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MountainBikeReview.com's Forum Archives - - Passion -
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"Hello, stomach?? Yeah, hi, Dante just called... (38 posts)
|  "Hello, stomach?? Yeah, hi, Dante just called... | dante
Apr 22, 2002 10:43 AM | | he'd like his nuts back??" Attempted yesterday, for the first time in probably 4 months to do the Wall at Trumbull. Have done it twice before, never felt comfortable, and so decided to face my demons and do it again yesterday. Plus was feeling "camera courage" due to the helmet cam on my helmet, and the assurance that the camera's owner wouldn't kill me if I crashed. So started off, slowly crept towards the lip, over the lip, too slowly, oh SH!T, freefalling out of control, riding a nosewheelie down the face of this moss-monster, ground coming up, back wheel touches, hard, feet come off the pedals, stomach hits the seat, brake frantically to stop myself as shorts get dragged into the tire, come to a stop, fall over on side, one hand raised in an "I'm ok," the other clenched around my stomach trying to make the pain go away. I'm ok. The camera is ok. Bike is ok. Actually stayed on the bike and didn't cartwheel over the handlebars. Saw chef's pic of me freefalling (both wheels are actually off the rock, the back one a whole lot more than the front), saw the helmet-cam video, even better, it looks like I did it just fine. So, even though there was a ton more to report, I'll let someone else do a formal write-up (cough cough, chef?) but I just wanted to post this pic and the story behind it.
dante |
| Damn, that looks steep! | Spike
Apr 22, 2002 10:49 AM | | Eek! Good luck with the stomach, balls thing. ;-)
Spike |
| It's extremely steep... | Chef
Apr 22, 2002 11:32 AM | | Not quite vertical, obviously, but forget about walking down or up without the aid of a harness and rope.
I can't wait to do it.
T |
| Pic looks good, bring on the video (nm) | Yeti_Rider
Apr 22, 2002 11:00 AM | | |
| It doesn't look all that steep.... | Dirt Pilot
Apr 22, 2002 11:23 AM | | ...When I tilt my head, sure does when I look at it straight though!
Yeeeeeaaaahhhhhh! |
| And when were you installing that double crown fork???? | CraigH
Apr 22, 2002 11:25 AM | | Congrads on riding that and living to tell the story.
Now the question is, when will Chef ride that? |
| As soon as... | Chef
Apr 22, 2002 11:38 AM | | Winged pigs fly from your rectum. ;-)
Actually, I'm very much tempted to ride it. However, I've got 4" single-crown front travel and an XC disc front brake. I'd like to have 5" dual-crown before I do it, just because I don't want to end up like Dante.
Also, my Z1 has suffered some as-yet-undetermined mechanical failure, and is unridable. I think it has to do with the fact that some complete and utter moron who shall remain nameless (Tai) used 5wt oil instead of 7.5wt oil when rebuilding the fork. I'm also feeling the fork flex front-to-back a LOT. Not a good feeling. Might be time for some new bushings or seals.
Is anyone selling a dual-crown, 5" travel fork - preferably one where I can use a standard QR? Looking for a MrT, preferably.
T |
| Cove has 2000 Mr.Ts, but they aren't all that cheap... | CraigH
Apr 22, 2002 12:00 PM | | To use a standard hub, you will probably have to go with a Jr.T instead.
Put a 02 Z-1 Wedge set at 4", F519 rims with Magura/Sachs hubs & Louise on my Sunn.
Went up and rode Upper Oilcan, Ladies & Lower Ladies yesterday. Lots of fun!
I need heavier springs though, bottomed it a lot.
I don't think this frame is going to last all that long if I continue to ride it like that though.
Front to back flex on your fork sounds like bushings. |
| forget Mr. T. | Stick
Apr 22, 2002 12:11 PM | | get one of these: |
| I've heard of (and experienced)... | Chef
Apr 22, 2002 12:35 PM | | a certain laxness with Stratos customer service lately. I'm not sure where their company's headed. They have a great product, but they don't back it up adequately. I have the option to buy a used S5, but...
T |
| Keep checking the classifieds | NCN
Apr 23, 2002 4:57 AM | | Hey Tai, I'm in the same boat as you; wanted to stay with standard hubs but try a DC. Also like you, I kept on feeling the front to back flex on my Z1, and I know the bushings and seals are in fine shape 'cause I had replaced them recently. I think that's just the way it is with Z1s set to 5" travel. I finally found a 99 Mr. T. last fall in the classifieds here -- only ridden a couple of times, and for a good price. It's on my El Terremoto, and it really does change the feel of the bike stiffness-wise. It rides really nicely, but one thing it isn't is light. But it's a great fork, and if you find one that's even in halfway decent shape they're completely rebuildable.
Good luck!
NCN |
| get a 6inch boxxer it's cheap and awesome | Lefty
Apr 24, 2002 8:46 AM | | but you need a new wheel i'm guessing for the thruaxle.. but mine rules |
| Howjagetthebeansabovethefrank (nm) | Metroid
Apr 22, 2002 11:34 AM | | |
| BAD NEWS FROM THE CHONGO GROUP!!!! (regarding crasher...) | dante
Apr 22, 2002 11:49 AM | | Crasher (aka Heather) launched the 9.5' jump that was posted a couple weeks ago, and crashed, hard. She got up, and complained that her wrist hurt, and felt like she'd sprained it. We looked it over, and didn't see any/much swelling, so we continued on, and got to a 7' jump that I *hate*, it's too flat of a landing, but it has a perfect launch so several people, including Crasher decided to do it. Crasher crashed, both times she attempted it, and decided to call it a day as far as launching things as her fork was acting up and not getting all of its travel, and her wrists still bothered her. We persuaded her not to try anything else, and so she pedaled for awhile, and even gave up her bike for James to ride (he was hiking while waiting for his new frame to come in) for a bit. Well, she ended up riding out with the rest of us at the end of the day, and hit the usual post-ride-starbucks, but was feeling worse towards the end of the day, so doc took her to the hospital to get some X-Rays. Here's the bad news: turns out that she broke the scaphoid bone in her wrist... cast for 3 months, not riding for a long time. Sucks. I'm typing this b/c she also sprained her other wrist, so typing really hurts.
dante
not a happy chongo... |
| Bummer. Get well soon Heather!! | Stick
Apr 22, 2002 12:05 PM | | That sucks. On the not-so-sh!tty side, with a good cast, she should be able to ride after 6 to 8 weeks ASSUMING she's capable of keeping both wheels on the ground!! No jumps, drops, or other silly stuff for AT LEAST 12 wks.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery!
-Stick (member of the Broken Scaphoid Club since 8/00) |
| you give me hope! | mtb_Crasher
Apr 22, 2002 7:39 PM | | the orthapedic told me 3 months - any less i should consider a gift. booo...i like the sound of 6-8 weeks better!! you broke your scaphoid in 8/00? so you healed up well huh? =) how did you do that?
mmmm...12 weeks after that w/ no silly stuff? gosh that's a tough thing to control - i just zone to crasher world as soon as i get one stroke in!! =P
heather |
| Heh, I don't know about hope, but. . . | Stick
Apr 23, 2002 5:49 AM | | you'll probably get a laugh out of reading how it happened! Not exactly a 9.5' drop, lol. More like a small jump with WAY too much speed and a bike that was unpredictable (to say the least!).
It's easy to laugh about now but, at the time, it really sucked.
Just shy of my six week check-up, I went to the 2000 Mt. Snow gathering and was able to ride ok (strictly XC, no DH runs that year).
Good news from the doc, and a fresh cast that offered lots of support prompted me to ride a couple weeks later at the Pocono Micro-Gathering/Drunken Slob Fest in Jim Thorpe, PA.
The second cast finally came off in mid-November.
Hang in there. It'll feel like forever, but three months really isn't so bad. And it could've been worse. 3 months after the cast came off my wrist, I broke my leg/ankle in 4 places but that's another story altogether! :) And slartibartfast (another Passion regular) was even more unlucky than I.
So, chin-up. Hang out here while you can't ride. The folks here are great for support when ya need it, and a good sounding board for venting I-can't-ride frustration. Use the time to browse the archives and you'll see most of us have been down and out at one time or another. We bounce back, and (usually) are much wiser for the experience. Usually.
:)
Get well soon! |
| i hope you... | mtb_Crasher
Apr 23, 2002 7:29 AM | | went back and landed that damn log jump after you were healed - for good measure =) thanks for sharin you broken bone journey!! once i get into a shorter cast (in a month) i'll pedal around - already have cabin fever and it's only been two days ahhhhh. it's annoying i can't just stretch my arm, not comfy in a right angle all day and night grrr. well it was great to read your past posts - you still riding w/ the cast and keepin your sprits up. i can't believe you had to go through it all over again w/ a broken ankle!! you must have been so aggravated!!
i'm gonna need everyone here for sure the next few months to help me keep my sanity! i'm gonna go hike when the chongos ride - so i may still feel part of the fun riding adventures!! maybe i can freshen up my pics and video shootin skills =)
heather |
| nope. | Stick
Apr 23, 2002 7:42 AM | | By the time I got back into decent enough shape to even consider jumping it again, a second tree had fallen in almost the exact spot where I ate dirt the first time. The jump is still there, but there's no way I'm attempting to clear both trees. You'd need lots of distance AND height to pull it off and, to date, 1WD (friend and riding buddy of mine) hasn't tried it.
My rule of thumb is: once he makes something 1042 times without crashing, I'll consider it.
Besides, I'm having way too much fun riding now (leg is FINALLY feeling close to pre-crash condition, more than a year later.) to tempt fate like that.
What can I say? Next to your gravity defying prowess, I'm just a big wuss.
;)
Glad you enjoyed reading. IF you want to read about the leg thing, check the archives around 2/4/01. |
| Aw, crap... | Chef
Apr 22, 2002 12:25 PM | | she told me a month!
Damn. Really sorry, Heather. You should bring a high-powered water gun when you hang out... :-)
T |
| that was before.... | mtb_Crasher
Apr 22, 2002 7:32 PM | | i saw the orthapedic =( my high hopes, doc said i'm in this thumb spike cast for a month then i get a shorter cast for 2 months.
you know what - i'm bummed, but at the same time i'm happy it's not worse. i'll heal up faster - serenity is going to be improved and ready to drop. it's all good - i'll nail that 9.5 ftr w/out a problem next time =)
heather |
| Get well soon | Burt
Apr 22, 2002 12:27 PM | | Thats got to suck....well get better fast and stop crashing ...lol |
| too long no crash... | mtb_Crasher
Apr 22, 2002 7:43 PM | | and well, i need to hang onto my title! =)
thanks! it's all good - i'm healin.
heather |
| Get well soon, Heather! | Obi-John
Apr 22, 2002 12:54 PM | | Owww! And to add insult to injury, the wrist injury makes it painful to type - which means we won't be hearing much from Crasher for a while, unless she has a secretary (thanks, Dante!)
Well that inspires me to go out and get some riding done today. I think I'll go with my gut and stay on the easier trails now, even though I recently bought Fox elbow/knee pads and a full-face helmet last week.
Obi-John |
| thanks obi-john! | mtb_Crasher
Apr 22, 2002 7:50 PM | | =)i'll be poppin in once in awhile.
and yes, dante is an excellent secretary (thx babe!)
heather |
| Hope you heal up fast...... | Battman42
Apr 22, 2002 9:50 PM | | Your ride pics are amazing... I like to tag along and watch, as I am rather cautious after my tangle with a truck on my motorcycle. It wasn't the crash, as that was minor it was the four months of pain and lost work, plus now I am not able to hike as much anymore. The good part is that I have this 2 wheeled, wheel chair with 4" of travel it replaces Motorcycles, Airplanes and Hiking boots all in one.
BTW I showed My Daughter the proper way to crash Last week... Stay clipped in all the way to the ground....She looked Skeptical... |
| ouch! | mtb_Crasher
Apr 23, 2002 7:40 AM | | motorcycle + truck = major carnage. oh man, i can't imagine the pain!! your in a wheelchair now? sounds like a good one - 4" of travel, you can clear a 2 ft jump =P well you can come hiking along w/ me - help me offer some "advice and insults" (as chef puts it) to the chongos =)
learning the proper way to crash is def. important!! i usually unclip though and toss the bike as far away from me as possible, then try and tuck n roll. i did not crash properly on this last one though, grip too hard on the handlebars should have let go maybe.
heather |
| So there I was... | Obi-John
Apr 22, 2002 10:51 PM | | So there I was, getting ready to ride today... tossing all the stuff in the car... bike, extra water, clif bars... oh, better bring along the new armor and full-face helmet in case I change my mind and go to Soquel Demo Forest instead of Fremont Older.
Yep, all packed... seems like I forgot something, but what?
Just look at that pile of stuff in the trunk, I have OVER-packed, couldn't possibly have forgotten anything.
Go to lunch at Armadillo Willy's and try Shiner Bock (mmm, Lance is right, that's some good beer, goes great with BBQ.) Drive to the trailhead and start unpacking...
Hey, where's my front tire? Still in the garage!
D'oh!
Went home and got the tire, went to Arastradero Open Space Preserve instead. Sigh. Gotta get out earlier tomorrow and go for a longer ride. The wildflowers were nice, I went around the park twice, and narrowly missed a good-sized rattlesnake on the trail. We both beat a hasty retreat.
Afterwards I was able to go to the Bay and watch the sunset on a nearly windless evening. The birds in the Shoreline Park nature preserve were reflected in the ponds like they were standing on a mirror. Also saw the planetary alignment - Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, and Earth's Moon all at the same time. Sweet!
And nothing broke.
Obi-John (never his mind on where he is, or what he is doing :-) |
| don't you hate... | mtb_Crasher
Apr 23, 2002 7:54 AM | | it when you forget something - something very important like a front tire lol...silly. we've all done something like that!! i'm glad you had a good ride - nothing broken, good thing! excellent ending it w/ the peacefullness of the bay!! =)
heather |
| Sending good vibes... | Mellow Yellow
Apr 22, 2002 9:37 PM | | Hope she heals soon.
Mellow Yellow |
| Thanks Mellow Yellow!! | mtb_Crasher
Apr 23, 2002 7:42 AM | | your good vibes are felt and much appreciated!! =)
heather |
| Make sure she goes to a specialist! | Dave G
Apr 23, 2002 4:10 AM | | Sorry to hear about the injury. My wife did the same thing in a wreck during a race last year and it was a complete disaster. She went to two normal orthopedists who completely misdiagnosed the severity of the break. She spent several months in casts using bone growth stimulators and the break didn't heal.
She finally went to a wrist specialist and he was able to tell from the initial x-ray that the bone had rotated and it would never heal on its own. He scheduled a surgery (got a pin put in it, and a bone graft since it had been so long since the initial break) and the _BONE_ is in great shape. Unfortunately, the 7-8 months in a cast caused the ligaments/tendons to atrophy and stiffen up. She is still doing rehab to get the strength and flexibility of the wrist back.
If she had been properly diagnosed she would have had the surgery straight off and would have spent perhaps 3-4 months total out of comission instead of close to 9-10.
Good luck!
Dave |
| what a horror story! | mtb_Crasher
Apr 23, 2002 7:49 AM | | yowsers - that's terrible what your wife had to go through =(
they made a huge boo-boo misdiagnosing a displaced fracture. i hope the docs you went too got an earfull from you two!! i hope your wife is able to ride again, oh the poor girl to her - that's just not right!
i'm pretty comfortable w/ the orth. i'm seeing. he and another doc both stated clearly that it is a nondisplaced fracture - the bones did not shift outta place. whew...no surgery. worse case scenerio after the cast comes off is the bone graphing - that is only if it does not heal right which is a possibility b/c of the bone that it is. but my thoughts are positive - i'm gonna heal up just fine.
heather |
| BAD NEWS FROM THE CHONGO GROUP!!!! (regarding crasher...) | Charles527
Apr 24, 2002 5:50 AM | | so you were riding that day at sax i saw you with a busted wrist!!
i hope you get better real soon
peace
chuck |
| no... | mtb_Crasher
Apr 24, 2002 5:56 AM | | i busted my bone this past sunday 4/21 and i haven't left the house since i got casted on monday.
heather |
| Sorry to lecture | LeeL
Apr 22, 2002 3:59 PM | | but you need to get even further back than that. Nice try though and nice pic |
| thanks, although this pic is after | dante
Apr 23, 2002 5:01 AM | | it had already kicked me out away from the rockface... need to go back and look at the video, there's a small (3' maybe?) freefall at the beginning and think that I was just going too slowly over the lip... need to try it again with a little more speed and a little tug on the bars as I'm going over the edge, oh well, practice makes perfect!! :)
dante
(bigger fork would help too...) |
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