World Naked Bike Ride - Part 95

Canterbury 2019

Today we look at the World Naked Bike Ride held in Canterbury, England on June 30, 2019.  Here are the riders gathering.

They leave to begin the ride.

Riding through town.  The ride leader, at left, has a sign saying "Air pollution will kill you.  Nudity won't."  That's one of two messages of the World Naked Bike Rides: ride a bike rather than driving a car, because cars cause pollution.

We've seen this rider with a top hat on other World Naked Bike Rides.  Behind him, another rider has a sign "Fragile bones on road", which is the other WNBR message, advocating for bicycle safety by trying to get drivers to pay more attention to bike riders.  But you probably weren't looking at that sign.

The riders continue.

The Westgate in the background is a city gate that was originally built by the Romans and later expanded in medieval times.

Here's our top-hatted friend again.  In the background is the Guildhall, formerly the Church of the Holy Cross, built in 1381.

The ride continues.

And they ride out of town.

World Naked Bike Ride - Part 94

 Mexico City 2026

This year's World Naked Bike Ride in Mexico City took place on August 1, 2026.  Riders gathered by the Monumento a la Revolucion.  It's the tallest memorial arch in the world, 220 feet high.  Of course, Donald Trump's proposed Arc de Trump in Washington DC would be bigger, a 250-foot high monstrosity.

Some riders posing at the gathering place.

Then they get ready to head out.

The ride's motto was "Naked in the face of traffic – now do you see me?"  This reflects one of the WNBR goals, to try to get motorists to pay more attention to bicyclists for safety.

Riding through the streets.  I did not see any riders carrying banners or signs promoting the WNBR goals of (1) bicycle safety and (2) encouraging people to ride bikes rather than drive cars, because cars cause pollution.

Continuing through the streets.  I also noticed that, unlike WNBRs in some other cities, there were very few female riders.  These Mexican riders were almost all male.

The route went by the Monumento a la Independencia, known as El Angel for the angel statue atop it.

A closer view of the rider on the steps of El Angel.

Riding in the WNBR is one way to show off tattoos.  One on his chest says "You will be the love of my life forever sweet" surrounding a cupcake.

Not many riders got painted.  This guy definitely wants to attract attention.

And the naked ride continued to the end.

World Naked Bike Ride - Part 93

York 2014

Today we look at the World Naked BIke Ride held in York, England on June 20, 2014.  Riders gathered in a field near the Millenium Bridge.

And they're off!

Crosssing the modernistic Millenium Bridge.

Riders enter the town streets.

Heading for the Bootham Bar, which was a gatehouse into the medieval city.

Through the Bootham Bar.

Riders pass the Crown Court, the building on the right.

Some riders approaching the Crown Court on foot.  Note the slogans painted on some riders' backs.  The World Naked Bike Rides promote two main goals.  First, bicycle safety, getting drivers to notice bicyclists, like the slogan "Please don't crash test me again."  Second, getting people to ride bikes instead of driving cars because cars generate pollution, like the slogan "It's oil over."

Another rider promoting bikes instead of cars: "One less car."

Approaching the historic St. Michael le Belfry church.

Passing the church, which can be seen in the background.

The group poses for a photo by York Castle, with another sign promoting bicycle safety: "Notice us when we're NOT naked."

We end with a rider visiting a pub after the ride.  Clothes?  Who needs clothes?

World Naked Bike Ride - Part 92

Clacton 2018

Today we look at a World Naked Bike Ride in Clacton on July 21, 2018.  Where is Clacton?  Clacton-on-Sea is a town on the coast of England, a bit northeast of London.

Riders gathered in the parking lot of the Toby Carvery seaside restaurant.  In other World Naked Bike Rides, many riders have gotten designs or slogans painted on their bodies.  Above is the only person who seems to have done that in Clacton, with a WNBR emblem painted on his chest, as well as adorning his bike's tires.  Something tells me that he was one of the organizers of the event.

Riders gathering in the parking lot.

This guy came dressed in a top hat and bow tie – and nothing else.

Getting ready to head out.  The vest on the guy at right says "Ride Marshall Roger", and the sign on the back of his bike says "Wobbly Vehicle."

Heading onto the street.

Riding down the street.

More riders.

More riders.  In most WNBRs, some riders have paint or signs advocating two things: (1) asking drivers to pay attention to bike riders for safety, and (2) asking people to ride bikes instead of driving cars because cars cause pollution.

Above is the only such sign I saw in this WNBR: the sign "More Bikes Less Cars" advocating the second WNBR goal.

More riders, including our guy with the top hat.

More riders.

And they ended the ride back at the Toby Carvery parking lot.

World Naked Bike Ride - Part 91

Brussels 2015

Jerome Jolibois, at right, has been organizing the World Naked Bike Ride in Brussels, Belgium since 2005.  Above, he is attending a party on March 21, 2015, months before the ride, to promote the WNBR.

For the ride itself on June 20, Jerome dyed his mustache green.  I don't know if it was to make him more recognizable to the other riders that he was organizing, or it was a visual pun about the WNBR being a "green" event, because bicycles don't generate pollution like cars do.

Here we see that he is naked for the ride.  Jerome is a committed nudist.  He has even appeared naked on TV.

Jerome leading the WNBR riders.

In the Grand Place, Brussels.

A rear view of Jerome in the Grand Place.  On his back is written "0 gr. CO2", meaning zero grams of carbon dioxide (my thanks to Descamisado for pointing this out).  It's presumably a comment on bike-riding being non-polluting, but it's misinformed, since bike riders do consume oxygen and emit carbon dioxide.  However, they don't produce more toxic emissions, as cars do.  That's one of two major messages of WNBR: riding bikes is less polluting than driving cars.

And here's the other major WNBR message: promoting safety for bike riders by telling drivers to notice bike riders even when they're not naked.

Here we see Jerome sideways.  The writing on the back of the guy at left says "Je prête à rire mais donne à penser", which means "I invite laughter but give food for thought."  Perhaps the nudity of the WNBR riders will invite some people to think about the WNBR messages.

Jerome and other riders at the Place Raymond Blyckaerts.

The riders in downtown Brussels.  Jerome is at left.

The end of the ride at Square Frère-Orban, with Jerome again at the left.