ThisNext Blog

Something’s missing… there are no djembe circles, no barking three-legged dogs, no Phish, no wafts of incense and grass, no patchouli, no wet zarape blankets… it’s just us.

All the hippies have funneled out of San Francisco and out to the playa. They almost swept me up in the rising tide of PLURness, but I just couldn’t sell myself out like that. I’m considering starting a Facebook group entitled: I almost went to Burning Man but my costume sucked. There’s no way in hell I’m showing up to the biggest freakfest in the world wearing Jamiroquai’s played-out fur hat. Expressing one’s creativity doesn’t happen by buying a costume - I need to be creative. The guy sleeping in my living room (aka couch hippie) left for Burning Man with the audacity to make the decision only a day beforehand. That guy is like school on Sunday, he’s got absolutely no class.

THEMES & RIDES
It is all about having a theme (or better yet, a camp). There are pancake makers, Industrial Goths, a roller disco, 9 million progressive house tents, a Victorian steam punk mansion, post-apocalyptic Mad Maxers, the yellow bike exchange, 2 mini golfs, an exploding fire arts show and a camp that skydives in…and these are just the ones rolling out of Berkley and Dolores Park. The freaks from Austin and Madison must REALLY be making some cool shit in order to pay the shipping and airline costs.

I’ll be damned if I’m gonna tell you what I’m doing next year (mostly because I haven’t decided). But if I had gone this year, I would’ve at least gotten myself a souped-up ride.

• The Pinel & Pinel Folding Bike fits in the trunk of any car or caravan leaving plenty of room for the 18 litres of water you’ll need to bring with you.
  
• The 2Cycle is a sturdy four-wheeled beauty and is a great way to traverse the long journey across the desert. Zem also carries a 4Cycle for those crazy swinging couples.
  
• The Family Cycle is my absolute favorite. One part golf cart and one part bike, this cruiser is equipped with a front wind and dust shield and has enough room in the trunk to carrie a couple of speakers. (You see where I’m going here)
• Another suggestion is the Conference Bike. While my only experience with this beast was moving at high speeds through traffic with my back to the road, I still maintain that this is a great bike. You’ll have to test drive a few different groups of conference members until you get the right mix of kooks and daredevils.