At 2017 Burning Man 3,754 bikes were abandoned at Black Rock City by participants.
The following link is an interesting article on how the Yellow Bike Program handled the crisis.
Bike Hack: Bent Wheel Playa Fix
If you bend your wheel at Burning Man all is not lost. Check out this playa bike hack that should get you through the week.
Burning Man tips and tricks: BIKES
From John “Halcyon” Styn on the Burning Man Journal “You need a bike. And you need to lock it. Or you need to borrow a Yellow Bike, and follow the rules. You can’t park in the street and (if you borrow a Yellow Bike) you need to wear pants.
Burning Man is not a utopia It is a self-correcting system.”
What type of bike should I bring to Burning Man?
The optimum Burning Man bike is a single speed beach cruiser. This playa bicycle is characterized by:
- Fat tires. 2.0″ wide or wider pneumatic tires to allow your bike to easily glide over the sand and soft spots in Black Rock City and to provide some cushion on the washboard playa roads.
- Single speed drive train. No chain derailleurs to get bent in transport or cables to get gunked up with playa grit. One speed is all you need on the playa.
- Coaster brake. A simple back pedal brake that is perfectly adequate for flat playa riding. There are no brake cable or brake alignment maintenance issues with a coaster brake.
- Saddle. A wide, cushy, sprung, comfortable bike seat. Consider a “seat cover” so that the black vinyl saddle doesn’t get so hot in the sun and burn your ass.
- Kickstand. To park your bike easily. A tennis ball attached to the end helps the kickstand to not sink into the sand.
- Lights. The more lights the better – but at the minimum have a headlight and a tail light plus extra batteries.
- Lock. Every bike needs a lock at the burn. A simple cable combo lock or word lock works fine at BRC.
- Comfortable upright riding position. Beach cruisers are easy and fun to ride.
- Reliable. Make sure your Burning Man bicycle is in good workable order. So: 1. tires in good shape – they hold air and are not rotted 2. chain is not rusty 3. wheels, cranks and pedals turn smoothly. If you have any doubts take it to your local bike shop before the burn for a tune up.
Keep it simple!
“Having a bicycle at Burning Man is crucial, if not essential, to your overall enjoyment and experience within Black Rock City. Given the rapid growth and expansion of the city in recent years, a pedal-powered means of navigation is a prudent, high-priority item when you’re packing.” ~ Burningman.org
Playa Bike Tips – by Black Rock Community Transit
brought to you by 
Black Rock Community Transit (BRCT) is a collectively run organization within DPW that builds hundreds of bicycles every year and deploys them for free use around Black Rock City. Get on our bikes and ride!
Our vision is that each Black Rock City citizen is empowered to rely on bicycling as a reliable, pleasurable and realistic mode of everyday transportation. Furthermore, we want those citizens to:
1. Take this behavior back to their hometown, and
2. Become agents of change within their communities.
Tall Bikes Will Save The World
You will see lots of tall bikes at Burning Man. Because they are so much fun!
How to adjust your playa bike for the best riding position
The correct riding position can make all the difference between enjoying your pedaling time at Burning Man or a painful experience.
This short video shows how to adjust a playa bike for the most comfortable and efficient riding position. The example bike is a beach cruiser (probably the most commonly found bike on the playa) but the recommendations are applicable to all bikes.
Steps:
- The saddle should be level
- Saddle height adjust so that when your downstroke leg is extended all the way down your knee is just slightly bent.
- Handlebars height adjusted to preference and comfort using the stem adjustment.
- Handlebar angle adjusted so that wrists are comfortable and not bent.
Burning Man Camp bike repair tool kit and supplies
A flat tire is the most common bike problem at Burning Man so these tools are the bare minimum.
Here’s a minimal list of tools to perform routine bicycle maintenance in a burning man camp.
- Bicycle tire floor pump
- Spanner wrenches – metric
- Allen wrenches – metric
- Pedal wrench
- Water pump pliers
- Needle nose pliers
- Crescent wrench
- Pedal wrench
- Side cutters
- Tire levers – 3 or more plastic levers
- Tubes: usually 26″ x 1.75-2.5 covers a range of cruiser and mtb tires, schrader valve
- Lube – wax based or dry lube
- Shop rags for chain
- Spare bike locks
- Camp bike rack .. see this article from Burning Man Bike Rack Construction Manual
- Hand cleaner
In bigger camps someone will usually lose their bike. Consider bringing a spare camp bike.
Allen wrenches, side cutter, open end/box end wrench set, pedal wrench
How to carry your stuff on the playa
A standard single speed beach cruiser with a rear rack and clip on front basket.
At Burning Man your bike is the main way you’ll get around. A lot of times you need to bring things with you or fetch things (like ice) so here are some common ways to do it using your trusty bicycle.
- front basket
- bicycle racks – rear rack, front rack
- box or milk crate attached to a rack
- panniers and bags attached to a rack
- bike trailer
- cargo bike
How to not eat sh*t riding in sand at Burning Man!
How to ride your bike safely through the sand at Burning Man. There are plenty of places on the playa and in Black Rock City that are sandy and riding your bicycle through them can be FUN if you know how! This short tutorial demonstrates riding thru sand on a mountain bike but the techniques are the same for ALL bikes – beach cruisers, fat bikes or whatever you are riding on the playa.
- Step 1: loosen up – relax on the approach
- Step 2: lift – unweight the front wheel
- Step 3: smooth – stay loose on the bike and pedal smoothly