Biking in a controlled environment

Biking in a controlled environment
By Sal Ruibal, USA TODAY
Ray Petro got fed up trying to ride his mountain bike in Cleveland's wintry
conditions, so he took the mountains indoors.
The result is Ray's MTB Indoor Park, a 66,000-square-foot playground that
gives snow-challenged riders an opportunity to hone their skills on a
remarkable structure that looks more like a wooden roller coaster than an
Alpine trail.

"Way back in the fall of 1996, I got frustrated with the bad riding
conditions here," he says. "So I started looking for a big, clean place with
low rent."

He finally found such a place - a vacant building in the Walford Industrial
Park near Lake Erie - in September and began laying the groundwork for his
dream.

"I thought about trucking in a lot of dirt, but soon discovered that it
would be a lot cheaper to build it out of wood instead," he says.

He set up a Web site to let other riders know of his plans. To his surprise,
a dozen eager cyclists showed up to help him design and build the course.

That group of volunteers - they worked for food, soda pop and the right to
ride for free - sawed, hammered and nailed nearly every day since September.

The serpentine structure is more than a quarter-mile in circumference and
was inspired by structures built by "freeride" mountain bikers in British
Columbia's rain forests.

Riders negotiate a wooden maze that can narrow to just a few inches, then
suddenly drop several feet to a platform that leads to a see-saw contraption
or a pile of real boulders.

The indoor mountain has different sections for skill levels that range from
rank beginner to pro racer.

"It may not look like it," Petro says, "but you can get in a hard workout.
After an hour or 90 minutes, you're beat."

Injuries have been minor, "just nine stitches," Petro says. More experienced
riders help school newbies and assist with equipment problems.

The park's Web site (www.raysmtb.com) has received more than 1.5 million
hits, and about 800 riders have paid the $10 daily fee, with more expected
as Cleveland accumulates its yearly average of 50 inches of snow.

Petro has received inquiries about building similar parks in other cities,
but he prefers to stay true to the volunteer spirit that built his dream.

"I'd be glad to get paid to help someone start up a facility in, say, New
York City," he says. "I have to make a living. But I don't want to become
the Burger King of mountain biking."

Scott wrote:

(snip article)

......and about 800 riders have paid the $10 daily fee, with
more expected as Cleveland accumulates its yearly average of 50
inches of snow.
That's a whopping $8K of gross income. I can't imagine that covers the
utilities for a 66 thousand sq ft facility. Real mountain biking or not,
Ray's doesn't appear to have a functioning business model.

"I'd be glad to get paid to help someone start up a facility in, say, New
York City," he says. "I have to make a living. But I don't want to become
the Burger King of mountain biking."

I'm guessing he won't have to worry about that.

Tom

tcmedara wrote:
Scott wrote:

(snip article)

......and about 800 riders have paid the $10 daily fee, with
more expected as Cleveland accumulates its yearly average of 50
inches of snow.
That's a whopping $8K of gross income. I can't imagine that covers
the
utilities for a 66 thousand sq ft facility. Real mountain biking or
not,
Ray's doesn't appear to have a functioning business model.

Maybe you should look at the website and see the actual cost. Also
factor in membership fees. $8k is too low of a figure. If half of
riders in the article are members, you could add over $31k to that.
Admission by non-members is $15.

"I'd be glad to get paid to help someone start up a facility in,
say, New
York City," he says. "I have to make a living. But I don't want to
become
the Burger King of mountain biking."

I'm guessing he won't have to worry about that.
You may want to get all the facts first.

Ray's is all over the news in the MTB'ing community here in the tri
state area (PA, OH, NY). Dirt Rag is featuring it in their next issue
and I heard that one of the other major magazines has featured it in
one of their issues. I spoke to one of the main designers of the park
and he offered me a free one day pass. I think I'll stick to riding in
the snow.

tcmedara wrote:
Scott wrote:

(snip article)

......and about 800 riders have paid the $10 daily fee, with
more expected as Cleveland accumulates its yearly average of 50
inches of snow.

That's a whopping $8K of gross income. I can't imagine that covers the
utilities for a 66 thousand sq ft facility. Real mountain biking or not,
Ray's doesn't appear to have a functioning business model.

My point exactly! I said this when they first mentioned this monstrosity.



"I'd be glad to get paid to help someone start up a facility in, say, New
York City," he says. "I have to make a living. But I don't want to become
the Burger King of mountain biking."


I'm guessing he won't have to worry about that.

He won't, since it's not Mountain Biking!


--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws

Scott wrote:


"Way back in the fall of 1996, I got frustrated with the bad riding
conditions here," he says. "So I started looking for a big, clean place with
low rent."

He finally found such a place - a vacant building in the Walford Industrial
Park near Lake Erie - in September and began laying the groundwork for his
dream.

Eleven years to find a place to build? And these are better riding
conditions? .25 miles of wood?


Riders negotiate a wooden maze that can narrow to just a few inches, then
suddenly drop several feet to a platform that leads to a see-saw contraption
or a pile of real boulders.

Real boulders. {Donkey Voice} Is that your boulder? That's a nice
boulder! {End Donkey Voice}


--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws

wrote:
tcmedara wrote:
Scott wrote:

(snip article)

......and about 800 riders have paid the $10 daily fee, with
more expected as Cleveland accumulates its yearly average of 50
inches of snow.
That's a whopping $8K of gross income. I can't imagine that
covers the utilities for a 66 thousand sq ft facility. Real
mountain biking or not, Ray's doesn't appear to have a functioning
business model.

Maybe you should look at the website and see the actual cost. Also
factor in membership fees. $8k is too low of a figure. If half of
riders in the article are members, you could add over $31k to that.
Admission by non-members is $15.

"I'd be glad to get paid to help someone start up a facility in,
say, New York City," he says. "I have to make a living. But I don't
want to become the Burger King of mountain biking."

I'm guessing he won't have to worry about that.
You may want to get all the facts first.

I don't care either way. I sincerely wish the guy the best, but the USA
today articles facts don't really point to a successful business
proposition. If there's more to it, then good for him. Even with the
figures you cite, I wonder how long he's gonna last. Insurance (gotta be a
huge liability premium), employees, rent, advertising, HVAC for a huge
(probably pretty uninsulated) space, maintenance, supplies/materials........
He's got his work cut out for him. I wouldn't be surprised if he's dropping
40K a month just to keep the doors open. The riding has no appeal to me at
all, but I'm curious to see if he can manage to make it a successful
business proposition.

Tom

"tcmedara" wrote in message
news:0muId.87023$Jk5.17878@lakeread01...
Scott wrote:

(snip article)

......and about 800 riders have paid the $10 daily fee, with
more expected as Cleveland accumulates its yearly average of 50
inches of snow.
That's a whopping $8K of gross income. I can't imagine that covers the
utilities for a 66 thousand sq ft facility. Real mountain biking or not,
Ray's doesn't appear to have a functioning business model.

"I'd be glad to get paid to help someone start up a facility in, say, New
York City," he says. "I have to make a living. But I don't want to become
the Burger King of mountain biking."

I'm guessing he won't have to worry about that.

Tom

Those figures are not only inaccurate but you also jump to too many
conclusions to fast. There are a plethora of other things that are
profitable within this timeframe. Not only that but business models can
function positive or negative. You idea is inferior.

"Ride-A-Lot" wrote in message
...
Scott wrote:


"Way back in the fall of 1996, I got frustrated with the bad riding
conditions here," he says. "So I started looking for a big, clean place
with low rent."

He finally found such a place - a vacant building in the Walford
Industrial Park near Lake Erie - in September and began laying the
groundwork for his dream.

Eleven years to find a place to build? And these are better riding
conditions? .25 miles of wood?


Riders negotiate a wooden maze that can narrow to just a few inches, then
suddenly drop several feet to a platform that leads to a see-saw
contraption or a pile of real boulders.

Real boulders. {Donkey Voice} Is that your boulder? That's a nice
boulder! {End Donkey Voice}


--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws

Your ideas are inferior as well. Please look deeper you are missing a lot.

Scott wrote:
"Ride-A-Lot" wrote in message
...

Scott wrote:


"Way back in the fall of 1996, I got frustrated with the bad riding
conditions here," he says. "So I started looking for a big, clean place
with low rent."

He finally found such a place - a vacant building in the Walford
Industrial Park near Lake Erie - in September and began laying the
groundwork for his dream.

Eleven years to find a place to build? And these are better riding
conditions? .25 miles of wood?


Riders negotiate a wooden maze that can narrow to just a few inches, then
suddenly drop several feet to a platform that leads to a see-saw
contraption or a pile of real boulders.

Real boulders. {Donkey Voice} Is that your boulder? That's a nice
boulder! {End Donkey Voice}


--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws


Your ideas are inferior as well. Please look deeper you are missing a lot.



Huh? WHere did I mention inferior?

--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws