Getting your bike to Burning Man is easy. Here are some basic ways to transport your bike to the playa.
Bike Rack on the Car: there are inexpensive and easy to install bike racks that simply strap on to the trunk or hatchback of a car. These racks are simple and quick to install with just a few straps. There are 2 bike, 3 bike and 4 bike versions. They are inexpensive to buy and you can also rent them from bike shops in Reno to use with a rental car.
Note: never “fur” a rental bike, communal yellow bike or any kind of loaner bike. “Fur” is really only good for the burn in which it is applied – you’ll need fresh “fur” next year.
If you need to transport a bunch of bikes out to the Burning Man, and you don’t have a bike rack, this is a budget solution. The video shows the rack on a popup camper but you could easily adapt it to the top of a car too.
Continue reading
The deep, fine, poofy dust that was prevalent on the playa in 2017 wrecked havoc on the crank bearings of most beach cruisers and cheaper mountain bikes. The more expensive bikes with sealed bottom bracket bearings weren’t as affected by this phenomenon.
At the Bike Gods bike repair we replaced crank bearings at an unprecedented rate from previous years. We even brought in extra bearings from Reno twice until the bike shop there was sold out of bearings. So if you rode a bike at Burning Man in 2017 with a “one piece crank” you’ll probably need to service or replace the bearings. This video shows you how.
The bearings and grease are available at your bike shop. Please support your Local Bike Shop.
The Ottolock, an ultra-light bike lock from Otto Design Works. Lighter weight and way more secure than a cable lock but more expensive too.
The Ottolock comes in different colors and different lengths.
Riding your bike at Burning Man can be a real pain-in-the-ass! Especially if you haven’t ridden a bike in a while. If this is the case you’ll wanna go with a big cushy cruiser type saddle. It’s the best for short trips and like the name implies, cruising around the playa.
Make sure that your saddle is in good shape and doesn’t have any rips or tears that will allow the vinyl to scrape you when you are riding. Also the ‘ol “duct tape” repair doesn’t work on saddles at BRC. It heats up in the sun and becomes a sticky mess.
Cruiser bike seat