Scrap bike - anyone want it after?

[Fire_and_dust]

Hi all

Flying in from UK for my first burn. A contact in SF has offered me a free bike that's destined for scrap (so I can take it on its last voyage!)

Her suggestion was "use it and then throw it on the fire when the man burns!" - now obviously, I know that's a horrible idea and MOOPy af, and there's no way I'm leaving it on the playa. But if I was able to get rid of it by the end of the burn this would do me a big favour as it would mean I didn't need the bike upgrade for the BxB on the return journey. Plus if they could make further use of it that would be extra amazing.

Sooo.... would anyone be able to do me the favour of making it disappear? Is there an established system for this that I haven't heard about?

Thanks!

[Elorrum]

The main website is chock full of information. https://burningman.org/event/preparatio ... ke-repair/

Making single use large purchases of all kinds of gear and bikes “disappear” is not the responsibility of the resident burner community, and the community at large, It’s an annual burden. Being self reliant would mean maybe considering actually being a pedestrian. Share or borrow instead of purchase and discard. (Yes I do see this is already a used bike, last legs. Still a large bit of trash or material to be repurposed after you are finished with it.) Playa bike repair (an offsite rental business), also may have dump trailers onsite for bikes if you see this as your best option.

[Token]

Over 5000 people in 2017 thought the same and it was a Royal Clusterfuck!

It’s part of the reason we can’t have nice things out there anymore.

Don’t be That Guy/Gall/Them

[Elliot]

Hey there, Very_original_name.
Welcome to ePlaya!

I have had a number of Brits in my camp over the years – a wonderful specie of humans.

Now, First... to your immense credit, you said...

"...- now obviously, I know that's a horrible idea and MOOPy af, and there's no way I'm leaving it on the playa."

And you did the right thing asking. There MIGHT have been some form of scrap metal collection camp (as there is for aluminum beverage cans) which you haven't heard about.

Second... is the matter of this bicycle as such.

Remember... everything takes learning – even for the most wonderful folks from the UK. And here is what you need to learn today, my friend:

Since the bicycle in question is already determined to be SCRAP... please do NOT bring it to the Playa!

The mechanical demands on a bicycle in Black Rock City requires a bicycle in GOOD CONDITION.

I organized a bicycle repair camp for several years, and... some days early in those events... we almost packed up and went home... because of all the !%#@#$%^&*! SCRAP bicycles people brought us to make marginally-usable for them – bikes they should never have brought in the first place.

Please take my word for it: A bike called SCRAP by its owner is NOT Playa-ready at all, whatsoever.

And please know... all bike repair camps exist... NOT because we enjoy scraping our fingers bloody when we SHOULD be living the good life all over Black Rock City.
We repair bikes as an emergency service for UTTERLY UNEXPECTED AND UNPREDICTABLE breakdowns that happen to even brand-new bikes.
In 2018, our camp repaired 725 such IMPOSSIBLE-TO-ANTICIPATE breakdowns.

In a post above, Elorrum suggested you try walking. I second that notion. At times, I have imitated Monty Python's Bicycle Repairman – the fellow who was expert at repairing bikes, but himself always walked.
You meet more people and enjoy more of the art and fun in people's camps by walking.

And as Token showed photos of above....
I was part of the Royal Clusterblunder Removal Operation that year.
After I had returned from the event to my home in California, I drove back to BRC and removed 185 of the SCRAP bicycles people had left behind.

Again, you would never do that, and I salute you. But I want you to have a clear and full understanding of bicycles in BRC.
.

Bicycle Repairman 2.jpg