Riding Bikes to Coachella - Those Renting Nearby

[baily]

Has anyone rode a bike to the festival who is renting a home nearby?

Seems to me a lot smarter than driving and getting stuck for 2+ hours.

Where did you lock up the bike? Riding home...going on the other side of traffic would be safe as there is no one headed towards the festival at the time and the drunk fools are on the other side of the road.

[yeahfontaine]

Yup. You can lock your bike near the festival entrance, or at least you could last year. There will be 2 entrances this year, though, so maybe we'll only be able to lock them at one of them? I don't know but last year was the first time we had bikes and riding them the 2 miles back to Indian Palms CC was SOOO nice. That walk at the end of each night is kind of brutal.

As far as safety goes, it was sketchy at times but this year I invested in a couple of reflective vests, which should help a bit. Although if someone's fucked up and driving, a vest probably wouldn't help. I saw a lady nearly get killed last year when she wandered into the street and a van (on the side of the road you were considering, by the way) bore down on her, laying on the horn. Scariest moment of life. I yelled at her just in time and she got out of the way with a few inches to spare, literally.

Anyway, I digress. But bikes are an awesome way to get back and forth to the venue if you're staying close.

[heyeric]

Has anyone rode a bike to the festival who is renting a home nearby?

Seems to me a lot smarter than driving and getting stuck for 2+ hours.

Where did you lock up the bike? Riding home...going on the other side of traffic would be safe as there is no one headed towards the festival at the time and the drunk fools are on the other side of the road.

It's a great idea and LOTS of people bring them to the campsites. Usually at night all lanes are used as exiting lanes so traffic is always flowing with you. They don't have bike racks but who knows, that might change? Everyone usually just leans them up against the fences right near the main entrance and to my surprise, only about 25% of them are locked up.

[bottomfeeder]

I never used a bike before but this time we got the Indio hotel, so we will be doing this as well. I don't recall a place to lock up bikes but then again I never looked. I figured at the very least I could lock it to a fence post.

Safety at night is a concern. We are bringing LED headlamps, but a reflective vest or belt sounds like a good call. Traffic typically creeps getting out, but it's the A-holes that try to manuever around traffic that are a big concern.

[baily]

thanks, that's what our plan is. I'm going to buy vests and the stupid blinkers to put on our backs ...figure a few bucks is worth our lives.

your story about the van....is exactly what scares me. Good call on yelling out to her

Where exactly did you park your bikes. I saw some locked up on the gate next to the parking lot.

Is there an area right next to the entrance where we walk in? I know there is a long chain link fense there...

[Foppie]

Biking is cool. You should have lights on your bike when riding at night regardless of where you are. Amazes me how many cheap and lazy bastards don't make this small investment.

There was a huge line of bikes chained to the chain link fence next to the entrance last year. Your paint will probably get scratched, but still worth it. My pal thought he was clever parking his bike near the VIP entrance and some jerk stole it...

Good luck! Interested to see how the 1 square mile blockade will effect us bikers.

[furnace]

I'm hemming and hawing on whether or not our group will be biking or walking. A few members of our group are long distance runners, so it makes the brutality of the walk back home at night a little less daunting.

[meyouseek]

It was a bit of a challenge to get our two bikes both locked to the chain link fence. I'd recommend everyone have their own lock... especially if you're not guaranteed to exit at the same time.

Also, make sure you have some water on you for the daytime ride. I spaced this the first day and the 1 mile ride felt like 10 in the heat.

You will definitely save yourself some serious time on the way in and out. We rode back to the house in PGA West, took a shower, got a drink, made a sandwich and then called our housemates who drove to the show. Still in the lot.

[DesertGirl]

We ride our bikes to Coachella every year. We live a few blocks away from the Polo Grounds, definitely the way to go. We locked our bikes outside of the gates no problems. The bonus is no traffic in or out!

[RobertGoulet]

My friends rode their bikes to and from the festival last year (probably about 1.5-2 miles away from the fields) and half of their group got overheated and tired halfway through the trip and gave up, hahaha.

I guess what I'm saying is go with people who aren't going to complain about biking in in the heat. My buddy's girlfriend gave up, he couldn't leave her so he ended up walking with her 2 miles in the morning heat (which to me seems worse).

[baily]

My friends rode their bikes to and from the festival last year (probably about 1.5-2 miles away from the fields) and half of their group got overheated and tired halfway through the trip and gave up, hahaha.

I guess what I'm saying is go with people who aren't going to complain about biking in in the heat. My buddy's girlfriend gave up, he couldn't leave her so he ended up walking with her 2 miles in the morning heat (which to me seems worse).

Dang...that chick needs to lose some weight! Seriously if you can't ride a bike 2 miles...that is NO endurance....put a candy bar on the lead bike...Bet she'd race to get it

[greenbored]

piece of cake. we just locked ours together to a fence near the entrance. no problems. just remember where you locked them.

[bottomfeeder]

Dang...that chick needs to lose some weight! Seriously if you can't ride a bike 2 miles...that is NO endurance....put a candy bar on the lead bike...Bet she'd race to get it

[SoccerRyot]

You should have lights on your bike when riding at night regardless of where you are.

So much word. There are very few street lamps in that area and sometimes you don't see the bicyclists until you are almost on top of them.

...I'm going to buy vests and the stupid blinkers to put on our backs ...figure a few bucks is worth our lives.

Absolutely. The farther away drivers can see the reflective vests the better for us all.

And more power to you bicyclists!

[baily]

Freaking funny!!!

'no hunny I'll walk....do you think they have a buffet at the festival?'