Bicycle Touring to the Burn

[dignified_speck]

Riding a road bike to Gerlach...from Santa Rosa (bay area). Anyone have any stories of this happening? Thoughts? Anyone who knows someone who's done it?

thanks,
pepper

[AntiM]

This has been asked a few times... the answers will not please you. So, is this your first year? Have you seen 447? Highway 447 is a bad place for bikes. No shoulders, narrow, and semis hauling drywall, plus all those crazy burners. Plus you have to make arrangements for someone to haul a lot of your supplies out for you, no way you can pack enough water.

I'll search for the other threads discussing this, but seriously, it ain't a good idea.

[gyre]

It's been done.

Go early, leave late or die in traffic.

[Captain Goddammit]

Yep, in a nutshell that's the deal... it can be done, but it's a REALLY bad road to do it on, and you do need to arrange for your supplies.

[Bob]

It's no worse than Route 1 or the Bodega Highway or the Stony Point Road, except it's fifty degrees hotter and the trucks are filled with sewage sludge instead of milk.

[Bounce530]

Thump, thump...and for those of you pulling a trailer, thump, thump(pause)thump.

[mdmf007]

Gyres right, the road is slightly less used pre and post event, but then the traffic is composed of tractor trailers and heavy equipment getting off playa.

While it sounds like a kick ass way to go the burn I wouldn't do it. There is just little margin for error on the part of a driver coming up behind you.

You could take a northern route - but every route in will see way higher than usual volume, and still no shoulders and lots of blind corners. Save the ride for another day is my opinion.

[Token]

In 08 I had an art instalation 2 weeks early pass... Passed three cycling burners on 447 on the way in.

In 09 passed one cyclist on Friday early entry. She passed us in Gerlach since we stopped to gas up and rest up a bit before we went in.

My guess is all these folks cycling in were staffers of some sort that had all the basics like food and water waiting for them.

Been done before, will be done again. All the folks cringing about it on this board are just a miniscule sampling of burnies out there.

I'd say figure out the logistics and go for it.

[mudpuppy000]

Not sure if a rideable even exists but it'd be fun to take a mountain bike and come in on dirt roads. I wonder if there's anything following the train tracks.

I personally wouldn't ride on the paved road on my road bike. Not only do you have to worry about people coming up behind you and hitting you, alot of people pass like maniacs, so you could get hit head on by some idiot that dosen't see you.

[Bob]

Back in '97 a schoolteacher from the 'Merkin midwest rode up naked from Reno.

Red as a beet.

[Thecatman]

Rotsaruck, in riding a "road bike" with, I would guess, skinny tires on the playa

[dubz]

What is your touring setup? Are you on an actual road bike, skinny 700c tires? Or on an actual touring bike? Are you using panniers, or a trailer, or both? What is you touring experience?

To others not super familiar with bike touring, every kind of road from the north pole to the south pole has been ridden with a full load. Not neccesarily a Burning Man load though. I totally agree the roads there aren't great, and are heavily traveled, but it can definitely be done if you have the right setup.

FWIW, to anyone touring there, I will gladly open a conversation with you about how I can help out or support in any way!!!!