Following in the footsteps of other parks (Rays MTB, Joyride 150, Cranx and others) this particular park takes the concept outside of North America.
Wood15 is the first indoor bike park of this type in Europe.
Located in Sittard-Geleen, Netherlands (in an old Phillips television factory), it offers terrain and features suited for beginners and experts alike. Of course, it’s also a welcome escape if Mother Nature turns nasty.
The park also has a nice-looking coffee bar called “Drinkplaats” inside to keep you caffeinated/hydrated during your session.
It definitely looks like a pretty cool place…and kinda makes me want to visit the Netherlands!
It’s the start of the week and there’s already a bunch of news to check out.
Pull magazine/USA BMX dropped a teaser on their facebook page recently about their “2014 Cruiser issue” set to hit USA BMX/BMX Canada members’ mailboxes any day now. According to the promo blurb, the mag will:
[g]o Inside the mind of a Champion with National #1 Cruiser Shawn DiPrete. Check out the top cruisers in the industry and some awesome race action at the Cajun Nationals.
Haven’t received my copy yet, but nice to see this type of feature.
Still on the magazine theme, Mark Summers, co-owner of Joyride 150 gets some well-deserved coverage from Bike magazine. Check out Joyride 150’s instagram page for more.
Cale Avery Schindler, who wowed us with his creative riding in last week’s Clip du jour, is now rolling on a Sunday Wave-C. He mentioned that he was in the market for a new frame (in the comments of that post)…looks like it didn’t take him long.
Finally, to kick the week off right…check out these two little 4-year old shredders from NZ, Jake and Theo riding (and crashing) their bikes. Looks like they’re having a blast. So awesome.
In terms of riding spots and parks, Toronto seems to get the most attention for it’s indoor bike park, Joyride 150 (and the crazy edits it spawns).
However, that may be changing this year.
At the recent Toronto BMX Jam, I learned that the city of Toronto is planning a new outdoor public bike park that is set to open this summer!
According to the City of Toronto website, the Sunnyside Bike Park will feature: a skills trail, pumptracks, a wide variety of jump lines and a wall ride.
And, to keep it family friendly…benches, picnic tables, and drinking fountains are going to be added as well.
This is in addition to the Centennial Park BMX Park also under construction just outside of Toronto. This facility is scheduled to be completed this year and used as a venue for BMX racing portion of the 2015 Pan American Games.
I have my fingers crossed that the track will live on after the games as permanent track for the Toronto area (it would certainly be a lot closer commute than my current “local” track).
I’m so looking forward to the ribbon-cutting ceremonies of these two bike parks.
It’s been a couple days and I’m still riding the high from another great Toronto BMX Jam.
An annual tradition for me (and many other riders), it’s become amongst other things: a chance to catch up with old friends, meet new ones, shop for deals on parts (it’s partnered with the Toronto International Bicycle Show) and….oh yeah…check out some awesome riding.
Despite local favorite, Drew Bezanson, being unable to ride due to injury sustained earlier in the week riding Joyride 150, there was still a whole field of riders just killing it all week long (as you can see from the video).
Joe Cicman of TwoFourFlat fame was also in the house riding in the flatland comp (on his 20″). We had a chance to chat briefly and it sounds like the next installment of the TwoFourFlat series is going to be one worth waiting for! Can’t wait.
And even though weather was freezing over the weekend, the Toronto BMX Jam also means that spring is just around the corner and that always seems to be the icing on the cake. The weather forecast is already calling for warmer temps by the end of the week.
Dealing with old man winter can really bring you down.
Unless you’re lucky enough to live in one of the sunshine states, have an indoor skatepark nearby (that allows bikes) or are down with practicing flatland maneuvers in parking garages, winter tends to force even the most rabid of bikers into a bit of forced hibernation.
And even if you have an indoor skatepark nearby, they’re often overrun by scooter kids, fruit booters and the like.
Thankfully in recent years, the indoor bike park concept has begun to take off. Usually with a “MTB” in the name, these parks have a little something for everyone…BMXers especially.
Let’s take a look at what some of these parks have going on.
Ray’s MTB
The original indoor bike park, Ray’s MTB is the one that all other bike parks are compared to….it’s basically the one that started it all. Created by Ray Petro as a way for him and his MTB buddies to escape Ohio’s cold winters it has grown to be an international destination for bikers from across the world. Tucked away in an old industrial building, it doesn’t look like much from the outside…but wow, is it ever fun inside. (Two locations: Cleveland & Milwaukee)
Joyride 150
Inspired at least partially by Ray’s MTB, some Canadian MTBers decided to put their own spin on the indoor bike concept and bring it over the border to a suburb just outside of Toronto, Ontario (Canada). Joyride 150 is also loads of fun and happens to be the closest one to Cruiser Revolution HQ so it’s also the one I happen to visit most often. Drew Bezanson filmed one of the craziest videos of 2012 here (and tends to hit the park on a semi-regular basis too) so you know this park has some fun stuff to ride.
Cranx
Located in Syracuse, NY, Cranx is another good bike park. A pumptrack, jumpline, and a recently completed wooden bowl are just some of the highlights. It hasn’t been open that long but things are constantly being updated and refined. You can read more about Cranx in the recent post Cranx: shreddin’ in Syracuse. Definitely a great place to check out.
The Lumberyard
The Lumberyard brings the indoor bike park concept to Portland, Oregon. Haven’t been to this one yet but I definitely like what I see. Jump lines, pump tracks, and skatepark-style stuff make this another good one to put on your list of parks to check out. An interesting thing that the Lumberyard has is a full-service restaurant. Being able to get some BBQ and a beer or two after a good session seems pretty awesome.
Had a chance to ride Cranx Bike Park in Syracuse, New York a week and a half ago and came away smiling.
Built in the spirit of other indoor bike parks like Ray’s MTB and Joyride 150, it has a little something for everyone. From a pumptrack, to jump lines to skatepark/street setups to the newly opened bowl…you can amuse yourself for hours.
Which I did.
Showing up on an unseasonably warm day, the park wasn’t as busy as I suspected it might be at this time of year. But that didn’t take away from the fun of the session. Upon getting the usual paperwork handled (waivers, etc.) by Dale, I was told that Matt, one of the guys on staff there, would give me a tour and show me around.
Definitely a pleasant surprise….and definitely something more bike parks should do.
Matt was laid back and a great tour guide…giving tips on lines, pointing out “escape routes” (if you had to get out of harm’s way) and making sure I had a good feel for the park and what it had to offer.
This run in the bottom left of this group of photos was probably my favorite line in the place. Starting at an elevated part of the park it sent you down into a banked turn and than into another banked turn in the opposite direction with a couple small jumps thrown in for good measure. Once you get used to it and hit with a little speed it becomes superfun.
The wooden bowl was definitely a good time too.
Tons of stuff to ride for sure with many updates and refinements already in the planning stages. (An outdoor dirt jump area has already been roughed for example.)
In the event that you break a bike part or need something for your bike, there’s also a satellite store for local shop, Advance Cyclery (you can see a bit in the left side of the top photo) to help you out.
All in all, definitely a cool place to check out if you’re in the area.
Bonus tip: when you’re done riding and have built up a healthy appetite, check out Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in town. Billed as a “honky tonk rib joint” it is a must-see/stop if you’re into bar-b-que….sooo good!
Photo credit: all pics (except the top one) from Turndown’s photo album on the Cranx Facebook page
Sure the weather outside is frightful in many places right now but if you’re fortunate enough to have a good indoor park nearby count your lucky stars.
Joyride 150 is my home away from home during the winter months and it is a godsend. With jumps, a skatepark area, pumptracks and cross-country stuff there’s a little something for everyone.
Heading out there for a weekly session is how I keep myself sane over the winter. While I miss hitting the local trails, I do kinda look forward to the laidback weekend sessions that happen during the colder months at Joyride.
As an added bonus, Drew Bezanson is a regular there. As you might gather from the video below, that keeps things pretty interesting as well.
By the time you read this, I’ll be in Sin City (Las Vegas) checking out all the new 2012 stuff on display at Interbike. It’s going to be a busy week. Tons of stuff to check out and people to meet. And while I’d love to say that I’ll be “reporting live”, I’ll probably just put it all together in a recap next week.
I’m also planning on hitting the the Nora Cup Awards. Drew Bezanson (who rides at Joyride, my local bike park) is up for another award so I’ll be cheering him on.
On Friday, the Vegas edition of the 4130 Subway Series goes down. It’s going be nuts. (Now I just have to borrow a bike so I can participate!)
It looks like Ray’s MTB isn’t the only bike park where you can rent/try out the Sunday Model-C.
Sunday just announced that Joyride 150 (just outside of Toronto, Ontario) has added a Model-C to their rental fleet.
This is great news, not only because it’s sure to get more riders hooked on 24″ BMX, but it also gives me even more of reason to visit Joyride 150. Even if I don’t have my bike with me, I can stop in for a session on a 24″!
Trent even got a little dirt on it to break it in.
Nice!
cruiser revolution 