A pair of new playa bikes I decorated. Look at how embarrassingly clean they are. One hour on the playa will/did take care of that, of course.
Why are they important?
Because the playa is miles across, and getting around without a bike can be tedious. Consider your bike a way to further express yourself while you're on the playa too!
What kind of bike should I get?
Get a bike that is:
How should I decorate my bike?
However you want! Seriously. You don't have to decorate it at all, but putting some unique decorations on it makes it more fun and a lot easier to find in a group of hundreds of bikes. One of the easiest ways to decorate it is to get some fabric or fake fur and secure it (glue, zipties, whatever) to the frame of your bike.
Do I need lights on my bike?
Yes if you're going to ride it at night (and you probably are). Remember - the playa can be very dark at night, and you want to be lit up. Lighting on your bike is also a good way to help you find your bike in an area crowded with bikes at night.
Do I have to lock my bike?
Sadly, it only takes a few bad apples to get your bike stolen. More relevantly though, some Burners may be...confused...and grab your bike by accident or out of sheer enthusiasm to get somewhere. It's not ok to do that, but that doesn't really matter - once someone has taken your bike, it's gone. Just bring a lock and lock it to things. Do not lock it to art, however!
Can I rent a bike?
Yes, indeed you can! Playa Bike Repair is a respected camp that can take care of your needs. They'll rent you one (you must arrange that beforehand), and can also store your bike for you year-round or transport yours to and from the playa. Again, you need to arrange those services with them before you get to the playa.
Is there anything special about the bike I should get?
You want it to have relatively fat tires, to ride well on potentially soft and dusty conditions, and, depending on your requirements, you may want to have a front or back basket to carry things like ice purchased from Arctica.
Will the playa dust damage my bike?
Yes. Playa dust is corrosive and will trash your bike eventually. Most Burners have a dedicated playa bike and as much as people tell themselves they'll clean up their bikes after they get back from the playa, it's my experience that most people (including me) just store them until next year.
Any other bike tips?
Because the playa is miles across, and getting around without a bike can be tedious. Consider your bike a way to further express yourself while you're on the playa too!
What kind of bike should I get?
Get a bike that is:
- Inexpensive.
- Comfortable, like a beach cruiser.
- Mounted with wide tires (such as a beach cruiser or mountain bike). The surface of the playa can get soft sometimes, and fat tires help compensate for that.
- Single-gear, though this isn't actually necessary. The playa is flat and you're not looking to race anyone out there, so there's no need to buy a multi-geared bike. You don't really need the extra gears and it's just more things to break.
How should I decorate my bike?
However you want! Seriously. You don't have to decorate it at all, but putting some unique decorations on it makes it more fun and a lot easier to find in a group of hundreds of bikes. One of the easiest ways to decorate it is to get some fabric or fake fur and secure it (glue, zipties, whatever) to the frame of your bike.
Do I need lights on my bike?
Yes if you're going to ride it at night (and you probably are). Remember - the playa can be very dark at night, and you want to be lit up. Lighting on your bike is also a good way to help you find your bike in an area crowded with bikes at night.
Do I have to lock my bike?
Sadly, it only takes a few bad apples to get your bike stolen. More relevantly though, some Burners may be...confused...and grab your bike by accident or out of sheer enthusiasm to get somewhere. It's not ok to do that, but that doesn't really matter - once someone has taken your bike, it's gone. Just bring a lock and lock it to things. Do not lock it to art, however!
Can I rent a bike?
Yes, indeed you can! Playa Bike Repair is a respected camp that can take care of your needs. They'll rent you one (you must arrange that beforehand), and can also store your bike for you year-round or transport yours to and from the playa. Again, you need to arrange those services with them before you get to the playa.
Is there anything special about the bike I should get?
You want it to have relatively fat tires, to ride well on potentially soft and dusty conditions, and, depending on your requirements, you may want to have a front or back basket to carry things like ice purchased from Arctica.
Will the playa dust damage my bike?
Yes. Playa dust is corrosive and will trash your bike eventually. Most Burners have a dedicated playa bike and as much as people tell themselves they'll clean up their bikes after they get back from the playa, it's my experience that most people (including me) just store them until next year.
Any other bike tips?
- You may want to slice a hole in a tennis ball and stick it on the end of your kickstand. In soft playa conditions, your kickstand may otherwise sink right in and your bike will fall over.
- Watch where you're going, especially at night. Darktards (see the Glossary) are out there and running into one might hurt you as much as the person you run into.
- You'll discover this very quickly, but when you see a big pile of soft-looking playa dust, go around it rather than trying to ride through it, if possible.
- Do not lock your bike to art, period, unless there's an indication that it's there for that purpose.
- Remember, big, fat tires! The little bike below, while funny, must have been a real pain in the ass to pedal around all week, especially anywhere with soft playa conditions.
- Write your name, camp, and playa address on a slip of paper and tape it to the bike frame with clear packing tape. Great for helping those overly-enthusiastic bike-borrowers atone the next morning when they sober up and see what they rode home on.
- By the end of the week, the Esplanade, in particular, gets very crowded, and it's also very dark out in the open playa at night. If you're keeping a group together, it can be very handy to have a tall pole, preferably lit up, for people to follow. Attached to your bike is easiest, but I have a large multi-light staff I sometimes carry, making it easy for people to find me.
- When you're riding to what promises to be a large event, such as the Man and Temple burns, or a big sound camp before it's crowded, consider that the current crowd may expand dramatically, enveloping your bike, and making it hard to find. Consider locking them up a bit of a distance away from where you're going.
Not an ideal Burning Man bike.
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