Do You Support Cycling Advocacy? Are You Willing to Ride Naked To Prove It? The World Naked Bike Ride May Be For You

Subversion and protest are two actions that cyclists aren’t usually known for participating in. Sometimes, though, extreme action is needed to make the general public and the world aware of severe circumstances.

That’s especially true when so many cyclists are involved in accidents where they end up with life-altering situations or even death due to motor vehicles. Why? Because the infrastructure for cycling is horrendously bad. So, if you want to raise awareness by participating in a fun and free bike ride, take part in the World Naked Bike Ride near you.

What Is The World Naked Bike Ride?

Started in 2004 in London, England, the World Naked Bike Ride is an advocacy event for the support of the sport and activity of cycling. However, the event is also a form of protest against the world’s dependency on oil, the power of the individual, and the beauty of the human body. Or as the website Timeout states, the event has five main points.

• Protest against the global dependency on oil
• Curbing car culture
• Obtaining real rights for cyclists
• Demonstrating the vulnerability of cyclists on city streets
• Celebrating body freedom

While the World Naked Bike Ride’s main event is held in London every year, naked bike ride events take place around the world and pull in thousands of participants. One of the largest turnouts for the event was in Portland, Oregon, in 2019, when over 10,000 people participated in the ride.

Do You Have To Be Completely Naked for the World Naked Bike Ride Event?

No. The motto that goes along with this ride is come “bare as you dare.” Cyclists can wear bathing suits, underwear, or go completely naked. There are no rules. Many riders choose to have a slogan or statement of protest painted on their bodies at Body Paint Stations before the ride.

This ride isn’t about distance, not a competition, not about prizes, or KOMs. It’s meant to be a fun, free ride with an underlying serious message. Afterward, there are usually parties to celebrate a successful event.

But you should be aware that the rides during the World Naked Bike Ride can vary in length from 5 to 15 miles, can last one to two hours, and may have terrain involving hills. You should also not feel shy and have a comfortable saddle, since you won’t be wearing bib shorts, but you certainly can if you want.

Is It Legal to Bicycle Naked?

The World Naked Bike Ride is a well-supported, well-publicized international event. As long as you don’t do anything too weird and obey traffic laws, you’ll probably be fine and won’t have a problem with law enforcement.

That said, people participating in rides, specifically in the United States, have been arrested or ticketed. In 2005, two riders were arrested for indecent exposure, but those charges were reduced to disorderly conduct and the World Naked Bike Ride Legal Defense paid the riders $300 fine. Then, in 2007, police surrounded event participants and wrote them all tickets. Lastly, in 2010, two men were arrested. These types of incidents are rare but something to be aware of.

Last Thoughts

The World Naked Bike Ride, while created to be a fun and free event, is a serious statement about how are society treats bicyclists and about the way in which we live our lives. It takes a lot of guts and bravado to strip down and ride a bicycle naked in public.

But if bicycle advocacy is important to you, and you feel comfortable being naked on a bicycle for a couple hours, then, by all means, participate. Plus, you don’t have to go far to find a World Naked Bike Ride event. They are held all over the world and, usually, during the summer. So sign up, get naked, and ride for a good cause.