World Naked Bike Ride Thread Here

Hi,

This is the thread to discuss the annual World Naked Bike Ride, an international event held in the summer in the northern hemisphere, and in the autumn in the southern hemisphere.

I organise the event in Brisbane, and have done so since 2007.

The WNBR took its inspiration from the late 60's college protests against pollution and societal corruption with many of the participants going nude for them. It started in 2004 by an ecology student Conrad Schmidt whilst he was at the uni in San Francisco.

The event was also held in Australia at Tweed Heads which got 6 riders that year.

Five years later, it is a rapidly growing event that has taken off substantially in America, Britain, Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The largest ones have been in Portland (Oregon), and London.

It is a very hippie and green friendly event which decries pollution, over dependency on cars and non-renewable fuel sources as well as promoting sustainable living, nudism and eco-friendly transport for all. Everyone is invited to take part of both sexes and all ages, though people under 16 are asked to come with an older friend or relative as the organisers do not actively recruit children to join.

Ir is clothes optional with the main message being "bare as you dare". Many riders like to decorate themselves with body and face paints, as well as wearing fancy head and footwear and decorating their bikes. Unlike nudist clubs and beaches, this event usually attracts a good balance of males and females alike, and the participants are mostly young adults who are either at college or uni or working part-time (Conrad Schmidt is also the founder of the Work Less political party).

You can learn more about it at: http://www.worldnakedbikeride.org and http://nakedwiki.org if you would like to organise one in your town when it happens this year. It's great fun with little to no troublemakers.

 

I have met a couple of people who've been on it. They have been on the ride three years in a row, but last year felt that it had been hijacked by too many people promoting different causes. Hopefully it will return to it's original purpose and there will be good weather for it in London. I've cycled so little and do not have a bike myself, so I won't be taking part.

It gets a message over without being the kind of nude 'protest' that can get naturism a bad name.

 

Hi Dario,

The WNBR here in Melbourne Vic took place on a very cold and drizzly day. I wasn't there but kept in touch with a participant. It wasn't blessed with the biggest turn out and I do think the population should lighten-up and accept naturism like this. Even in liberal Fitzroy (a hip district by any stretch of the imagination), nudity is more acceptable than, say, Toorak, where the site of a single and budgie-smugglers would have the hoi-poloi on the blower to the constabulary!! Stuff 'em. How many took part in Brisbane ths year?

 

If there is ever a naked bike ride in Florida, I would love to participate. I would even buy a bicycle for that, although I'd probably never use it again. This resort is too small to ride a bike, and I won't go outside the resort where I have to wear (shudder) clothes. It's bad enough having to put clothes on to go to the store or the doctor.