Interest? Bike to the Burn

[junglesmacks]

[TomServo]

Must have 447 accessory!

[BBadger]

Ben Hur hurr hurr!

[TomServo]

Think that's cute? wait till you read my Manifesto.

[knowmad]

is this thread snark yet?

[Rice]

is this thread snark yet?

Yet??

I think we hit SNARK on the second post...

[junglesmacks]

is this thread snark yet?

Yet??

I think we hit SNARK on the second post...

No, that was truth and was echoed by other members of the community.


THIS was snark:

[Rice]

is this thread snark yet?

Yet??

I think we hit SNARK on the second post...

No, that was truth.


THIS was snark:

I forgot about that GIF... I stand corrected. (actually, i have strong ambivelance either way...)

[TomServo]

is this thread snark yet?

Yet??

I think we hit SNARK on the second post...

No, that was truth and was echoed by other members of the community.


THIS was snark:

No this is snark!

[media]

[SLACKER]

coming from a time traveler changes everything, do we make it? only boring people get board

[BBadger]

Every time I see that I imagine the sound of bowling pins getting knocked over in a strike.

[theCryptofishist]

So, wait, have you lived in San Francisco?

[Saguache]

Spent some time reading and thinking in particular about the response I hoped for and the response I received here on ePlaya to my proposal about a cycle touring theme camp.

A quote from Ngulchu Thogme came to mind:

If someone cuts off your head, even when you have not done the slightest thing wrong, through the power of compassion to take his misdeeds upon yourself is the practice of the bodhisattva.

My buddha nature is often not as developed as I'd wish it could be. I often lose sight of this ideal and later come to regret my actions and words because they cause suffering in others and ultimately in myself. The worst part for me is that Burning Man for me can be an opportunity for a retreat. Even amongst the people and commotion I have in the past been able to work on cultivating a sense of tranquility that can be missing from my day-to-day life.

So, with some self reflection, I've decided how to proceed with my hope to ride to the Burn. My plan starts with identification. As I have said prior I had hoped for a specific response. This is an expectation that was largely left unfulfilled by the denizens of ePlaya through no fault of your own. What I consider desirable. But it is and will remain my expectation. This expectation is also the gist of our shared suffering.

But I can still attempt to remain an openhearted person and that hasn't been the case so far in this thread. And so I apologize if I have been the cause of suffering.

I've been taught that once I've identified a path to virtue I can then use discernment as a tool to figure out case-by-case what I should open myself up to and what I should move away from. Having explored what to accept and what to reject in this case, I know that I can safely close out those who insist that cycling to the burn cannot be accomplished. And I can patiently wait for those who would offer either their aid or their advice to accomplish my stated goal.

This is a lot closer to what I meant to say in the first place.

[FIGJAM]

Expectation is the seed of anger, sadness, and disapointment.

Eliminate expectation, and you can bid those negative emotions goodby forever.

[knowmad]

I'm confused. Why is that guy talking like a hippie?

[Ugly Dougly]

It's okay to be confused.
I've heard it said.

[junglesmacks]

Someone's got some good shit.

[Saguache]

Most of the time, when someone in this forum says something that upsets you -- ignore them. They will eventually get bored and find someone else to bother.

Possibly after they move your thread from theme camps to transportation, but ok I will abide. Thanks stretch80

[Saguache]

So hence forth, its not a question. You cannot agree or disagree with my mode of travel because it never was a question.

Yeah, not so much. As stated in the "Overview on Posting":

NOTE: Be prepared for public scrutiny and criticism of your posts & threads, it comes part and parcel with posting on public message boards.

If you don't want people disagreeing with, or commenting on, your plans, the ePlaya isn't the place to post them.

Yea, not so much Eric:

Scrutiny: noun Critical observation or examination

Yea not so much, there is nothing critical posting animated pictures of a handful of cyclists in Italy getting plowed over by an angry driver is not meant to be critical or examine the situation. Rather, I'm left with a range of interpretations about the meaning from I might be run over too to its ok and maybe even funny when people on bicycles get run over.

You are correct about one thing however, this is a pubic forum, and while it may lack scruples it has brought in interest. And that's a good thing from my point of view. And as the interest grows so will the camp. The funny thing is that its not a problem to get cycle tourist to want to tour, the challenge is to let them know what a week on the playa can be like.

I have one suggestion already for a bicycle repair zone. This makes some sense, but its also one of those things that's already done. Cycle repair may become so ubiquitous that you'll be able to get your breaks adjusted next to every bar if we're not careful. I'm thinking that a bicycle advocacy might be in order for the camp. The idea is appealing because we have all the components already on their way: people who love to bike, in our case, very long distances, some very well designed and built bicycles, and most likely a ton of photographs and stories, maybe a map or two.

On another note, can I ask that who ever moved the thread kindly put it back in theme camps for 2013? While getting there is a component of a cyclists experience its not the point of the camp at the burn. I'd really appreciate it if we could get some scrutiny from other camp organizers as well as drum up involvement from the correct location on this board.

[junglesmacks]

Eric was correct in his statement. You do need to in fact "Be prepared for public scrutiny and criticism of your posts & threads, it comes part and parcel with posting on public message boards."

You posted your idea. People scrutinized it.. albeit with some side snark the amount of which had a direct correlation to the obnoxious attitude that you so readily displayed.

If you are serious about creating a theme camp revolving around cycling, then I would suggest you create a new thread specifically devoted to that camp, the interaction with other camps and life on-playa.. and not the actual transportation to and from the burn.

[edbrez]

I missed 2012 and it was a shame. I've resolved to not miss 2013, especially for the same reason as last year. So here is the idea. Next summer I will spend as much time as I can muster back in the saddle of a bike. This is primarily because I love to ride bikes, but secondarily because I now have a disorder which precludes driving. That's right, no more cars for this hombre. In many ways this is already the direction my life was headed so its no big deal. Hell, I've lived for long periods of time without a car.

But then the thought occurs to me, what about celebrating my favorite and now necessitated mode of transportation by making it the central theme of this week of Bacchanal? Would there be others out there interested in cycle touring to the burn? Would it be possible, by getting there collectively to share the load and develop a freaking comfortable and awesome camp with potentially the option of a ride home at the end?

I've been a project manager for many years now and the vision for this is about half fleshed out in my head. Is there anyone else out there that would be interested in combining super powers to make a 2013 theme camp of cycle tourists?

I applaude your courage and worry for your sanity

[Nipple]

I love distance cycling.

There are weekends in the year I would never do it. Any busy summer three day weekend or holiday. Too much traffic on the roads.

I can't imagine coming from any road heading towards BRC with any kind of expediency or direct route and not being constantly passed by heavy auto/truck traffic.

Sounds like a bummer of a time.

[knowmad]

I'm confused is this the theme camp forums?

[theCryptofishist]

No, it isn't. I think we've already established that the op is having trouble understanding eplaya custom.

[trilobyte]

Saguache - no, this thread will not be moved from the Transportation board. As I'd mentioned in my post a while back when I said I was moving it, most of the original post and all of the resulting conversation (which is now on page 3) is essentially a conversation about transportation to the event, not building a camp. If at some point you do want to start a thread that's about a bike camp (and not biking to the burn), you're welcome to start one in the Theme Camps board.

[Dr. Dust]

Jungo road may be your perfect solution.

Jungo is one I'm looking at from google maps yes.

If you're so committed to this idea, then why don't you try it out on a weekend early in the spring just to make sure the terrain is manageable? I know you're an exceptional cyclist, but seriously, biking to the burn is nothing short of foolhardy, regardless of the road, in my opinion. Why risk missing the burn because you prefer a mode of transportation?

If I told you I was going to ride a unicycle to and from the burn, can you honestly tell me you would support that idea as a legitimate mode of transportation to and from Burning Man?

Here, have a cup of coffee.

[Eric]

Yea, not so much Eric:

Scrutiny: noun Critical observation or examination

I like how you only chose one of the two important words (and a definition that uses "critical" instead of "close"), the one that you could twist into something closer to what you wanted it to mean, when what that sentence actually means is that people will be "taking a close look and examining" what you post, as well as "passing judgments on the merits of it".

The point stands: once you post on ePlaya, people are allowed to respond to your posts. No-one is required to respond in a way that the OP desires. The posters here have a wealth of knowledge about all aspects of the Burn and are here because they want to be, you can learn as much from their disagreement with a project as you can when they agree.

None of this can stop you from doing what you want in the real world, just don't expect to get a bunch of people only nodding "yes" on here.

[Elliot]

I have one suggestion already for a bicycle repair zone. This makes some sense, but its also one of those things that's already done. Cycle repair may become so ubiquitous that you'll be able to get your breaks adjusted next to every bar if we're not careful.

As Trilobyte said, that would belong in the Theme Camps section of the board. But your headline of "...Bike to the Burn" is clearly a Transportation matter.

Now.... Be advised, there is a TREMENDOUS DEMAND for bicycle repair in Black Rock City. The last camp I know of who offered large scale bicycle repair gave up of sheer exhaustion and disgust. If I recall correctly they last operated in 2006, and I remember seeing a couple hundred people in line at opening time every day. And some of those customers had "entitlement issues", which was the main complaint of the repair crew.

Myself, I organized a Theme Camp in 2007 where we added bicycle repair as a secondary feature. I had mentioned this in our Theme Camp application, and Playa Info listed us as a bicycle repair camp on their big "resources" blackboard. Even with four or five technicians on duty we were quickly overwhelmed, and on Wednesday or Thursday I had to go down to Playa Info and wipe us off the blackboard. That made the rest of the week manageable.

This year I operated by myself largely by word-of-mouth, and I was plenty busy.

I heartily support your idea of running a bicycle repair camp. The smiles and "thank yous" you will earn are priceless. Just be prepared for quite an onslaught of customers.

[Savannah]

My favorite Burner mechanic only works by word of mouth too, now, Elliot . . . and thus found his Burn to be far more manageable than in previous years. (He finds it hard to say no, meaning he always ended up exhausted).

If I were good at repairs I would do it the same way. Or I might drop in at a larger camp. Plenty of opportunities to gift, without throwing chum in the water.

[Turtleburp]

Scrutiny: noun Critical observation or examination

You are correct about one thing however, this is a pubic forum, and while it may lack scruples it has brought in interest. And that's a good thing from my point of view. And as the interest grows so will the camp. The funny thing is that its not a problem to get cycle tourist to want to tour, the challenge is to let them know what a week on the playa can be like.

[/quote]

See!?
Close scrutiny