RR: +vid: T&A March 11th

[CalEpic]

Today's ride was just what the doctor ordered. After training for the Counting Coup on my Flux, on fire road climbs in the Santa Ana's it was time for some fun. Thanks go out to George for suggesting the ride. I'm sorry if my ideas to add in some additional stuff in Aliso splintered the group. At least we all met back up at the top of T&A.

Today Kentonn and I met up at the LCWP parking area. It was freezing cold when we got there. We hiked up Stair Steps. About 1/2 way up we climbed out of the canyon and into the sun. Looking back down into Laguna Canyon:


Once to the top we met up with Rob, Dell, Bret and Jose. Rob, Bret and Jose dropped Stair Steps while Dell, Ken and I played around in Aliso for a while.

Eventually we made our way back to Laguna Coast Wilderness park and climbed up Willow. Man, what a difference an extra 10 lbs of bike makes climbing that grade. At the top of Willow we met up briefly with Maxwell and Lacey fresh off her Sport class domination at Fontucky yesterday. Way to go Lacey . Soon after George, Sarah, Lucas, Wendell and Kippie showed up. We made our way to T&A where Jose, Bret and Rob were waiting. This is where the fun and games started. We spent a ton of time up top playing around.
Some of the guys:


Ken hits the drop and almost takes me out!:
Video of Ken top of T&A - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

George decides to give 'er a go today.
First he finds his line:


George's first attempt:
Video of George top of T&A #1 - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

George's second attempt:
Video of George top of T&A #2 - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

George's third attempt:
Video of George top of T&A #3 - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

At this point George doesn't need too much convincing to try again another day. Good job sticking with it. You had it on the last one.

Dirty George:


Rob hucks:
Video of Rob top of T&A drop - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Rob Rolls:
Video of Rob top of T&A roll - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

I hit the drop:


We finally decide to move down. A little train video. Listen at the end for George telling Jose not to crash :
Video of Top of T&A train - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting


Somewhere on the way down, Dell takes a spill and requires some handywipe cleanup.

We played some more down towards the bottom.
Rob hits a drop and gets a little dirty at the end (this is a rarity):
Video of Rob lower T&A drop - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Dell makes it look easy:
Video of Dell T&A Drop - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

The slacker group that started at Ridge Park then climbed up Willow to continue their adventure while the rest of us headed to Wahoo's for grub.

Man it's great to ride for fun again

C

[LBmtb]

Riders: bubb (jose), Rob, Bret, Dell, Craig, Ken, Sarah, Wendel, Skippy, Lucas.

HOT! A shade over 90 degrees I think. We all grouped up on the way to T&A since we had like 3 different smaller groups starting in different places. That's where we had a Maxwell (darin) and Lacey sighting. Nice seeing you two! Then onward we went to T&A.

Once there we geared up and a few had at it with the top huck. Ken pulled it off twice, although once he almost took down Craig. Rob also hit it fine and even rolled it once. Craig was like buttah on it also.

I've never tried it but I think the heat was messing with my brain. I decided to try it. First time I sort of panicked at the last second because I thought I was going off the wrong side and ending up rolling it. Slid out a few feet later. Pumped up I pushed my bike back up to try again. The line I was trying to take was over the rock/hump right before it and straight off the middle. But the rock always seemed to mess up my rhythm going into it. Couldn't take off at the right place and my speed was always choppy-ish. Second attempt I was still off my line (to the left) and landed all funky. Bike slid out to the right and I ate sh*t going left. By this time I was getting pissed. The drop itself felt very doable as long as I was able to get a good takeoff. Pushed the bike back up for round 3. Bad takeoff and took off to far left. Landed in the bushes and almost pulled it off but my rear started to slide. Tried to correct it but the front wheel dug in somewhere and I got tossed sideways. Landed hard again. Not much damage and looking at the vids I think I was pretty lucky. After that try I decided to cut my losses and think about it again some other day.

We made our way down. My mojo was totally screwed so I had a few unexpected dabs on the way down. Dell and Rob both also crashed too I think. Played a bit at the lower play area. Most notable thing that happened here was that mr smooth (Rob) slid out and went into some bushes after the drop there. First time ever that I've seen him crash on a drop.

Road ride was pretty tough (at least for me). Sun was blaring, my body was banged up, and I'm still getting over being sick. Half the group packed up and took off at the LCWP parking lot and Lucas, Sarah, Wendell, and I made our way to Willow. By then I was dying. Had to get off and sit for awhile because I was getting dizzy and thirsty. When I eventually made my way to the top wendell was there waiting and we assumed the rest had gone to the cars. But they ended up being at the gate with Dean before the short climb to missing link. Felt more pain on the climbs today then during the CC!!

After getting back to the cars we went to Mustards, a little deli place, for some food. Sarah was still going to go back to Moro to hammer out I think I can twice in the scorching heat! I'm not sure whether to respect her for that or just write that off as an act of craziness.

pics coming soon

[guero]

Hot times out there today! Nice to meet CRASH MAXWELL and Lacey up on Willow. This was my first time riding Purple Haze down Steps and it was a blast, no dabs or close calls at all. Thanks to Craig and Kentonn for giving me, dale, rob and jose a ride back to Milf park, if they didnt we woulda had to hike-a-bike back up StairSteps and that woulda sucked considering it was over 90˚ out when we arrived back at LCWP. i felt bad for the crew (gouge, sarah, kippie, lewkiss, wendell) who started up at RidgePark since they had to head up Willow in the blazing sun. kudos to gouge for not giving up on the top drop on t&a...it got the best of him today, but he told me next time he is gonna own the top and bottom one as well!

[LBmtb]

These are taken from vids. Not many photos taken by my camera today.

Craig on the top huck


Ken almost takes out craig


Sequence type shots:

My 2nd attempt




My 3rd attempt

[Pain Freak]

Well George, at least you didn't end up with a face full of cactus.

Somedays you own the mountain, and somedays the mountain owns you! I know you can do that drop.

[sauce]

Great job George and everybody else! That sun really took it out of me. So thirsty. Hope to do many more future rides! I think you guys need to invent a "you better do it" speech for me. :P Female specific, of course.

Nice job rolling that stuff on your new s-s Bret. It doesn't slow ya down, that's for sure. And Rob, you've really got the whole jumping thing down! Craig, Del and Ken tore it up too! Nice. Lucas and Kip were killing me on the climbs. And I barely got to see Jose! He's probably sick of me by now anyway! :P

Anyway, I can't really remember anything else. My brain is sun-fried.

[Von-Skipp]

Feels good to be back in California with the STR bubbs. This was my break in ride for my PIKE for the 5-Spot. I was really impressed. Going down T&A my bike lt like a whole new ride. The thru-axle makes a huge difference. Cant wait for Arizona now!!

Did Sara really go back and ride El Moro again!!! She was dehydrated and dead at the top of Willow. That is sweeett.

see you bubs soon!

[tkblazer]

wow george, that 3td crash looked like it hurt! the run into that drop looks freakin crappy with the big hump right before it. i'm guessing you can pump the fork once you go over it and let the rebound of the fork pop the front end off? i dunno, i'm no hucker.

good running into you guys at milf park, decided to take a slacker ride and not race since i was already beat up from yesterdays bmx session

[sauce]

i so wanna do that 4.5 foot jump! on my hardtail. i'm pissed about chickening out. :-( well, maybe getting the 3-foot ones down first is a good idea, since it's all about "form."

i did go back and ride morro again ... but i only did ithinkican once. thanks for the water kip and luca!

nice meeting wendell! and quite cool seeing lacey ... what an inspiration she is.

[dstepper]

Nice seeing part of the original STR crew, Matt, Sara, Lucas, George and Wendell, up on Bommer Ridge. Sara you did look a little trail weary and George looked a touch beat up...all in a good days ride.

Craig my Single Speed is 12 pounds lighter than my 5-Spot, unless there is a ton of climbing, at the end of the day I am more worked by the 5-Spot. When are you getting that single speed?

Dean

[bananaseat]

great "RR". gouge, you were CHARGING!! the karma gods were with you today. it could have been worse... you could have kissed dell's catus. oh, forgot, dell knocked her out!

guero, your were flowin on purple-haze. didn't i read something about a "huck-off"???

[Kid A]

sounds like a great ride. thanks for posting. It didn't take a fortune teller to know where this is going

George's first attempt:
George's second attempt:
George's third attempt:

Way to stick with it George!

[roadkillross]

damn george where do u get those SUPER BOUNCE forks??

[OMR]

Looks like you guys had a alot of fun while I was struggling down Bell Ridge. Luckily, there was nobody taking videos on our ride... there were some ugly moments!

Sooner or later we'll hook up for a ride & I'll take the pictures...

Great shots by all.... and way to hang in there George.

OMR

[TURNERob]

Good ride today despite the warm temps the breeze kept it bearable. Yes the 3 group thing was kinda weird but we sure all had fun on T&A together! I took 2 spills today, not just the one in the video of the huck but also crashed into a nice scratchy (but soft) bush towards the top......not like me but I kinda enjoyed crashing for once Anyway props to Gouge for attempting the top huck on T&A. You were close on the 3rd try, next time you'll hit it fine on the 1st try.....or maybe 2nd

Thanks for the ride back to our cars Craig, I love the fact that you got that hitch rack!!!!

No Steppie sightings today, we were all bummed

The heat really brought out some nice T&A at Wahoo's afterwards

[Keith B]

George - you must be indestructible to take that kind of punishment! I rode at Turnbull for the 1st time yesterday and saw 'the jump' - wow!

[dstepper]

George I'm with Ross on this one on your second try your Pikes rebound seemed to fast. It looked like you had it until the front bounced you off the bike.

Dean

[LBmtb]

Sweet, now I can blame the rock AND my fork's rebound. I love scapegoats

[dstepper]

Originally Posted by LBmtb

Sweet, now I can blame the rock AND my fork's rebound. I love scapegoats

Fork or skill? I not judging that. Just comparing what your fork did to what Rob's Zoke did on the same roll. His fork never left the ground on the trany.

[mcgrath]

nice video george. Quite impressed. You are getting better and better everytime. Wish I could say the same of your drops..... Ohhhh, snap.

You know I'm givin ya shit. I wouldn't have tried, cause I am a pussy.