11/16/2006 Culture

Fisher's Weekend at Ray's Indoor Mountain Bike Park

On a Thursday night in early November, a group of Gary Fisher folk arrived at Cleveland Airport for a weekend at Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Park. The stated purpose was to get some photos and ride some laps with area Fisher dealers. Two full days of riding later, we left there stoked and amazed at what an indoor mountain bike park could be.

First some background for those who haven’t been to Ray’s yet. It is located in an unassuming area in Cleveland in an old 82,000 sq ft WWII parachute factory. The factory sat empty for many years. The city had meetings to try and figure out what to do with the empty factory without success. Ray Petro, a contract remodeler and mountain biker, noticed a small ad in the paper for the empty warehouse area. Still skeptical of the notion himself, Ray contacted the owner about creating an indoor mountain bike park. Then in short order, leases got signed, structures got brought up to code, and Ray was on his way to creating the first indoor mountain bike park.

Then the groundswell of support started to build. Word spread about the idea. Riders of all sorts stepped up to help out. Kids rolled up on BMX bikes. Investment managers showed up after work with their mountain bikes and skil saws. Bridges, berms, and barricades went up. Ray figures hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of free labor has gone into building the place.

In November 2004, Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Park opened. So now every summer Ray shuts the place down and remodels, but then when things start to get cold and wet, he opens the place so people have a place to keep riding.

Jump ahead to the present. Ray opened the park for the 2006/07 season in early November. We headed out for the re-opening event and to check out the newly added Gary Fisher XC Loop. The 0.5 XC style lap runs through log piles, banked turns, rock gardens, several steep climbs (with sharp descents on the back side of each climb), and even passes through the rafters for a stretch. Point being, it’s one of the most varied half miles you’ll ever ride.

The Friday afternoon before the opening, we were lucky enough to have the place nearly to ourselves. Our friends from GT (also sponsors of Ray’s) were there with us. MSNBC was busy interviewing Ray for a program airing in December. Meanwhile, Fisher pro-rider Greg Watts, and photographer Sterling Lorence, were working the entire course for a photo shoot. Look for pictures from that shoot in an upcoming Fisher catalog.

Friday afternoon Gary Fisher arrived straight from a NORBA meeting in Colorado. About that same time the crowds started pouring in for the re-opening. Area Fisher dealers filled the place. Between laps people compared lines and swapped stories. Ray’s stayed open well past midnight as people kept riding. Fisher rider Greg Watts clocked about 16 hours of riding in that day alone.

During the weekend we all had a chance to hang out with Ray Petro, the owner, founder, and chief architect of Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Park. You’ve never met a more humble, harder working guy. In between laps we would chat with Ray. Some of the most touching moments of the weekend happened while in the middle of chatting and riders would come up to Ray (everyone knows Ray) with a smile on their face and thank him for building the place. Kind of a Field of Dreams moment repeated over and over that left riders and Ray nodding at each other with a grin on their face. It’s the good vibe that helps keep Ray’s growing and pushing the limits of what an indoor mountain bike park can be.

At the end of the weekend, we said our goodbyes, but vowed to be back. If you’re ever in the Cleveland area be sure to check it out. Visit www.raysmtb.com or call 216-631-RIDE.