Ray's MTB Indoor Park is the world's first and largest multi-terrain indoor bike park, located in the
West Boulevard
West Boulevard is a neighborhood on the West Side of Cleveland, Ohio. It borders the suburbs of Brooklyn and Linndale to the south, Interstate 90 and the neighborhoods of Cudell and Detroit–Shoreway to the north, Stockyards to the east, and ...
neighborhood of
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
,
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
, United States.
History
Ray Petro opened the original Cleveland location in the second half of 2004.
He did so because of his frustration in the inability to ride during the cold winters in Ohio. He invested his life savings of $50,000 and also used a $25,000 loan to fund startup costs.
A Milwaukee location opened December 31, 2010, largely due to funding by
Trek.
It closed in 2016.
The Cleveland location has remained open over the years and has grown in size to over 180 thousand square feet.
Business model
The park only operates during the colder half of the year. Whereas indoor
skate parks have existed for
skateboarding
Skateboarding is an extreme sport, action sport originating in the United States that involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry Profession, job, and a ...
and
BMX, and there are examples of indoor
dirt jumps, this is the first facility that aims to provide a whole spectrum of mountain bike terrain and disciplines. It is aimed both to improve skills and introduce riders to new disciplines in a safer environment as well as providing riding facilities during the winter. It is unique in that different riding styles are found in proximity to each other. Its initial success has attracted interest from the industry with companies keen to sponsor new areas and events. Having proven to the industry that this format works, it may act as a template by which other examples may follow around the world. The Milwaukee location, formerly a Menards, opened December 31, 2010, largely due to funding by
Trek.
Rooms
Every year, Ray's revamps its trails. Replacing aging features with new structures or simply redirecting traffic to approach lines from a new perspective. They currently have a full-size indoor pumptrack, dedicated jump trail, foam pits, and a BMX pool. There is also a "natural” section that consists of rocks and logs that make up the jumps and skinnies in the area.
Locations
*Cleveland:
References
{{Reflist
External links
Ray's MTB Indoor Park
Mountain biking venues in the United States