Pimp My Ride — The Playa Labs

Feb 17

Feb 17 Pimp My Ride

Here’s just a quickie with some bike tips. Don't trick your ride with oversize wheels or custom forks... that makes it hard if you need a-fixin'. Keep the bike's bones basic. Bring extra beers and snacks for the bike camps, they do an incredible service! Often they do it naked.

(For a fun cargo bike project , see our other tutorial. For the basics, keep reading here). Bike lights are fun and necessary, see our bike light lab tests and tutorials here.

Essential Picks

If there's an unofficial bike of Burning Man, this is it:

26" Huffy Men's Cranbrook Cruiser Bike, Red Buy on Amazon

Huffy* 26" Womens' Cranbrook Cruiser Bike, White (WHITE) Buy on Amazon

It's reasonably priced, versatile, and so common that parts and repairs are A-OK. The Cranbrook can be gifted to the Yellowbike program or passed on to future burners.

This is about the cheapest bike you can find, so the Huffy Cranbrook earns a double medal for our Budget Bob rating too.

Luxury Larry

Lighter, faster, comfortable-er:

Firmstrong Women's CA-520 Alloy 3-Speed Beach Cruiser Bicycle, Baby Blue, 15.5-Inch/Medium Buy on Amazon

Firmstrong Men's CA-520 Alloy 3-Speed Beach Cruiser Bicycle, 26-Inch, Matte Black Buy on Amazon

The aluminum frame resists corrosion and will last through many burns. Typical shifters don’t do well on dust drifts but this internal hub 3-speeder is Playa-tested and approved. Laid-back rider position is perfect for midnight hauls to the trash fence. Quality is a step up from the Huffy too. You might ride this one all the way home!

Accessories

Money well spent:

Bike Lock, Bike Lock Cable Combination 6 Feet Long Heavy Duty Security Self Coiling Resettable Cable Bike Locks with Complimentary Mounting Bracket, 6 Feet x 1/2 Inch Buy on Amazon

There's a special place in hell for bike thieves. Lock up, keep your ride, and discourage the dickheads. Testing confirms combo locks are better than keys (ever dropped your key down a porta???). The coiled cable is best--a Ulock can't wrap around your buddy's bike or other random things on the playa.

Retrospec Bicycles Detachable Steel Half-Mesh Apollo Bike Basket with Handles, Black Buy on Amazon

A tisket, a tasket, what can you put in this basket? Ice bags. 12 packs. A furry coat. A gallon of water (or urine). It detaches and you can make a handy-dandy locking lid (tutorial coming soon).

HORUSDY Hex Key Set, Allen Wrench Set Inch/Metric 30-Piece MM(0.7mm-10mm) SAE(0.028"-3/8) - Best Unique Tool Gift for Men Buy on Amazon

Bring a tool, don’t be one. My hero!

An adjustable crescent wrench is a good addition too. A 15-mm wrench and 9/16 wrench ain’t never hurt nobody.

Bikes like to fall down. A good kickstand is a must. A tennis ball on the kickstand foot is a good idea but can still tip over. This “traditional” style kickstand that attaches to the rear hub is a big improvement! It can take a little skill to attach but see our Carg0-Bike tutorial.