Bikes, lighting, locks, and repair

Choose a bike you can keep working

Burning Man recommends a fully functioning mountain bike or single-speed cruiser with wide tires. Thin road tires are harder to control on soft or rutted playa, and exposed cables and derailleurs require more care in dust. Simple is useful because a simple bike has fewer adjustment points and more repair camps will understand its parts.

• Single-speed cruiser: easy to understand and repair, with an upright position and few dust-sensitive parts. It can be tiring in deep dust.
• Mountain bike: wider gearing and better control on rough surfaces, but shifters, cables, and derailleurs add failure points.
• Rental or reserved bike: avoids transporting a bike long-distance, but verify size, pickup, return, included lock and lights, repair terms, and after-event responsibility before paying.
• E-bike: can reduce physical effort, but is heavier to lift or repair and adds battery, charger, heat, range, and camp-power constraints.

Do not bring a bike that still needs assembly, has a cracked frame, has a loose crank or headset, or cannot stop reliably. Bike-repair camps have limited parts and may not be able to repair specialized components or e-bikes.

Inspect it in this order

Complete this inspection several weeks before departure so a shop has time to source parts. Repeat the short air-brakes-chain check before every ride.

1. Record the bike. Photograph both sides, the serial number, tire markings, valve type, axle or wheel-release hardware, brake type, and every tool used. Add a durable label with a camp name and playa address plus only the contact information you are comfortable displaying publicly.
2. Check frame, fork, and steering. Look for cracks, bent tubes, or damaged welds. Hold the front brake and rock the bike forward and back; knocking or play at the headset needs service. Turn the bars and confirm cables do not pull tight.
3. Check wheels and attachment. Lift each end and spin the wheel. It should rotate freely without a strong side-to-side wobble. Confirm axle nuts, quick-release levers, or thru axles are secure and that you packed the exact tool or procedure needed to remove them.
4. Check tires and air. Inflate within the pressure range printed on the tire sidewall. Replace tires with cracks, exposed casing threads, damaged beads, embedded debris, or badly worn tread. Inspect the rim tape when the tire is off.
5. Check both brakes. Squeeze each lever separately while pushing the bike. The lever should not bottom against the handlebar, pads should contact the intended braking surface, and the wheel should release when the lever does.
6. Check chain, crank, and pedals. Pull each crank sideways; do not ride with a loose crank. Turn the pedals, shift every gear if present, and confirm the chain stays on without skipping. Clean the drivetrain and use dry, wax-based chain lubricant rather than an oil-based wet lube that traps dust.
7. Check fit and cargo. Set the saddle so you can control the bike and pedal with a slight knee bend. Load the basket or rack as you will use it. Nothing may rub a tire, enter the spokes, interfere with a brake, or make steering unstable.
8. Check visibility, lock, and MOOP. Install a useful forward headlight, a red rear light, and side or frame lighting. Aim the headlight down enough to show the surface without blinding people. Tug every decoration and trim loose wire, tape, zip ties, and battery doors that could become MOOP.
9. Test the complete system. Ride for at least 30 minutes after dark with the intended clothes, lights, cargo, lock, and repair kit. Brake hard in a safe place, make tight turns, park, lock and unlock the bike, and correct every rattle or snag.

Match the tire, tube, valve, and pump

“A bike tube” is not specific enough. Read the markings from the actual tire, not from an online product photo or a similar camp bike.

• Diameter must match. Buy a tube whose listed wheel diameter matches the tire. If the tire shows an ISO or ETRTO size such as 54-559, match the bead-seat diameter (559 in this example); informal inch names can describe incompatible diameters.
• Width must overlap. A tube marked for a width range must include the tire's printed width. For a tire marked 26 x 2.125, a tube whose stated range covers 2.125 inches is suitable.
• Valve must match. Schrader valves are wider and resemble car-tire valves. Presta valves are narrow and have a small threaded tip that must be loosened before inflation. A Schrader valve will not fit through a Presta-sized rim hole. Match the installed valve rather than planning around an improvised adapter.
• Pump head must match. Confirm the portable pump supports that valve, attach it to the bike, and fully inflate the packed spare tube with it before departure. Pack the pump's adapter only if you have tested the exact combination.
• Pressure comes from the tire. Use the tire manufacturer's marked range and the bike or wheel limits, not a generic pressure from this guide. Too little air increases pinch-flat and handling risk; too much can reduce traction or exceed a component limit.

If the bike is tubeless, know how to use its plug kit and remove its tubeless valve before relying on an emergency inner tube. Otherwise, have a shop explain and demonstrate the system.

Plan lighting by measured runtime

Decorative glow is not a substitute for seeing the surface and being visible from the front, rear, and side. Keep the headlight and rear light electrically independent so one dead battery or broken cable does not make the bike entirely dark. Carry a small backup light on your person.

Test each light on the brightness and pattern you will actually use. Then plan:

required light-hours = nights × riding hours per night × 1.25 reserve

battery sets or full charges = round up(required light-hours ÷ tested runtime)

Example: Seven nights at five hours per night with a 25% reserve requires 7 × 5 × 1.25 = 43.75, or about 44 light-hours. A headlight that ran eight hours in a home test needs 44 ÷ 8 = 5.5, so plan six complete battery sets or full charges. A rear light that ran 14 hours needs 44 ÷ 14 = 3.14, so plan four. Calculate each light separately and include the light you use to find the parked bike.

Cold, heat, dust, high brightness, old rechargeable cells, and forgotten daytime operation can all reduce runtime. Recheck the lights and battery doors every evening rather than treating the calculation as a guarantee.

Pack only tools and spares you have tested

Keep the small ride kit attached securely to the bike:

• two correctly sized tubes, or the proven tubeless repair supplies plus a compatible emergency tube;
• a patch kit within its shelf life and a compact tire boot;
• two or three tire levers that work with the actual tire and rim;
• a valve-compatible portable pump, preferably with a gauge;
• the exact axle wrench, hex keys, or other tools needed for that bike;
• a bike multi-tool and a chain quick link that matches the chain's speed, only if you know how to use them;
• a small rag or glove for finding tire debris, plus a sealable bag for failed tubes, patches, and other repair waste;
• an independent backup light and its tested batteries.

At camp, add a floor pump, dry chain lube, stiff brush, rags, spare brake pads or cable only if compatible, spare light mounts and batteries, and a few secure fasteners for the basket or rack. Tape and zip ties are temporary retention tools, not repairs for brakes, steering, a cracked frame, or a loose wheel.

Practice one complete wheel removal, tube change, inflation, wheel reinstallation, brake reconnection, and spin test using only the packed kit. If a tool never touches the bike during that practice, verify why you are carrying it.

Repair a flat without creating a second one

1. Move out of traffic, switch off the lights, and place the bike where it will not fall onto its derailleur, brake rotor, wiring, or basket.
2. Note which side and direction the wheel faces. For a rear derailleur bike, shifting to the smallest rear cog usually makes removal easier. Release a rim brake only if the bike's design requires it.
3. Remove the wheel using its proven axle, quick-release, or thru-axle method. Keep every nut, spring, and washer together.
4. Deflate the tube completely. Starting away from the valve, use tire levers to lift one tire bead over the rim, then remove the tube.
5. Find the cause before installing anything. Inflate the old tube enough to locate the hole, then align the valve and hole with the tire. Carefully inspect that part of the tire, the full inside surface, the bead, and the rim tape. Use a rag or glove so hidden glass or wire does not cut a finger.
6. Remove the sharp object. Patch the dry, prepared tube exactly as the patch manufacturer directs, or install the compatible spare. A sidewall cut may need a temporary tire boot; walk the bike if the casing or bead cannot hold shape safely.
7. Add just enough air to give the tube shape. Insert the valve straight, tuck the tube fully inside the tire, and reseat the bead with your hands. Check both sides so no tube is trapped under the bead.
8. Inflate gradually within the tire's marked range. Watch that the bead seats evenly and the tire does not bulge.
9. Reinstall and secure the wheel, reconnect any released brake, spin the wheel, squeeze each brake, and perform a slow test ride before returning to traffic.
10. Pack out the punctured tube, backing paper, broken parts, and the object that caused the flat.

Care for the bike on playa

• Before each outing, check air, both brakes, chain movement, wheel security, lights, and lock. Fix a change while you are at camp rather than after dark.
• Park upright in a rack or stable area. A tennis ball or similar wide foot on a kickstand can keep it from drilling into soft playa.
• Brush dust from the chain, brakes, moving joints, battery contacts, and pump head. Apply dry lube sparingly according to its instructions and wipe away excess.
• Keep the bike and repair kit covered when practical, but do not trap a hot e-bike battery in direct sun.
• Lock your bike every time you leave it. Do not lock to guy wires, art, emergency access, or other structures.
• Stay at least 15 feet from moving Mutant Vehicles. If you cannot see the driver or spotter, assume they cannot see you.
• Do not ride in a whiteout or when rain has turned the surface into wheel-clogging mud. Stop in a safe place and wait for official conditions to improve.

E-bike caveats

The 5 mph playa speed limit applies to e-bikes. Test that you can control the bike smoothly at that speed without sudden motor engagement. Know its loaded weight, how to move it with the motor off, and how to repair a flat without injuring yourself or damaging its wiring. Do not assume a repair camp can lift or service it.

Use only the charger and battery combinations approved by the bike or battery manufacturer. Follow the system manual for temperature, ventilation, moisture, and power requirements. As one manufacturer example, Bosch directs owners to use the original charger, charge in a dry smoke-detected area near room temperature, disconnect after charging, avoid direct sun and excessive heat, and never open or attempt to repair a battery housing.

Inspect the battery, mount, cable, and charger before travel. Do not bring or charge a battery that is cracked, swollen, leaking, unusually hot, smells abnormal, has damaged contacts, or has been involved in an impact until a qualified technician clears it. Keep contacts clean and dry, protect the charger from dust, and use only manufacturer-approved charging connections.

Shared bikes, parking, and departure

Official rule: Green Community Bikes are shared for short, one-way, temporary rides. Never lock one, keep one at camp, decorate one, take one home, or treat one as your bike for the week.

For your own bike, use a lock every time and label it with a camp address. Burning Man advises never locking to guy wires or other structures. Park inside designated areas without blocking roads, paths, camp entrances, or emergency access.

Plan the bike's departure before arrival. Confirm current return terms and capacity with any rental, storage, or donation program, and retain a fallback that removes the bike from Black Rock City. An abandoned bike is MOOP.

Playa tip (community practice - not an official requirement): A combination lock avoids a loose key. Photograph the completed bike and its identifying marks, save the combination offline, and make its lighting pattern distinctive enough to recognize in a crowded rack.

Common failures

• A cracked or dry-rotted tire passes a squeeze test at home and fails under load.
• A tube has the right diameter but the wrong width or valve.
• The pump fits the valve but cannot reach usable pressure, or its adapter is back at camp.
• The repair kit lacks the wrench for a nutted axle.
• The puncturing wire or glass remains in the tire and destroys the new tube.
• The replacement tube is pinched under the bead during installation.
• A released rim brake or loose wheel is not secured after the repair.
• A light's advertised runtime is used without testing its actual mode.
• One battery, cable, or switch powers all visibility lighting.
• Decorations enter spokes, cover a brake, or shed wire and tape as MOOP.
• A loaded front basket makes steering unstable.
• Oil-based chain lube turns playa dust into grinding paste.
• An e-bike arrives without its approved charger, removal tool, key, or a safe charging plan.
• The ride home depends on an unconfirmed donation site having capacity.