If you build it, they will come... and ride

Did you know that Cleveland, Ohio, recovering industrial city, has become a destination for mountain bike riders?  When I talk about building scenes and how those scenes can turn into businesses (among other things), this is what I'm talking about. 

In late 2004, a mountain bike rider and good carpenter, Ray Petro was bummed about not being able to ride his mountain bike all winter.  So he rented a room in an empty factory, and built wooden mountain bike obstacles.  The first ones were pretty simple.  But the idea took off.  It turns out there are a lot of mountain bike riders, and some BMXers, who wanted to ride during the winter as well.  According to Wikipedia, Ray took $50,000 in savings, raised $25,000 more, and went all in on his idea of an indoor MTB riding spot during the winter months. 

Ray's MTB in Cleveland now fills 92,000 square feet of old factory buildings, attracts thousands of riders a year, and has people traveling from across the country to ride there.  Every year Ray and his crew rebuild it, putting in new lines and obstacles.  After the success in Cleveland, Ray teamed up with Trek Bikes to open a second mountain bike park in Milwaukee, WI.  It was popular for several years, but closed in 2016 due to a dispute with the building's owners.  The original park is going strong. 

With a love for his sport, some savings, and carpentry skills, Ray created more than wooden paths for MTB riders, he created a scene.  He created a great space for mountain bikers and BMXers to come together.  In one video he referred to it as "a big bicycle party."  As an old BMX guy, I think this is one of the greatest ways to recycle old, empty buildings that I've seen.  Props to Ray for following his dream and getting so many people psyched to ride in the Midwest. 

Here are a bunch of links of people riding at Ray's MTB in Cleveland:
2010 Local Cleveland TV segment on Ray's
Interview with Ray at Grand Opening of Ray's in Milwaukee 
BMX phenom Scotty Cranmer at Ray's (1:21 in clip)
My favorite Ray's "Odd Couple Contest" video