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CSU partnerships, students, local industry help Ray's MTB owner back to the trails with adaptive bike project

On Friday September 9, members of the Cleveland State University community participated in an event called “The Big Reveal.” The afternoon event, held at Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Park (Ray’s MTB to locals), was named for the unveiling of a new bike park entry mural painted by artist Eileen Dorsey. 

Ray’s MTB founder/owner Ray Petro opened the world’s first indoor bike park in 2004 right here in Cleveland to world renown. He did so because of his frustration “in the inability to ride during the cold winters in Ohio,” investing his life savings in the idea.

Fast forward to 2017, Petro was involved in a serious mountain biking accident, one that resulted in a high spinal cord injury that sidelined him indefinitely from the hobby he loved most.

Enter CSU’s Spinal Cord Injury Volunteer Corps (SCIVC), an outgrowth of the Washkewicz College of Engineering. In partnership with the Center for Human Machine Systems (CHMS) Lab and The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network (MAGNET) facility, members of the SCIVC incorporated a power-steering unit onto Petro’s four-wheel adaptive bike—which, as you’ll see in the accompanying video, makes it easier for him to steer and maneuver…

“The mission of SCIVC is for students to assist people with Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) on home projects that are otherwise not covered by insurance, in addition to providing volunteer aid for miscellaneous tasks needed by the SCI community,” said Skye Carlson, president of the SCIVC and second-year doctoral student in the Applied Biomedical Engineering at CSU.

Read complete article herehttps://www.csuohio.edu/news/big-reveal-yields-innovation-mobility-for-r...

About CSU and the Washkewicz College of Engineering

​​​​​​Cleveland State University is a public institution located in Cleveland, Ohio. The university has an enrollment of more than 16,000 students in programs at the baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral levels. The university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is currently awaiting reaffirmation of accreditation. Washkewicz College of Engineering offers graduate and undergraduate program. The undergraduate programs are accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) (http://www.abet.org). To learn more about the College, please visit: engineering.csuohio.edu.