Posts
6
Joined
11/10/2017
Location
San Antonio, TX
US
Canuck714
11/10/2017 10:11am
11/10/2017 10:11am
Edited Date/Time
11/24/2017 4:40pm
Some good news for the TX Moto community, Cycle Ranch will re-open end of November under new ownership/management.
Local rider and businessman Todd Hewitt, has purchased the track and is looking to reestablish Cycle Ranch as the premier MX track in TX.
The track is undergoing a massive clean up of all the overgrowth from not being used regularly, as well as a track redesign. New layout, track widened to 30 feet and tons of dirt have already been moved.
The track is going to be laid out more like it was back in 2008-9, with a better Motocross feeling, featuring long fast sweepers, and an extended track length. The marque Finish Line Jump as well as HP Hill and the Catchers Mitt will remain. Track Changes will be ongoing to keep the facility fresh, safe and fun.
The track Grand Opening will be Nov 18-19
Facility will be OPEN EVERY WEEKEND with full prep, unless severe weather threatens to keep it closed.
Updates will be posted on Facebook and web site in the future.
9am - till close
$35 at gate - Cash Only
Local rider and businessman Todd Hewitt, has purchased the track and is looking to reestablish Cycle Ranch as the premier MX track in TX.
The track is undergoing a massive clean up of all the overgrowth from not being used regularly, as well as a track redesign. New layout, track widened to 30 feet and tons of dirt have already been moved.
The track is going to be laid out more like it was back in 2008-9, with a better Motocross feeling, featuring long fast sweepers, and an extended track length. The marque Finish Line Jump as well as HP Hill and the Catchers Mitt will remain. Track Changes will be ongoing to keep the facility fresh, safe and fun.
The track Grand Opening will be Nov 18-19
Facility will be OPEN EVERY WEEKEND with full prep, unless severe weather threatens to keep it closed.
Updates will be posted on Facebook and web site in the future.
9am - till close
$35 at gate - Cash Only
I don't know Todd, I hope he makes a track for the 90% that want fun with no injuries. Blind jumps and a track prepped so deep there was no sense going out until after noon when it became ride-able. It has been one of the few places where a big bore can stretch it's legs.
I enjoy the truck track too, a great place to work on setup in the flat corners and whoops. Maybe a circle berm and a snail turn might be fun.
The Shop
http://www.vitalmx.com/news/press-release/cycle-ranch-in-texas-is-for-s…
"Own a Premier Motocross Track in Floresville, Texas!
One of the five Best Tracks in the Nation, Cycle Ranch is now for sale.
Cycle Ranch is located in Floresville, Texas, which is 30 minutes South of San Antonio, on 108 acres of red dirt and beautiful oak trees. The national track is 1.7 miles long, 30 feet wide, with natural elevation changes over the some of the best soil in motocross."
The facility had some nice improvements such as the night track and SX track, a copy of the Dallas track, as well as the showers, restaurant and accessory shop.
It's just a few minutes from where the guy with the magic bullets that couldn't penetrate a double wide church was.
Underground MX
Oak Hill
IM SO HAPPIED DAT CYCUL RANCH IZ OPENED AGIN BECUZ IT BESTEST TRAK IN ALL OF TEXAS.
Still haven't been to Cycle Ranch or Rio.
I remember when it was $10 back in 2002 and the locals had a heart attack when it hit $20.
Now if they could just get Bill to open the on-site pro shop again...and I agree that it needs to be built for the majority and not wannabe AMA Pros.
Pit Row
If you want an mx track....
The demise of cycle ranch began with less deep preps, easier jumps, and "more friendly" concepts. In its heyday it was fast, deep, rougher than all hell past 1oclock, had a couple tough "pro" style true doubles, but was mostly all motocross with it's elevation change. It used to have challenging whoops, and often times very tough six pack type doubles that were 6 foot faces/landings. People showed up because at the time it was the widest, fastest, gnarlest, and best prepped track in texas. At the time rumor was (and almost came to be) it would be the next outdoor national track...so people seemed willing to "rise to the challenge" of a pro style track. Despite plenty of very large doubles that very few jumped, it was not an injury prone track.
Prep it deep as possible, there is no limit to what the track takes in water...And it doesn't ever rut unless it has rained 2 feet. Cycle ranch requires a deep prep to shape up and form the berm type lines it needs to be fun. These lines get the rolling whoops in them...it's motocross, not road racing on the some of the best moto dirt god ever made.
In it's heyday the first practice of the day was a wide open, eat all your HP up affair where you went all of 20 mph on a straight. but 50 riders and 30 minutes later, it was completely rideable and by noon it was what I call a proper motocross track. Lines, bumps, even kickers..which is a skillset. Change your line or learn to hit them...or don't jump the jump.
Yes it gets bumps. This is what sand does...the 10000 dollars motorcyles we ride can go over them...last I checked bikes are better and more capable than ever. People set their bikes up now for jumps often times. I see it all the time...and they bitch and moan about the track when it gets a semblance of a bump. Or they set up for bumps and bitch and moan they cant mis time jumps. There is no winning it seems. But well built jumps with STEEP enough landings make jumps a non issue...if you land it right.
Red rock mx national track has what I consider the best built jump you can find. landings that match the size and shape of the face.
And you can ride it till dark if you desire, once it forms lines it can dry out, become dusty, and it still has the lines and the dirt remains soft as it dries.
But if you want a "friendly" track....
dont rip it deep, the beautiful sand out there becomes hard packed and wont accept water.
By 10 am it's dusty, no lines have formed, the track is stupidly fast, and it begins to form tiny chatter bumps
They try to water at 12 - but it just sits on top, creates slim that is terribly slick, and in summer time by the time the water truck has made one lap most of it evaporates anyways.
By 1pm no is riding except those stubborn 85cc kids who will ride anything....and no one goes home thinking, "man what an epic track"
Cycle ranch never has and never will be any good unless you prep it to the tilts. It takes twice the water you think, needs to be ripped as deep as you can, and it takes a little time to shape up. But once it does, there isn't a better track in the country IMHO.
I hope they keep the GP track on site with a few tweaks to it, and provide a "friendly" prep every weekend to that track for those who like that type of riding. The night track can also be prepped more friendly, maybe like a three palms concept. All three available during the day with varied levels of prep and challenge to suit the demands of the diversity in riders
Super excited for the track!
Sadly that weekend WPS/FLY is hosting their annual ride day...somewhat a shame cycle ranch didn't partner with them to couple that as the grand re opening...would have been 500 + people
However, I would argue with you that it wasn't the change in the track that caused it's decline. It was the lack of focus on the "Cycle" side of the Ranch and trying to make it a New Age awareness center instead of a racetrack. All of that and a bad attitude left a lot of folks that had supported the track for years with a bad taste in their mouth. After all, San Antonio and South Texas is not a Mecca for forward thinking.
I hope this 3rd version of Cycle Ranch is a glowing success. If they focus on the core mission of providing a great riding experience it really should be hard to fail with the facility that is there.
Agreed 100 percent, we all can go to a bar we like, or a concert, or a playground with the kids. But we don't own moto tracks. If the riding experience is top notch, the rest doesn't matter
If only San Antonio had a large riding core...however I do feel three palms is what makes the Houston market exist. Not the Houston market is what makes three palms exist. If cycle ranch is consistent, the riding market will grow.
Thanks to the new owner for taking a shot at it....it's a thankless business that is incredibly challenging.
The Edge MX in edgewood, tx (15 minutes off I-20 north of canton on hwy 19) (about an hour east of dallas)
It is Shannon Niday's new training compound and they have opened to the public the past couple Sundays. Man, what a place they have going out there! They have several tracks to choose from, a Loretta's replica, Mini O's sx replica, Vet track, and a monstrous National track.
Me and a buddy on the Vet track last week:
National track will be open to the public for the first time this weekend, these clips do not do the entire layout justice. I can't wait to ride it!
Someone knows who you are:
"In it's heyday the first practice of the day was a wide open, eat all your HP up affair where you went all of 20 mph on a straight. but 50 riders and 30 minutes later, it was completely rideable and by noon it was what I call a proper motocross track."
I know there is many Pro's that need a training facility. Even the LL qualifiers's want rutocross. I would think the night track and the SX track would be for the advanced riders and the main track something for less skilled or unwilling to risk as much riders.
Since the track has gone belly up a few times now, I would think a good business model is more important than a "pro" prep.
And yes, I'm going to Spoaks MX in Lockhart for the Fly Funday. It's a lot closer to Austin. Old family friends are getting that track going, and for now it is a no consequences jumps track that is still trying to dial in the prep with primitive facilities. There is a nice scrambles course from the Torcs race last month, and there is a couple mile outer loop that the SXS's ran on that is great for beginners.
Murphy's has the final race of the D20 series this weekend as a rain make up date.
flyers for both are here:
https://www.facebook.com/AustinAreaMotocrossScene/
Cycle ranch boomed when it was prepped well.
That prep started phasing out for "weekend warriors" around 06-07 and the track slowly went down hill and continued to go "more weekend friendly"
The main track is a "real" track and always should be.
Motocross is sad these days. I'm sorry but south Texas has turned into a bunch of pussies.
Go ride up north east some, or Florida, or cali, and come back with a whole new perspective on "rough" or big jumps.
Red rock mx continues to be a dreamland... and people don't go because it's "too hard". Take your lumps, rough it out and learn how to ride it...and you will love it. I've seen countless people go there and ride 3 laps, load up and never come back because they can't jump everything first lap.
Cycle ranch just flat out doesn't turn into a quality track unless it's prepped well. Otherwise it will be a mediocre track not worth the drive down south to.
It used to be a destination track where you looked forward to spending a weekend at over other options up north.
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