Ray's is in a warehouse. That's it. Nothing fancy, and not noticeable if you're not looking for it. Also not really noticeable if you are looking for it. It was a little hard to find because the sign was very unassuming. It's tucked away in an industrial park, along with construction companies and whatnot.
Inside the warehouse are a couple of fire-placed lounge areas, a bunch of picnic tables and a ton of fun/challenging stuff to ride. There's lots here for street/dirt jump/bmx bikes- plenty of opportunity to get air born. I can't really tell you anything about the park/street/jumps. That's not really my thing (I do kind of wish it was, but I'm a big wimp), so I stuck to the XC sections for the most part. There are clearly marked Beginner/Novice, Sport, and Expert areas. Within those areas the more difficult features (like drops) are really well marked. The beginner area starts out with a couple of routes combining berms, logs, and some (not too) skinnies that were pretty low to the ground. It was a nice place to spend a few minutes warming up.
I spent most of my time in the Sport section. Skinnier skinnies, some teeter totters, more natural features like rocks and logs. Challenging enough stuff to keep it interesting. I didn't get any pics of the Expert section, but you can imagine it looking a lot like the Sport, just higher off the ground.
I did a couple of laps around the place with my clipless pedals, but decided that platforms were going to be a lot safer. I always feel a little silly paying for bike parts I already have one (or two) of at home, but it was the only way I was going to feel comfortable enough to try more challenging stuff. Plus they look great.
Having platform pedals also made me realize how much I rely on being clipped in to get my back wheel up off the ground. Which is cheating. It was great practice to not be able to cheat.
They have a good little selection of stuff for sale like gloves, grips, helmets and pedals (for knuckleheads who don't bring them), but they're quick to point out they're not a bike shop.
Word.
This is why I'm dehydrated.
Overall, it was super fun, and much more of a work out than I was
expecting. The staff- all dudes- was friendly and approachable. There
were lots of dudes riding. Which is not surprising, since mountain
biking is a dude (or bro) dominated sport. I did see a couple of other
women riding, and one little girl totally ripping it up on a pink & white
coaster brake bike. She was fearless and I kind of want to grow up to be
her.
No comments:
Post a Comment