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!
Don’t get me wrong…I’m as big a fan of BMX racing as the next guy.
But when you start to run the numbers a bit, the “bang for buck”, or more appropriately “bang per lap” does not add up.
Budgeting…what is it now?…$50 per class? You’re paying a pretty hefty premium for your less than handful of laps around the track.
Compare that with riding at a bike park like Rays*…you can ride all freaking day for under $30. Your energy will run out before your time will.
What’s that you say?
It’s about “the experience” you say.
Hmm….so you’re traveling to the Grands to see some BMX stars?
Well, friends any number of BMX stars make their way down to the bike parks…you just never know who’s going to be there. That’s not to mention the local rippers and riders that regularly make the roadtrip to shred.
Want to score some good deals on bike parts? If the selection of bike parts on the display at the bike park doesn’t satisfy you…why not order some Black Friday deals from Dans or Empire back to your hotel room? C’mon now.
But since you’re in Cleveland, that means you can make your way out to a Cavaliars game…and while he may not have Sam W‘s winning smile, LeBron definitely knows how to get some airtime.
This sweet ride caught my attention during my last trip to Ray’s MTB in Cleveland.
The owner of the bike, Joshua “Lurch” Gittere, was tearing up the jumps on it so I chased him down to get the scoop.
Very much in the MTB or BMX? category, his custom-built bike seems to combine elements of both styles of riding to make something very distinctive.
Manufactured by Matt at Stout Bikes (you might remember the eye-catching Beelzebike was also made by Stout) this bike is big and strong.
Lurch had originally asked to have it built up for a 100mm suspension fork, which is how he rode it for a little bit.
Then he decided he wanted to see what it rode like when it was built up like a “true” bmx bike with rigid forks and big bars.
According to Lurch, the new setup,
“Feels amazing!! Rides soooo smooth and works for me…anything that keeps me riding is whats up in my book.”
Here’s the specs of the custom frame:
Head Angle: 69 deg.
Seat Angle: 74 deg.
Top Tube: 23.5″
Chain Stay: 15.25″ slammed
Finish: Black with silver flake
Lurch’s setup:
Fork: S&M Pitchfork XLT 26″
Handlebars: S&M Hoder Bars
Grips: DUO Corey Martinez
Bar Ends: Kind Ideal
Stem: Colony TLD Flatland Stem
Seat: United X Cinema Pivotal
Seat Post: Shadow Pivotal
Cranks: Profile Madera 180mm
Sprocket: Kink Sound Sprocket 28 T
Pedals: Deity Compound Pedals (plastic)
Chain: KMC
Headset: Kink Integrated
Front Rim: Sun Ringle MTX 33 36 Hole
Front Hub: Profile Elite
Rear Rim: Sun Ringle MTX33 36 Hole
Rear Hub: Halo DJD Singlespeed Cassette, 11 T
Spokes: DT Swiss
Tires: Geax Booze 26 x 2.3
Brakes: Hayes
Pegs: Sunday Pipe Pegs (not shown)
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All in all, a pretty interesting mix of both BMX and MTB elements in this bike.
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Lurch said he had dealt with some back problems in the past and this setup really made it easy for him to ride and be comfortable on his bike again. Who can argue with that?
Well, the movie still has yet to be made, but it looks like you can now get the next best thing.
A book, put together by Ray Petro and professional adventure sports writer and photographer, Johnathon Allen.
Ray’s, The Inspirational Story of the World’s First Indoor Mountain Bike Park, tells the story of how Ray overcame drug and alcohol abuse to create the standard-setting Ray’s MTB bike parks.
Available at the bike parks and through Amazon, this looks like it is going to be one fun read.
The story behind Ray Petro and his wild idea to build an indoor bike park (so he’d have a place to ride in the winter) reads like a Hollywood movie.
To this day, I’m still surprised that someone hasn’t jumped at the chance to make a movie about it.
Thankfully, as Ray’s MTB celebrates its 10th anniversary this season, the story of how Ray took his dream and made it reality is getting shared by a number of mainstream media outlets.
One of them is Start UP , a new television series that looks into the experiences of American entrepreneurs. They caught up with Ray at the Milwaukee location and do a great job of capturing how Ray managed to pull it off. A truly inspiring story.
(Nice to see some Taj Mihelich riding in the clip too.)
Watch for the segment to air sometime soon on your local PBS station.
Another good feature done on Ray’s MTB was published recently by the Akron Beacon Journal. The article includes a good interview with Ray, pictures and a short video to round out the coverage.
If watching or reading these accounts doesn’t inspire you to follow your dreams, I don’t know what will.
I’m heading down to Ray’s MTB in Cleveland this weekend for a St. Patrick’s Day session.
So if you’re in the area on March 17, come on out and let’s go ride!
I may or may not be busting out a green outfit for the occasion but I’m pretty confident that a Shamrock shake (or two) will be consumed over the course of the weekend.
Looking forward to a good session…Ray’s MTB is always a good time!
Not sure who this is but she really seems to enjoy Guinness
(Some people just can’t wait to celebrate St. Paddy’s!)
This winter has been unrelenting in terms of storms, cold temps and all around crappy conditions.
BMXers in the northeast have been hit particularly hard by this nasty weather and are collectively just about ready to say good riddance to old man winter.
Thankfully, this weekend brings two big events that will put a spring in the step of BMXers of just about every stripe in the northeast.
The first is the annual Toronto BMX Jam. The unofficial kickoff to the contest season and an excuse for BMXers to get a bit of a BMX party going on, the Toronto BMX Jam is a contest that gets people’s stoke factor to go off the charts. Set up as part of the Toronto International Bicycle show (kind of like a mini-Interbike), it features the Toronto BMX Jam, a flatland contest, indoor racing (mostly MTB these days) and a jumping competition.
The riding is unbelievable, the crowd is loud and chances are that you’ll run into riding buddies you haven’t seen for ages. So much fun. I’ll be there Saturday and Sunday and if you have the chance I hope you will too…this is one of the most fun BMX events of the year.
Did I mention the riding is unbelievable? Check out this clip from the finals last year.
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
Without a doubt, there was some controversy over whether or not this was a good idea.
Well, love it or hate it…it looks like DK Bicycles is continuing to build on its relationship with Walmart.
On a roadtrip to Ray’s MTB a week ago, we stopped in at a Walmart and I was shocked to stumble on to this…an aisle endcap stocked with DK parts and accessories.
While clearly not super high-end, I was pleasantly surprised that what was on offer was, for the most part, okay-quality (especially in light of what’s usually available at mass-market stores).
It actually kind of blows my mind a bit that you can now walk into a Walmart (in the U.S.) and pick up a DK Random Wrench.
