Indoor MTB Park

[ErrantGorgon]

Has there ever been any attempts or are there any current efforts to build an indoor MTB park (alla Rays MTB Park) here in the SLC area?

[wookie]

There is a new indoor skatepark in the old Pepsi warehouse in Ogden. I always thought it would have made a nice indoor MTB park. Looks like somebody else had similar plans. There's another warehouse that has stood empty for awhile if your looking?

[rossluzz]

It would be great to get something like this in UT, especially in the winter months.

http://vimeo.com/18120798

[ErrantGorgon]

Any reason to suspect that it would not be as popular here as it seems to be in the midwest. We have the option here to ski and snowboard during the winter. Do you think there would be less of a demand here?

[NorwegianRepresentative]

I personally would be more inclined to spend my money at an indoor 4X track seeing as there are none in Utah than going to what basically boils down to an indoor skate park, which most of the outdoor skate parks are rideable during the winter. I couldn't see myself riding at rays more than maybe once a month compared to racing once a week on a 4X track.

[Zak]

There's indoor bmx at radcanyon - I hear they'll let you ride your mountain bike, and even have a mtb heat if enough people show up. http://www.radcanyonbmx.com

The foam pit at snogression is pretty fun too - http://www.snogression.com/

[NorwegianRepresentative]

I have tried contacting rad canyon about the use of mountain bikes with no avail, though as i understand there is a 'cruiser' category that allows 26" wheels but not sure the restrictions beyond that. It would be awesome if they did have a mountain bike category.

[P-townDave]

Rad Canyon's track is outdoors but they make a track inside the Jordan Equestrian Center several times during the Winter for racing. It's good fun, but the track gets demolished after every race weekend and has to be built the Friday evening of the race weekend. So, if you aren't able to ride during that weekend, there's no place to do so.

Their outdoor track is cool also, but again, there are fixed hours for practice (Thur pm I think) and they charge you for it.

Other BMX tracks I've been to are generally open to the public for practice. You just rolled in and rode if there wasn't a race going on. I'd gladly pay a little, but would want to have access to the track more than what's available now.

As for the OP, I think an indoor place would be awesome and well attended by several local riders. After all, the snow isn't always good and many (myself included) would rather ride bikes except for epic powder days. I agree with Norway that a dirt track (4x/BMX or DS or BOTH!) would be better than a bunch of hokey ladder bridges. I don't even think you would necessarily have to have many races, just the practice on a track is more than we have now. Not sure if there would be enough people to make it viable. . . but I hear real estate is cheap right now!

[Summit]

It could do well with evening sessions, but I've looked into commercial real estate pricing and the model just doesn't work here in Utah. You need abandoned industrial spaces that are really only found in the economic destitution of the midwest to make it financially feasible.

If you're lucky enough to find a big enough space cheap enough (like almost free), please go for it though!

[zebrahum]

I moved from NW PA a year or two after Ray's opened and have been wishing for something like that for a long time here in UT. But Summit has it nailed, there's no way I see to make it economically feasable between the real estate prices and the abundance of actual outdoor options that are available in a very close proximity. Hard to say if demand would prove me wrong, but Ray's sits (mostly) closed for 6 months out of the year. There's little chance something like that could fly with the amount you would have to pay for a building here in UT. But if you're going to build it, put it in Sandy ok?

[Tystevens]

Old thread, I know, but ...

Does anyone know any more about this place?

Switchback Bike Park | Utah's First Indoor Mountain Bike Park

Looks like an indoor park in SLC might be a reality soon. I'm with the others -- I'm not sure how much use it will get, since we can ride outdoors 8 months of the year. But if they have some good feature lines and obstacles, I might check it out a couple times over the winter months.

[NEUT]

Ty - They posted this on their Facebook page this past Monday: "We thought we had a building lined up, but we lost it last week. The second we get more info, we'll let you know."

I am disappointed but still hopeful.

[Tystevens]

Bummer.

[Switchback Bike Park]

All, sorry for the delay in responding to these. Yes, we are planning to build an indoor park in Salt Lake City. We're currently looking at multiple buildings in the Salt Lake area.

The feedback you've all given so far has been great. We're shooting for a January (ish) timeframe to be open. What features would you like to see in the park?

[miller542]

What features would you like to see in the park?

Lots of rocks and logs, things that make it feel like real mountain biking and not just all decking.

As a former resident of Ohio, I loved going to Ray's in the winter and would love having the same thing here.

[spxoo]

so I "like" switchback on facebook and keep pretty close tabs on that page because I would be super stoked to have a park like this in Utah. now I cant find the page and the twitter page (which im not on) seems to be deleted.

Ray's in cleveland is one of my favorite places Ive ridden my mountain bike, despite that it is in a dirty warehouse in cleveland.

I hope they are still moving forward with it as I would most definitly come down and ride some box jumps as much as I could. Cause right now it is cold high pressure and no snow in the forcast.

[Adaptive]

I've been wondering what happened to the Switchback park as well. Does anyone else know if this project was canned or, if not, when it might open?

[ronnyg801]

My best guess is it was canned, at very least put on a serious hold. If not I am sure you would still see them trying to wh0re out their shirts and getting everyone excited.

Not trying to knock them, but I think it is what it is. I would love to see an indoor winter spot. That was sort of warm hehe.

[While At Rome]

I know a guy that was trying to find a large industrial space for an indoor sand volleyball complex, which would require a similar building to this. He had to can the idea because the cost would have been far more than what can be made. Unlike cleveland - summer mtb would be largely dead here because the city actually embraces mountain biking. As much as i would love to see a park like that i dont think it would be sustainable.

[CortneyJay]

It would be great to get something like this in UT, especially in the winter months.

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