Indoor mountain bike park will occupy former Menards in Milwaukee

Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Park, located in Cleveland, Ohio, will open its second location in an 110,000-square-foot former Menards store at 8365 N. 76th St. on Milwaukee’s northwest side. The building is owned by Milwaukee-based Mallory Properties.
The Milwaukee Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Park is expected to open in November.
It will provide indoor trails on a variety of terrains for beginner, intermediate and advanced skill riders, said Eric Schutt, general manager. The facility will also have a street park, similar to a BMX or skate park but geared for mountain bikes, he said.
“The whole park is mountain bike specific,” Schutt said.
The facility will only be open for 6 months a year, during the winter and cold weather months.
“During the summer we use the time to remodel,” Schutt said. “That gives people reason to come back.”
Since there are so few places in the area for mountain bikers to ride during the winter, Ray’s expected to draw riders from several hours away, including some who will stay in area hotels during the weekend, Schutt said.
The Cleveland Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Park, which opened in 2004, had 20,000 visitors during the last 6-month season, he said.
Ray Petro, the founder of Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Park, had planned to open the Milwaukee facility for a few years. Financing for the project stalled and Waterloo-based Trek Bicycle Corp. stepped in to purchase the business, allowing the Milwaukee project to move forward.
“Without Trek, Ray’s Milwaukee could not have happened,” Petro said. “I’m very grateful for Trek’s involvement and excited about the work that’s already going on at our second park. The most exciting thing about this partnership is that I can now focus all of my time and energy on the design and creative direction of the parks.”