How do mountain bikers deal with the "winter blues"? Some people are fortunate enough to get to warmer climates for a week of riding. I'll admit, when I see photos people riding dirt in abundant sunshine, I'm super envious. As a teacher, I can not take off from work to travel far for training. So I need to be creative with riding and training. Thankfully there are places to hide from the winter cold and have fun.
I had heard of
The Wheel Mill and
Ray's Indoor Bike Park (the world's first indoor mountain park, built in 2004) and knew of some people who had been there and raved about their experiences. It was on my bucket list of places to visit - so when Ben mentioned he was heading out to both places for long weekend adventure, I jumped at the opportunity to go.
The Wheel Mill, located in Pittsburgh, was about a 5 hour drive from home. We arrived later in the afternoon plenty of time to get in a few hours of riding. The facility is divided into
different rooms, with various skills and features for all abilities. There was a fundamentals skill room which was perfect for adjusting to the bike I was borrowing. I then progressed to the technical mountain bike room and the pump track, which was my favorite.
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| I borrowed a dirt jumper - which happened to be Lance's old bike |
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| Riding a teeter-totter in the Technical Mountain Bike room |
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| Practicing log skills |
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| Riding the wall in the pump track |
After a few hours of riding at the Wheel Mill, we grabbed a bite to eat and drove a little over 2 hours to Cleveland. We checked into the
Marriot - Cleveland Airport, which has a killer deal for those riding at
Ray's. The hotel is about 9 minutes from Ray's - really close and convenient.
Saturday morning we arrived just before Ray's opened. We wanted to make the most of our day and also claim a spot in the lounge area (which is very accommodating to family members who do not ride). Some friends were flying out from the NYC area and meeting us later in the morning.
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| Welcome to Ray's Indoor Mountain Bike Park |
Ray's is...incredible. I don't know how else to describe it. The layout of the park is a web of riding lines, jumps and skills areas. It seemed overwhelming at first, but I found my way around quick. I spent some time in the beginner skills and jump lines before progressing to the pump track and intermediate jump line.
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| Panorama shot of Transferland |
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| I spent a lot of time in the skills area working on balance |
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| I couldn't get enough riding the intermediate jump line |
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| Riding walls in the pump track |
A few things to note - bikes and helmets are available to rent at both facilities. Most people were riding either dirt jumpers or bmx bikes. There were a few mountain bikes but they were definitely the minority. As for clothing, jeans and t-shirts are the norm. No need for spandex or kits. Bring gloves and if you have knee and elbow pads, that might be beneficial. With the exception of a few snacks and drinks, food is not available at either location. There are a few local places that do delivery - we found a nearby Chipolte at Ray's that we did a run for, but come with snacks and drinks.
Riding indoors isn't something I thought I would enjoy. I also thought I would never have a blast riding a dirt jumper. But this weekend proved that all wrong. I never stopped smiling and laughing (well, except for the few times I crashed). Such a great trip and will be back next winter!
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| Selfie with the park kitty, Squizzgar |
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