PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh has been home to an indoor bicycle park for the past decade but not for much longer. The Wheel Mill in Homewood is closing its doors next month.
Whether you’re catching some serious air, or having fun with the family, The Wheel Mill has brought together all ages and skill levels.
“It’s just a lot of good people and I like riding bikes,” said 12-year-old biker Sabina Cummings.
Cummings’ mother Harmony Sullivan said they’ve been coming to the park as a family since it opened.
“I had these kids here as babies on their little Striders, and we have friends who come from other places in the country and ride here,” said Sullivan.
The indoor mountain bike and BMX park has been a sort of oasis for many riders.
“I like all the friends that I made here and it’s fun,” said Sullivan’s 9-year-old son Casper Cummings.
But after nearly 11 years, The Wheel Mill will be closing on March 18.
“For years I’ve been coming here, so it’s kind of sad to see it go,” said 13-year-old biker Jayden Morrison of Homestead.
Morrison’s friend Anthony Cherevka, 13, agreed.
“I’m going to miss the park room and the three-point-jump line,” Cherevka said.
The Wheel Mill owner Harry Geyer said he’s been struggling to keep the wheels moving since the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
“It hit harder than we had money in reserves for,” Geyer said. “We lost a lot of business.”
That, coupled with the shorter winters and competing with free biking on nature trails, Geyer said he hasn’t been able to recover.
As tough as the decision was, he got emotional thinking about the riders who grew up at the park that he’ll no longer see.
“It’s hard to not be there for them because they’ve really become such a big part of the community with us,” said Geyer.
The news hit some bikers, including pro-BMX racer and coach Carley Young, pretty hard.
“It’s devastating,” said Young of Forest Hills. “It’s a huge hit to the community.”
There are only two other indoor bike parks that exist in North America - one in Cleveland and another in Toronto.
Young is hopeful The Wheel Mill will find a way to come back.
“We just don’t have this many places in the United States and for this place to close, it’s a tragedy for sure,” Young said.
Geyer is still figuring what’s next for him but knows it’ll have something to do with bikes.
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