Bikes!!!

[mytripod]

I have a gorgeous, expensive cruiser bike that I took to my last burning man. It is still lovely and unharmed because I took extreme precautions. Before I went to BRC, I coated every square inch of my bicycle with silicone spray (twice!). While I was at BM, I rinsed it off each and every time I came home to camp. After rinsing off most of the dust and mud, I sprayed it all over with a dilute mixture of water and vinegar. Vinegar reacts with the alkali dust and cancels it out. Yes, it did involve bringing extra water, but it was worth it. Please park your bike on a tarp when spraying dilute vinegar water, even though the chemical reaction pretty much eliminates the vinegar. I covered my bike with a sheet or blanket when home in camp. When I got back from BRC I did a very extensive washing and wiping, until every speck of alkali dust was removed, especially around all of the moving parts, crankshaft, etc. Then I re-siliconed it. Not a speck of rust or deterioration. I used ceramic chain lube to protect my chain. I cleaned and relubed the chain when I got back to town. I don't recommend taking a really nice bike, but if that is what you have and want to ride, just take very careful precautions.

[Martiansky]

Wow, I just saw that picture of all the "yellow" bikes!
Amazing!
Where did they get so many of the same model?

Elliot, I like the idea of donating bikes to the local people.