Naked Cyclists Organize Worldwide Bike Ride

If you like getting naked, and you like helping the environment, this could be your dream event. It's the World Naked Bike Ride, scheduled for June 9, 2007 in cities around the world. The event, which has been held in previous years as well, is organized by many different groups interested in social justice, including the Body Freedom Collaborative and Critical Mass.

Purposeful Nudity
Organizers hope to get thousands of people together in cities around the world to bike-ride naked through the streets. The purpose of the event is to make a statement about the safety and vulnerability of bikers in the streets, while at the same time speaking out against dependence on oil. Participants also hope to spread the word that biking is better for the environment than cars and other gas-guzzling forms of transportation. Riding a bicycle naked is illegal in most cities around the world, but the group chooses to do it as an act of civil disobedience to make a political statement.

Painted Bodies
Don't expect these naked people to be boring. Organizers of the event are encouraging people to paint their naked bodies as colorfully and creatively as possible, in the hopes of engaging the public in a dialog about nudity and what they call "body positivity." Painted naked participants will be singing and chanting with the help of portable loud speakers. They will also be passing out flyers to the non-naked public, explaining their mission. Organizers want the overall atmosphere of the Naked Bike Rides to be celebratory and non-threatening.

Physical Concerns
According to the official World Naked Bike Ride website, riding a bike naked is not uncomfortable for men or women. In fact, they say, it can actually be more comfortable than riding with clothes. Some have described the feeling of riding naked as "exhilarating." For those not into getting naked in public, participants are invited to join in the ride on a "bare as you dare" basis. In other words, being totally naked is not required, but it is highly encouraged. The organizers assure participants that they will not discriminate against anyone for wearing clothing, however. They do recommend that riders wear plenty of sunscreen, footwear and a helmet.

Even though the event is tagged as a bike ride, organizers stress that anyone is welcome to join in, including skateboarders and roller bladders. In the past, ratios of men to women have been fairly close, with naked men slightly outnumbering naked women. Local rides are being organized through the groups website, listed below. If you think you might be into naked social protest, or you just want to show up and gawk, check out the listings for a Naked Bike Ride near you.

Sources:
Wikipedia site, (http://nakedwiki.org/index.php?title=Main_Page)

(http://www.worldnakedbikeride.org/)