Dirt Factory Hookit podcast
22/06/2016Lake District & Farmer Johns MTB Park Weekender
20/07/2016Our latest blog is inspired by the droves of bike enthusiasts who have created and supported other indoor bike parks around the world, but hats and bike helmets off to Ray Petro for putting the wheels in motion.
World´s first indoor bike park
Ray opened the worlds first indoor bike park back in 2004 and now has a second facility up and running. For now, one indoor bike park will do us UK riders. Earlier today I came across an insightful article by Dirt Rag, here are some interesting facts that you may not know about Rays MTB park:
- Three weeks before Ray opened his doors, his website had already seen 500,000 hits
- After one month of business, Rays park was sustaining itself
- People travel from 3 hours away to ride the indoor trails at Rays, especially during winter
- Roadies looking to spin some miles off their trainers are a common sight at Rays
- With the installation of the beginner friendly jump section, riders who couldn’t previously jump are now addicted
- Rays is more than just a warehouse space – it is about the community.
“It’s amazing how, given the right environment, people are able to focus and overcome an obstacle. Out on the trail, you don’t see people practicing one obstacle for hours on end. Here, you can try the same thing over and over again, watching others and getting advice.” Ray Petro
What it took to build Ray’s MTB Park:
- 400 light bulbs
- 225 ballasts
- 50 light fixtures
- 800 sprinkler heads
- 150 gallons of paint
- 125 pizzas
- 30 new windows
- 20 roof patches
- 120,000 nails
- 500 landscape timbers
- 1000 cans of Pepsi
- 20 racks of studs
- 20 free lifetime memberships
Indoor Bike Parks Around The World
Rays MTB park 1.0
Rays MTB park 2.0
The Wheel Mill
Joy Ride 150
The Lumberyard
Burlington Bike Park
Cranx
Mega Cavern
Pfäffikon Indoor Bike Park
Stride
Wood15
Coffee Bike Park
Air Dome
Fly Up 417
Hyper-Trax
‘Indoorising’ outdoor sports has become a successful business model for many organisations. Manchester is soon to become the home of its very own indoor mountain bike park, and we thank everyone for supporting us on our journey.
Many thanks and happy trails
Dan and the Dirt Factory team
