Most bike ride events have a logo and a T-shirt. Why should the World Naked Bike Ride be any different?
The World Naked Bike Rides are scheduled in cities in the US and Canada in June, July and August to protest oil dependency and the car culture by a show of nakedness on two wheels.
It may seem like bare irony that organizers are selling about 100 T-shirts to raise money to pay expenses. But they say participants may want to wear those T-shirts 40 or 50 years from now when they're sitting in a rocking chair reminiscing about the olden days.
The rides
The rides are held in cities around the world; generally in March in the southern hemisphere and June in the northern hemisphere. Seattle generally schedules a little later in the summer because June weather can still be a little cold and damp.
The idea of riding bicycles naked is to protest the world's dependence on oil and the car culture, as well as represent the vulnerability of bicyclists. It's also a chance to celebrate the joy of cycling and advocate for the use of renewable energy.
The rides also are an opportunity for self-expression by body painting and bike decoration.
Schedule
Bicyclists plan naked bike rides in 15 cities in the US and 7 in Canada, among other around the world. The US and Canadian rides are:
Canada:
Guelph, Ontario, June 7
Nelson, BC, June 7
Ottawa, ON, June 7
Toronto, ON, June 14
Vancouver, BC, June 7
Victoria, BC, June 7
Winnepeg, MB, June 13.
United States:
Asheville, NC, June 14
Black Rock City (Burning Man), NV, Aug. 28
Boulder, CO, June 14
Burlington, VT, June 7
Chicago, June 14
Denver, June 7
Eugene, OR, June 7
Marquette, MI, June 14
Montpelier, VT, June 7
Portland, OR, June 14
St. Louis, MO, Aug. 30
St. Petersburg, Summer
San Francisco, June 7
Seattle, July 12 and Aug. 17
Washington DC, June 7
For details, check here for World Naked Bike Rides in the US and here for Canada.
Seattle: In addition to the July 12 and Aug. 17 bike rides, the Painted Cyclists of Fremont Solstice Parade is scheduled June 21.
Riding tips
Vancouver — where they say “it's time to stop indecent exposure to automobile emissions” — has one of the largest naked bike rides. Among the naked bicycling tips suggested by organizers that bike ride:
Prepare for rain;
If it's sunny, don't forget sunscreen;
Wear shoes;
Shy people might want to start riding with some clothes, then “get more bare” away from spectators later;
You don't have to be naked to join the ride;
Take some clothes with you, for later.
The poster above is for the Vancouver World Naked Bike Ride on June 7, 2008.
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