Nude cyclists protest around the world

By Susan Westemeyer

"As bare as you dare" was the motto Saturday for cyclists around the world who rode in major cities worldwide wearing as little they wanted.

"We face automobile traffic with our naked bodies as the best way of defending our dignity and exposing the unique dangers faced by cyclists and pedestrians as well as the negative consequences we all face due to dependence on oil and other forms of non-renewable energy, according to protest organizers on their website, worldnakedbikeride.org

Around 300 riders participated in Madrid, and some 400 in Paris, although most of the French riders were either fully clothed or merely topless. Over 200 bared all in Brighton, England, freeing themselves from their clothing as drivers should free themselves from their cars, according to a local organizer. Similar demonstrations were held Friday in Manchester, York, and Southampton.

The protest stretched beyond Europe, with protests also planned over the weekend in Mexico City, eight locations in Canada, and a multitude of cities in the US. Southern hemisphere nude riders could strut their stuff in March of this year.

According to the website, the ride is organized by a variety of groups, who "are only connected by their determination to all be naked on their bikes on WNBR Day, riding in celebration, jubilation to deliver a vision of a cleaner, safer, body-positive world to the masses. We have many great reasons to be celebrating, with all the glory of naked two-wheel sanity. It's time to join hundreds of naked compatriots in a free, non-sexual, fun bike ride!"

The dress code was up to the individual. "You decide what you are comfortable with. No one is excluded or discriminated against based on levels of clothing, body paint, or anything else for that matter!"