Anyone have experience with BMX Bike on Playa?

[Lysergic]

I was just wondering if anyone has any details as to how effective BMX on the playa is? Being a noob I've never been so I don't know how thick the sand is. I would imagine during the hot dry days its mostly baked and hard though...

[Badger]

Have seen a good number of them but a working mountain bike seems to be the preferred cycle around the playa. Someone else mentiond earlier that bikes with smaller tires require a bit more exertion to keep going per unit distance (no gears and such) so you might find it less taxing to take a larger bike.

[Apollonaris Zeus]

I would be concern about the hidden table tops and berms. Don't forget the woop di dos and the tight turns at the fins.

Please illuminate your bike well at night with glowsticks or something.

Lots of other BMXer's on the playa at night!

A II Z

[madmatt]

Mountain bikes may be the more common bike, but IMHO, beach cruisers are much better suited:

no gears, so much less equipment, joints, bearings, cables, etc. to get fouled up with playa dust or with the fringes and tassles of you wonderful outfit.

WAY more comfortable sitting position (think harley vs. ducati racing bike) and cushie comfie seats.

big fat tires = easy cruising over hard bumpy playa and deep soft dustpits

most important, no cables etc. = easier decoration.

Re bmx bikes, I had one last year, it was a kids with an extra high seat post. Pros: light and easy to transport, it looked cool, relaxed riding position

Cons: it took a lot of fast pedaling to keep up with my campmates with grownup bikes, the morning after the burn, the too-high seat post snapped while I was being towed at high speed behind a motor-scooter. I did like 5 somersaults.

Worst: the seat was too narrow and through the week wedged my pelvis apart, and it was painful for like 2 weeks after. (this year I got a grownup cruiser)

[Bob]

...the morning after the burn, the too-high seat post snapped while I was being towed at high speed behind a motor-scooter. I did like 5 somersaults....

At 5 mph, that must have really hurt.

[Captain Goddammit]

Being a noob I've never been so I don't know how thick the sand is.

There's no sand. It's baked dirt.

[Bob]

There is sand, but no more than about 5%, I'd estimate.

[madmatt]

At 5 mph, that must have really hurt.

Naw, like 15 or 20 mph, we were jamming. Didn't hurt, I was heavily padded with fur.

[Captain Goddammit]

I think Bob's sledgehammer-subtle point that you appear to be missing is that of course you wouldn't have been operating a motorized vehicle at greater than 5 MPH on the playa during BM, WOULD YOU? If you were, cut it out.

[madmatt]

I think Bob's sledgehammer-subtle point that you appear to be missing is that of course you wouldn't have been operating a motorized vehicle at greater than 5 MPH on the playa during BM, WOULD YOU? If you were, cut it out.

Yeah, well, I wasn't operating anything, I was being towed. I had NO IDEA he was going to go so fast when I started being towed.

[Captain Goddammit]

Oh.

[Toe]

Yep, I've taken a BMX bike the past two years.
As mentioned above, it's probably not as good as a cruiser.

Mine is playa optimized:
-not too expensive (but not so cheap that it crumbles. $50 + $150 in playa-specific upgrades)
-waxed drive chain keeps the playa out
-new cables and housing
-springy seat
-slightly longer seatpost for easier pedaling
-fast gear ratio
-single speed
-rotor/detangler for easy transportation
-folding pedals for easy transportation
-small for easy transportation
-strong brakes (not wimpy caliper brakes)
-simple for reliability
-indestructible
-kind of ugly for theft deterrence
-quality 'word' combination padlock and chain (lock needed a drop of oil a few days in, good padlocks are inexpensive, chain lasts forever)
-my body is accustomed to this bike
-have repair skills and resources in camp
-next year add a front basket (stuff falls unnoticed out of rear baskets) , solid filled tires, coaster brake, maybe belt drive.
-IMPORTANT: tuned up before the burn

À BMX works well for me but it's probably not for everyone.

[Captain Goddammit]

You realize you’re answering a question someone asked FIFTEEN YEARS AGO... lol.
One of the people on this topic isn’t even alive anymore.

[what time]

yes, its very very hard. i have experience , but i be very fast. not so fast like mountain bike, and so tired

[Canoe]

You realize you’re answering a question someone asked FIFTEEN YEARS AGO... lol.

Took the time to adquately formulate a considered answer?

We usually get in shit for snap answers.