usually very relaxed, however Action Sports Medical helped ensure my nutrition was dialed in for the event. I was consuming 2.5g/kg of body weight of protein and creatine for 2 months, and cut all shitty food out of my diet. The 48 hours beforehand included carb loading, which was incredibly helpful!
A few weeks out I typically go through a week-long period of enormous fear, where I’m psychologically removing “quitting” from the table. The only options when I stand on the start line are 1) seeing the record through to the very best of my abilities, or 2) breaking my body to a degree that I can’t continue. That’s probably not advisable.
I become very focused mentally in the final few weeks, and only read/watch/consume helpful information. It’s the only time I’ve become intolerant of individuals with bad energy or cynicism, given I’m increasingly protective of the emotional and mental state I have to foster for the record attempt.
You’ve also completed an Everest challenge—how did that experience compare to this one?
A whole different kettle of fish! The Everest was far lower intensity, and required a different type of patience. Where the Everest was slower and more introspective; the Record was exciting, interactive and physically intense. It took 31 hours of constant pedalling to reach 10,000m during the Everest, and those last hours dragged on like never before. The Record , however, was the fastest 24 hours I’ve ever lived.
What was your strategy going into the attempt? Did you have a specific pacing plan?
To achieve the goal of 50,000m, I needed to average 12.5 minute full laps for the full 24 hours, which I was really nervous about! I wasn’t sure if it was physically possible.
I knew I could comfortably do 10 minute laps for 12 hours, and thereby bank 2.5 minutes every lap. Those 2.5 extra minutes would then be accumulated and used for toilet breaks, mechanical repairs, and any unforeseen issues.
Incredibly, we averaged less than 10 minute laps for the full 24 hours. This is absolutely a credit to the support team, and the air fryer they brought up the mountain haha.
How did you manage fatigue and stay focused over 24 hours of riding?
Preparation was pretty key here - resting well for the week prior to the record, then sleeping late on the day, was an excellent base. We kicked off at 6pm to do the night laps while still fresh. My first caffeine gel was at midnight, then we set up a roster to have 30mg every 45 minutes for the rest of the record. When my support crew forgot a few times late in the record window, I certainly felt the fatigue build on the chairlift. The first rock garden certainly wakes you back up, though!
Were there any unexpected challenges or moments where you doubted you’d be able to snag the record?
Actually, the bloody opposite occurred! Within 30 laps, I turned to Jackson and said “we’ve absolutely got the record, and a lot more”. The body, bike, track and team were running perfectly, there was no pain (yet), and the pace was way faster than planned. It was SO encouraging.
Not a single thing went wrong, despite all the variables. We wore through brake pads and rotors faster than anticipated given the moisture in the dirt made it super gritty (and grippy!). Oh, and on lap 135, a bolt rattled out of my seat post. That’s it - dreamy “problems”!
Setting your fastest lap 12 hours in is incredible—how did you maintain that level of performance that deep into the ride?
This is hilarious, and really highlights the importance of a good bike setup, and just having fun! The Coronet DH Track is such an epic trail, and riding it with your mates at sunrise is incredible! Energy was coming in waves, and mixing it up with a rowdy lap here and there kept things interesting - which is part of the mental battle.
Why did you choose the Santa Cruz v10 for this challenge? Did you make any special modifications?
I formerly did the World Record on a Nomad. The Nomad was a little more agile than the v10, however my arms and back were increasingly painful from about lap 60.
I chose the v10 this time given the increased suspension and longer travel. We raised the bars an extra 10mm, installed a Pademelon Steering Damper, put on 220mm rotors front/rear, and ran SRAM Mavens. Holy shit. That bike is officially second to none - a perfect set up for long downhill days!
How did the conditions at Coronet Peak impact your ride, and did the terrain change throughout the day?
I was honestly dreading the DH track mid-summer, especially given the National DH Race was held on the same trail 3 days before the record attempt… I thought it would be a holey sandpit. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Some local trail builders heard about the record attempt and volunteered their time with the Coronet Peak team to work on the trail the day before the record, smoothing out the worst holes. How good are humans?!
We were prepared to kick off the attempt mid-week, however delayed the record 24 hours given 15mm of rain was forecast. Luckily, Coronet drains rapidly and the moisture made for utterly perfect trail conditions.
Thick fog at night kept the trails moist overnnight, but the sun quickly dried them out during the day. The last 50 laps were dusty, and the trains became increasingly dodgy!
Are you considering going even further? (60K metres of descent has a nice ring to it)
There’s a few too many other bike missions rattling around my brain to beat it just yet, life’s short, and bikes are too multifaceted to get pigeonholed!
How does it feel to have your name in the Guinness Book of World Records?
The 12 year old in me is stoked! The World Record Book is still the best Christmas present out there. But yeah, it’ll be fun to show the grandkids some day!
What did you learn from this experience that you’ll carry forward into future challenges?
Great question… I think it reinforced the notion that the most fulfilling use the momentum of these efforts have had on me is to work on a cause beyond myself, to appreciate every minute, that the world is full of wholeheartedly kind people, and to continue challenging myself to the point of breaking. The learning and focus for these challenges requires huge personal discipline, which translates to huge self discovery.
Now on the other side of the experience, is there anything you’d do differently if you had it to do all over again?
Absolutely nothing, it was perfect. To scratch the bottom of the barrel it’d be to have more brake pads and rotors on hand.
Do you have any plans for another endurance challenge or record attempt?
Scandinavia to Morocco later this year on the 5010! It’s the only problem with these missions, they create 10 more missions in my brain. A few more ideas bouncing around, but they’re still taking shape.
Queenstown has become a hub for extreme endurance challenges—what do you think makes it such a special place for riding?
I think you’d be pushed to find a better place on earth for endurance challenges! The community is astoundingly supportive, we’re surrounded by vert, the quantity and quality of trails is world class, there’s no bears or cougars to think about during the night hours, and there’s honestly a brilliant energy around Queenstown. The place dials every idea up.
When you’re not on the bike (roughly 5 hrs out of every 24 by our calculations), what do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Surfing is my go to when I’m not on a bike, which isn’t often! I also really enjoy my job in Queenstown, working for a charity TRAC that supports mountain biking and regeneration.
Do you have a favorite trail or ride in New Zealand that stands out as particularly memorable?
All time favourite lap in New Zealand is: Queenstown - Glenorchy - Routeburn hike-a-bike - Te Anau - Mavora Lakes - Walter Peak - Queenstown. Favourite standalone trail is still, you guessed it, Coronet Peak DH hahaha.
If you weren’t a cyclist, what do you think you’d be doing instead?
Sailing the world surfing. Combining a bike would be the ultimate combo!
What’s one adventure or goal outside of cycling that you’d love to accomplish?
End native forest logging in Tasmania, and ban seismic blasting for oil and gas in Australian waters.
If you could go on a dream ride anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Bikepack: Kyrgyzstan and Iceland. Mountain bike: Europe (yep, all of it).
