There are many bike-blessed places in the world, but none compare to the experience where creativity and bicycles reach their zenith at Black Rock City, home to the annual Burning Man festival.
Burning Man began in 1986 on Bakers Beach in San Francisco. Following a previous tradition of summer solstice gatherings held there by sculptor Mary Grauberge which featured the burning of a small wooden effigy. Larry Harvey is considered the principal founder and name-giver to the festival, which in 1990 moved to Black Rock Desert in Nevada. From 2,400 people in 1995, Burning Man grew to 10,000 in 1998 and since 2004 has been attracting up to 34,000 “citizens” in what is now known as Black Rock City. For eight days at summer’s end, BRC becomes the third largest city in Nevada.
The Burning Man festival is governed by 10 principles: inclusion, gifting, de-commodification, self-reliance, self-expression, communal effort, civic responsibility, participation, immediacy, and leaving no trace. An example is the absence of vending. The only things sold at the festivals are ice at Camp Antarctica and coffee at Center Camp, the central meeting place in Black Rock City. Another example is an abundance of art everywhere you look, which makes this the most art-blessed city in the world. The dress of the participants, the vehicles and structures, and the large number of installations scattered throughout the open playa make Burning Man a place one can go for the art alone. The creations are often interactive and related to the festival’s annual theme.
In the early days of Burning Man, there was less organization and more of a wild, west coast, auto-based Mad Max feeling. Bicycle culture arose in 1997, and demonstrates how sustainability began to factor into the design of Burning Man. This was the first year that it was really safe to bike around at the festival without having to worry about an uncontrolled population of cars. It was the year the car culture took a backseat to the bicycle. Only regulated art cars or “Mutant Vehicles” remain now as car-based forms. For the most part, everyone uses a bicycle, unless they are on foot, which is tiring and not recommended.
In the desert, there is cause to ensure that as a cyclist you are aimed towards safety. Night lighting of your bike and being able to see where you are going is important when you are moving in a population of over 30,000. Battery-powered electroluminescent wire is used for this in ways that often entertain and surprise, creating mobile neon animation on the wheels of bikes. A bell or noisemaker of some sort is an important thing to have on a bike at Burning Man. Consider also getting batteries that are solar- rechargeable as you’re sure to need many for all your lights. When it comes to funky bikes of all kinds, this is bike heaven. A plain-looking bike will never satisfy again.
At a festival based on self-reliance it’s important to get the bike in working order before you go. In recent years the demand for bike repair has exceeded the number of mechanics. Know how to teach a bike maintainance/repair workshop in a fun way? Here’s an ideal place to gift that. It’s also a wise idea to bring extra bike parts, especially inner tubes, and not depend on people at the event to supply those. Burning Man formerly had a Bike Camp but it closed in 2003, overwhelmed by over-dependence.
Victor Veysey of San Francisco’s Bike Hut proposed a solution in 2003 to the emergency bike repairs by envisioning a Bike Guild where anyone with bike repair expertise could become part of an informal network. In 2005 it became a reality with “Bike God” mechanics ready to serve as part of their gift to Black Rock Citizens. The Bike Guild throws volunteer recruitment parties which help boost the numbers needed, especially toward the end of the event.
Bike theft is relatively low at Burning Man. It happens, of course, but for the most part people don’t lock their bikes despite being advised to do so. It is always recommended that you use a “beater” bike that works well and is lit up, and leave the expensive or prized one at home. Also recommended is having a system worked out for finding your bike in the dark of night. Losing one’s bike when everyone’s ready to roll to the next soundsystem is no fun, especially in an altered state. And on Burn night (the closing ceremony when the huge “Man” is burned), leave the bike at the camp.
Be sure to note (especially if you’re a woman) the part in the week when one of the largest Critical Masses in North America occurs. If you’re planning on getting anywhere at the time of the “Critical Tits” ride, do so in advance of the parade of bare-breasted women, or you may find yourself stuck staring at a seemingly endless blur of boobs and bikes.
The theme of this year’s Burning Man is The Green Man. All participants are invited to share in the aim of greening the festival as much as possible, consciously seeking to lower our carbon output in our camps and throughout the playa. At the same time, Burning Man is ever about radical expression, so there will be many people exemplifying innovative, creative ways of expressing their symbiotic relationship with nature.
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