Tag Archives: bikes

Oct 10 2012

Way to Get Around

I’m a big fan of South Park, and this week’s latest episode saw Cartman finally realizing he was fat, and therefore could get a mobility scooter to roll around in.

So I was pleased to see this invention from the UK:

Company ETA is selling it for £5500 + VAT. They’re promoting it as the world’s smallest carbon neutral caravan, based on the peculiar British obsession trifecta of queueing, tea, and caravans. You’ll have to provide your own scooter, art car, or other towing vehicle. Here’s a description from Inhabitat:

ETA and Yannick Read teamed up to design the one-man caravan because they felt there was a gap in the market for those who drove mobility scooters. If your mobility scooter breaks down, your options are either to push it home (unlikely) or call a friend with a big truck (also highly unlikely in Britain). So by towing your lightweight caravan behind your scooter, you’ll be certain to always have a place to make a cup of tea, while you wait for assistance. ETA is also doing a promo on mobility scooter insurance right now and launched the caravan just before the Royal Wedding for elderly spectators who wanted to grab a spot along the procession route, but who were unwilling to camp on the pavement.

Available for only £5,500, the QTvan comes equipped with a full-sized single bed, 19” TV, radio, alarm clock, and book shelves as well as cooking facilities for tea-making or other drinks. The setup boasts a top speed of 6 mph on a 24 v battery with a range of 30 miles on a single charge. If charged using a renewable energy provider, the caravan and scooter are completely carbon neutral. Additional options includesolar roof panels, air horn and extra-wide wing mirror for mobility scooter, satellite dish, gaming console, central heating, external luggage rack, and bespoke paint.

Read more: QTvan: World’s Smallest And Greenest Caravan Makes A Mean Cup Of Tea ETA Mini Caravan – Inhabitat – Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building

Burners who don’t want to deal with the DMV can also attach it to their bikes.

We’ve had a lot of interest from around the world in our earlier post on a bicycle camper. It’s good to see this idea taking off. There are quite a few other designs available now. Why merely camp in Black Rock City, where you can just cruise around Deep Playa and set yourself down wherever the mood takes you?

Kamp-Rite bicycle camping trailer, $720

Sep 19 2012

MOOP? Or Bike Theft?

This is a photo of half the bikes left on the Playa this year. At our camp, we heard “leave the bikes and someone will collect them to give to local
Kids” – true fact , or Burner myth? I took mine with me anyway.

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Photo by Pope Phabulous, DPW

 

Burner Dusty Watchman has sent us his GoPro tribute to bicycles at Burning Man 2012

Sep 6 2012

Great Idea for Preventing Bike Theft

Lose your bike on the Playa? So did at least 3000 other people. In 2010, our camp had 12 bikes stolen within the first 3 days. This year, using cheap Wal-Mart combination cable locks, we didn’t lose one. Of course, we picked up a few at the end, as careless Burners abandoned their bikes, we even scored a few cool electric kids dirt bikes as our camps like one big MOOPS.

Over at the unofficial Facebook, Burner Mark has come up with what we think is an excellent idea.

Oh!! Oh!! Oh!! Why don’t we start a new idea in our community?!! Since clearly it doesn’t work to tell everyone to lock their bike. Half the folks never do, and then get stuck without theirs… 

So we start saying this: “New Burning Man Rule: Locked bikes are personal property. Unlocked bikes are considered a gift and rideable by anyone.” That way, you can be part of the “gift biking” program (along with all the other “bike gift takers” that come every year) OR you can start locking your bike?!! Everybody Wins!

,,,

Amsterdam’s famous “black bikes”

Burners.Me is all about embracing change, rather than resisting it or bureaucratizing it. We also believe, don’t fight battles you can’t win. And that to win without fighting is best. It’s a shame that things have come to this, but this idea would work. Look at Amsterdam – there are so many bikes for free, if you steal one, someone else will just take another.

Forget providing green bikes. Let Burners gift their own – or lock them up, so it’s clear that they weren’t meant as a gift.