[cactuscorn]

im not dead, just busy: now w/ pics!

i was on a extended road ride over the weekend, then doin some work at home before goin outta town on some biz the last cpl o days. now i need to prep the rfx for the dh race and the homey for the short track event, load it all up and drive to the black hills. all drive and no sleep makes cc a tired boy. i feel like i live in my friggin car! ill be back mon night.

so whats new with you?

 

[aixelsyd]

Since you asked...

I was at the endodontist yesterday to get a retreatment of a root canal because of an abscess. They couldn't drill past the post in my crown so then they had to cut open the gum and go in through the top. Now here I sit with the sun shining outside with a swollen face hoping for a better tomorrow.
Thanks for asking CC :thumbsup:

 

[cactuscorn]

damn syd, that pretty much sux. heres to better days in the dirt.

my day wasnt so much better. on the way across s.d. today, i learned my estranged brother in law had been killed in a helecopter accident. hes a full on videographer for a major tv station in phoenix and the copter he was filming a stolen truck persuit from collided with another doin the same. both pilots and both cameramen were lost. candycorn and i stopped in wall to gas up and decided to hit a local bar, grab a cpl beers and toast rick. the rest of the bar who had heard the news joined us. the tears finally came after the 2nd one and while i was busy actin like a girl, she paid with the card i had put down on the bar earlyer before someone offered to pick up the tab for us. i missed it all. the next thing i remember is leavin. guess i lost about 5 min in there somewhere. wierd. we didnt part on the best of terms the last time we spoke years ago but there are still plenty of good memories. he leaves behind 3 sons. i hope to see my own when i go back for the funeral sometime next week.

after a dinner of prime rib and crab legs along with a cpl more beers, we hit the hotel. candycorn went to bed and i re-prepped the rfx. i didnt know what else to do and it got pretty buggy on the trip so what the hell, i cleaned it all up again, fixed a flat, mounted the dh wheels/tires and gave it a big once over. never hurts to look it all over a 2nd time anyway.

tomorrow is dh practice and the short track race, sunday is the big day on the big hill. itll be interesting to see how i do. i have a porupous this time, someone to do it for other than myself. also plenty of aggression to work outta my system so ill either rip it up or go down in flames. either way, this is no longer my race. its ricks, coltons, tonys and eriks as well as for my sister, his ex wife.

 

[molarm]

Hey bud, that story is all over the news here in SoCal. My heartfelt condolences go out to you and your family. I'm sorry.

 

[Random Drivel]

I saw that story on the news CC, sorry to hear about your brother in law.

 

[trailadvent]

Sorry to hear CC hang in there bud:thumbsup:

Glad ya back come back to ya sense from ya roadie stint 2 hanging out in lycra for days on end hope there was no transfusions taking place other than the amber kind, do roadies drink that stuff

Be well, and Im sure after the DH stint the stoke will help

Ta

 

[cactuscorn]

thanx guys.

were not roadies really ta. more like one of the team names, SKA: self contianed alcoholics. yeah, dont gimme any shyt about the K. its not my team. lots of cotton shorts and t shirts on this ride.

 

[aixelsyd]

my condolences to the family CC. Sounds its time for some MTB therapy.

 

[airwreck]

sorry to hear about the personal ties to the tragedy.

glad to hear your back on the DH circuit, nice to have a good DH track to work the focus and ease the mind.

 

[cowdog]

Holy moly! That was national news. How many times do 2 TV station helicopters collide and wreck? That's crazy. Wow, our deepest condolences to you and your family.

cowdog

 

[rmac]

That really sucks CC. More tears to come I'm afraid when you go back. Hang in there.

 

[squish]

Dude,

I'm so sorry to hear about that! Rip it up while your out there, it'll help a lot.

Talk to ya when you get home.

happy trails...

squish

 

[AzSpeedfreek]

Cactus, I don't know what to say..... I am real sorry for your loss. You will feel better after the race, I promise. If you are able to ride when you are out here, let me know and we can do a remembrance/celabration of his life ride.

If it helps, ship your bike to my shop and I will make sure it is preped and ready to ride for you when you get here and I will help you ship it back home also.

 

[tedroy]

Wow ...

..this IS a small world. That story is all over the news. Tragic CC .. sorry for all the families involved. Take care.

 

[cactuscorn]

thanx again everyone. im lookin into goin back home for the funeral but i dont see any ride time involved. we hear a rumor that us air might be flyin the family in but nuthins confirmed yet. would be nice since i blew everything on the 3 road trips this past week.

i kinda forced myself outta my fri funk, more for candycorns sake than my own. i dont handle this stuff well at all and im not much fun to be around. not good on a road trip so i found a smile, put it on and got down to buisiness. dh practice went well yesterday. road from the 1st lift to the last with 1 small fall in about 9 hours on the hill blowin off all xc time to focus on the dh. too bad cuz my name was drawn for this super cool pottery plate they gave away at the awards. i was havin some cold courage at the bar and dint hear, not that it mattered since i didnt do the short track event.

the course is, in a word, fockin burley. steep - steep - steep and tight - tight - tight! the thing is almost a loose rock garden in the trees from top to bottom littered with jumps, drop aways and some blindingly fast 2 track sections. a clear line has started to form on this freshly cut run now that some of the rocks have been cleared off by a multitude of runs but ruts in the soft soil have replaced those and exposed even more roots. theres not alot of room for error on this thing and thats made tougher due to the fact yer draggin the brakes 75 - 80% of the way just to stay on line and outta the trees wile tryin yer damndest not to otb. its sure not like the old open courses we did back in the day, this baby is all tech and total focus is requiered. lots of tune time spent on the fox 36 has helped but i think ill drop another 4-5 lbs and speed up the low speed compression circut a few more clicks. other than a chain guiide issue, the rfx is workin flawlessly but id kill for another degree of headtube angle. if that guy would just step away from his spare shiver.....

today is final practice, thank gawd rory and jeff decided to push the start time back so we could do some runs and get back in the groove cuz this puppys gonna be a single run format. 1 chance to do yer best. it doesnt bode well for me cuz historically my 1st runs have always sucked and id make up for it with top 5 runs in #'s 2 and 3. we shall see. you all be well and ill try and report back again tonight.

 

[S-Works]

Best of Luck to ya, CC. We are thinkin of ya..

Couldn't swing gettin up there, Mrs. S was up for it, but 3/4 of the kids were gone for the day (She didn't seem to agree with my assessment that they could fend for themselves ) and it would have made for a long day today as we got commitmets on Mon.

Look forward to hearing how it went for you.

 

[jokermtb]

hope you had a good race CC.............that kind of stuff is a reminder not to wait to do things you wish to do....life's definitely too short to wait.

 

[trailadvent]

Best of Luck to ya, CC. We are thinkin of ya..

Second that CC

Ride hard but ride safe, hang in there CC:thumbsup:

 

[crisillo]

I'm sorry too CC..
my condolences to you, your sister and family....
I saw it on the news on CNN Europe too...

 

[cactuscorn]

alls well. pinched the rear 2.35 minion for the 2nd time in 2 days durrin the am practice so i never got more than 1/3 way down under power. swapped to the 2.4 advantage to match the front and lost some h/t angle but gained some reliability.

race time: got to the bottom in 1 piece but just barely. took a otb header as i dropped into the 1st steep rock section and it took awhile to get back up and on the bike. just a simple miscue on a slightly revised top section, a rock that had moved into my line and maybe tryin a bit too hard with the whole single run format. once back in the mallets, i got down pretty well untill another mistake just befor the 6' drop which found me stopped and sideways so i had to walk it then get back on for the final power sprint to the finish.

i finished 3rd :14 outta 2nd and :59 from the 1st place guy in 30 over men. not bad i suppose given my hicups. a guy took a 8 pic series of the crash and another got the finish. we have email addys so ill post those when i get em. yeah, i wore the old turner orange on race day.