Some of the bike shops in the area really know how to take care of Burners. Some sell used bikes, some only new bikes. Some offer rentals, repair services, or storage, and some accept donations post-event!
Reno Bike Project
635 E 4th street, Reno NV*
Reno Bike Project (RBP) sells recycled bikes intended for the playa starting at $100. These bikes have at least one gear, one brake, and tight bearing surfaces. RBP also offers a full range of accessories and services, including last minute repairs for people rolling through Reno and bike assembly for people who want to ship their bike to Reno. You can reserve your playa bike online starting in the Spring, and they accept bike donations post-event at their shop. RBP is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community bicycle shop and resource for the Truckee Meadows area committed to creating a nationally recognized, cycling-friendly community through education, cooperation and advocacy. Sales from Burning Man bikes support programs such as the community bike shop, youth riding and programs, and more.
*Reno Bike Project has two locations, but all playa gear sales will be conducted at 635 E. 4th Street.
Black Rock Bicycles
7875 North Virginia Street, Reno NV
Operated by Burners, Black Rock Bicycles has bikes for rent and purchase. They also have accessories, including lighting, el-wire kits, baskets, car racks, bells, locks, baskets, trailers, tubes and decor. Black Rock Bicycles has started a new program that will allow you to store your bike in an enclosed storage area for an entire year. You can buy a new bike from them, art it up, personalize it, ride it during the Burn, return it, have it cleaned and put in their storage.
Kiwanis Bike Program
5305 Mill Street, Reno NV
Our friends at the Kiwanis Bike Program sell affordable used bicycles starting at $90 for online reservations and $100 in-store. They also sell accessories, including baskets, car racks, locks, and bells. (EL wire is no longer available for purchase.) You can reserve your bike on their website. Bikes are available for walk-in purchase at their Reno location. These are first come, first served, as long as supplies last. You can also donate your bike to them post-event at the same location.
If you return your bike to Kiwanis, they’ll refurbish and reuse it for kids or recycle it for the playa! All funds support bike repair and riding education, and bike donations for schools and youth programs in the Reno area.
Bike Men Bike Rentals (BM Bike Rentals)
70200 State Route 447, Gerlach, NV 89405
Located just outside the gates of Black Rock City, BM Bike Rentals offers a range of reliable bikes for rent, including Beach Cruisers, Mountain Bikes, and E-Bikes. Their rental program provides a sustainable alternative to buying new bikes, helping reduce waste and keep the Playa clean — aligned with Burning Man’s core principles.
Burner-owned and operated since 2015, BM Bike Rentals also stocks accessories such as baskets, locks, lights, and bike racks. After the event, they operate a donation site in Gerlach, collecting bike and food donations for redistribution to Northern Nevada food banks, homeless shelters, senior communities, and social service centers.
Reno, NV
Playa Bike Repair has been providing durable, playa-tested bikes to individuals and camps for over a decade. Bikes are available for both rent and purchase, with options for single riders or groups of up to 200.
Rental bikes are specifically designed for Black Rock City’s harsh conditions, featuring airless tires and sealed bearings to prevent flats and breakdowns. Each bike includes a three-speed hub, front basket, pedal-powered light, and lock — offering a comfortable, upright ride with reliable performance.
Individual rentals (1–9 bikes) are available for pickup in Reno. For larger groups (10–200 bikes), pre-loaded trailers are provided free of charge for easy transport to and from the Playa using your own RV, SUV, truck or van.
Community Bikes Program
Burning Man’s Community Yellow Bike Program offers bicycles available for anyone who needs a one-way ride. Community Bikes are easy to spot because they are painted bright green, with no visible brand and/or the words “YELLOW BIKE” painted on the frame. The only way this program works is if everybody adheres to the guidelines, which are:
- Community Bikes are for temporary use by anyone without immediate access to their own bike. This is not your loaner bike for the week. Bike rides are only a one-way, temporary guarantee.
- Community Bikes are meant for short trips. Grab a Community Bike, make your trek, and then leave it in an obvious public place. Do not keep a Community Bike in your camp.
- If a Community Bike breaks while you’re using it, use Radical Self-reliance to get it repaired for the next person. If it is beyond repair and you have the ability, please return the bicycle to the Yellow Bike Shop at 5:30 & D.
- Never lock a Community Bike. BRC’s Bike Team will cut any locks from Community Bikes. Don’t bring a Community Bike into your tent or RV, and don’t take it home when you leave the playa.
- Community Bikes should be treated with respect, as if it were your own. Be nice to the bike. Don’t trash it, vandalize it, part it out, or decorate it! It’s a shared community resource, and while your intentions may be good, decorating a Community Bike makes it unrecognizable to the other citizens of Black Rock City. (Plus, the Bike Crew will resent the time they need to spend stripping away your decorations). Don’t forget personal hygiene… pants are required while riding a Community Bike.
- If you find a Community Bike post-event, please return to the Yellow Bike Camp at 5:30 & D. Leave No Trace is real! Please and thank you!
We heart the Community Bike program. Let’s keep it working. Here’s a blog post about it, if you want to share it with your friends. You can also follow the Community Bike Program on Facebook for updates on bicycling on playa!
I thought bikes could be rented on playa. What happened?
Starting in 2023, theme camps that offer fee-based bike rentals will not be permitted to provide any rental services on playa. These camps will need to coordinate and complete all bike rentals, pick-ups, and drop-offs outside of Black Rock City.
Over the last decade, three bike repair camps (Playa Bike Repair, Hammer and Cyclery, and Soup Kitchen/Art Bike Relief) began renting bikes off-playa and delivering them to Burners on-playa. Many participants have come to depend on the convenience of renting bikes that are delivered in Black Rock City. We recognize that these camps provided a valuable alternative to disposing of a newly purchased bike if unable to transport it all the way home.
There are a number of areas we are in the process of evaluating and taking action to correct, including increased reliance on the Outside Services program. Many of these activities challenge our Principles of Radical Self-reliance and Decommodification, so as we continue our Cultural Course Correcting and Cultural Direction Setting efforts, we are actively working to limit paid conveniences in Black Rock City. This work is ongoing.
Bike rentals have been and will continue to be available in Reno and Nixon, and we recommend that participants who previously took advantage of on-playa pickup explore these alternatives. We also strongly stand by our Leaving No Trace Principle and expect that every participant who brings a bike into Black Rock City will take that bike home with them or donate it to one of these approved locations.