Shady Grove 8.5.01

[Thump]

Awful track conditions, super cement hard pack coated with a couple inches of baby powder, deep baby powder in some corners. Rutted jump faces and landing zones. Dusty, dusty, dusty.

7am I roll up to the track and Taraker, TwinSpar and Blackhawk468 are already there. I get suited up and get to the track. I felt great, must have ridden 20 laps right out of the box. Come in to cool off and Rick shows up. I go back out with the pack and rode close to 30 laps, the pack went in after 3-4:think. I came in because the bike was out of gas.

Then MX221 and several others showed up. Shane made all of us look slow but man it is fun to watch that boy ride. He is considerably faster than the last time I saw him run.

Today was the first time since the surgery I felt really good on the track. I was even doing doubles I have never done before, not even pre-surgery.

As bad as the track was the day was a blast and I still have permagrin. Riding with my friends, talking smak in the pits and yelling at eachother in the corners
Corner dialogue at the top of our lungs:
Rick: "Get out of the way this is my line!!!"
Thump: "If its yours come take it!!!!" BUUURRRRAAAAPPPPP see ya!

As if things could not get any better JG calls me on the phone after a 5 hour riding session and when I get home and unloaded I flick the TV on and the Tro race was just about to start. A perfect day. God I love this sport!

Pics of the day coming soon.

 

[jeffd]

Sorry I missed out this time. Sounds like you guys had fun despite cruddy track conditions. I am itchin' to go ride since I haven't gone since our last outing at Shady Grove (and Crawford Park). Next weekend is probably out for me as well since I will be flying to Chicago Wednesday and driving back on Saturday. We are shutting down our Chicago office and I got the short straw :think

-jeffd

 

[Thump]

Some of yesterdays adventures included Backing into corners 101. :p

 

[yarbonwick]

Sorry I missed out. Had a late-late breakfast if you know what I mean. Who's up for Xtreme Tuesday night. They are open from 6pm-9ish. Only a twenty minute drive from my house. Loamy sandy corners (hint-hint)

 

[blackhawk468]

7am I roll up to the track

Okay whatever you say. :silly:

My first time at Shady Grove, track is alright. I'm not used to those kind of conditions, I'm usually spoiled with a groomed and watered track. The track did have some nice table tops and doubles that I'm sure I could do eventually, but didn't go for them. I had a pretty harsh washout in a sandy corner where I didn't want to get up for a few minutes. I have a nice blue bruise with a gash in the middle of it to show for it. I refused to go back and check it out at the time and jumped back on my bike and took off to pound a few laps in. I had fun listening to all you guys talk smack to each other between riding. Too bad I'm not fast enough to keep up YET, but you bet when I am fast enough I sure will do some smack talking and then leave all of you in the dust. :p

Cool picture thump... too bad I don't trust you with photos anymore after I have seen what you can do. ;) :p Please send a copy of the photos my way.

After all the "old guys" ;) got tired I took off with Shane and his group and went to Mosier Valley. I finally cleared the finish line jump and finally semi-mastered this corner I have been working on. I also started jumping the step ups and was making it further and further each time :cool: Around 3 I started getting really sloppy in my riding, and decided that it would be my last practice. My bike started going sideways in the air and I didn't know how to get it back so I would land funny and then my front end would almost wash out. I managed to keep it on two wheels though. phew. Soon as I got home I jumped in the pool. My elbow hurt like a mofo cause I have a salt water pool. :( Then my mom poured a gallon of alchol stuff on it on 2 different occasions, and made it even worse but I guess its for the good. Thanks for the great time! I had fun.. when will we do it again?

 

[taraker]

Pictures! You want pictures! You can't handle Pictures!

 

[taraker]

Yarbo, call me at 972-884-6737 for Tuesday night practice

 

[taraker]

More photos

 

[TwinSpar]

Dust was an understatement...

 

[Farmer John]

Man, that track looks like a sidewalk with sand on it :eek:

 

[Thump]

Originally posted by Farmer John
Man, that track looks like a sidewalk with sand on it :eek:

It is, don't it look fun?:p

 

[blackhawk468]

I'm really lucky!

It took me a while to unload my bike and stuff from my truck but after I got the bike off the ramp and I started to push it into the garage it stopped moving like it was stuck in gear or something. I looked down, and to my suprized, my little sproket, the one on the front of the chain, came completely off. The chain was stuck and the bike just wouldn't move, not even an inch. No pieces were in my truck or on the ground, which means it came off on the track before I loaded up my stuff to go home! I am so lucky that it didn't come off while I was in the air on a jump I mean... I can just see me flying over the bars, breaking my chain, sproket, some other misc parts, and breaking some bone. It kinda freaked me out, and I realized how lucky I was for it to have come off after the ride and not during. I might have needed my protector Thump to pick me up off the ground and protect me from the oncoming 426's :p :silly:

 

[Thump]

Re: I'm really lucky!

Originally posted by blackhawk468
....my little sproket

You mean sprocket?:eek:

 

[BillyWho]

I think you guys are dragging your feet kicking up dust on purpose so it looks like your really going fast:p

 

[Thump]

Originally posted by billywho
I think you guys are dragging your feet kicking up dust on purpose so it looks like your really going fast:p

Nah... In Texas we drag surfer cross announcing, skater talking Californians behind our bikes.... That or Yankees, both are equally as fun.:p

 

[Farmer John]

Originally posted by Thump
Nah... In Texas we drag surfer cross announcing, skater talking Californians behind our bikes.... That or Yankees, both are equally as fun.:p

As a Yankee (PA native) living in Cali I know that this is not true. You would have to be able to ride faster than we can run. :p

 

[BillyWho]

In Texas we drag surfer cross announcing, skater talking Californians behind our bikes

Yeah but can you do a Stailfish nosebone off the lip....of a 80 foot double!!

 

[Thump]

Originally posted by Farmer John


As a Yankee (PA native) living in Cali I know that this is not true. You would have to be able to ride faster than we can run. :p

Brother, I said in Texas... IF we could not catch you we would just get out our lasso and rope your butt while pinned in 3rd, tie it off the sub frame and let the dust start flying.:p Yeeee Haaaaw!

 

[Thump]

Originally posted by billywho


Yeah but can you do a Stailfish nosebone of the lip....of a 80 foot double!!

Only on accident do to the excess weight of the baggage being dragged behind.

 

[BillyWho]

Only on accident do to the excess weight of the baggage being dragged behind

Same here, in fact I don't even know what the heck I just said:p

 

[Thump]

Originally posted by billywho
..... in fact I don't even know what the heck I just said:p

And that is out of the norm..how?

 

[MX221]

As a Yankee (PA native) living in Cali I know that this is not true. You would have to be able to ride faster than we can run. :p

I'm sure that wouldn't be a problem:p

Shane

 

[yarbonwick]

Re: Re: I'm really lucky!

Originally posted by Thump
You mean sprocket?:eek:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by blackhawk468
....my little sproket
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Now you knew that was coming didn't you?:eek:

 

[taraker]

I see the individual from Alabama has something to say?:eek:

 

[jeffd]

Taraker you just LIVE to stir things up, don't you? :p :confused:

-jeffd