Alternatives To Bicycles

[samtam415]

Hi everyone. This will be my first year and I unfortunately and embarassingly don't know how to ride a bike. What are the other alternatives? I've considered an adult tricycle, but they are expensive and a bit large to bring with my group. Any suggestions are appreciated, thanks

Sam

[Eric]

Adult trikes are actually fantastic for the playa - they're stable, they get through the dunes well (and this year we'll probably have more dunes than hard-packed playa), you can carry things like ice back to your camp easily, etc. Yes, getting them there is going to be an issue, and finding one you can afford is going to be another, but they are a solid alternative, and no-one will look amiss at you for riding one.

The other alternative is to learn to ride a bike - you have months to do it, you'll want to get comfortable on your playa bike anyway, and it will give you a new skill. Wear a helmet, don't be afraid of looking a little foolish while you do it (it will get you ready for loosening up at the Burn), and find a friend to help. It could be a lot of fun! Two-wheel bikes are also a lot cheaper than trikes, so there's a money savings involved.

Welcome to ePlaya, and don't forget to introduce yourself in our Introductions thread!

[Ratty]

Sam tam, Are you under 50 and able bodied? Get a bike now and learn. You won't be sorry and it's not that hard to do. There are 6 MONTHS before you head out to the playa. It's not rocket science. If you are over 50 get a trike. I don't mean this in a mean way. I'm over 60 and I don't want to learn to ski or parasail.

[VultureChow]

Adult training wheels?

I've been wondering how well these work and whether they would add some stability to a playa bike. I have no problem riding a bike, but I do find myself struggling to keep the bike upright in some of the deep dust on the city streets.

[Ratty]

I absolutely LOVE the idea.

[Elorrum]

I'm not sure what the cost of the training wheels is. If you are committed to that concept, a conversion kit isn't much more difficult.

[Canoe]

another view of those training wheels
viewtopic.php?f=286&t=63055&start=30#p906142

and another type

http://www.fatwheels.com/Adult_FATWHEELS_.html

[Elorrum]

Granny bike is a kit to attach to regular bikes together to make a quadricycle.

[FossaFerox]

A birgin in my camp last year didn't know how to ride going in. She learned in the 3-4 months leading up to the burn and did just fine on the playa. If a bike + conversion kit is cheaper or comparable to a trike you could always buy the bike and have money tucked away to add the additional wheel(s) as needed at the last minute if you don't think you're ready.

ALTERNATIVELY there's a great solution I'm kind of surprised no one has mentioned.

Walk.

The only time I rode my bike at night was the Core burn on Thursday. The rest of the time I preferred to be on foot once the sun set. There's just so much going on I never wanted to worry about where I left it in the dark. It's slower, sure, but you'll get there, and who knows who or what you'll stumble upon on the way. Though admittedly, during the day I road my bike EVERYWHERE.

[Fidget]

Oh man, I suddenly want adult training wheels! I'm a cyclist at heart but I had a couple (self induced) wobbly moments last year.. those would have been ace! Think they make them for legs also!?

Oh right, on topic - It was said above but yeah, you've got 6 months to learn and seeing as how you seem like an intelligent adult (I mean, you made a profile here after all) then you should be able to get that nailed in no time!

Oh and, nice new avatar pic, Eric!

[Aurelia]

this is a topic I have agonized about...

pm me and I will discuss it at any length.along with a possible alternative

and yes I have tried many conversions

xoA.

[Ano]

Granny bike is a kit to attach to regular bikes together to make a quadricycle.

For what it's worth, I had a really bad time with one of these. I had to add a ton of extra bracing to have it not collapse on itself, and it still failed on me after about ten minutes of riding on playa ground. I guess YMMV, but it just didn't work for me. I was pretty disappointed, too, since it was the quad I built mainly for my parents to ride.

[Raoul]

Oh and, nice new avatar pic, Eric!

Ditto. Didn't recognize you as that Eric at first.

[trilobyte]

Now's the time to learn how to become radically self reliant. You can either learn to ride a bike (which takes almost no time at all), save up the extra cash for a trike, or get thee to a search engine and try to figure something else out. Or be prepared for tons of walking, and seeing less of the city. You've got a little over five months.

[Elliot]

.
*walks in with clipboard, hard hat, and a name tag that says "technical analyst"*

No experience, but those adult training wheels make my alarms go off. On loose ground, a lot of the weight could be on the training wheels, and the drive wheel might just spin.

Mo betta go with trike, methinks. Most have only one drive wheel, but you are guaranteed to have half the weight on that wheel to propel you.

YMMV.

[Eric]

Oh and, nice new avatar pic, Eric!

Ditto. Didn't recognize you as that Eric at first.

Aw shucks.

I've been using the old avatar for years, thought I should finally put one up that looks like I currently do (and in another 3 or 4 years I'll change it again...)

ALTERNATIVELY there's a great solution I'm kind of surprised no one has mentioned.

Walk.

It is an alternative, but as someone who had major bike fails two years in a row, I can testify how much it limits what you see. I could barely leave camp during the day (unless a friend pegged me on his bike, but I'm a heavy person to wheel around), and only made it to the Temple when a friend let me borrow a bike. At night I usually bike to the general area I want to be & leave my bike in a friends camp, and then go wandering, but even then you're limited by the water you can carry. This past year I couldn't have walked very far if I had wanted to - a cracked rib tends to reduce mobility & a bike makes that mobility easy.

I still say learn to ride (it's fun!), or get a trike (also fun!)

[Aurelia]

Please do not be discouraged..try ALL of their suggestions

and it is way bigger than "learn" to ride a bike, or a trike , or a scooter

some of us are simply different and that is okay too.
xoA.

[Canoe]

.*walks in with clipboard, hard hat, and a name tag that says "technical analyst"*
No experience, but those adult training wheels make my alarms go off. On loose ground, a lot of the weight could be on the training wheels, and the drive wheel might just spin. Mo betta go with trike, methinks. Most have only one drive wheel, but you are guaranteed to have half the weight on that wheel to propel you. YMMV.

I forgot we went through the training wheel bit before. Wasn't it reported that there is also a tipping risk with training wheels vs. the various sand/dust hazards on the playa, whereas the trikes are inherently stable?

[Elliot]

Certainly.

[FIGJAM]

[dragonpilot]

OK...I've trained several kids and several grand kids to ride two-wheelers. Enlist the help of a friend who knows how to ride a bike. Get a bike. Secure a broom handle down behind the seat along the seat tube as close to the bottom bracket as possible for stability. Friend steadies the rider as the rider climbs aboard. Gently push the rider to get moving. Friend steadies the rider by lightly holding the broom handle while jogging alongside. This method allows the fledging rider to more quickly gain a sense of balance. My kids all learned this way and were on their own after about 2 blocks. Training wheels are the worst as one never gets to develop that sense of balance.

[BBadger]

Sam tam, Are you under 50 and able bodied? Get a bike now and learn. You won't be sorry and it's not that hard to do. There are 6 MONTHS before you head out to the playa. It's not rocket science. If you are over 50 get a trike. I don't mean this in a mean way. I'm over 60 and I don't want to learn to ski or parasail.

^-- This.

Six sunny months to ride up and down your street or sidewalk. You're not riding a unicycle, and unlike kid bikes, your legs will be are long enough that you can't even tip over and crash.

Anyway, if you're not even willing to invest the time to learn to ride a bike maybe Burning Man is the wrong event for you.

[Aurelia]

Listen, stop with this "learn" thing !
SOME PEOPLE do not do things your way.

Burning Man may be easy for the ones who agree with you
BUT Burning Man is wonderful for those who do not agree with you

so as I said before send me a pm message if you cannot , or do not, do bicycle
and we can discuss alternatives.

[AntiM]

I can ride a bike, but I can no longer "sit" a bike, very painful to be on two wheels now. Our first year, my back "went out" near the trash fence. I could not bike back to camp, I limped, a long, long way. Larry pulled me around in our wagon the rest of the week. We looked at things like deer carcass carts before we found ways to get me around and about.

Our solution is both a trike and a four wheeled rhoadescar, but we have a trailer. They are difficult to transport, so are not feasible for a lot of folks.

I do not have a handicapped placard, so motorized carts of any sort are right out. If I could not get my multi-wheeled things to the playa that would leave walking, a stand up scooter, renting a segway (there is a company which delivers to the playa), or hitching rides from MVs. None of those are ideal, but all are doable.

Rollerblades, kites, skateboards? Only if you really are fit from what I've seen.

[Eric]

Listen, stop with this "learn" thing !

Um... I strongly have to take issue with this, as it's one of the most absurd statements I've read (that is not a comment on the poster, who seems very nice). The OP never said they couldn't physically ride a bike, just that they didn't know how ("I unfortunately and embarassingly don't know how to ride a bike"), and there is no shame in learning how to do something as an adult that you didn't learn as a child (look at adult reading classes, or adult swimming classes). Learning = growth.

I think all of us here understand that not everyone can ride a bike, and there are alternatives to that - lots of which have been proposed. But to suggest someone limit themselves from learning if they're physically capable of making that step... no. I won't do that. I see Burning Man as a place to expand your knowledge, not a place to refuse to grow. Hell, samtam415, if the "415" in your name is your area-code, I will personally meet with you & help teach you to ride a bike between now & the Burn. I'm a 50 year old, out of shape man who rides one week a year (guess where?), and it's fantastic. It's also easy to do. If you aren't physically capable I understand completely (there is no shame about that), but this is an honest offer. This year, riding a bike, next year, building a flame-thrower on it.

[FIGJAM]

Who do you think you are, FoxFur???

[Fidget]

This year, riding a bike, next year, building a flame-thrower on it.

Someone in my camp last year did just that!
I'll just say though - flame thrower on the FRONT of a bike is somewhat... counter productive.

[Aurelia]

Okay okay if the person wants to learn that is different

but no bullying

xoA.

[BBadger]

It's not bullying to expect people to venture out of their comfort zone. We should also draw a distinction between reasons and excuses -- the latter of which deserve little sympathy or accommodation.

[HappySarah]

I learned how to bike at the age of 26 and I was very scared. I fell many times but I eventually learned and was biking last year in my first burn. I guess what I am trying to say is that you're never too old to learn how to bike