Naked Bike Ride Raises Awareness Of Clean Transportation

On Saturday night, thousands of bikers in Portland, Oregon were expected to bike naked together to celebrate their World Naked Bike Ride.

According to The Portlander, the night, expected to begin at 10pm, was to be focused on raising awareness of “society’s gas guzzling ways.”

2010 saw an estimated 13,000 riders, which according to The Portlander, made it the largest Naked Bike Ride in the world to date.

FOX12 reports that nudity is legal in Oregon as long as a sexual act or attempted arousal is not involved. Additional police planned to station themselves along the route. Although nudity is legal, the police did ask that riders wear a helmet and shoes for safety.

Other biking events are taking place in Portland, Oregon for over two weeks during Pedalpalooza.

A Naked Bike Ride near Echo Park Lake in Los Angeles recently broke out in fighting between bike riders and the occupants of a car. Naked Bike Rides took place in New York and Chicago earlier this month.

Reports show that if the average American substituted one day’s worth of driving with riding per week, he’d cut auto emissions by 1,248 pounds of CO2, save over $800 on gas and maintenance, and burn enough calories to lose 19 pounds in one year. Nudity not required.

Comments

[lizt]

10:21 PM on 08/06/2011

I rode in this ride....my third year to do so. It's always glorious, goofy fun. Everyone has a great time. I love Portland.

[Kenz300]

06:38 PM on 07/04/2011

WIth the price of oil continuing to go up ...... there will be more people considering a bike as a cheaper way to get to work, school or play. We need more safe bike paths for children and more places to lock up bikes at schools, work, stores and government buildings.

[hauruck]

11:00 PM on 06/21/2011

Nobody needs or wants to see me naked, no matter how free-n-breezy I like it.

[Michael J OConnell]

04:01 PM on 06/20/2011

I ride everywhere, and I am naked under the layers of clithing that keep me warm here in the northwest.

[snapshot1940]

12:54 PM on 06/20/2011

I love Oregon!

[Eidolas]

08:26 AM on 06/20/2011

Somehow I suspect there doesn't have to be much of a reason for these folks to ride naked in public. The fact that it can be done in conjunction with this event simply provides a more legitimate opportunity to practice a lifestyle they would just as soon be living anyway.

[G Note]

04:04 AM on 06/20/2011

Ouch!!!!!!!!!!

[Patricia Cash]

08:10 AM on 06/20/2011

Road rash hurts,even with lycra on

[General Public]

04:01 AM on 06/20/2011

Sorry, if you're wearing a bike helmet, you're not naked. That's STILL too much clothing for my tastes.

[sabelmouse]

07:26 AM on 06/20/2011

in any case some people debate that a helmet increases the risk of spine injuries. in any case for me a helmet is an accident waiting to happen. i get so irritated by that thing.

[Pectin]

10:13 AM on 06/20/2011

I know a motorcycle enthusiast who works tirelessly against helmet laws in his state, although he chooses to use a helmet when riding.

Last time I hit the road while cycling, I was glad to have the thing on my head, irritating though it may be...

[Black Oblivion]

02:42 AM on 06/20/2011

I just hope they put towels on their seats while riding because I can't focus on the story with the horrifying concept of sitting naked on a bike seat is burning in my brain. I also wonder what men will do for testicular safety considering some bike seats already injure clothed men.

In general my health concerns relate to:

uncovered flesh on a non-porous surface like a bike seat
humans sweat
loose skin that may or may not have hair
genital fluids
the pressure caused on the genitals by putting all of one's weight on a seat between their legs
friction

How can anyone get through that without pain or injury? I have not even defined the hygiene issues that come to mind. And the funny or satirical part of this is they call it "clean" transportation.

[sabelmouse]

07:27 AM on 06/20/2011

so you wipe the seat after. bike seats are not fun for vaginas most of the time anyway.

[Patricia Cash]

08:15 AM on 06/20/2011

There are bikes seats that has a hole in them for those women/men who needs them .Terry Bike Co makes them. I like my wafer thin seat ,your supposed to slightly hover over the seat while riding anyway :)

[JenniferAllen8319]

01:12 AM on 06/20/2011

What an innovative and exciting way to raise awareness! An open minded society surely fosters a community that can grow leaps and bounds!

[keep it solid]

12:02 AM on 06/20/2011

"Although nudity is legal, the police did ask that riders wear a helmet and shoes for safety."
reminds me of that Randy Newman song:
"You Can Leave Your Hat On"
this is the Joe Cocker version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pruYLmuEbjg

[Ricardo Valentin]

10:37 PM on 06/19/2011

An impressive way of calling attention to their cause. I live in a country that views with tremedous dissaproval any instance of public nakedness. This type of manifestation would cause a truly memorable uproar of epic proportions. And yet the newstands are chock full of magazines of very scantly clad men and women.

[snapshot1940]

12:57 PM on 06/20/2011

You live in Kansas?

[JusticeontheRocks]

08:31 PM on 06/19/2011

1) it's cheating to do it at 10 at night . . .

2) I can only speak for male cyclists, but our equipment does not go well with those seats unless there's some support.

[sabelmouse]

07:29 AM on 06/20/2011

i was just saying the same about female equipment. i don't know how big a difference there is though as i have never been nude while riding a bike.
in summer though with a dress or skirt some thin panties don't offer that much extra support.

[JusticeontheRocks]

07:57 AM on 06/20/2011

I think about five miles of skin to seat would be more than enough for anyone. Then it'd be time for a beer.

[gnobie01]

08:21 PM on 06/19/2011

I have been a nudist for many years....you really must be willing to accept that we as humans are good and beautiful...not ugly and dirty...it is a wonderful way of life....it is a shame that nudity per se is illegal...how is my being nude a harm to you?...there are two forms in the world...female and male..accept this...I only wish that all us was as open as oregon to social nudity

[tnash26170]

07:44 PM on 06/19/2011

Pretty proud of that city, where my grandfather first lived in 1902 and my father for 88 years and me for 58, until I left the city for rural life in NE Oregon. Remember when it was not even heard of East of the Rockies.