Rockin' At Ray's
If you have been to Ray's Indoor Mountain Bike Park then you need no information other than to know it has been changed a good bit since last year. Modifications to the XC Loop, Beginners Room, Sport section and Pump Track gives you more options. Even in the beginners room there are plenty of challenges. By creating at least 4 different lines through the rock garden, changing the skinnies section and modifications to how the XC loop enters the room all made it something new for those of us who return often.
For the riders who where visiting for the first time there was alot to see and do. Like kids in a candy store trying to figure out which section and obsticle they wanted to tackle first. It is nearly overwhelming though the best thing to do is make your way to the beginners room and work in there for a while till you feel comfortable on the skinnies, the log over, the easy side of the rock garden and the loop around the room. Then it's time to move on to the XC Course and the Sport Section. Here you can spend most of a day working on all the runs in there.
Once you have gained the skill and confidence you have been looking for then it's great to make it a challenge. Start running through the runs by number. If that's not enough to keep your heart going then you can use the method they use for the Time Trials. Start in the Sport section, do run #0 (Start on the floor). After doing that run and returning to the Sport platform, go ahead and do a lap on the XC Course. when you return to the Sport section do run #1, then the XC Loop, then #2, and an XC loop and so on till you get to #6. This will definately give you a tough workout.
If you don't go away from Ray's tired and sore you didn't try hard enough. If you stay at it with a few breaks in between, lunch break and lots of fluids you will gain a bunch of skill in the time you are there and boost your confidence to another level. There are a few riders talking about another trip to Ray's next month. Stay tuned for more info on that.
