World Naked Bike Ride: A Global Cycling Event You Can’t Look Away From
Sometime in the coming weeks you may catch sight of hundreds (or thousands) of nude cyclists pedaling down a prominent street in the center of your neighborhood. Don’t be alarmed; this isn’t the zomb(oot)ie apocalypse. It’s June, and the World Naked Bike Ride has gone global.
In 2017, some 70 cities in 20 countries around the world are expected to participate in this remarkable event, which is billed as the largest naked protest on Earth. Organizing bodies (hehe) use the ride to draw attention to prominent issues facing both cyclists and the environment, including climate change, renewable energy, and road safety.
While it’s difficult pinpoint exactly when and where the movement first popped up on an organized scale, it’s certainly not hard to identify the robust growth it has experienced throughout the 21st century. In cities like London and Portland, where the World Naked Bike Ride has been held since 2004, numbers of participants can stretch into the tens of thousands. It’s not uncommon for main thoroughfares to close down entirely for the duration of the event, creating a festival-like atmosphere for both participants and curious bystanders.
If you’re interested in attending one of these memorable cycling experiences, it’s helpful to know when they’re taking place — particularly since dates are chosen at random and tend to change annually. Below we’ve assembled a list of some of 2017’s upcoming World Naked Bike Rides, along with a selection of available bike rentals in each city. Take a look, then ask yourself if you’re bold enough to participate in what organizers call “The wildest event of the year.”
Find the Perfect Bike for your Naked Bike Ride:
- London, England — June 10, 2017
- Chicago, Illinois, USA — June 10, 2017
- Edinburgh, Scotland — June 10, 2017
- Thessaloniki, Greece — June 10, 2017
- Helsinki, Finland — June 12, 2017
- Madison, Wisconsin, USA — June 17, 2017
- Brussels, Belgium — June 17, 2017
- Portland, Oregon, USA — June 24, 2017
- Amsterdam, Netherlands — July 1, 2017
- Boston, Massachusetts, USA — July 22, 2017
For more information on events across the globe, visit the official World Naked Bike Ride website here.
Originally published at www.spinlister.com on June 5, 2017.
