Maybe NOW they'll change the name back to the "Hard Times Bike Club"

1200 brandspankingnew bikes have been donated to Burning Man for general public use at Black Rock City in two weeks.

The bad news is that they appear to be Huffys -- the dynacrap bike non pareil.

The good news is that the Black Label Bike Club is assembling and painting them, which means in all likelihood about 500 bikes will result. But you'll have an awesome view from the saddle... if you know what we mean.

Who donated the bikes? Not sure, but perhaps Wal-Mart is needing shelf-space for all that Italian carbon.

And, just for the record: "Black Label" is kinda silly, whereas "Hard Times" is evocative and melancholy. As Mark Twain said, "the difference between the almost-right word and the right word is really a large matter--it's the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning."

And if it's a beer brewer's endorsement they're after, well... Miller High Life, duh!