Colorful faux fur, baskets strung with flowers, dust-clogged bells – hundreds of refurbished burner bikes in all shapes and sizes line a brick shop off Fourth Street.
Once a year, the Reno Bike Project opens a pop-up store for Burning Man visitors who need a ride to take to the Playa.
Standing up the shop is a year-long effort, executive director Noah Silverman told 2 News Nevada on Tuesday.
Every September, when burners leave Black Rock City, the RBP collects all the bikes abandoned on the playa. With some love and elbow grease, repairmen fix up the abandoned bikes with the intent to resell them to next year’s burners.
“We get people from all over the world coming through the shop, picking out a bike, getting excited about riding a bike,” Silverman said.
From first-timers to seasoned burners, customers seem to appreciate the effort that’s gone into fixing the bikes, and the unique results. Amelia Modlin, who is driving cross-country from New York to attend Burning Man for the third time, found a seafoam green bicycle that spoke to her.
“It has to function, but other than that, cuteness is really the only thing I care about,” she said with a laugh.
She struck a pose next to the bike, then added that it has a lot of convenient features.
“It has a phone holder. It has a water bottle holder. It has a cute little basket where I can put my backpack,” she said. “I could just ride around all day.”
Bikes like hers sell for roughly $100 a pop.
“This is our biggest fundraising opportunity. We intend to sell over 1,500 bikes,” Silverman said.
As a nonprofit, RBP supports Truckee Meadows’ cycling community.
“Our whole mission is to get people on bikes and out of cars living happier, healthier lifestyles,” he added.
The RBP Burning Man pop-up shop cycles through next Monday, and Silverman says he still has bikes available for burners who need a last-minute playa transportation option.
