A special 4 wheeled bicycle built for Burning Man

Above you will find links that will take you to the various processes involved in constructing the quadracycle, the abandoned BTTF concepts, the Photovoltaic system I built to provide power to our camp, and the trailer I restored and adapted to carry the quadracycle. The 'Quadracycle Build' page will show the step-by-step process used to build the quad. And the 'Photos on the playa' page are of the quad finally at Burning Man in 2007.

My Quadracycle Blog -

3/5/2009: I've added the 2008 photos of the quad on the playa to the link on the menu. I still have some photos of rebuilding the top sunshade to put up. I've also learned I can get the week off, so I'll work up improvements to the quad so it can go again in 2009. Any fancy decorations will depend on time and if I can find a way to add power assist.

2/7/2009: At this point in time it's not a sure thing that I'll be going again in 2009. I have a conflict with the vacations policies at my workplace. If I do go but can not get the full week off I don't think I will go to the trouble of taking the quadracycle this time. I still intend to modify the new wheel hubs, and I hope to one day do the power assist and the BTTF shell.

10/30/2008: While the weather and condition of the playa were less than ideal, the quadracycle performed quite well. I have a couple alterations to make on the new wheels but I never dropped a chain and nothing broke on the playa. I did have a dead headlight, so I didn't go out at night with it. Stay tuned, I will post new photos and stories from 2008 soon.

8/11/2008: OMG! We're leaving for the playa in less than 2 weeks. I'm getting an early entry pass so I'll be heading there on Saturday. I'm working on the sunshade. The rear chains have been replaced and test out well. The quad still needs a good lube and some fresh paint. The biggest concern is the RV rack. Check out the Motorhome rack page for new photos from a test fitting last weekend.

7/24/2008: We're going to be coming up on crunch time here soon so it's time to get the quadracycle ready to make the trip. I've purchased new resin wheels which can hold more weight and will not cause me to suffer the many flats I keep getting with the steel rims and all their sharp spots. I finally have the 4 supports for the overhead structure so now I can make a much better sunshade structure. The corner supports can be used to mount whatever I want to place on top of the quadracycle.

I also have made the carrier rack for the back of the motor home. It still needs a lot of work though. I'll post photos as soon as I have some. I had to build it in a hurry so there are no construction photos. Too bad too. I actually did some of the welding.

7/4/2008: After a winter in storage it was time to get the quad down from its storage spot hanging in the shop and get it ready to be in the Carmichael 4th of July Parade. Click HERE to see details and photos from the day. I've been unable to get the pipe mounting brackets made, so I again did something quick-n-dirty to mount the overhead devices mounted. I really hope I don't have this level of problems with the rack for the motor home. I would like to have welded up the rack myself, but I can't afford the welding kit right now.

On the quad, I need to replace the rear chains with non-derailer versions and see it that help my chain dropping problems. Despite my best cleaning efforts, the quad still has a lot of playa dust in/on it. I need to re-clean key spots and repaint. I still hope to get a solid framework for the sunshade so I don't have to rely on ropes to keep the sunshade in place, like last year.

9/8/2007: Today I cleaned the major sections of the quad and started assessing the damage. I broke a tail light clip and I'll have to replace the whole tail light to fix it. The brake on the driver's side is binding. Hopefully it just got bumped and knocked it out of alignment. My biggest problem was the chain dropping off. If I hit a bumpy road it sometimes lost the rear chain. I'll need to design guides for the rear chain to offset the problem. The seats were binding. I'll need to devise a way to keep the seat rollers operational after the frame gets hot.

9/5/2007: This time I and the quad made it to Burning Man. I'm really busy cleaning up everything, getting back to work, and falling down with exhaustion. I've posted some photos of the quad on the playa and I'll describe what issues and experiences I had riding it around. It performed well and was my primary source of transportation all week. It's really trashed now and will need a good cleaning before dealing with some of the minor damage that took place.

8/13/2007: The repainting is finished and I'm reassembling everything and getting back to the lighting I started a year ago. I'm running the wires for the lights through the frame to make it look nicer and to keep the wires from getting snagged. I've yet to build the power box, but that should not even take up 1 evening. I've added some images of the CAD files to the Concept page.

8/9/2007: On Monday, we finished the parts for the steering. We were in a hurry, so there are no new photos. Sorry. But with the steering completed, the bike was done enough to lock the seats in place (no positioning pins yet), put everything back together and give it a try. We wheeled it outside and took it for a spin around the campus. We even braved taking it up the long ramp to the Guy West Bridge and back down again! The brakes work great! It steers MUCH better, and the new seat positions help a lot. It would have peddled a little easier if I had remembered to fill the tires!

Then it was time to pack it into the truck and take it home. It now needs to be repainted. The wiring for the head and tail lights needs to be completed, and then it's on to the sunshade. Now it's close. Very close!!

8/5/2007: Picking up where we left off yesterday.. The seat brackets have almost been completed, leaving just the positioning pins. The front wheels were modified to include a 7 percent forward rake. Hopefully, that will help with the scuffing of the tires while turning. So what's left? A small bracket and an extension for the steering wheel support. So that wraps up the weekend. The bike is still in the shop and I'll need to get it out of there right away. I don't want to get Mike into trouble. I owe him big time for all his time and trouble! Once the bike is back home I'll need to repaint it, wire back up all the lights and get busy on the sunshade. I need to hurry. I have to finish the travel trailer and get my regular bike fixed up in less than 21 days!

8/4/2007: All of today was spent on the quadracycle - and we'll be back at it tomorrow. Today we made the parts for the seats and should be able to finish them in the morning. While the seats are being milled by the CNC machine, we'll get onto the steering. The hardest part will be to add some 'pitch' to the front wheels. The remainder is some better support for the steering wheel rod. The last thing will be some corners for the sunshade, but those can be made without having the bike there. Check out the Quadracycle Build page for photos with descriptions.

8/2/2007: Meeting with Mike today, I think he may start on the seat brackets tomorrow. Then I'll bring the bike in on Saturday and we'll try to finish it. I've disassemble the bike to transport it to the shop for the final build. Still, I'm still keeping my fingers crossed..

7/23/2007: If all goes well, Mike will start to build the seat brackets this week. He almost go stuck on jury duty. Then I expect I'd have had to write off the project. I'm off this week for a short trip with the wife on our 27th anniversary. I hope to take the bike itself back into the shop for final modifications and to build the top (something way better than the one pictured above).

7/14/2007: On Friday, Mike was going to cut the parts for the seats. I went down to the shop mid-morning and found nobody there and the lights were out. This is NOT good. At this rate I doubt the bike get done in time. I only have so much time to prepare everything and I can't get much, if any time off from work. If this all fails it's going to be a very hard and expensive lesson.

7/9/2007: The plan is to get the seat mounts made over the next 2 weeks and then on the 16th take the quadracycle back in to the shop to modify the steering. IF all this takes place I'll be able to get the wiring done and get a top made. I'm just going to make a top out of 1" steel and put a sunshade on it. From there I can cover it with EL wire and something to make it look "green". I have no idea what to do. Any suggestions are welcome.

I'm also looking for a travel trailer. Then I can put the bike in the back of the truck and camp in the trailer.

6/14/2007: Again another snag.. Mike the Uber-machinest has been swamped and I've not been able to get any of his time to work on the bike. Progress has been made on the new seat mount design and the steering issues shouldn't take too long, but Mike will now be on vacation till early July and who knows if he'll have time after that. I'll still keep working on it however I can, but without these modifications the bike won't be workable enough to take to Burning Man. I still need a top and a better trailer, both of which will take time and $$. More shop time is in serious doubt and I don't want to commit more money to the project if it has the potential to not work.

5-17-2007: One more try!

OK, so I didn't make it to Burning Man in 2006. An ongoing medical condition flared up just before the event and trashed me so badly I was unable to go. I've since had the problem 'repaired'. So my determination increases to get myself out to the playa in 2007. I have my ticket and I'm making alterations to the quadracycle to harden and improve its operation. I want to deeply thank my friends in their efforts to help me get to Burning Man. I will make it this year and this time I'll be ready WAY in advance. I'm redesigning the seat system so they will be lighter and easily adjustable, plus the steering system will be improved. Will I do the BTTF car for next time or will the 'Green Man' theme for 2007 take me in a new direction? We'll have to wait and see what the future brings..

Early 2006: I decided in 2005 to build a 2 seat pedal-bike (quadracycle) for use at Burning Man in 2006. The bike is similar to the 'Rhoads Car'(www.rhoadescar.com), with 2 seats side by side, each having its own pedals and gearing. This bike is totally scratch-built specifically for use as an art-car platform for Burning Man.

For 2006, I intended to add a shell over the quadracycle to make it look like a DeLorean from Back to the Future, however, the bike itself took 2 months+ longer than expected to construct and my hoped-for help on the BTTF shell did not materialize in time. So, the BTTF addition was abandoned for this year.