Ride This

A little while back I commented on the growing trend towards nude hiking. Now nude biking is in the news.

Thousands in Portland take to bikes for naked ride

It was a typical early summer evening in Portland: cloudy skies threatening rain, temperatures in the mid-60s, and thousands of naked bicyclists gathered near the city's waterfront for a clothing-free night ride.

The Portland version of the World Naked Bike Ride was about to begin.

 "This is just a way of drawing attention to the need to be more green and replace fossil fuels with natural power," said Ken Johnson, who was completely nude and body-painted grey.

"I am going all the way" nude, said Xandi Silvaggi, adding, "it is all about saving the environment."

Nothing says "Save the environment" like stripping off your clothes, painting your body, and pedaling down the road.

The local group that sponsors the event, SHIFT, describes itself as "a loose-knit and informal bunch of bike-loving folks."

The purpose of the naked rides, SHIFT says, is "a light-hearted protest against fossil fuel. ... A comment on the vulnerability of cyclists. Choose your message, ride with us! As bare as you dare."

Portland Police don't arrest the naked riders. They cite the city's extremely tolerant public indecency code as permitting such activities as mass nude cycling.

Unfortunately for naked riders elsewhere, not all cities share Portland's tolerance.

Seven bicyclists have been arrested for "moral offenses" as Chile saw its first edition of the World Naked Bike Ride, which was taking place in cities around the world.

The cyclists began their route fully clothed in a residential neighborhood and stripped off much of their clothing during the ride to arrive at the Plaza Italia either partially or completely nude.

The ride in Santiago was part of the World Naked Bike Ride, a global event created in 2004 to protest oil dependency and call attention to cyclist rights.

Protesters in Chile hoped to raise awareness about their rights to safe travel in the streets of the Chilean capital, where cycling has gained popularity in recent years. Santiago is one of the most polluted cities in Latin America.

Cyclists in Mexico City also celebrated the World Naked Bike Ride, as about 500 riders gathered in the hot morning on Reforma Avenue.

Saturday was the sixth time the event was held in Mexico City, whose version has been gaining participants each year. Some of the cyclists ride naked while others wear little clothing or paint colorful designs on their bodies.

Like their Chilean counterparts, the cyclists in the streets of Mexico City demonstrated to raise awareness about pedal power.

London saw its eighth naked ride, with participating taking a route that passes many of London's most famous landmarks, and participants decorating their bodies with messages of protest against oil dependency and motor vehicle usage.

World Naked Bike Ride is a globally observed event designed to "draw attention to oil dependency and the negative social and environmental impacts of a car dominated culture." It also promotes cyclists' rights.

This is a great opportunity for global warming freaks and other environmentalists to put their money where their mouth is. Can you imagine Al Gore nude and riding a bike?

 On second thought, don't.

There, that's better...