In cities all over the world this month, cyclists are taking off their clothes and hitting the road as part of the 20th anniversary of World Naked Bike Ride — a fun albeit risqué event created to remind people of the vulnerability of cyclists on the road and, at least in some cities, celebrate body positivity and freedom from fossil fuel.
Organizers claim that riding naked can be more enjoyable than the alternative. “Suprisingly, for both women and men, riding naked isn’t especially less comfortable than riding clothed,” according to the event’s website. “When riding with clothes on, you’re often rubbing against the seams, so in some ways naked riding is comfier! Ride routes will often be chosen with less experienced cyclists in mind, so will avoid hills and be more leisurely in pace, increasing comfort.”
This year’s World Naked Bike Ride in London, held June 8, set a new record with an estimated 1,200 participants.
“The more and more people who see it, the more they want to get involved,” David Selkirk, one of the London organizers, told the Evening Standard, referring to the “shock factor” of the event’s early days. “You can now blend in very easily. It’s a nice experience. … It’s a male-dominated crowd but we are getting more women, which is great.”
In many cities, such as Milwaukee, nudity is legally protected when it is a form of protest, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, which adds that “as long as no one is engaging in any lewd, obscene or sexual activity, participating in the bike ride is not an illegal activity.”
Despite all the photos we’ve seen of naked (or nearly naked) riders appearing to have the time of their lives, not all cyclists are willing to bare all for a worthy cause. The following three events are for them:
• Pedalpalooza Bike Festival: June 1-Aug. 31 in and around Portland, Ore.
This annual three-month festival features hundreds of free, volunteer-organized bike events held throughout the metropolitan Portland area. Like World Nake Bike Ride, Pedalpalooza is celebrating 20 years in 2024, and riders are encouraged to create their own events — from family-friendly to adult-only rides.
From TravelPortland.com: While fun with bikes is Pedalpalooza’s priority, in previous years, events like the Climate Ride, Oil Train Protest Ride, Feminist Ride and Jazz Funeral Ride (memorializing Portland and Oregon traffic deaths) also let people speak out on important issues.
• RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa): July 20-27
Sponsored by The Des Moines Register, this west-to-east ride celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023. This year, Greenfield — a small south-central Iowa community devastated by an EF-4 tornado in May that killed four people and destroyed nearly 200 homes and other buildings — will be one of RAGBRAI’s host communities welcoming almost 20,000 riders from all 50 states and 17 countries on Day Three. The theme: “Greenfield Strong, Rising After the Storm.” According to Gina School, RAGBRAI Greenfield committee co-chair and a local business owner, “we hope to allow riders to see some of the devastation but also experience our beautiful untouched historic town square, visit our local businesses, and hear the stories of survival and perseverance from our citizens.”
From the event’s website: RAGBRAI … is more than just a bike ride, it is an epic eight-day rolling festival of bicycles, music, food, camaraderie and community. It is the oldest, largest and longest multiday bicycle touring event in the world.
• Twin Lights Ride: Sept. 29 in Highlands, N.J.
Named after the iconic Navesink Twin Lights, a non-operational lighthouse in Monmouth County, N.J., that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and the entrance to New York Harbor, this ride is a favorite among local cyclists, New Yorkers and visitors from around the country, according to organizer Bike New York.
From the event’s website: Five routes ranging from 15 to 100 miles take you along the Jersey shore, over undulating hills, and past quaint farms to our finish festival where local restaurants come out to serve up their best to hungry riders — it’s the greatest way to wind down your summer riding season.
About the Author
